"Grandma, Jiraiya- sensei, I'm back... Huh? Where's the enemy?"
Naruto looked around blankly; there was nothing left.
" Naruto, the war is over," Jiraiya replied.
"It's over?"
"Yes, Madara has been defeated, and Obito Uchiha has also been killed by Madara. The era in which the Five Great Shinobi Villages defined peace in the Shinobi World has ended. From now on, the Shinobi World will be ruled by the gods."
"How could this happen? No, this shouldn't be happening... Damn it!"
Naruto was filled with regret; he was too late.
Naruto.
"Um... Grandma."
Tsunade finally accepted reality and said, "The future belongs to you young people. Don't worry, that day will come sooner or later."
The only thing you need to do before that is to strive to improve your cultivation level.
Jiraiya chimed in, "Don't think too much about it. In any case, the grudges of the previous generation have been settled, and there shouldn't be any more wars in the future."
As for your generation, you'll have to figure it out yourselves. Right now, the most important thing is how to rebuild the village.
The three looked around at the devastated village—no, it was a sinkhole.
"It would probably take moving a mountain to fill this space."
One is probably not enough.
Third defense zone.
" Kakashi- senpai, I received news from the village that the war is over."
"How's it going?"
" The Allied Shinobi Forces were defeated, the Akatsuki achieved final victory, and their leader Pain became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, the only god in the Shinobi World."
"What? We failed!"
"There's something else that also concerns you, senior, Obito Uchiha..."
At the stronghold in the Land of Grass, the Akatsuki survivors gradually gathered.
Deidara and Sasori died in battle, Hidan was sealed away. Before the great battle, no one was confident of surviving. Nagato was prepared to die, let alone the others.
Kisame said with a hint of regret, "It seems Itachi-san is dead too."
"Yes, she died with a smile at the hands of her own brother," Aoki Tsuki replied.
"That must have been his long-cherished wish. How enviable."
Pain looked around and solemnly announced, "Akatsuki's goal has been successfully achieved. There is no need for this organization to continue existing; it is hereby disbanded. Thank you all for your hard work."
Nagato ultimately refused to meet everyone and instead used Yahiko to bid them farewell.
Yahiko will always be the leader of Akatsuki, a promise he made to his dearest friend, until the very moment Akatsuki disbands.
"Hehe... I wonder what I should do next? It seems like I'm unemployed." Kisame was lost in confusion once again.
Kakuzu dissatisfied. "I never expected to be laid off at my age. I've made quite a bit of money for the organization over the years, are you planning to kick me while I'm down?"
"The war has exhausted all the resources. You know, 'when an Explosive Tag goes off, gold is worth a fortune.' This war has used approximately 300 billion Explosive Tag in total."
You should do the math.
When it comes to money, Kakuzu very meticulous. They started calculating on the spot and finally found that there really wasn't much left.
Seeing this, Aoki Tsuki added, "Don't panic. The leader has always been kind and has decided to distribute the remaining money to everyone as severance pay."
Lowering expectations first, then offering a glimmer of hope—this tactic always works.
"That money will run out sooner or later. After this battle, it will be very difficult to find any more ninjas on the bounty list."
"As long as the ninja system exists, there will be killing and hatred, and there will be rogue ninjas. The existence of a leader can only ensure that large-scale wars do not occur."
"The fighting between ninjas will never end, so why worry about not having business?"
"I hope so," Kakuzu could only console himself with this thought.
Deva Path Pain suddenly spoke up, "Zetsu, since you're here, why don't you show yourself?"
White Zetsu slowly emerged from the ground, bending his knees.
Thump!
"Leader, I was wrong, please forgive me. It was all orchestrated by Black Zetsu and that bastard Tobi. I was coerced."
You know I'm timid, incompetent, and lack initiative, but I've never hurt anyone.
White Zetsu knows his own intelligence; as long as someone knows it, they can find it sooner or later. Besides, Orochimaru is also keeping an eye on it.
It must find new refuge.
Aoki Tsuki's heart skipped a beat. "What value do you have?"
Upon hearing that there was hope, White Zetsu quickly offered, "I can continue to help gather intelligence and report any attempts to disrupt the peace to the organization."
I also want to contribute to the long-term peace of the Shinobi World. I can also love peace. Please give me a chance.
"Boss, Zetsu is actually quite useful. From now on, let him monitor the Shinobi World in your place, so you can relax a bit sometimes."
Pain nodded slightly. He had never intended to kill White Zetsu; White Zetsu was his eyes.
"Alright, from now on you can continue gathering intelligence. If I find out you're following Black Zetsu's old path, don't blame me for not giving you a chance."
"Hi, I'll definitely do my best."
"Give me a report on the war situation."
White Zetsu immediately went into work mode. "In this war Deidara, Sasori, Hidan killed over 10,000 Allied Shinobi Forces, and then Madara Uchiha arrived on the battlefield."
They fought against the Tsuchikage, Mizukage, Kazekage, and Raikage, severely injuring the Tsuchikage and Raikage. Combined with the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb, the allied forces of the Five Great Shinobi Villages suffered 80% losses in the war.
"The results are encouraging; it seems that everyone will be able to have enough to eat for quite some time to come."
"There's also good news: it's said that the five daimyo have jointly issued a notice planning to cut the financial budgets of ninja villages."
In the future, being a ninja may become a rare profession, with only a very small number of people able to pursue it.
Aoki Tsuki laughed, "Who knows, we might become legends."
After chatting casually for a while, the group announced their departure. Pain left alone, saying he wanted to travel to various countries like Jiraiya.
It is said that after the Sage of Six Paths sealed Kaguya, he traveled around before finally founding the Ninshu.
Kakuzu returned to the Land of Waterfalls, Kisame returned to the Land of Mist.
They have complete freedom of movement, and nobody cares about them; they just need to report to Amegakure periodically.
Before leaving, Pain used Yin-Yang Release to release Killer B's Sealing Jutsu technique, freeing him from his Jinchūriki status and allowing him to return to Kumogakure on his own.
As long as Konoha and Kumogakure don't cause trouble, the Shinobi World won't descend into chaos.
" Konan, you go back to the village first. I need to deal with some matters concerning the Jashin Cult."
Konan frowned and said, "You still can't let go of that woman, can you?"
"You're overthinking it. You're the only one in my heart. My relationship with her is just that of a normal superior and subordinate. She was my former boss's deceased wife, and I've always kept that in mind."
The main reason for going back this time is to hand over the Jashin Cult; I'll stay in the village from now on.
"Really?"
I'd be a dog if I lied.
"Hmph, childish!" Konan scolded on the surface, but a slight smile played on her lips. She didn't forget to add, "Be careful on the road, and come back soon."
"Knew."
Aoki Tsuki rode the Okatana and flew straight to the Land of Hot Water, where his little home was.
When I arrived, Kikuno Momo was breastfeeding her child. That's the meaning of a lie.
"How is Quan? From now on, she can help you take care of the child. I've decided to formally pass the position of Jashin Cult to you."
Upon hearing this, Mimoto looked up, feeling a little excited because happiness had come so quickly.
"Is she planning to cut ties with me? Sure enough, she'll abandon her old love once she finds someone new."
"You're overthinking it. You're the only one in my heart. My relationship with her is really just that of a superior and subordinate. She's the leader's personal assistant, and I've always kept that in mind."
"Yeah?"
I'd be a dog if I lied.
"Okay, I believe you. Is there anything else you need to explain?"
"No, Xiao has disbanded. We need to keep a low profile from now on, otherwise everyone will feel uneasy. Anyway, I'll come back to see you and the child often."
"Understood. Who do you think will be able to take on the great responsibility within the Jashin Cult in the future?"
Neji.
"That Hyuga Clan brat?"
"If he's willing to come back."
Aoki Tsuki glanced at the time and said, "It's getting late, the children have eaten, it's my turn now."
"Ugh... you bastard, I just can't do anything with you."
At this moment, in Quan's room, Bai was having a private conversation with her, and she didn't treat Bai as a man.
" Zabuza is such a pity. Should you return his sword to Kirigakure? He always seemed to deeply love his village."
Haku shook his head. "That's the only memento Zabuza left me. I'll keep it. I'll continue the missions in Kirigakure; I'll protect the village in his place."
"But..."
"I need to find something to do, otherwise I'll start overthinking. Keeping busy will help."
"Well..."
"By the way... where did Itachi's younger brother Sasuke go?"
"I don't know. He's unwilling to come to the Land of Hot Water with me; perhaps he has his own plans."
"Seeking revenge on Konoha? Itachi was willing to sacrifice his entire clan to protect this place, yet he wants to destroy it with his own hands. The two brothers have very different personalities."
"Yes, Sasuke was actually really cute when he was little. It's just that the world was too cruel to him."
"This is the fate of ninjas."
The following day, Aoki Tsuki summoned the high-ranking members of the Jashin Cult and formally passed the leadership to Kikuno Momo, announcing his retirement.
After leaving the Jashin Cult, he encountered an unexpected person.
" Neji, it's been a long time. It seems you've... gained your freedom."
The smooth forehead spoke volumes; the person was a bird that had flown out of its cage, and the confidence emanating from within spoke louder than a thousand words.
"Yes, I'm asking you to take me upstairs to fulfill our agreement."
Neji's body is not yet an adult, and he is not strong enough to reliably utilize the power of the Eye of Reincarnation, thus he cannot remain airborne for extended periods.
Aoki Tsuki slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot about that. Let's go up together."
The two flew to the moon again.
"There's something I need to clarify. You know that your teacher, Might Guy, fought me and died in battle, right?"
"Hmm, Teacher Kai must have activated the Eight Gates Released Formation."
Neji's voice was slightly melancholic; Might Guy was the only person in the village who brought him warmth.
"Yes, he almost killed me. You can't pin this on me. We have different positions and no personal grudges."
On the contrary, I admire him.
"In a fair fight, neither of us is wrong," Neji replied.
Aoki Tsuki felt a little relieved. He had brought up the topic because he didn't want to become enemies with her. He was past the age of fighting and killing, with his wife, children, and a warm bed.
Neji, Sasuke, Naruto, and Toneri are at the peak of their power; the Shinobi World will undoubtedly become their hunting ground in the future.
The saying goes, "A fist is most vulnerable when young and strong," and one should know that retiring at the peak of one's career is the true path to survival.
In this life, it's enough to have experienced glory.
For the rest of his life, he continued to live a Amegakure.