Yoruha's words left the three people present deep in thought. Even Nagato, who was usually the most extreme, began to question whether their plan was truly feasible. Could they really gather all the Tailed Beasts and control the wars of the entire ninja world? Was that even possible?
Looking at Nagato, Yoruha said, "Your idea is to hold the most powerful weapon in your hands, so that whenever turmoil arises in the ninja world, you can step in to quell it. But the premise is that you must always ensure you are the strongest in the ninja world."
He paused, then continued, "But it's already proven that this premise doesn't exist. Right here, there's someone who can wipe you out. When such a person appears, how laughable does your plan seem?" Sasuke, who had been lost in thought, twitched his mouth slightly as Yoruha pointed this out.
How did the conversation suddenly shift to him? And what does he mean by "one person"? Does Yoruha not realize how much stronger he is than me? However, Sasuke didn't interrupt Yoruha's speech.
The slight difference in strength didn't affect the conclusion of Yoruha's words. Nagato glared at Yoruha, but Yoruha's gaze remained calm, completely unfazed by Nagato's anger. Konan felt a bit tense, even though she hadn't witnessed Yoruha's combat skills, and it had been Sasuke fighting earlier.
Sasuke's strength far surpassed Nagato's, yet Yoruha gave off an even stronger impression. After all, Sasuke, who seemed god-like in her eyes, stood quietly beside Yoruha, listening thoughtfully.
What Konan didn't know was that Sasuke genuinely agreed with Yoruha's words, or rather, he had immense trust in Yoruha. Moreover, the gap in strength between him and Yoruha was indeed vast. Konan looked at Yoruha, her eyes narrowing slightly,
"Who exactly is this guy? Why is it that when he speaks, even Uchiha Sasuke stands aside, seemingly respecting him?" she wondered internally, speculating about Yoruha's identity.
Nagato glared at Yoruha for a long time before finally lowering his head. "So, what you're saying is, we should just let the ninja world continue in chaos?" Although it was a question, it also signified Nagato's acknowledgment of Yoruha's words.
Yoruha's expression remained calm as he met Nagato's gaze. "As long as ninjas exist, this world's wars will never cease. In fact, you know better than anyone that as long as humans exist, or rather, as long as there are intelligent beings, eternal peace is unattainable."
"People can only achieve regional peace or a general state of peace across the world, and that's already a rare situation. From the end of the Third Great Ninja War until now, this has been the most peaceful period in the ninja world's history."
"This is a time when most people in the ninja world can live in peace, yet instead of maintaining it, you're causing destruction everywhere."
"Even if there is war in the ninja world in the future, it will be because of you."
"If I were you, I wouldn't meddle in the affairs of the ninja world. Instead, I'd focus all my efforts on developing the power of the Land of Rain. Even if it can't dominate the world, it should at least have the ability to defend itself.
When other countries attempt to invade the Land of Rain, it should have the power to make them pay a huge price, or even face the risk of annihilation."
"It's too late to say anything now. The damage you've caused to the Village Hidden in the Leaves won't be forgiven. Even with the fairest trial, you'll inevitably be sentenced to death." The act of turning tens of thousands into ashes in an instant is an unforgivable crime, even in this world. Nagato lowered his head, gritting his teeth, seemingly unwilling to accept it.
Countless times he wanted to refute Yoruha's ideas in his heart, but he found that unless he disregarded all reasons and clung to his own beliefs, he couldn't deny what Yoruha had said. "Could it be that all these years, what I've been holding onto was wrong?" "Is there really no true peace in this world?"
Konan turned to look at Nagato, worry in her eyes. "Nagato," she said. Nagato remained silent for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha! How ridiculous, to be convinced by a mere kid. Natsuki Yoruha, is it? I'll remember you. Yes, you're right. I was wrong from the start. There's no eternal peace in this world, but I could have brought peace to the Land of Rain."
"That was Yahiko's wish too. True, eternal peace doesn't exist, but relative peace does. What have I been doing all these years?" Reflecting on the Akatsuki's actions across the ninja world, Nagato realized that with their immense power, they could have developed the Land of Rain significantly. Yet now, the Land of Rain couldn't even feed itself, which was utterly laughable.
The people of the Land of Rain were starving, and here he was, the leader, dreaming of world peace. He hadn't even noticed that the most pressing issue was simply having enough to eat. World peace was irrelevant to them, let alone the fact that it was just an illusory dream.
Konan looked at Nagato with concern. His body had already been drained of chakra by the Gedo Statue, and his health was in a dire state. He probably wouldn't live much longer.
Thinking about the current situation of the Land of Rain, Nagato realized it was worse than during Hanzo's rule. At least under Hanzo, once they dealt with invasions from other countries, the Land of Rain could feed itself.
Moreover, with decent technological development, no shortage of water or arable land, and no war, the Land of Rain could be self-sufficient and relatively prosperous.
Its geographical position was awkward, situated between several great nations, but with enough strength, it could prevent other nations from using it as a battlefield, allowing it to thrive. In fact, except for the Second Shinobi World War, the Land of Rain wasn't heavily affected by the other wars.
Originally, the Land of Rain could have developed well, but after Nagato overthrew Hanzo, the country couldn't even feed itself. It was embarrassing that even the military force, the ninjas, were starving, a disgrace in the entire ninja world.
Even the harsh conditions of the Land of Snow weren't as humiliating. The Land of Snow, covered in snow year-round, didn't face food shortages.
Despite not producing grain, the Land of Snow's economy allowed it to import large quantities of food. In contrast, the Land of Rain's technological progress had stalled, and it couldn't even generate income.
The remaining funds were siphoned off by Nagato to fund the Akatsuki's activities, and even that wasn't enough, requiring Kakuzu to earn bounties. Reflecting on these years, Nagato felt his efforts had been a colossal failure.
All the dreams he once had, when confronted with reality, he realized the cost of achieving them was too high, and that dream was just that—a dream, an illusion, a self-deceptive fantasy.