Sakura was genuinely shocked. She hadn't expected the man called Kakuzu to strike so suddenly.
Konan sighed silently, while Zaraki Kita looked utterly drained.
"C-can't you take it outside? I need to… clean this up," Kita stammered.
"How much is this guy worth?" Nagato asked.
Kakuzu thought for a moment. "Five hundred thousand ryo."
"Dispose of him. Not worth a trip for such a sum," Nagato said.
Kakuzu's expression darkened. He grabbed Saito's corpse, muttering under his breath as he walked out.
"Five hundred thousand is still money. As the financial officer, the boss doesn't think about me at all. Even flies are meat… Waste like this will drain us eventually. Hidan, move."
"Eh, eh, Kakuzu! I'll pay you the five hundred thousand! We just got back from the village! Really!"
"You're not walking, are you? The mud birds are for show? Hurry up," Kakuzu snapped.
"Wait for me! Kakuzu! I'm leaving first! Kita-san! Boss! Kita-san! Big brother! Wait for me!"
Nagato chuckled. After a few days of occasionally dragging back so-called "miracle doctors" to treat Kita, he shook his head and instructed, "Take her with you for now. When the Shunan Team returns, hand her over to them."
"Understood," Kakuzu said, looking at a slightly frightened Sakura. "Kid, come with me."
Sakura froze, glancing again at Zaraki Kita, unsure of what to do.
Konan, however, smiled—completely different from her earlier icy demeanor or the cold indifference of Konoha. Her voice softened,
"Go. I've been studying the poison on Kita. You two discuss it first."
Not quite a gentle breeze, but a soothing reassurance nonetheless.
And so, Sakura left with Kakuzu.
When the room was down to just the three of them, Zaraki Kita sighed softly.
"Why must you trouble a little girl? Even Orochimaru couldn't handle this, let alone her," Kita said.
Nagato poured himself a cup of tea, sitting on the sofa.
"You don't have a say here. Konoha brought this upon themselves, so we might as well use it," he said.
"Actually, Tsunade couldn't handle it either," Kita admitted.
"Better than doing nothing," Konan said, pointing to the blood on the floor. She then sat beside Zaraki Kita, smiling.
"The girl has decided to heal you. I'll give her the chance. It's called doing a good deed for someone," she added.
Zaraki Kita smiled wryly. Doing someone a favor, and giving them a warning too… typical.
Nagato glanced at her, sighed, and said, "Konoha's troubles fall on you this time, Kita. I'll remember this debt."
Zaraki Kita quickly waved it off. "No, it's fine."
…
The team returned near evening. In addition to them, Deidara had been part of the mission. If it weren't for the need to study the poison on Zaraki Kita, Deidara would have joined. Obito took his place. The mission lasted four days—a long-term operation by Akatsuki standards.
"It's done in the Land of Silence. That Gen'go wasn't much—just supporting a new leader took some time," Itachi reported seriously.
After Obito returned, he went to relax; Deidara never bothered with reports. Only Itachi and Kisame were present. Despite Itachi's youth, he was mature and reliable. Kisame looked terrifying, but was surprisingly dependable in action.
"But is this right? Intervening in another nation's affairs… people who meddle will eventually get restless," Kisame said.
Nagato shook his head calmly.
"Doesn't matter. If they don't like it, let them fight," he said with no hint of pressure.
Itachi sighed inwardly. Their boss had a knack for making even good deeds stir up public outrage. The mission was to eliminate Gen'go's faction in the Land of Silence, then support the worthy leader. Not exactly saving the country, but returning a semblance of order. Many killings occurred, but in the long run, they were meaningful.
Akatsuki, now without tailed beasts, had grown more brutal.
But Itachi was used to it.
"One more thing," Itachi said, recalling what he saw on the way back. A tiny sleeping creature appeared in his palm.
"What's this?"
"Four-Tails," Nagato replied.
Honestly, calling it the Four-Tails now was almost a dishonor. Nagato was deeply embarrassed.
"At the Land of Earth border, we saw the Four-Tails' jinchuriki corpse. He had died recently. By the time we found it, the Four-Tails was in this state."
Its chakra was faint—so faint even Nagato couldn't sense it. The contract seal worked: when the jinchuriki dies, the tailed beast cannot survive long. From the Four-Tails' chakra, the seal was clearly effective. It slept toward death after the jinchuriki's demise.
"Seems the Iwa ninja abandoned the jinchuriki," Nagato said. Itachi nodded. For a village, the jinchuriki were weapons; a useless weapon is no threat.
"From the corpse, someone handled it. Cannot tell who exactly, but the wounds suggest foul play."
Nagato thought for a moment. "Since Iwa decided this, the Five-Tails is also at risk. We should check on him, make sure he survives. Tailed beasts and jinchuriki are valuable."
"Got it," Itachi responded swiftly, checking the mini Four-Tails in his hand.
"What about the Four-Tails?"
"You take care of it."
"I don't like monkeys. And I already have Daiju."
"Don't look at me. I've got a tank of fish to care for," Kisame quickly protested.
Nagato glanced at them, then remembered someone suitable.
"Deidara will raise it. It's his responsibility, from the Land of Earth."
"Alright~" Itachi said, smiling, and returned the Four-Tails to its container. Just as he was leaving, Nagato spoke again.
"By the way, Itachi, Konoha's Haruno Sakura have arrived. Watch over her while she treats Kita."
"Huh? What?"
Itachi was stunned. Nagato, after considering the context, calmly said, "Too complicated to explain. Just handle it. Shunan Team, take note."