Kakashi thought, No matter if it's because I 'broke my word' or for whatever reason, it doesn't really matter. This crying brat has been through enough—if taking the blame stops the tears, then fine.
"I don't want you to say sorry, Kakashi, you bastard! You better never do that again. Promise me you'll never do something stupid! If they want you to kill me, then do it! I'm not afraid to die, I can't die anyway—but you're different! You can't die! I won't let you die! Waaaaah, Kakashi, you bastard…"
How could I ever resist this?
Kakashi thought. No promises, no vows. He reached out and tugged at Obito's red Akatsuki robe, curling his lips into a crescent-moon smile.
"Crybaby… stop crying. Listen, I saw my dad."
And Obito cried even harder.
…
Kakashi waking up was a relief. At least Obito wouldn't be sulking in the hospital, refusing to leave and openly 'protesting' after returning from attacking Konoha. This brought Nagato some comfort, though it was still nerve-wracking. Since Sakura joined Akatsuki, he had realized each member had become increasingly troublesome.
Uchiha Itachi was gravely ill—not fatally, but he would need careful care for two or three years. During this period, he should avoid using the Mangekyo Sharingan, preventing him from maintaining peak combat ability.
Konan, meanwhile, required time to detox and to gather chakra for the Hundred Seal. Overusing her chakra would leave her unable to maintain her highest battle state.
Kakuzu, though not terminally ill, had contracted a blood virus—likely from repeatedly changing hearts. If blood type compatibility wasn't perfect, prolonged use would eventually cause internal decay. The virus's early symptom was occasional itching, which Kakuzu claimed he had endured for years. Luckily, it was treatable, though he had initially resisted medicine until Nagato physically forced him to comply.
Nagato could understand the elders' need for regular health maintenance, but Hidan's blood virus was more baffling. In fact, Nagato didn't even know it could be transmitted through certain activities.
With everyone else accounted for, only the teams under Konan were available.
Whether letting Sakura join Akatsuki was right or wrong, Nagato couldn't decide. He pondered this while Konan entered the room. Seeing her, he wanted to leap out the window—she was the last person he wanted to encounter, and for good reason.
"Take your medicine."
Nagato realized immediately that allowing Sakura to join the organization might have been a mistake—it had somehow fallen under his responsibility.
"Hmm, I'll take it in a bit," he said, feigning deep thought, grabbing a book to appear as if he were contemplating important matters.
"You're holding the book upside down. Stop wasting time."
Konan showed no mercy. Nagato's face fell—he looked less like the leader of a powerful organization and more like a scolded child.
"Konan…"
He stammered.
"Do you know how awful the medicine Sakura made tastes?"
Absolutely catastrophic! Nagato thought. Worse than the world ending.
Konan chuckled, arms crossed, looking at him. "Now you know how awful it was. What were you thinking back then?"
Nagato fell silent, realizing Konan would never let it go.
"Come on, Sakura said you need to take it for three months. It's good for your old injury."
Nagato's old injury was in his leg. Though he could walk after recovery, it remained sensitive and couldn't bear heavy loads. He relied on the Rinnegan's manipulation of repulsion and gravity to walk.
Nagato felt wronged but had no one to complain to.
Three giant pills, shaped like dumplings, were administered. Even through their wax coating, Nagato could smell the vile scent. He cursed himself for previously skipping doses—he should have taken it daily instead of tossing them, avoiding this ordeal of being watched by Konan twice a day.
"Konan, it's obvious from the medicine itself—Sakura has no real talent in pharmaceuticals. She can supervise the hospital, but she shouldn't make medicine herself. Give the recipe to someone skilled; she can oversee. No need for hands-on work—"
"I told her to make it this awful," Konan interjected.
Nagato fell silent.
After swallowing all three pills, having endured life and death, he weakly asked, "Next time… can they be smaller? I could swallow them in one bite."
Konan chuckled, put away the pills, and thoughtfully poured him a cup of tea.
"Don't be ridiculous. This is to teach you a lesson."
"I've learned my lesson!"
Nagato whimpered, and Konan, smiling, tapped his shoulder before changing the topic.
"Hey, I have to ask—what's your plan for the Five Kage Summit?"
Nagato knew instantly that Konan would not allow another medication discussion. He answered, "What can I do? The summit happens whether we like it or not."
"Speak plainly."
"I mean… let them do their thing, we do ours."
Konan sighed. "Nagato, Iwa abandoned their jinchuriki. They won't let the missing Tailed Beasts go. The Four-Tails is with us now."
"The Five-Tails too," Nagato replied. "They brought the Five-Tails recently. The jinchuriki died, so Sakura is raising it."
Konan frowned. "So Iwa will blame us, Konoha as well. We can't let the other nations intimidate us, but you need to plan how to handle them."
Nagato laughed. "Trivial, not worth mentioning."
Konan struck him lightly. He dodged with a grin. "Haha, I'm joking. Ignore them. Fight if you must; they can't beat us anyway."
For Akatsuki, the summit might be a major event for the Five Great Nations—but for them, it was hardly significant.
Satisfied, Konan nodded. "Alright, as long as you've got a plan."
Nagato thought, A plan doesn't guarantee success, but at least we have one. He stopped Konan as she turned to leave.
"Hey, wait. Tomorrow I'll go check on the Kazekage."
"Huh? Why?"
Konan paused, confused. Akatsuki had no dealings with the Kazekage—why approach the Kage?
"Toneri wants to go to the Land of Wind. I'm worried about another Konoha incident, so I'll warn him in advance."
Konan raised an eyebrow. "…You're basically sending the hostage straight to them."
Nagato shrugged. "Better to send the Kazekage than deal with surprises later. We'll have others pose as bodyguards. Obito and I will track Toneri. It'll be foolproof."
Her instincts screamed unease as she watched him.
"Wait… you already promised Toneri he could go to the Land of Wind?!"
Nagato nodded, innocent as ever.
"Toneri begged me so cutely… I couldn't refuse~"
Konan's expression darkened. "…You're better off dying early, Uzumaki Nagato! I don't want to deal with you ever again!!!"
She stormed off, and Nagato added cheerfully, "Tomorrow, okay~ Thank you, Angel~"