On the way back, Nagato escorted eight captured Sand ninja by himself, while the remaining bodies were buried on the spot.
The reason these eight prisoners were spared was because Taro and the others opposed killing captives—and Nagato himself also wanted to extract more useful information from them using the Human Path's abilities.
While Nagato interrogated the Sand ninja, Taro and the others gathered nearby and began discussing something quietly.
Their topic… was Nagato.
His temperament had changed drastically. Everything about him felt different—as if he were a completely different person. There was no trace of the timid, hesitant Nagato they once knew.
But no matter how much they discussed, they couldn't figure out what was wrong. In the end, they could only suppress their doubts.
Of course, none of this escaped Nagato's perception.
After overhearing their conversation, he let out a soft sigh.
He recalled what Uzumaki Menma had once said to him: Nagato, you're too extreme.
And it was true.
The Akatsuki had always been extreme.
From blindly trusting others without reservation… to stubbornly walking a lonely path where no one could be trusted… it had never really been balanced.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered leading the Akatsuki down a more "normal" path.
But if Akatsuki became just like the great nations and hidden villages… would it still be the Akatsuki that Yahiko had created?
No. It would just be another imitation of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
And yet… Menma's suggestion was undeniably tempting.
Tempting enough to make him hesitate.
After returning to their temporary base, Nagato finally obtained the information he wanted.
At present, it was the middle stage of the Third Great Ninja War. Due to unfavorable conditions on the battlefield, Sunagakure had sent forces into the Land of Rain to stir up chaos—hoping to drag neutral Amegakure into the conflict.
In addition to causing unrest, they also planned to assassinate important jōnin in Amegakure to further escalate tensions.
After hearing this, Taro and the others exchanged glances, their expressions turning more serious—and their gazes toward Nagato carried a hint of awe.
If Nagato hadn't acted decisively earlier, they might have already fallen into Sunagakure's trap.
It seemed even Nagato—the quietest among the three leaders—was not someone to underestimate.
Watching the Akatsuki members grow more restrained around him, Nagato sighed inwardly.
He knew these former comrades had begun to doubt him.
But after years of acting as Pain, he had long grown accustomed to that identity and tone. He was no longer the weak, hesitant Nagato of the past.
What concerned him more was something else entirely.
Was this an illusion powerful enough to deceive even the Rinnegan… or had he truly returned to the past over ten years ago?
If it was an illusion, could it have been cast by Uchiha Shisui?
If it was truly the past, then Danzo must have arrived here as well—and he was an enemy that absolutely couldn't be ignored.
And then there was… himself.
If he were to meet the Nagato of this era… what kind of outcome would that produce?
At that moment, Taro gathered his courage and approached him.
"Nagato… what are we going to do with those Sand ninja? Keep them imprisoned… or let them go?"
Nagato replied calmly, "If it were me, I'd pin the blame on Iwagakure and let Sunagakure and Iwagakure fight each other."
He paused, then added with a faint smile,
"But I'd like to hear your opinions too. After all, we're partners—working toward peace in the Land of Rain."
Peace in the Land of Rain…
Wasn't the Akatsuki supposed to pursue peace for the entire ninja world?
But that dream was far too grand.
Perhaps it was more realistic to start with peace in the Land of Rain. The fact that Nagato said this showed he hadn't abandoned their ideals—only his methods had changed.
After years of hardship, they had all realized that blindly preaching ideals and mutual understanding didn't work. Otherwise, the Akatsuki wouldn't have hit dead ends everywhere.
In that sense, Nagato—one of their three leaders—changing his approach might actually be a good thing.
After some discussion, the Akatsuki members decided to leave the matter to Yahiko.
At the mention of Yahiko's name, Nagato fell silent.
Memories flooded his mind—the small moments they had shared, and Yahiko's ever-optimistic smile no matter the situation.
"Taro… did Yahiko say where he went?"
"Leader Yahiko said he went to negotiate with the higher-ups of Amegakure. Our Akatsuki has done a lot for the Land of Rain over the years, but when it comes to conflicts between villages, we still need official recognition."
Hearing this, Nagato's expression changed.
In his memory, those negotiations had failed. Yahiko had been feared by Hanzō of the Salamander, and on his way back, he was ambushed by rogue ninja—an incident that eventually led to the complete suppression of the Akatsuki.
Nagato's voice turned cold. "How long has Yahiko been gone?"
Taro blinked. "Several days. He should be back soon. With Yahiko's abilities, Lord Hanzō will definitely acknowledge him."
Nagato's face darkened.
He turned to the others and said sharply, "Assemble immediately. We're going to find Yahiko."
The Akatsuki members sensed something was wrong. After quickly gathering, they followed Nagato without hesitation.
Braving the torrential rain, Nagato dashed through the forest at high speed, his straw hat tilted against the downpour. From time to time, he glanced back to make sure no one had fallen behind. His expression was extremely grim.
Even if this was just an illusion…
He still wanted to save Yahiko.
He refused to let Yahiko walk the same tragic path again.
Half a day later, Nagato and the others finally caught up with Yahiko in a valley.
Yahiko stood there holding a blood-stained kunai. They had already been attacked by rogue ninja, and at the cost of losing several comrades, they had managed to repel them.
Seeing Nagato and the others arrive, Yahiko frowned in confusion but still walked over.
"Didn't I tell you to stay put and wait for orders? Why did you come here? If something happens to me, as long as you survive, the Akatsuki will still have a chance."
"It was Nagato," Taro said, slightly embarrassed. "He said you might be in danger."
Yahiko paused, deep in thought.
He had already sensed Nagato's chakra—familiar, yet somehow different. But since when had Nagato become so decisive?
Meanwhile, Nagato was already pursuing the fleeing rogue ninja.
Activating Kagura's Mind's Eye, he quickly tracked them down.
With a swift motion, he drew a kunai and effortlessly killed one of them, leaving another alive for interrogation.
After extracting information that the rogue ninja had a nearby base, Nagato's eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he moved forward.
Soon, he located the rogue ninja's stronghold.
Without a second thought, he stepped inside—his figure disappearing silently into the rain-soaked night.
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