Konan remained unconscious for quite some time.
While she was out, Ning Feng used the Flying Thunder God Technique to bring her back to the Rain Village's administrative residence.
It was easy to see that the Rain Village residence had already been redecorated with Akatsuki's insignia and furnishings. Those coming and going were almost all Akatsuki members now.
Whenever they saw Ning Feng, every single one of them revealed expressions of respect and admiration.
Feeling Konan's slightly cold body in his arms, Ning Feng didn't dare waste a second. He gently laid her onto the bed inside the residence and carefully covered her with a blanket.
After feeding her a little water and seeing her condition improve noticeably, Ning Feng finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Otherwise… he would not have hesitated to raze the entire Rain Village to the ground.
After all, from the very first moment he saw Konan, Ning Feng had already regarded her as his future wife.
"Konan, thank goodness you're alright…"
Just as Konan fell back into a deeper sleep, Nagato—having rushed over the moment he heard the news—arrived, both excited and anxious. Seeing that Konan was safe, he finally relaxed, the tension leaving his body.
"Konan, thank goodness you're alright!"
Suddenly, another deep, hoarse voice sounded.
Yahiko—whom Nagato had spent considerable effort locating—dragged his weakened body over. He forced out a pale smile when he saw Konan unharmed.
Only after confirming she was safe did Yahiko finally relax… and promptly faint.
After instructing Nagato to look after Yahiko, the room was left with only Ning Feng and the sleeping Konan.
Though Konan was still unconscious, her serene, peerless face made it clear that she was resting deeply and peacefully.
"Feng… thank you so much this time…"
Suddenly, Konan struggled to sit up. But before she could finish her sentence, she fell back into sleep once more.
After making sure she had settled, Ning Feng quietly left the Rain Village residence.
Outside, Deidara, Nagato, and the other Akatsuki members had already been waiting for quite some time.
When they saw Ning Feng step out, all of them showed expressions of reverence. Nagato, standing at the front, even bowed deeply.
"Lord Feng, if it weren't for you this time, Akatsuki wouldn't even exist anymore!"
As he spoke, Nagato hesitated for a moment. After exchanging glances with the other Akatsuki members and receiving their approval, he continued solemnly:
"Although Konan and Yahiko are both unconscious right now, I believe that if they were awake and knew of this decision, they would support it wholeheartedly."
After a brief pause, Nagato took a deep breath, a hopeful smile appearing on his face.
"So, from today onward, Akatsuki formally invites Uchiha clan's young lord—Uchiha Feng—to become our leader, the captain of Akatsuki!"
"You have already proven your intelligence, decisiveness, and outstanding political acumen through countless battles…"
"Therefore, with the unanimous consent of all Akatsuki members, I, Nagato, on behalf of Yahiko and Konan, formally invite Lord Uchiha Feng to take on the role of Akatsuki's captain."
As he spoke, Nagato gestured toward the others. The Akatsuki members all followed suit, bowing slightly, their faces filled with anticipation.
"Lord Uchiha Feng, please become our Akatsuki captain!"
"Yes! Akatsuki needs your leadership!"
"Again and again, reality has proven that only under your guidance can Akatsuki truly shine!"
The Akatsuki members spoke over one another, their enthusiasm unmistakable. Among them, Nagato's anticipation was the strongest of all.
In truth, at the very beginning, Nagato and the others had drawn close to Ning Feng largely because of the Uchiha clan's influence. After all, the Uchiha still held considerable political weight within Konoha.
But as they interacted more deeply with him, Nagato increasingly realized something—
Uchiha Feng himself was the truly irreplaceable leader Akatsuki needed.
"Becoming Akatsuki's captain, huh…"
Ning Feng had long suspected this moment would come, but he hadn't expected it to arrive so quickly.
For a brief moment, he found himself uncharacteristically unprepared.
Before he could respond, Konan's gentle voice suddenly rang out from behind them:
"Lord Feng… don't rush to refuse. Please accept…"
"Without someone as iron-blooded as you, Akatsuki simply cannot grow. Otherwise, we'll only end up being toyed with—and destroyed—by villages like Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
As she spoke, Konan couldn't help recalling the recent catastrophe Akatsuki had endured.
Hearing her words, Ning Feng's eyes flickered slightly.
In the original timeline, if Akatsuki hadn't sealed off information after overthrowing Hanzō of the Salamander, the Lands of Earth and Wind—who had long coveted the Rain—would have sent massive armies long ago.
Previously, although he had defeated Hanzō and Akatsuki had taken control of the Hidden Rain, they had no breathing room under the dual pressure of the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind.
There was only one solution:
purge everything, and rebuild from the ground up.
And to do that, one needed iron-fisted resolve.
Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan—none of them truly possessed such ruthlessness.
If Akatsuki remained under their control alone, the end result could only be collapse.
"Yes," Nagato added quickly, "our failure this time was because we were too focused on achieving peace through peace, and forgot that we also needed strength of our own."
"Only power can guarantee peace!"
It was clear that Nagato had matured immensely through this ordeal.
Konan said nothing, but nodded firmly—she, too, had paid the price for idealism.
"…Alright," Ning Feng finally said, exhaling softly.
"It seems I really do have no choice but to become your captain."
"But first, let's set some ground rules."
"Akatsuki may be under my command in name, but Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko—you must all assist me and share the burden."
"And I still have matters to attend to in Konoha. I can't devote all my energy here. At times, you'll need to handle things on your own."
As he spoke, Ning Feng shrugged helplessly.
In truth, from his own perspective, gaining Akatsuki—a terrifying organizational weapon—also greatly increased his political capital and influence within Konoha.
After all, many in Konoha feared Danzō not because of the man himself,
but because of the Root forces he controlled.
Now that he, Ning Feng, possessed Akatsuki,
many things in the future would become far, far easier.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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