The members of Akatsuki were resting and carrying out their daily training within the valley.
Previously, relying on Nagato's power, they had successfully stopped the battle between Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchuriki and Konoha's Jiraiya, preventing the flames of war from reigniting between two great nations.
But it was precisely because of that battle that the members of Akatsuki recognized a fact.
Aside from Nagato, their core combat strength, even Konan and Yahiko, who had also trained under Jiraiya for a period of time, could now play only a very limited role in a Kage-level battle.
This was no small blow to the members of Akatsuki.
Everyone had ultimately gathered from various war-torn nations because of a shared ideal of peace. No one wanted to be able only to look at their companions' backs in sorrow while chasing their dream.
Nor did anyone want to become a burden as their companions moved forward.
And so, recently, under Yahiko's lead, Akatsuki had entered a phase where every member was striving and training hard.
Nagato was very happy about this.
The stronger his companions became, the greater their chance of surviving while building the bridge toward peace.
Becoming a cornerstone to lay the foundation of peace was certainly already great enough.
But who would not want to personally see the scenery after peace arrived?
So naturally, as the strongest member of Akatsuki and the one who had mastered the most ninjutsu, Nagato took on the duty of guiding everyone's training without hesitation.
Even though every day after training ended, he would be so exhausted that someone had to support him back to his room to rest, Nagato still tirelessly enjoyed his work.
"Sigh, honestly. Can't Yahiko let Nagato rest a little more?"
Inside the small shelter from the rain, Konan looked outside at Yahiko, who had once again dragged Nagato, who had finally gotten some free time, into sparring. Her delicate brows furrowed, and she was about to go forward and pull Yahiko aside for a lecture.
But before she could stand up, Karin Uzumaki, who was sitting beside her, held her hand and said with a cheerful smile,
"It's fine, Konan. They're only training a little more seriously and diligently. It hasn't reached the point where we need to force them to rest, right? Besides, even if they really collapse from exhaustion, I'm still here, aren't I?"
"That still won't do."
Konan took Karin Uzumaki's hand, pulled up her sleeve, pointed at the bite marks that had not yet faded, and said very seriously,
"Karin, you are also our Akatsuki companion. Even if people from the Uzumaki clan have very strong vitality, you absolutely should not casually take it out and use it recklessly!"
"I'll use the ancestral medical ninjutsu of the Uzumaki clan to treat ordinary overwork and small injuries. This is just the final trump card to protect everyone if they encounter life-threatening danger."
Looking at Karin Uzumaki's increasingly bright and cheerful smile after joining Akatsuki, Konan, who was clearly the younger one, sighed like an older sister.
As she raised a hand and rubbed the other girl's red hair, she spoke gently in the tone of someone caring for a silly little sister.
"We will work hard so that we never have to use that card, Karin."
"But having it is still better than not having it—huh? What is that?"
Karin Uzumaki rubbed against Konan's hand, then pointed at a white snake that had somehow slipped into the house. It was carrying a scroll in its mouth, and she asked in surprise.
"That is…"
Konan followed Karin Uzumaki's finger and looked over, raising her eyebrows somewhat strangely.
"That is the summoning beast Rei Kaguya uses to contact us… Didn't we only meet him a few days ago? Why does he suddenly have another message that needs to be delivered by summoning snake?"
Konan walked forward and took the scroll from the white snake's mouth.
The white snake opened its mouth and spat out a specially shaped token as well. Then it quietly coiled its body to the side, waiting for Konan's reply.
"A token, and a scroll…"
Konan pondered for a moment, then stood beneath the eaves and shouted to Nagato and Yahiko, who were still sparring in the rain outside.
"Nagato, Yahiko, come take a look at this. Rei Kaguya seems to have something he wants to commission us for."
"Huh? Why does that guy have something again?"
"Let's go take a look first."
Nagato stopped forming seals and said thoughtfully,
"When we parted ways with him before, he had the expression of someone completely confident and about to return to do something big. Now that he is contacting us, it is most likely related to what happened then."
After temporarily ending today's training and instruction, Nagato and Yahiko entered the house together and opened the scroll with Konan.
Poof.
"Oh, all three of you are here. Good afternoon."
Rei Kaguya's shadow clone appeared from the scroll and greeted the three of them.
"What is so important this time that you actually had to specially use a shadow clone plus summoning beast combination to contact us?"
Yahiko crossed his arms. As he looked Rei Kaguya up and down, taking in his brand-new outfit of a blue-and-white hat and an unmarked blue-and-white haori, he clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Speaking of which, you changed into new clothes again today… Is there some meaning behind it?"
"This?"
Rei Kaguya tugged at the clothes on his body, his tone rising slightly.
"This is not complete yet. But once I return from the mission I need to entrust to you this time, it will become the symbol and proof of me as the Fourth Mizukage."
"Fourth? Mizukage?"
Nagato froze for a moment, then asked in disbelief,
"You succeeded in your coup already? In Kirigakure? In the Land of Water, one of the Five Great Nations!?"
"What, did you think I should go back, keep staying low-key, endure, develop, and wait until the war completely empties Kirigakure's foundations before appearing like the oriole behind the mantis and harvesting the fruits of victory? That would be far too late."
Rei Kaguya shook his finger at Nagato and said,
"When you are certain you have the ability to change a nation, and that nation has reached the point where it must change, actively trying will always be more meaningful than waiting for the so-called right moment to arrive… What do you think, Nagato?"
"…The Land of Rain has not reached that point yet."
Nagato was silent for a while before slowly saying,
"Hanzo is currently only somewhat passionate about self-preservation. Amegakure and the Land of Rain still need his strength to maintain basic peace."
"Mm. If that is what you think, then why don't we make a bet, Nagato?"
Rei Kaguya took the token he had given the white snake from Konan's hand. As he casually tossed and caught it, he said to Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan,
"In a few days, I will hold ceasefire negotiations with the Third Hokage of the Land of Fire at the place where the First Hokage once held the Five Kage Summit. We will sign a peace agreement for the foreseeable future.
"I want to invite you, as an independent organization, to serve as witnesses and guards for these negotiations, giving you a chance to become famous throughout the shinobi world…
"How about it? Are you willing to accept this commission?"