HSU: Ch. 327

The sky was thick with storm clouds. Fierce wind and torrential rain roared, lashing against the ground, spraying water everywhere.

Nagato gazed out the window.

Within the dark curtain of rain, several flashes of lightning suddenly tore through. Only after a long moment did the rumble of thunder follow.

In weather like this, his Rain Tiger at Will Technique was greatly affected.

"Nagato, what are you looking at?"

Konan walked over to his side.

The timid boy of the past had now become the guardian deity of the Land of Rain.

Nagato's name resounded across the nations.

Of course, the loudest reputation still belonged to that beast from Konoha.

Rumors even said that Konoha now had not only a new "God of Shinobi," but that very beast had also inherited all of the ninjutsu of Muzo.

Even worse, this beast had not only inherited those jutsu, he had also formally assumed the post of Commander of Konoha's ANBU.

For anyone in the shinobi world who dealt in intelligence, the future looked bleak.

Everyone knew the White Ghost was adept at making money, but he was even better at tormenting people.

Moreover, Konoha had also revived Tobirama, the founder of the ANBU. It was foreseeable that the dreaded ANBU of old, once a nightmare to many, would soon be reborn.

This pressure weighed heavily on every ninja organization.

Nagato felt it as well.

"The rain is here," he said. "The future grows harder and harder to see."

Konan sighed. "...Nagato, there are no outsiders here. Can't you be normal?"

Nagato immediately broke his composure.

"Sorry... force of habit..."

"You're worried about Konoha?" Konan asked.

Some time ago, Jiraiya had visited again. On the surface it was to reminisce, but in truth, his words were all about hoping Nagato could form a strong alliance with Konoha.

They saw it clearly.

Their teacher truly was a good man.

But he was also a man fiercely loyal to Konoha.

And Nagato and Konoha could never see eye to eye.

Of course, as the leader of an organization, Nagato still had the necessary qualities. Outwardly, he had shown not the slightest hesitation.

Jiraiya had come in high spirits, and left satisfied.

But inside, Nagato and Konan felt no joy at all.

Because of Masashi, Nagato had been forced to reveal himself early to the surrounding powers. Yet in a way, his careful adjustments had allowed Ame to take another path, riding on Konoha's coattails, with resources and wealth flowing in, leading to rapid development.

Though the Land of Rain's population still hadn't returned to its historic peak, Ame was now stronger than it had been before the Second Great Ninja War.

But this path was passive, entirely dependent on Konoha's support.

And Konoha not only had the power to support Ame, it also had the power to crush it back to its original state.

This false prosperity didn't even fulfill Yahiko's dream, liberating and transforming Ame.

Without liberation, how could there be transformation?

Perhaps Jiraiya had no such intentions, but each time he came, to Nagato and Konan it felt like a reminder of this cruel reality.

"Konoha grows more domineering," Nagato said. "Masashi is about to truly take the stage."

"Hasn't he always been around?" Konan asked in confusion.

That freak had been flaunting his presence ever since the Third Great Ninja War, over ten years already.

"It's different. Before, he was free, with limited influence. Now, he's officially the ANBU commander." Just thinking of it gave Nagato a headache.

ANBU was something only the Five Great Villages could play with.

For villages outside the Five, ANBU was far too overwhelming.

If ANBU of the Five fought each other, it was called special ops warfare. But if they targeted a smaller village, it was practically equivalent to a localized war.

And still, you couldn't even say they had attacked you. After all, the regular army hadn't even moved.

Now that Konoha's ANBU was in the hands of someone like Masashi, it was simply the nightmare of the entire shinobi world.

The most immediate effect was obvious: as soon as this news spread, Konoha's deterrence in the underworld rose sharply.

This was clear from Kakuzu's feedback, across the Land of Fire and its neighboring regions, many assassination contracts against Konoha ninjas had been withdrawn from the bounty exchange houses.

Masashi might not catch the assassin in time, but he could certainly track down which exchange house issued the contract.

And everyone believed he would do it.

Because of this, Kakuzu had voiced a lot of complaints to Nagato, implying, again and again, that Nagato should eliminate Masashi.

Nagato only wanted to decorate Kakuzu's head with something for saying that.

If he could have killed Masashi, would he have waited until now?

But Nagato couldn't lash out, because Kakuzu was too damn diligent. He even oversaw Ame's finances now, honest, tireless, incorruptible.

And utterly ruthless.

Everyone in Ame knew: their God and Angel did everything to protect the village, while the fair and uncompromising Kakuzu ensured that every coin was spent where it belonged.

As long as Kakuzu was there, there was no space for vermin in Ame!

Sometimes, Nagato truly felt like he had brought home a strict father.

But he had to admit, thanks to Kakuzu's obsessive meticulousness, the village's financial chain was extremely secure.

"Don't overthink it," Konan said. "The ANBU under Masashi's control may be terrifying, but to shake our organization, he would have to act personally. Now that he's officially taken office, can he really come and meddle everywhere like before?"

Nagato thought about it, and realized she was right.

Konoha was a great village, and a position like ANBU commander, one of real power at the highest level, would surely keep him busy to death. He wouldn't have time to run around causing trouble anymore.

At once, Nagato felt much better.

"Konan, you really see things clearly." A smile appeared on his face.

Konan, however, smiled awkwardly yet warmly.

What she had just said... hopefully it wouldn't steer Nagato's thinking down a strange path.

"But still, that only makes things a little easier for us. It doesn't change the bigger picture." With his anxiety eased somewhat, Nagato began to think of more practical matters. "We should start with the jinchūriki who have left their villages."

"You mean... act now?" Konan looked uneasy. "Shouldn't we start with the One-Tail first?"

"The longer we delay, the worse it is for us." Nagato made his decision. "This world still has ninja tools capable of pre-sealing tailed beasts. As far as I know, Kumo hasn't handed theirs over."

"Can we confirm that intelligence? Even if Kumo was badly damaged by Masashi in the last war, it's still one of the Five Great Villages."

"Their true wounds are far worse than that," Nagato said with a faint smile. "Who knows how they annoyed Masashi, he's been hunting down Kumo's reserve talents for years. This war only left surface-level damage; the real injury is that their talent pipeline has collapsed. Strictly speaking, Kumo is now weaker than Ame."

"What are you planning to do?"

"On the surface, we can act as though we're challenging Kumo's position. That way our true goal is hidden, and Konoha won't object, Masashi would actually prefer to see other villages tearing each other apart."

"And if that ninja tool has already fallen into Konoha's hands?" Konan felt it was unlikely Masashi would let such a thing slip by.

There were only two of those tools in the entire shinobi world.

"Then it's perfect, we'll just capture the tailed beasts directly. If Ame is to rise to the level of a Great Ninja Village, how can we not have a tailed beast? That was the rule set by the First Hokage. At most, Masashi might interfere, but he cannot openly stop it." Nagato's thinking was clear.

He was even borrowing Masashi's style, whether or not there was fruit on the tree, better to swing the stick a few times anyway.

For every operation, set multiple goals, you won't lose out.

"I understand. Since you've decided, I'll see that our people are prepared." Konan nodded.

They had lived this way for many years now.

"Thank you, Konan," Nagato said gently.

"No, you're the one who works the hardest among us." Konan's words came sincerely.

She could see how difficult things were for Nagato, and she carried that darkness alongside him.

In many ways, Nagato was nothing more than a sacrifice to the dark side of Konoha.

To her, there was no organization in the world darker than Konoha.

Nagato had once been a boy of extraordinary timidity, but even the most timid, when driven into a corner, would bare their fangs.

"Nagato..." Konan wanted to say more.

But the Nagato in front of her suddenly raised his hand, his expression grave.

"Get behind me."

Having lived by his side for years, Konan immediately understood from his face.

She obeyed without hesitation, flashing behind him. Her cold features shifted, the texture of her skin turning into paper, peeling away in fluttering sheets.

Inside the room, a stranger's voice echoed.

"Impressive. Your perception is sharp."

"You'd best reveal yourself," Nagato said, his Rinnegan fixed on a corner of the room. "Otherwise, don't bother coming out at all."

"You wield the Rinnegan well... Hmm, so you also have chakra sensory abilities. That wasn't something I noticed before."

From the shadows, a black shape emerged.

The figure remained cloaked in darkness, indistinct. What Nagato and Konan saw first was a pair of menacing, blood-red eyes.

Konan immediately turned her gaze aside, but Nagato met them head-on.

With the Rinnegan, he was one of the rare few unafraid of genjutsu from the Sharingan.

"Confident. Good. Since you possess those eyes, such presence is only fitting."

The figure stepped from the corner.

Nagato and Konan could finally see clearly, this was no ordinary man.

"Edo Tensei..." Nagato was silent for a moment. "Madara."

As members of Akatsuki, they were anything but strangers to this name.

Yahiko used to say that anyone who claimed that name was either insane or a fool, because even he understood the weight it carried.

The real Madara would never skulk in the shadows.

But this one, no matter what the intelligence said, just one look was enough to know.

This was the real deal!

Nagato shifted his position. This time, he completely shielded Konan behind him.

Having the Rinnegan didn't mean he was invincible. He had already learned that lesson when he faced Masashi, back then, Masashi only had a three-tomoe Sharingan.

To put it bluntly: whether you're invincible or not has nothing to do with whether you can protect the weaklings around you. Those are two completely different things.

"Hm... You have no doubt at all about my identity? Then I suppose I can at least commend your intelligence work," Madara said. His eyes never once glanced at Konan, as if she wasn't even human.

That paper ninjutsu of hers, in his eyes, was just flashy and impractical.

He had swaggered into Ame openly. Considering this was the territory of a pawn, he hadn't bothered to kill anyone.

When people tried to block his way, a single glare was enough to make them retreat into deep thought about their lives. That was already quite kind and merciful of him.

But when he entered the village, he was disappointed.

Though the rain poured heavily, the village's defenses were pitifully weak. It killed any expectation he had of Nagato's organizational abilities. His impression at the time was, just a mediocre man who rose to power relying on borrowed eyes.

He didn't care much about Ame's strength itself, but as a proper ninja village, its anti-infiltration measures reflected the leader's organizational ability, which in turn reflected his value as a pawn.

Before even entering the village, he had already sensed through chakra perception who his "container" was.

Though Black Zetsu had told him, seeing how that insignificant little child from years ago had grown into someone this strong was worth at least a second glance.

Still, the lack of organizational ability and counter-infiltration was disappointing.

Listening outside the room to Nagato and Konan's conversation, however, gave Nagato back a few points in his book.

Madara's conclusion: he had decisiveness. That meant he was still worth cultivating.

He scanned the surroundings and locked onto a target. He swaggered over to a nicely carved rocking chair in the room and sat down heavily.

The clanking sound of his armor was a reminder to Nagato; practice your counter-infiltration.

"Your intel isn't exactly a secret." Nagato stared coldly at Madara. The man's reputation had splintered into many versions over time. But one thing remained consistent across them all: moody, fickle, turning hostile at the drop of a hat.

Obviously, not a good reputation.

But that was Madara. Decades after leaving the stage, his name still hadn't disappeared.

Normally, once a ninja dies, their deeds and honors fade with them.

That's why becoming Kage was the dream of so many: once a Kage, your name becomes tied to your village. As long as the village exists, your name endures.

Even ninjas sought a legacy after death.

"All that doesn't matter. Are you interested in the tailed beasts?" Madara asked.

Obito had fixated on Konoha, and in the end, Konoha remained untouched, and he hadn't even managed to get a single tailed beast.

This kid Nagato was much smarter.

At the very least, he had ensured his own survival.

Both were tools, but Madara's definition of them was different.

Nagato: a vessel, and a resurrection tool.

Obito: a fighter, and his "ghost," a proxy allowed to act in his name.

Clearly, Obito's role was of much higher status.

Yet plans never keep up with change. His handpicked "student" Obito hadn't fulfilled a single one of his expectations. Not even a little.

Meanwhile, Nagato had not only built his own base of power, but now had the legitimate ability to collect tailed beasts.

That, indeed, was a pleasant surprise.

Nagato, however, heard his question as nothing but an attempt to steal his spoils.

"Even if it's you, trying to snatch tailed beasts from us won't be that easy." Nagato braced himself for a fight.

Since the opponent was an Edo Tensei body, there was no need to hold back. He could just unleash Chibaku Tensei and be done with it.

He'd just have to drag the battle further away first, otherwise Kakuzu would come at him afterward in a rage.

Not that he was afraid of Kakuzu, but as the leader, he sometimes had to be considerate of his subordinates.

Chakra in front of Madara was like firelight in the dark. So when Nagato gathered his chakra, in his eyes, it was as if a lantern suddenly flared into a bonfire.

He didn't care in the slightest.

Ridiculous. Using his own power against him?

Still, it wasn't that the boy was stupid, he simply didn't know.

Black Zetsu had given him Nagato's combat ability report in full detail. According to that intel, Nagato's tactics were entirely constructed around the Rinnegan's basic abilities.

And he could only use the basic ones.

He couldn't evolve or branch out any further.

Even aside from that, Madara hadn't simply popped his eyes out and shoved them into Nagato as-is back then.

Though Nagato had been too young for certain modifications, Madara had still implanted a sealing formula onto his heart.

That was a necessary precaution, to ensure he could reclaim the Rinnegan whenever he wished.

And Nagato was not only the vessel for the Rinnegan but also his backup tool for resurrection. From any perspective, there could be no room for mistakes.

Madara fixed his gaze on Nagato. The moment Nagato made a move, he would activate the sealing formula.

That seal allowed him to control Nagato. And if the one under control tried to remove the seal, his actions would immediately be suppressed.

The air in the room grew unbearably tense.

At that moment, Black Zetsu's head suddenly emerged.

"Nagato, you should calm yourself."

He appeared at just the right time.

Nagato had already been preparing to unleash a directed Shinra Tensei. Only then could he guarantee that Konan behind him would have a chance to retreat from the battlefield.

"Zetsu..." Nagato looked at Black Zetsu, then at the calmly seated Madara in the rocking chair, and he understood.

"So, you belong to his side."

"Yes. you've always known this in your heart, haven't you? From the very beginning, it was Obito who brought me over."

"So his name is Obito." Nagato nodded. "That means your true master is indeed Madara, while that man is merely your companion."

"He's not my companion," Black Zetsu replied. "I was only tasked with monitoring him."

Hearing this, Madara immediately glanced at Black Zetsu.

Monitoring?

"Zetsu," he said, "when did you develop the habit of spouting nonsense?"

"My apologies." Black Zetsu instantly displayed what it meant to be obedient.

Still, this interruption had the effect of easing the suffocating tension in the room.

Black Zetsu's sudden appearance made Nagato realize something: Madara had infiltrated his surroundings since the very founding of Akatsuki. That meant his intent here was not as simple or crude as stealing away the tailed beasts.

"You came to me for the tailed beasts?"

"What I want from you is far more than what you imagine," Madara said arrogantly. "Still, the fact that you calmed down quickly earns you some credit in my eyes. But as of now, that is the only thing about you worth praising."

He rose from the rocking chair.

The view was bad, the angle of the rocking poor, far inferior to the chair at Shisui's residence.

"But I won't use you for nothing. I will give you something as well." Madara clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the balcony. Outside, the torrential rain poured down relentlessly, without the slightest pause.

"Follow me."

His voice still echoed in the room, but his figure had already melted into the curtain of rain.

Nagato watched silently. He did not follow recklessly.

This version of him, in this timeline, was far more cautious and guarded than in the original.

"Nagato, don't give up this opportunity. The benefits you'll gain will be beyond your imagination," Black Zetsu urged. "If you refuse, you'll never again have the chance to stand alongside Masashi."

"You and Masashi are that close?" Nagato frowned.

He was beginning to worry whether Akatsuki had truly been infiltrated and subverted by this thing before him.

Akatsuki wasn't just a handful of S-rank missing-nin. It was a sizable ninja organization.

To Nagato and Konan, Akatsuki was their personal guard. Internally, it was the "insurance" through which they controlled Ame; externally, it was the military force with which Ame resisted the pressure of the Five Great Villages.

To put it bluntly, Akatsuki was Ame's equivalent of an ANBU division.

And Black Zetsu looked every bit the part of a many-faced spy.

It wasn't impossible. After all, Madara was one of Konoha's founders. If it were said that all of this was part of some grand Konoha conspiracy, it wouldn't be entirely implausible.

"Does my relationship with him really matter?" Black Zetsu countered. "This is about your own strength. As you are now, the moment Konoha discovers you intend to oppose them, he will wipe out both Ame and Akatsuki. He's far more dangerous than Danzō ever was."

Hearing this, Nagato knew he had to make a decision.

He did not hesitate. In a sense, he had already achieved his initial goal, to keep Madara away from Konan.

"Konan, hold things here. If anything happens, signal Sasori and Kakuzu," Nagato instructed. Then he too stepped into the downpour.

On the balcony, Madara's figure was already gone. Nagato immediately activated his chakra sensing.

The heavy rain would affect his Rain Tiger at Will technique, but not his chakra perception.

In the brief time they had spoken, Madara had already moved to the outskirts of the village.

Nagato quickly pursued.

Within the storm, the black cloak with red clouds that marked Akatsuki was swallowed by darkness.

In the earliest days, Akatsuki's standard black cloak bore no red clouds.

It was after Yahiko's death that Nagato added them.

They symbolized the war that had once made Ame rain blood.

Yahiko's death had taught him that cautious, restrained violence could never bring peace.

Peace would only come through an eye for an eye, blood for blood, violence for violence.

Even if the opponent was Madara.

Whether Madara had come today to offer alliance or to bring war, Nagato would face it openly.