As Nagato reflected on everything he had gone through over the past several years, struggling to survive at the very bottom of society...
He found himself unconsciously agreeing.
He and Yahiko were just two young boys.
Konan was just a little girl.
They had been living in postwar Amegakure.
And with Hanzō adopting a policy of isolation at the time, he had done almost nothing to deal with the bounty hunters and rogue shinobi constantly infiltrating the country.
Children like them...
Were the most valuable merchandise imaginable.
'The hyenas in Kusagakure after Konoha defeated them made a business out of exactly that...'
Nagato recalled how, shortly after the Akatsuki was founded, they had clashed with a group of Kusagakure shinobi from a neighboring country.
Those bastards had been trafficking human beings.
Nagato couldn't help feeling deeply guilty.
Over the years, they had been so preoccupied with survival and the Akatsuki that they had never really stopped to consider just how extraordinary Jiraiya's kindness had been in the shinobi world.
"So you've remained an Amegakure shinobi all this time, and Amegakure even went to war with Konoha..."
Fusō thought for a moment before asking, "And yet you became Jiraiya's disciple. Did the Hokage never send anyone to find you?"
Nagato shook his head once more.
"No. It was only in the past two or three years that I heard Konoha had begun searching for Uzumaki shinobi."
Fusō let out a long breath.
"You foolish boy. You were a shinobi from an enemy Hidden Village, yet you inherited the teachings of that village's Hokage's disciple."
"If this had happened within the Uzumaki Clan, both you and Jiraiya would have been considered traitors to your clan and your sensei. Someone would definitely have been sent to eliminate you both."
"The fact that you're still alive is because the Hokage is merciful... and because you carry Uzumaki blood."
"You can't take any of that for granted."
Nagato hesitated.
"But Mom... you and Dad..."
"Nagato, the shinobi world is cruel. Human lives are cheap."
"If your father and I had known that giving our lives would have earned you Konoha's education, its protection, and all of this support, we would have willingly done it ourselves."
In truth, Fusō wasn't certain she actually would have.
But she was already dead.
If saying these things without leaving him any room to argue could untie the knot in her son's heart, then that was exactly what she needed to do.
"And don't forget, your father was a doctor. Objectively speaking, he treated Amegakure shinobi while Konoha and Amegakure were at war."
"When I was lying on my deathbed, I heard those Konoha shinobi apologizing to you. Even then, I found it surprising."
"Jiraiya-sensei already made amends."
"The Hokage already showed you mercy."
"And this time, he even saved you, your companions, and Hanzō."
"Isn't that enough?"
Fusō's tone became even sterner.
"My son, I'm telling you right now that I've let it go."
"So you must let it go too."
"You need to find a way to become a Konoha shinobi."
"You're still young. You have no idea what it means to join a village like Konoha—a village unlike any other Hidden Village, one that truly protects and supports its shinobi."
"And you also carry Uzumaki blood, have your connection to Jiraiya, and have Mito-sama looking after you."
In Fusō's eyes, compared to remaining in Amegakure, Nagato's future in Konoha was so bright it was almost blinding.
As his mother...
How could she possibly watch her son continue wasting his life in Amegakure?
It was like someone graduating from a top university with a guaranteed seven-figure salary, top-tier benefits, and personal connections to the company's founder, CEO, and executive team...
Yet stubbornly refusing the offer...
Just so he could head into the middle of nowhere and start a business with his friends.
"Mother..."
"I... I..."
Nagato was completely dumbfounded.
He had assumed his mother would tell him to rebuild Amegakure or something along those lines.
Instead...
She had tossed Amegakure aside entirely, as if it wasn't even worth discussing.
What Nagato didn't realize was that, as someone who had already died, Fusō wanted only one thing before returning to the Pure Land.
To know that her son belonged to a powerful organization.
From Uzushiogakure to Amegakure...
She had suffered enough from a life of drifting.
Joining an organization wasn't always the right answer. Uzushiogakure had failed her.
Kirigakure had failed countless others.
But an organization like Konoha...
One led by a trustworthy Hokage and built on an advanced system...
Forget seeing such a place.
Fusō had never even imagined one could exist.
Not to mention...
Nagato already had connections there.
"But I still have my dream, Mother..."
"I promised Yahiko and Konan that we'd lift Amegakure out of poverty!"
Nagato couldn't help protesting.
"Dreams, my ass!"
Fusō finally exploded.
"Do you have any idea how much your father and I struggled just to keep our family of three alive? Just to give us the slightest bit of stability?"
"And even then, every single day we lived on the edge!"
"If your father and I had spent our time chasing dreams back then, do you think you'd even exist?"
"Oh, I see! You've grown up now. You've got ideas of your own."
"So now you don't even listen to your mother anymore..."
Even in her Impure World Reincarnation body, Fusō burst into tears over Nagato's attachment to Amegakure, sobbing uncontrollably.
Nagato immediately panicked.
"Mom, that's not what I meant! I wasn't trying to..."
"And besides... even if I wanted to join Konoha, that doesn't mean they'd accept me..."
The moment Fusō heard those words, her tears vanished as though they had never existed.
She smiled through them so quickly that Nagato was left utterly stunned.
"That's my good son. I knew you were a sensible boy."
"You don't have to worry about that. Mito-sama said she'll take both of us to meet the Hokage."
"If you don't know what to say, your mother will speak for you."
Nagato nodded absentmindedly.
Mother and son remained beneath the Uchiha public notice board, reading Konoha's various policies over and over again.
Only near dawn did they finally sit down beside a bench.
Neither of them mentioned going to sleep.
After all...
This was their final day together.
Once today was over, the Impure World body would no longer be able to properly contain Fusō's soul, and she would begin to suffer.
The two continued chatting idly.
About their little family in the past...
About life in Uzushiogakure...
About Nagato's companions and the dreams they shared...
Before they realized it, the first light of dawn had already begun to brighten the sky.
And at that very moment—
Not far away—
Hiruzen and Hanzō were jogging side by side through the village, each with a white towel draped around his neck.
The Hokage had always maintained a habit of early morning exercise.
Now that his arm had been successfully reattached, Hanzō also wanted to see what his sworn brother's daily training routine looked like.
Since he was still under postoperative observation, he hadn't rushed back to Amegakure.
Moderate exercise was also an effective way for a shinobi to test how well the surgery had held up.
"Getting stronger is something you have to do one step at a time."
"I picked out several of Tobirama-sensei's secret Water Release techniques for you. They'll greatly improve your offensive power. Practice them well after you return—but don't neglect your health."
Hiruzen spoke with the ease of an older brother advising his younger sibling.
"I understand, Hiruzen..."
"Hiruzen, once I return to the village, I'll have my own techniques delivered to you immediately. They may not be as refined as the Second Hokage's Water Release, but they still have their own strengths."
Hanzō smiled.
Hiruzen chuckled.
"You're being too modest. Even Sakumo has been eyeing your swordsmanship for quite some time. Your Explosive Flame Formation would also be a valuable addition to Minato's arsenal. As for Water Release, your focus is different from Tobirama-sensei's..."
That was one of the greatest benefits of cooperation.
Every technique represented the accumulated experience and crystallized wisdom of countless battles.
By exchanging what each side possessed, both could develop more complete combat systems that complemented one another.
When it came to Water Release, Tobirama was undoubtedly more versatile than Hanzō.
Yet techniques like the Hydrification Technique, along with many of Hanzō's original creations, could still provide Tobirama with considerable inspiration.
"You're the one who's too modest, Hiruzen..."
Hanzō shook his head with a sigh.
During their jog, he had learned that Hiruzen had maintained this morning training routine for years.
He had also discovered that Hiruzen constantly kept the Weighted Rock Technique active on himself, increasing his own gravity to turn every movement into resistance training.
Hanzō hadn't known at first.
When he had accidentally brushed against Hiruzen earlier, the sudden weight had nearly pulled him off balance.
Meanwhile, all along the route, Konoha's villagers greeted Hiruzen warmly as he jogged past.
No one seemed particularly surprised to see the Hokage out exercising.
Clearly, they had long since grown accustomed to seeing him at this hour.
"Hm? Is that Nagato?"
After running a little farther, Hanzō spotted him ahead and spoke in surprise.
"Who's the woman beside him? Her chakra..."
"That's Nagato's mother."
Hiruzen answered quietly.
"Mito-sama used the Impure World Reincarnation on a death-row inmate from the Land of Fire to bring her back. She asked for my approval a few days ago and, rather unusually, requested that the matter be expedited as quickly as possible."
Hiruzen could more or less guess what Mito had been thinking.
Nagato likely still carried emotional scars from the previous wars.
And Mito cared deeply about him.
"Under normal circumstances, Nagato wouldn't necessarily be considered all that special."
Seeing Hanzō's puzzled expression, Hiruzen explained, "But as you know, the Uzumaki Clan has suffered a near-extinction event. Publicly speaking, Nagato is now the only surviving male Uzumaki."
"Mito-sama is, after all, a shinobi from the Warring States Era. Matters like this carry a great deal of weight for her."
"This boy also has ties to the Hokage's lineage. He's a direct descendant of Mito-sama's younger sister."
Even Hiruzen himself had never expected that one day Mito would ask him to make a special exception—to urgently transfer a death-row inmate from the Land of Fire so she could use Tobirama-sensei's forbidden technique.
But after learning what it was for...
He had to admit that Mito truly was kindhearted.
She had actually found a way to use such a technique to fulfill someone's dream.
Hiruzen fully understood why Mito valued Nagato so highly.
Scarcity increased value.
The same principle applied to shinobi clans.
Cruel as it sounded...
If the Uchiha Clan were ever reduced to only a handful of survivors...
Then even if they were more thickheaded than Fugaku used to be, Hiruzen knew his tolerance toward them would naturally increase.
A shinobi clan derived much of its strength from its bloodline.
That was simply an undeniable fact.
"I see..."
Hanzō let out a long, understanding "Oh," and his thoughts immediately began to turn.
He had already learned some time ago that Nagato was an Uzumaki.
Although his decision to recruit the Akatsuki had been influenced by his change in ideals, a large part of it had also stemmed from Nagato's identity.
Nagato was naturally positioned to become the bridge between the younger generations of Konoha and Amegakure.
'I never expected Mito-sama herself to intervene for Nagato.'
'When I was in the hospital, those two old fellows, Isshin and Tenzō, came to visit me. They said that if Hiruzen approved, they could provide Sharingan and Byakugan to support Amegakure, so I shouldn't worry about Nagato.'
'So it wasn't just about currying favor with Hiruzen...'
'It was also for Mito-sama's sake.'
'Heh... just as expected of those old foxes.'
Hanzō secretly grinned.
'Too bad. Nagato's from Amegakure. If you're offering eyes...'
'...then I'll offer the man himself.'
Although Konoha was publicly searching for surviving members of the Uzumaki Clan, Hanzō's decision to place Nagato in charge of communications with Konoha also came from another consideration.
Keeping someone like Nagato in Amegakure was simply too delicate a matter.
The fact that an Uzumaki had ended up living in Amegakure was, after all, one of the blemishes on his sworn brother's past administration.
If he didn't handle it properly, Hanzō always felt as though it would serve as a subtle reminder of Hiruzen's old black mark.
He himself wasn't particularly attached to Nagato.
To be blunt...
The old Hanzō had even considered wiping out the Akatsuki himself.
He had long wanted to eliminate those overly energetic youngsters.
Sending Nagato to Konoha would solve two problems at once.
To Hanzō, it was the perfect arrangement.
With those thoughts in mind, he and Hiruzen walked up to Nagato and his mother.
"Hokage-sama! Hanzō-sama!"
Fusō's eyes lit up.
After talking about this all night, she had never imagined the two people she most wanted to meet would appear right in front of them.
Hiruzen nodded with a warm smile.
"Ah..."
Hanzō opened his mouth.
He had intended to greet her warmly, just as Hiruzen had been greeting the vendors during their morning jog.
But the words caught in his throat.
He had no idea what her name was.
"Hanzō-sama, my name is Fusō."
Fusō quickly supplied it with remarkable tact.
"Fusō, right? Of course I know! Of course I know!"
Hanzō laughed awkwardly.
Everyone present could plainly tell...
He absolutely hadn't known.
"Hokage-sama, thank you... Thank you and Mito-sama for allowing Nagato and me to be reunited."
Fusō bowed respectfully.
Then, without warning, her knees bent as she started to kneel.
Hiruzen froze for a split second.
He instantly dispelled the Weighted Rock Technique on his body and caught her by both hands.
"There's no need for this."
"If you're one of Mito-sama's clansmen, then you're family. Whatever you wish to discuss, we can simply sit down and talk."
Hiruzen solemnly helped Fusō back to her feet.
The Hokage had gained yet another understanding of just how extreme life in the shinobi world could be.
Or rather...
How much more extreme the dead could be.
Of course, that was only because Hiruzen hadn't fully placed himself in Fusō's shoes.
For someone who was about to return to the Pure Land, kneeling to beg for her son's future was hardly something shameful.
Especially for a woman who had survived years of war.
She wanted to use a heartfelt, desperate kneel to erase any lingering displeasure the Hokage might still harbor.
"Hokage-sama, my son was ignorant in the past. He received Jiraiya-sama's guidance and your forgiveness, yet he never truly understood your compassion."
"Hokage-sama, for Mito-sama's sake—and for the Uzumaki blood flowing through Nagato's veins—please allow him to join Konoha and devote himself to the Will of Fire!"
Fusō quickly put to use the phrases she had learned from reading the Uchiha bulletin board.
Hanzō's face immediately lit up.
Ha!
This woman really gets it. As expected of someone from Amegakure.
She actually guessed what I was thinking...
"That's wonderful news, Hiruzen!"
Hanzō immediately chimed in.
"The Uzumaki Clan returning to Konoha is only right—it was the intention from the very day the First Hokage founded the village. Even Konoha's forehead protector bears the Uzumaki spiral."
"I've actually been thinking the same thing for quite a while!"
Fusō was equally delighted.
With Hanzō speaking in support, this would be much easier.
She also keenly noticed something else.
Hanzō had addressed Hiruzen by name.
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---