The carriage carried a load of uncontrollable laughter as it slowly rolled down the road toward home.
It passed through hills, plains, canyons, and streams...
High atop a cliff overlooking the youth's path, Yahiko retracted his gaze and flashed a brilliant smile at the companions behind him.
"I knew it. That guy came here for this very reason!"
"He did it!"
"He brought a fleeting peace to the long-weeping Land of Rain."
Beside him, Nagato couldn't help but furrow his brow, offering a calm analysis:
"But, Yahiko, the alliance between the Sand and Stone was still successful. Once the Stone concludes its war with the Mist..."
"This place will become a true slaughterhouse!"
"It will turn into the most chaotic and cruel zone in the entire shinobi world!"
"This peace is short-lived and false—it's like the calm before a storm!"
Yahiko nodded, a flash of solemnity crossing his eyes.
"True. But it's undeniable that Ren Uchiha's slaying of Ebizo rewrote the course of the war and indirectly saved the Land of Rain."
"The Sand has retreated from our borders, and the scale of engagement is gradually shrinking."
"He bought us time!"
"So—"
"Now, it's our turn to act!"
Konan, clad in a black rain cloak with her light blue hair tied in a bun and a white paper flower tucked behind her ear, remained silent for a moment before asking:
"Then Yahiko, what do we do?"
She bit her lip. Though she trusted Yahiko implicitly, seeing their ideals meet reality—and considering the hardships Akatsuki had faced lately—left her feeling a sense of displacement. Even just expanding the organization and recruiting members had been an exhausting headache.
"Our manifesto... to use words to help people understand each other, to stop war, to bring enemies to a common ground..."
"It's too difficult."
"The shinobi scarred by war are filled only with rage and hatred."
Yahiko shook his head and laughed candidly.
"Konan, you're right."
He chuckled softly, but when he looked up, his eyes were filled with resolve.
"But you must understand, our goal isn't to 'save the world,' nor is it to force the entire world to understand one another."
"We act for the peace of the Land of Rain."
"As long as women are still weeping, as long as children are still starving, as long as men are still fleeing across the fields..."
"As long as there is a single poor girl lost on the streets, or a single dark soul wandering this weeping nation with a blade held to their chest..."
"We must continue to fight! We must continue to act!"
"We aren't trying to use words to convince those consumed by hatred to abandon revenge. That's unrealistic."
"What we truly need to do,"
"Is to lead these stray dogs, these nameless rogue ninja, these ambitious men drowning in vengeance—to lead them so that they, who already understand what 'pain' is, realize one thing—"
"We don't want others to suffer the same pain we have!"
"That is why we move!"
Yahiko looked at the dozens of black-robed companions standing behind him and flashed a bright smile.
Then, he turned back toward the horizon where the carriage had vanished. After the boy was gone from sight, he looked at Nagato standing to his right. His eyes were full of expectation.
To judge others by oneself—that was Yahiko's state of mind. He stood firmly by his companions and his country, accurately assessing the situation to take realistic action. Every step was grounded, all for the day he could truly become the pillar supporting the "Bridge of Peace."
In his eyes, there were now two people who could make that happen: Nagato, who inherited the Sage's Eyes, and Ren Uchiha, who was constantly fighting and using action to quell the fires of war.
Ren's battle in the Land of Hot Springs brought peace there. Now, his battle in the Land of Rain had done the same.
Where would he fight next?
Yahiko didn't know, but he sent a heartfelt blessing from Akatsuki to the departing youth:
"May you have a safe journey..."
The carriage meandered along the path before stopping at a deserted village for a rest. Since the war had slowed and there were no urgent missions, Team Minato and Ren weren't in a hurry.
Currently, Ren Uchiha and Minato Namikaze were leaning against a haystack, staring up at the sky. The three students were nearby, gathering wood and starting a fire for a field meal.
Ren had tried to help, but he was quickly shut down by Rin Nohara. "You're still a patient, Ren-san~" she'd said with overwhelming sweetness, which earned Ren a series of envious, jealous, and slightly hateful glares from his "bro" Obito.
With nothing to do, Ren simply lay there next to Minato.
Since leaving the camp, Minato had been preoccupied. Ren could guess what was on his mind. In the original timeline, Jiraiya's team had encountered the Four-Tails (Roshi) and Five-Tails (Han) at the border of the Land of Stone.
Minato had been in that squad. After witnessing the sheer, inhuman terror of a Tailed Beast Bomb and the Jinchūriki's power, he couldn't help but think of Kushina. The thought of such a terrifying monster residing inside the woman he loved had kept him in this dazed state.
Lying on the hay, Minato raised his hand, reaching toward the sun.
His heart was gripped by a sudden anxiety, as if the brilliant orb in the sky was the Tailed Beast Bomb that had hurtled toward him.
So, what should I do?
As a human, how can I defend against such power?
Minato's hand trembled slightly. He rotated his palm against the backdrop of the sun.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up!
A surge of violently rotating chakra abruptly appeared in his palm!
And then—
Ren had been watching Minato, knowing the man was conceptualizing a new jutsu. He expected to witness the birth of the monumental "Rasengan" soon, but he didn't really want to get involved.
Honestly, Ren's own mind was a mess.
One thing after another had happened without giving him a moment to breathe. At first, he was just "Insurance Scaming"—recklessly seeking death to trigger a payout. Later, influenced by Orochimaru and the others, his "suicidal" actions became more complex.
Now, the plot had taken a massive detour. Ebizo was dead, the Sand had lost, and the Stone was bogged down by the Mist. The world suddenly felt like a complete stranger.
In this unfamiliar world, the "Insurance Scam" might not work anymore; he couldn't be certain if the future endings would be good or bad.
The path left to him seemed to be the one Orochimaru suggested: seek out death-defying battles to stack forbidden jutsus and secret techniques to brute-force his power level.
But could he really do it?
He didn't have the chakra of Indra or Asura. He didn't have the Main Character script. The Rinnegan—the apparent key to the Six Paths—was under Madara's watchful eye, with Black Zetsu lurking even deeper. Without the Rinnegan or the Gedo Mazo, could he really reach the Six Paths level just by collecting ninja skills like trading cards?
Ren felt a wave of mental exhaustion. The more he thought, the more lost he felt. He stared at the endless blue sky and thought: To hell with it, I'll take it one step at a time!
He cleared his mind, wanting to enjoy a moment of peace.
However, right then, Ren's eyelids jumped. He felt a sudden, heart-stopping fluctuation of energy right next to him!
He snapped his head to the side.
And there, he saw a brilliant blue, violent, and extremely unstable orb of light expanding rapidly right in front of his face!
In the next heartbeat, Ren's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"HOLY CRAP!"
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