Trees Chapter 342 Nagato: The Village is Thriving!

Ruins of the Land of Whirlpools…

Under the leadership of the Akatsuki, the former villagers of Amegakure have rebuilt their homes here.

At last, everyone has found peace in this place.

As for why this location was chosen...

That traces back to something Nagato’s mother once told him many years ago.

Inside the base, Nagato stared at the message sent to him by Naruto, falling deep into thought.

‘Huh??’

‘A Biju Capture Plan??’

Just seeing those words now felt strangely unfamiliar to Nagato.

And when he read that the yellow-haired guy was planning to return to the base, Nagato nearly dropped his phone in shock.

Before, he had always believed it was just his bad luck that caused Amegakure to suffer repeated attacks.

Even if those two walking disasters were involved, it might have just been a coincidence.

But now...

Seeing the long-lost smiles on the villagers’ faces…

And the fact that, for the first time, the reconstruction of the village had proceeded without a single hitch…

Nagato became even more convinced that staying with those two would only bring misfortune to everyone.

‘Yeah...’

‘Just look at Konoha.’

Nagato glanced at the post Tsunade had posted yesterday.

Something about the reconstruction of Konoha finally reaching a milestone.

‘Tch...’

‘How many times was that now?’

Nagato shook his head with a bitter smile, then sent a message in the Akatsuki’s newly established internal group chat.

[Peace Through Pain: Attention everyone, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke might try to ask about the organization’s new base location... Under no circumstances should you reveal it.]

The members all replied with acknowledgments, except for one honest man currently working a part-time job...

‘What?! So Kurosaki Ichigo and Uchiha Xiaoyan were just those two in disguise?!’

Kisame was utterly shocked. It had never crossed his mind that the kid in the black cloak was actually Itachi’s little brother…

‘Wait a second?!’

A scene from years ago flashed in Kisame’s mind, when he had fought a certain kid in a black cloak.

‘So that’s how it was!’

After this epiphany, Kisame glanced at the others’ messages again.

‘No one else seemed surprised by this revelation.’

‘Hiss…!!’

‘Am I really the last one to figure this out???’

A few seconds later, Kisame looked up, muttering to himself.

"This world..."

"Is definitely fake!!"

Ding Dong…

[Your delivery order is about to expire. Please handle it promptly...]

“So annoying!!”

Kisame roared, grabbing his delivery bag and sprinting toward the drop-off location...

This order, from the new Amegakure all the way to the Land of Snow, was not something he could afford to delay.

Meanwhile, Kakuzu sat in his office, watching his star employee rush off. Taking a puff from his two-million-ryo cigar, he couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

"What dedication..."

Kakuzu was thoroughly pleased with Kisame’s performance. But when his eyes landed on Hidan, who was lounging in his office and freeloading food and drinks, his expression darkened instantly.

"Damn it!!"

"Hidan! Don’t open that bottle!!"

"That’s a twenty-million-ryo bottle of liquor!!!"

Hidan ignored Kakuzu and drank from the water in one it like cheap booze.

"Pfft…! Bleh!"

"Tastes like crap!"

After a couple of gulps, Hidan realized the alcohol was heavily diluted. He looked up and scoffed at his stingy partner.

"Hey, Kakuzu, don’t think I don’t know..."

"The stuff you sell costs next to nothing to make."

"Twenty million a bottle, my ass..."

"This swill probably cost you twenty thousand at most, right?"

"You’re selling counterfeit goods."

Hidan sneered in disdain before casually pouring the rest of the liquor into a nearby potted plant.

"Nonsense!"

"You know nothing about business!"

Kakuzu shot up from his seat, indignant at the accusation.

"Sure, whatever you say."

Hidan pulled out a blank notebook and started scribbling away.

Before long, he had sketched out the visage of the Jashin in vivid detail.

If Naruto had been there, he would’ve recognized the drawing instantly… it was Boruto.

Hidan admired his handiwork, grinning wildly in satisfaction.

He had never been much of an artist before.

But!

A few days ago, he had heard the Jashin’s voice clearly and glimpsed his true form.

And the Jashin had given him a mission...

To spread his name across the Shinobi World.

Therefore, Hidan decided to write a holy scripture in the name of Jashin.

Then, using Kakuzu’s business connections, he would distribute copies of his scripture to every corner of the world.

“Hahahahaha!”

"This is truly glorious."

Hidan fantasized about the day when the name of Jashin would be praised by all, his excitement barely contained.

Kakuzu glanced at him, then swiftly took three large steps out of the office.

If he stayed any longer...

He was afraid he might catch this lunatic's madness.

"Yo, Sasori, Deidara."

Not long after leaving the building, Kakuzu spotted the two of them, each carrying a humanoid puppet.

The pair merely nodded in acknowledgment before continuing on their way, their focus entirely on their creations.

"Sasori-danna..."

"I’ve got something to show you."

Deidara slung an arm around Sasori’s shoulder, speaking in a hushed, mysterious tone.

Then, under Sasori’s puzzled gaze, he pulled out a strange metallic cube.

"What is that?"

Sasori instinctively asked, unsure what Deidara was getting at.

"Hehe..."

Deidara smirked mischievously, glancing around before whispering.

"This thing... the Science and Truth Society accidentally obtained it from a Space-Time Rift..."

"It doesn’t exactly align with our doctrine, but I’ll admit… it’s a huge help for our research..."

"It can give life to puppets."

The moment Sasori heard those words, his Chakra core surged in intensity.

‘Give life to the puppet...’

‘Wasn’t that basically a Machine Spirit?!’

"Let’s go!"

"To the lab!!"

Sasori grabbed Deidara and practically dragged him forward… clearly, he was beyond eager.

From atop a high-rise, Nagato watched the busy members of the organization, a faint smile of contentment on his face.

"Such peaceful days..."

"If only they could last forever."

Each member had their own pursuits, and Nagato didn’t interfere.

Besides...

Everyone was genuinely using their abilities to help the village.

Sasori and Deidara’s puppet research had been invaluable during the early reconstruction efforts.

And Kakuzu’s ‘Kakuzu Group’ had brought in massive profits for the village.

Ever since leaving those two troublemakers behind...

Nagato felt his village was finally starting to thrive.

"Hmm..."

"Maybe I’ll take a nap."

Basking in the warm sunlight, Nagato yawned and stretched out on the sofa.

But just after he closed his eyes, Konan silently slipped into the office and yanked the curtains shut.

"Konan!?"

"What are you doing?!"

When Nagato saw her actions, he was so frightened that his face turned pale and the corners of his mouth trembled slightly.

"Why haven’t you come home these past few days?"

Konan’s sharp gaze bore into him, her presence more oppressive than even the Rinnegan.

"I-I’ve been busy with work...?"

Konan took slow, deliberate steps toward him, not saying a word.

"Wait!!"

"Konan, this is the office…!"