"You're back?"
"How did it go?"
As soon as Nagato returned to the inn in town, Yahiko and the others immediately surrounded him. Nonō was the first to speak.
"It went smoothly. Genji agreed."
"He'll recall the Kiri ninja and open the gates of Kirigakure for us."
Nagato didn't keep them in suspense and laid everything out directly.
"That's good. Kakuzu was worried you wouldn't be able to handle it and went to see the Daimyō."
Yahiko's face lit up with joy. The trip to the Land of Water had been far easier than he had imagined.
"No wonder I couldn't sense his presence."
Nagato had been wondering where Kakuzu had gone, but now there was no need to ask.
"He should be back soon."
"He didn't leave much later than you did."
Konan joined in, and the four of them continued chatting, gradually drifting off-topic.
With the troublesome matter settled, the mood lightened, and their conversation grew more lively. Laughter spilled through the window, carrying far into the night...
Just as Konan predicted, Kakuzu returned to the inn the next day.
"Did it go well?"
Kakuzu had just sat down when Yahiko and the others pushed open the door and entered.
"It wasn't a matter of going well or not."
"That guy was insolent, so I took care of him."
Kakuzu spoke with complete indifference, as if he had merely stepped on an ant.
"Huh?"
"Won't that cause an uproar?"
Nonō hadn't expected Kakuzu to be so decisive—killing a Daimyō just like that. Now that he was dead, there was a real chance the entire Land of Water would unite against Akatsuki.
"Yeah."
"You really went too far."
"Even capturing him would have been better than killing him."
Konan was certain that if they ever found themselves in the same situation, and if Yahiko were killed, there would be no chance of them surrendering.
"People aren't all the same."
"Let's hear Kakuzu out—he knows what he's doing."
Yahiko remained calm. He didn't see Kakuzu as the type to act recklessly.
After all, there was no money involved in this matter, so the chances of Kakuzu making a mistake were extremely low.
"The capital must be in chaos, right?"
Nagato finally spoke, getting straight to the point.
"Hmm."
"The Daimyō of the Land of Water had many heirs. They've already begun fighting for power."
"What a bunch of hopeless fools," Kakuzu scoffed, showing no restraint in his judgment of the Daimyō's offspring.
With an external enemy at their gates and their nation on the brink of collapse, they still had the mind to scramble for power. Truly, their stupidity knew no bounds.
Originally, he had only intended to gather some insight into the Daimyō's character, but instead, he learned more about his heirs.
It was precisely because of this that Kakuzu hadn't hesitated to eliminate the Daimyō.
"This is good news for us," Yahiko said with a smile. The more foolish and incompetent their enemies were, the easier things would be.
"What's there to fight over?"
"Once we take over, they'll all be prisoners."
Konan had already moved past Kakuzu's reckless actions, choosing not to comment on them.
"The Daimyō of the Land of Water had so many 'brilliant' heirs—I bet he can't even rest in peace."
Nonō chuckled. Facing foolish opponents was always a satisfying experience.
"He definitely isn't resting in peace."
"I even made sure of it myself."
"Guess I was too kind."
Kakuzu made a rare joke, and surprisingly, it landed well, sending Yahiko and the others into fits of laughter.
"The capital is too busy to worry about us now."
"Genji, the leader of Kirigakure, has already agreed to surrender."
"At this point, we can say the Land of Water is as good as ours."
Yahiko's smile faded. Everything was going so smoothly that it almost felt unreal.
"Yeah."
"Now, we just wait for Genji's orders, then follow the Kiri-nin into the village."
Nagato nodded, having no objections.
"Kakuzu, you've done your part. We won't disturb you."
"Get some rest."
Yahiko took the lead in standing up. Nagato and the others also exchanged a few words with Kakuzu before leaving.
With both Nagato and Kakuzu ensuring things went as planned, everything was moving exactly as expected...
The next day, the Kiri-nin openly appeared on the main roads. They had already received word of Genji's order to retreat.
Surprisingly, his decision to surrender to Akatsuki didn't spark any outrage. Instead, many of the Kiri-nin felt relieved.
The Kiri-nin leading the group ran at the front, his expression filled with a mix of disappointment and undeniable relief.
"Ao, does this mean we won't have to die?"
Mei Terumi glanced at Ao beside her, her voice carrying the unmistakable joy of someone who had just survived a disaster.
No one wanted to die if they had the chance to live.
Even the higher-ups didn't oppose surrendering—let alone a young girl like her, whose values were still being shaped.
"Probably."
"As long as we don't resist, Akatsuki has no reason to eliminate us."
"At most, we'll be imprisoned."
As an adult and a Jōnin, Ao saw things far more clearly than Mei.
He figured Genji must have struck some kind of deal with Akatsuki. Since they had surrendered, there was no need for them to fight to the death anymore.
But that didn't mean they would have freedom once they returned to the village.
Kirigakure... might not even exist for much longer.
He let out a long sigh, unsure of how he truly felt.
"Imprisoned?"
"We've already surrendered, and Akatsuki still doesn't trust us?"
Mei shuddered. She didn't want to die, but she didn't want to be locked up either.
"We surrendered. Do we really have the right to refuse anything?"
Ao shook his head with a bitter smile. Once they returned to the village, if they wanted to survive, they would have no choice but to obey Akatsuki.
"...Okay, you're right."
Mei lowered her head, her excitement instantly fading.
"We Jōnin will definitely be under strict supervision. You younger ones, though, might not be."
Ao reached out and patted Mei's head, not wanting to see such a young girl—who had barely escaped death—frightened all over again.
"Really?"
Mei lifted her head, a hopeful glimmer returning to her eyes.
"Really. Even if they let you go free, they wouldn't be too worried about you causing trouble."
Ao nodded firmly, as if everything was still within his grasp.
"Then, Ao-senpai, I'll definitely come visit you!"
Mei's steps became noticeably lighter, and she was already thinking about what she'd eat once she got back to the village.
"I'll be waiting."
Ao smiled and said no more.
The Kiri-nin moved at a steady pace, not too fast nor too slow.
Not long after they set out, Yahiko arrived with Akatsuki's forces, following right behind them.
They, too, made no effort to conceal themselves. Every Kiri-nin knew exactly who was trailing them.
And yet, the two groups simply moved forward—one ahead, one behind—without any communication or pursuit, like strangers heading toward the same destination...
Days later, the gates of Kirigakure finally came into view.
Watching the Kiri-nin enter, Yahiko stopped just outside the open gates.
"You sure this isn't a trap?"
He tilted his head toward Nagato, who stood beside him.
"If it is, I'll send Kirigakure to the moon."
Nagato shot Yahiko an annoyed look. You're suddenly cautious now? Right when we're at the gate?
"Haha, just kidding."
"Let's go."
With a wave of his hand, Yahiko led Akatsuki's forces straight through the gates of Kirigakure.