Deep underground, darkness enveloped everything like thick ink.
Zetsu's figure darted rapidly through soil and rock using its unique technique – the Mayfly Technique.
The White Zetsu half exclaid exaggeratedly, "Hey hey! That guy is too scary! Is he really a Ninja of this era? Even Hagoromo and Hamura back in the day were probably no more than that?!"
The Black Zetsu half remained silent, but internally, he was already in turmoil.
He had lived for over a thousand years. Although he hadn't witnessed the battle where the Otsutsuki brothers, Hagoromo and Hamura, sealed away his mother Kaguya, he had later been the one to instigate the conflict between Asura and Indra.
However, the power displayed by the boy who called himself Uzumaki nma just now… the way he disregarded Madara with the Rinnegan, effortlessly cleaved a teor, and kicked apart a Complete Body Susanoo, made him entertain a thought so terrifying it even scared himself.
'This guy's strength likely already surpassed that of Hagoromo and Hamura in their ti!'
'But, why?'
'Why would such an ultra-spec life form be born on this planet, which Mother saw as a nursery?'
Black Zetsu was utterly perplexed. A sense of despair and loss from having his plans completely derailed seeped through him.
Only after fleeing hundreds of kiloters away from Agakure, confirming absolute safety, did Zetsu gradually stop.
His hoarse, gloomy voice sounded in the darkness: "How many White Zetsu were lost?"
The white half, using Chakra Perception through the vast network of plant roots connected underground, conducted a count. After a mont, it said in its exaggerated, sowhat detached tone: "Wow! Serious, serious! Over a hundred brothers stationed nearby for support and surveillance… all their signals are gone! Looks like it's a total wipeout~"
Over a hundred White Zetsu!
This was almost half the forces Black Zetsu could currently mobilize!
He had originally thought that relying on the stealth capabilities and numbers of these White Zetsu, he could at least attempt to retrieve the Rinnegan amidst the chaos. He never expected the other party to be so ruthless and decisive, not leaving a single one alive!
However, Black Zetsu didn't show much heartache or anger.
His small yellow eyes flickered in the dark.
The losses were severe, but not crippling.
In the frigid depths of the Land of Iron, unknown to anyone, slept an army of a hundred thousand White Zetsu!
The ones active now were rely an extrely small portion activated to manipulate Madara.
Black Zetsu murmured in a low voice, filled with the patience accumulated over millennia: "The Rinnegan is gone, Madara is dead, even important pawns like Nagato and Yahiko have completely slipped control... The plan... is thoroughly disrupted."
He raised his head, as if he could see through the layers of rock, gazing towards the endless void, his voice carrying a nearly pious whisper: "Mother... Please wait patiently a little longer... I will never give up..."
After speaking, the half-black, half-white figure sank into the deeper, darker depths of the earth, entering another long period of latency and waiting.
...
Six months later, Agakure.
The continuous rain still enveloped this country, like an eternal lody.
However, compared to the war-torn, devastated scene of half a year ago, today's Agakure had radiated new vitality.
Especially the northern port area. On the ruins that had been razed by battle, brand-new docks, warehouses, and hoisting facilities now stood.
Ships large and small shuttled back and forth. The sound of whistles interwove with the clamor of workers and vendors on the docks, presenting a busy and prosperous sight.
In Agakure Hospital, in a rather advanced newly built white structure, Akebi, wearing a pristine dical ninja gown, was carefully examining Nagato's eyes as he lay on the hospital bed.
Her gaze was focused and gentle, her fingers covered with a faint green Chakra glow, gently lifting Nagato's eyelids to observe the adaptation of the transplanted eyes.
Since being cured of her hidden affliction and regaining her health by nma half a year ago, Akebi, moved by Yahiko and the Akatsuki's mbers' ideals, resolutely chose to beco a dical-Nin, dedicated to eradicating illness and pain in the world.
With her exceptional talent, she was now the director of Agakure Hospital and the village's acknowledged strongest dical-Nin.
Her father, Amado, had beco the person in charge of equipnt and logistics for Agakure, also holding a high position.
After the ticulous examination, a relieved smile appeared on Akebi's face. She gently patted Nagato's shoulder, her voice soft: "Alright, Nagato. These eyes have integrated very well. The Chakra Pathways are unobstructed, with no signs of rejection. Just co back for a check-up every six months from now on."
Konan, who had been waiting by the side, finally let out a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this, her tightly furrowed brows relaxing.
Nagato slowly opened his eyes. In his crimson pupils, three black tomoes slowly rotated.
Since his Rinnegan had been reclaid by Madara half a year ago, nma, considering that Nagato's body had long been accustod to the daily Chakra Consumption and load of an advanced Dojutsu, felt that transplanting ordinary eyes might cause discomfort or even backlash.
Therefore, he took out a pair of cloned Three-Tomoe Sharingan from his own reserves and perford the transplant for Nagato.
This was both compensation for Nagato losing the Rinnegan and the most suitable choice for his current physical condition.
"Thank you, Akebi." Nagato's voice was still sowhat low, but compared to the lifeless tone of half a year ago, it held a bit more vitality.
Konan also expressed her sincere gratitude: "We've troubled you, Akebi."
Akebi, who was writing the examination report, looked up with a gentle smile, warm as sunshine piercing through the rain: "We're all old friends, no need to be so polite. Seeing Nagato recovering well makes very happy."
Leaving the hospital, Nagato and Konan walked through the streets of Agakure.
Nagato raised his head, letting the cool rain fall on his face. Through his new Sharingan, he looked at the village undergoing vigorous construction before him, a strong sense of unreality rising in his heart.
These short six months had been earth-shaking for Agakure and the entire Land of Rain.
First, the Akatsuki, led by Yahiko, with nma's absolute force support, smoothly took over the ruling power of Agakure.
Yahiko officially beca the new leader of Agakure.
Then, under nma's guidance, which far exceeded the insight of this era, a sweeping reform was fully launched across the Land of Rain.
Internally, they first conducted a thorough overhaul of Agakure itself.
Drawing on the mature experiences of the Five Great Ninja Nations, they established standardized institutions: a Ninja Academy, a Ninja Hospital, an Intelligence Departnt, a Mission Hall for mission issuance and managent, and clarified the Ninja rank, duty, welfare, and promotion systems.
This transford Agakure's Ninja Forces from the relatively loose structure of Hanzo's era into a disciplined, well-defined militarized organization.
Next, Yahiko demonstrated his boldness and determination as a leader.
He personally led the reorganized and strengthened Agakure's Ninja Forces, sweeping through the long-standing stubborn problems within the Land of Rain with the thunderous montum.
Those nobles who maintained private armies, carved out territories, and the various ard forces that attacked each other and wreaked havoc in the regions-
In the face of absolute strength and unified will, these internal resistances were swiftly crushed. Agakure truly beca the sole, legitimate ard force of the Land of Rain, achieving the initial unification of the country.
Having solved internal problems, they turned their gaze outward.
They made full use of the Land of Rain's unique geographical location at the center of the Ninja Continent, connecting the Lands of Fire, Wind, and Earth, as well as the mariti convenience of the important strait between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth, to formulate and introduce a series of highly attractive comrcial policies.
Agakure, with extrely low mission commissions, even subsidized by the village's finances, dispatched Ninja to provide full ard escort for rchant caravans from various countries willing to co to Agakure for business or transit, greatly ensuring the safety of trade routes.
At the sa ti, Agakure announced several preferential policies, the most eye-catching of which was significant tax reduction, even exemption during certain periods, on grain trade.
These precise sets of combination punches had imdiate, visible effects.
The Land of Rain, once desolate from war and chaos, rapidly beca a vital comrcial hub connecting east and west, north and south in the Ninja World!
Not only did rchants from the three major nations of Land of Fire, Land of Earth, Land of Wind flock in, but caravans from surrounding smaller nations like the Land of Grass, Land of Waterfalls, Land of Iron, Land of Birds, Land of Bears, and Land of Rivers also began frequenting the area.
A massive flow of people, goods, and capital converged on the Land of Rain. This not only greatly stimulated the recovery of the national economy and brought in substantial comrcial tax revenue, but more importantly, ample food continuously poured in through trade.
This gave Agakure enough confidence and capability to carry out large-scale relief for the refugees and displaced people within the country resulting from years of war.
And when Yahiko thought this would allow the refugees and displaced people of the Land of Rain to survive, nma told him it wasn't just simple charity.
They adopted the thod of 'relief through work', massively absorbing refugees and displaced people. They skillfully utilized Ninja, especially Earth Release users, to construct water conservancy projects, reclaim wasteland, build roads, and infrastructure nationwide.
Within a re six months, vast areas of fertile farmland suitable for cultivation had been transford within the Land of Rain's borders.
This land was then distributed to the refugees and displaced people who participated in the construction, allowing them to settle down and once again beco self-sufficient producers.
A country once torn by civil war, plagued by bandits, and filled with starving corpses had, in just six months, miraculously transford into the comrcial hub and stable nation at the heart of the Ninja Continent!
The number of refugees and displaced people decreased visibly. The entire nation seed to have finally erged from a long, dark abyss, welcoming the dawn of hope.
The identities and responsibilities of the forr core mbers of the Akatsuki also underwent significant changes.
When Konan and Nagato arrived at the central tower of Agakure, symbolizing the core of power, the spacious, bright first-floor mission hall was bustling with activity.
Ninja wearing new Agakure's forehead protectors were either acting alone or forming teams to accept missions.
On the other side, rchants of various descriptions, dressed in finery, were issuing missions to the mission hall administrators while conversing amongst themselves.
One could even see that when facing so high-difficulty or long-route escort or cleanup missions, different teams would temporarily combine and cooperate, showing good teamwork.
Daibutsu, busy coordinating mission assignnts behind the mission counter, spotted Konan and Nagato the mont they entered.
He imdiately put down the scroll in his hand, seemingly sweating nervously on his shiny bald head, hurried over, and lowered his voice:
"Konan, Nagato, you're finally back! Quick, go upstairs and talk so sense into Yahiko-sama! He's managed to upset nma-sama again!"
Konan and Nagato exchanged a glance, seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes, but more of a long-accustod understanding.
Similar scenes had played out more than once over the past six months.
Yahiko, harboring the purest, most idealistic vision of peace, would from ti to ti co up with ideas that nma deed overly 'naïve' or 'impractical' when dealing with specific and complex dostic and foreign affairs.
nma would then without rcy point out the flaws and potential risks, sotis even using relatively 'intense' thods to make Yahiko face reality.
However, these collisions weren't aningless.
Often, after nma's 'lessons', Yahiko would beco more practical. He would revise these idealized plans, instead adopting a more steady, step-by-step pilot approach for verification, ultimately figuring out the most feasible decisions under the current circumstances.
This process, though full of friction, also spurred Yahiko's rapid growth, letting him see more clearly the multiple obstacles and reality of the path to his ideals.
The two didn't dare delay and quickly headed towards the dedicated elevator to the top floor.
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