The rain of the Land of Rain continued to fall in a thin, endless curtain.
Inside a tall tower, Nagato sat quietly by the window, staring out into the gray drizzle.
For a long time, the only sound in the room was the steady patter of rain.
Then, at last, the door behind him creaked open.
The faint sound pulled his thoughts back from afar.
Nagato slowly turned his head, a small smile appearing on his lips.
"You're back?"
"Mm."
Konan stepped into the room.
Her long blue-purple hair hung loosely behind her. Though rainwater still clung to her cloak, it seemed almost unable to touch her.
She walked calmly to Nagato's side, stopping behind him.
Her gaze followed his out the window, settling on the endless rain.
After a moment, she nodded slightly.
"The situation in Konoha has mostly been settled. The negotiations with them are nearly complete."
"Konoha will invest more resources into the Land of Rain. And if nothing unexpected happens, Sunagakure will soon have a new Kazekage."
"There's a high chance it will be Pakura."
"We're both familiar with her. Whether for Konoha or for the Land of Rain, this is a good outcome."
Konan briefly summarized the results of her trip.
The assistance Rain Country had provided to Konoha might not have produced overwhelming results—but their stance had been made clear.
And that alone was enough.
Konoha would undoubtedly increase its support and investment in the Land of Rain.
"The Land of Rain… will finally begin to develop properly."
Nagato nodded lightly after hearing her report.
This was exactly what he had always hoped for.
A stronger Land of Rain would prove Ren's strategy correct—and bring them closer to the peace Nagato dreamed of for the entire shinobi world.
But soon, Nagato shook his head with a helpless smile.
He looked at Konan again.
"You just got back. And I didn't even get the chance to say 'welcome home' before you started talking about work."
"You really are…"
Konan blinked slightly before smiling as well.
"Sorry. This matter is important—both for the Land of Rain and for us."
"Thank you."
"I'm also glad to be back."
But halfway through the sentence, her voice faltered.
For a brief moment, she found herself unable to continue.
Her gaze drifted again toward the rain outside the window.
"Being back… is good."
Nagato didn't notice the subtle shift in her expression.
He simply smiled warmly.
But soon, the smile faded into something more complicated.
"Still… it's a pity."
"From now on, you'll probably be even busier."
"Hm?"
Konan looked at him in confusion.
Nagato then explained the results of the recent meeting in detail.
When he finished, he sighed.
"So in the coming months, you'll probably need to travel back and forth between Konoha and the Land of Rain."
"Not only to provide information about the Akatsuki to Konoha…"
"But also to push Konoha into making certain decisions. We'll need them to release real information so that Obito and the others trust us more."
"And most importantly, you must warn Konoha."
"They must be careful of Orochimaru attempting to steal corpses—or even prevent him if possible."
Nagato looked at Konan seriously.
"Konan… your mission will be extremely important."
"It will also be exhausting."
"And you'll have to be cautious around Jiraiya-sensei."
"You'll be working very hard from now on."
"Working hard…?"
Konan stood quietly beside the window.
There was no disappointment on her face.
Instead—
her eyes seemed to grow brighter.
"Frequent… trips to Konoha?"
"Mm."
Nagato hesitated slightly.
"If you think it's too troublesome—or dangerous—I can assign someone else."
Before he could finish, Konan interrupted him.
"That won't be necessary."
"I'll handle it."
"I'm familiar with them. It will be easier for me."
Nagato paused.
He seemed slightly uncertain.
"Konan… you don't have to sacrifice so much. We still have many capable people."
"But they can't handle these matters as well as I can."
Konan shook her head firmly.
Her tone left no room for argument.
Before Nagato could object again, she turned around and smiled.
"I'll go wash up and get some rest."
"From now on… we're going to be very busy."
With that, she walked out of the tower.
Nagato remained alone in the room.
"…Thank you for everything, Konan."
Only after she had completely left did he sigh softly.
In his eyes, Konan had sacrificed far too much for the Land of Rain.
Whether during their misguided past…
or now, as they tried to walk the correct path again—
Konan had always been the one quietly supporting everything.
Without her…
no one knew what the Land of Rain might have become.
"And without her suggestion to try recruiting Ren…"
"…none of this would exist today."
Nagato turned back toward the rain again, feeling deeply emotional.
Yet at the same time—
something felt slightly strange.
"…Why does it feel like Konan has changed a little after this trip?"
Far away, in the Land of Fire.
Within Konoha.
The streets bustled with life.
Sunlight poured over the village as the wind rustled through green leaves, scattering shifting shadows across the ground.
Inside the Hokage's office—
Tsunade sat lazily in her chair with both bare feet resting on the desk.
A scroll lay in her hands as she read through it.
"Teacher…"
Ren stared at her with a stunned expression.
"You're the Hokage now. Could you at least act like it?"
"Hah."
Tsunade shot him an annoyed glance.
"Since when do I need you to tell me how to behave?"
Then she spoke again.
"Oh right."
"I already contacted the Hyuga clan."
"They were cooperative. They agreed to bring out some of their ancient texts."
"But unfortunately… it seems they don't have much useful information."
"Compared to them, you seem to have discovered more."
"That's not surprising."
Ren nodded calmly.
"Just look at the fact that they possess the Byakugan but rely on Gentle Fist."
"That alone reveals quite a few things."
He didn't bother commenting on Tsunade's lazy posture.
To be honest—
he didn't mind the view.
And he truly wasn't surprised by the information.
The Hyuga clan likely had nothing left.
"Any clan with even a shred of ambition would attempt a comeback after such circumstances."
"But the Hyuga… show no signs of that."
"Either they're hiding it extremely well…"
"Or they've completely given up."
"You think they truly have no records left?"
Tsunade tilted her head thoughtfully.
After a moment, she nodded.
"That might actually be the case."
"Still… it's rather tragic."
Hiding knowledge without acting on it usually meant only two things.
Either the knowledge could never be revealed.
Or—
they themselves had already abandoned it.
Tsunade frowned as she looked at the scroll Ren had brought.
"But what about this?"
"You said you couldn't trace their origins at all?"
"Are they really that mysterious?"
"That's simply the reality."
Ren shrugged.
"I even mobilized the outer networks of Root."
"The result was still the same."
"The Hyuga situation might be more complicated than we imagined."
"In fact…"
"…I suspect their ancestors may not have even lived in the shinobi world."
"…Not in the shinobi world?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"If not here, then where?"
But before she could continue, Ren spoke again.
"Don't dismiss the idea so quickly."
"Wasn't the Rabbit Goddess once considered just a legend?"
"The Sage of Six Paths was also a myth."
"And yet both of them existed."
"We even carry their blood."
"And the Sage left a stone tablet for the Uchiha."
"So perhaps…"
"…the shinobi world isn't the only place that exists."
"Perhaps there are places we've never discovered."
"And the origin of the Hyuga ancestors…"
"…is worth investigating."
"If we understand that, we may understand everything else."
Tsunade fell silent.
After thinking carefully, she realized—
his reasoning wasn't completely absurd.
But she still struggled to imagine where the Hyuga could have come from.
"I hope you're right."
"But where could they possibly hide?"
"That barren wasteland beyond the seas?"
"Come on."
"It's either endless ocean or desolate land."
"No one could survive there."
"…Unless…"
She suddenly froze.
"…the moon?"
"Why not?"
Ren looked slightly surprised that Tsunade had guessed it.
But it actually worked perfectly.
"In fact… we've always ignored one thing."
"The moon."
"There's an old legend that the shinobi world originally didn't have one."
"The moon only appeared about a thousand years ago—during the era of the Sage of Six Paths."
"And don't forget."
"The Uchiha tablet mentions the 'Eye of the Moon Plan.'"
"So perhaps…"
"The moon hides far more secrets than we realize."
Tsunade immediately sat upright.
"…That sounds insane."
"The moon is unbelievably far away."
"How could anyone possibly—"
She suddenly stopped.
"…Space-time techniques."
"That could work."
"If someone used spatial ninjutsu to travel there…"
"Then it might actually be possible."
"…The moon."
"…Could it really be there?"
"I don't know."
Ren smiled faintly.
"But it's definitely worth investigating."
Tsunade crossed her arms.
"You can investigate all you want."
"But we have no money."
Ren blinked.
"…What?"
"Investigate all you want."
"Use whatever manpower you need."
"But there is no funding."
Ren stared at her silently.
For a moment—
he wondered if he had overestimated Tsunade.
She wasn't just flawed.
She was a walking bundle of flaws.
"I wasn't asking for money."
He sighed.
"I meant that if I find the location…"
"I'll need permission to mobilize troops."
"And if possible…"
"I'd like your assistance too."
"Because no one knows what might be waiting there."
If Ren truly discovered the path to the moon—
there was no way he'd rush in alone like Naruto once did.
He had resources.
Why wouldn't he use them?
He was the Hokage's advisor.
The leader of Root.
Second only to the Hokage in authority.
Why should he fight alone?
Calling in reinforcements—
even if they only cheered from the sidelines—
was still useful.
Tsunade relaxed again.
"Oh."
"That's fine then."
"But only after you actually find the place."
She narrowed her eyes.
"This whole idea still sounds crazy."
Ren nodded.
"I agree."
"But it's worth trying."
Then Tsunade suddenly asked another question.
"Come to think of it…"
"The Sage of Six Paths left a tablet for the Uchiha."
"Why didn't he leave anything for the Senju?"
That question caught Ren off guard.
She was right.
There really was nothing.
Was it favoritism?
Or compensation for Indra after Ashura inherited the Ninshu?
Ren didn't know.
But suddenly—
an idea appeared in his mind.
Perhaps…
he could write history himself.
A Chronicle of Time.
A fabricated relic.
A "record" left by the Sage of Six Paths.
The thought made his heart race.
Maybe—
he knew exactly what he should do next.
Later, inside Root headquarters.
Ren activated Flying Thunder God and instantly returned.
Kabuto happened to be there.
"You're back already?"
"I finished reporting."
Ren shrugged.
Then he opened his system panel.
[Shihara Ren]
[Physical Attributes: LV14]
[Chakra: LV13]
[Abilities: Wood Release LV10, Flying Thunder God LV10, Storm Release LV10, Yin-Yang Release LV10, Scorch Release LV10, Yin-Yang Chakra Mode LV10]
[Free Points: 70]
He smiled slightly.
Seventy points looked like a lot—
but for someone pursuing balanced growth…
it wasn't actually that much.
Still—
it was time to grow stronger.
"System."
"Upgrade Wood Release and Yin-Yang Chakra Mode."
[Wood Release upgraded → LV11]
[Yin-Yang Chakra Mode upgraded → LV11]
[Yin-Yang Release upgraded → LV11]
[Remaining Free Points: 30]
The moment the upgrade finished—
Ren felt a massive wave of information flood his mind.
His understanding of chakra transformed.
Wood Release.
Yin-Yang Release.
Natural energy.
All of it felt…
as if it were engraved directly into his soul.
He could control it instinctively.
Even multiple chakra attributes could now be combined effortlessly.
Composite ninjutsu—
once extremely difficult—
now came naturally.
Then he created a massive wooden pillar.
Using Yin-Yang Release and senjutsu, he carved text into it.
A false historical record.
A "message" supposedly left by the Sage of Six Paths for Ashura's descendants.
It explained the conflict between Indra and Ashura.
It hinted at Black Zetsu.
It warned of the Otsutsuki.
It even justified why the Sage allowed conflict to continue—
to strengthen the shinobi world.
When he finished reading it over, Ren nodded with satisfaction.
"Perfect."
"Even if the Sage of Six Paths is still alive… I'm not actually slandering him."
"In fact…"
"…this might even help him."
Then he sealed the pillar away.
"Next step."
"Upgrade chakra and physical attributes."
[Chakra upgraded → LV14]
[Physical Attributes upgraded → LV15]
[Remaining Free Points: 3]
The moment the upgrades completed—
his entire body erupted with power.
Chakra surged wildly.
Yin-Yang Chakra Mode activated automatically.
White-gold chakra covered his entire body.
His black hair slowly turned white.
The chakra condensed into a flowing robe.
Truth-Seeking Orbs appeared behind him.
Floating silently.
Ren stared at his reflection in a nearby mirror.
His mouth twitched slightly.
"…What the hell?"
"…Did I just become…"
"…Otsutsuki Ren?"
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