"Have the etings finished?"
Before the others could respond, Nagato pushed aside the curtain and entered. His abrupt arrival was a bit of a letdown.
"Finished. Have you taken care of the wounded on your end?" Yahiko asked, scratching his head awkwardly. Nagato's timing was impeccable, almost as if orchestrated.
Nagato really had a knack for showing up at the perfect mont. Couldn't he have waited until Yahiko finished rousing the team with a morale boost and painting a rosy picture of the future?
"Well, they've all been properly settled," Nagato replied with a nod. He was responsible for managing the dical-nin and logistics, which kept him away from the eting. Tending to injured ninja left no ti for discussions, and besides, he didn't have much to contribute to the eting anyway.
"Okay, everyone can go now," Yahiko announced. Nagato's interruption left him disinclined to continue. The key points had already been covered, and the outco of this battle had long been decided. The only variable left was the amount of effort the five of them needed to exert.
"Yes, Lord Yahiko," the leaders acknowledged before filing out, leaving only Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, and the others behind in the tent.
"Lord Yahiko, you are becoming more and more impressive," Konan teased as she stretched, her tone lighthearted. Though Yahiko led in public, within their circle, he was simply Yahiko—no titles, no pretense.
"Lady Konan is too kind," Yahiko replied, bowing slightly with exaggerated seriousness.
"When will you give a big official position?" Konan asked, her playful deanor clear. She wasn't in charge of anything, by choice rather than necessity. Carefree and confident, no one dared to underestimate her.
"That's easy," Yahiko said with a smirk. "What do you think about making you the leader's wife?" He moved over and sat in the empty seat beside her, clearly enjoying turning the tables.
"Damn you, you're not serious," Konan shot back, her cheeks tinged a faint red. Despite her usual composure, she couldn't quite match him when it ca to teasing.
"The leader's wife—that's quite an important position," Nonō chid in, feigning shock as she teased Konan further.
Nagato sat down beside her, smiling softly. Despite the power they held, their camaraderie hadn't changed. Everything between them remained as it always had.
"You're all in on this. I'm ignoring you."
"Let's get down to business. I'm anxious to go back to bed," Konan said, making a flimsy excuse as she shrank her neck, trying to steer the conversation away.
But Nonō wasn't about to let her off the hook that easily.
"If you're the leader's wife, shouldn't you be with the leader?" Nonō teased, her expression mischievous.
"Are you in a hurry?" she added, and then burst into laughter. "Hahaha~"
"Ahhh! Stop talking," Konan suddenly exclaid, covering her face with her hands. She had no idea how to respond, and a deep blush spread from her cheeks down to her neck.
"You say no, but your body is very honest," Kakuzu chid in, delivering the final jab with a sly grin. To him, the girl was practically glowing with joy beneath her flustered exterior.
"I'll fight you to the death!" Konan snapped, her composure shattered. She leaped to her feet, fists clenched, ready to charge at Kakuzu and give him a piece of her mind—or maybe scratch his face.
"Okay, okay, stop it," Yahiko intervened, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her back. His expression was that of a long-suffering peacemaker. When will this job ever end? he thought to himself.
"You're just angry and frustrated," Kakuzu continued, shaking his head with a smug smile, clearly enjoying her reaction.
"Let go of ! I'm going to fight him today!" Konan shouted, squirming in Yahiko's grip. She had cald down slightly, but her pride wouldn't allow her to back down. If Yahiko hadn't been holding her so tightly, she'd have already tackled Kakuzu.
"Cut it out. No one's going to mistake you for a mute if you keep quiet," Nagato snapped, shooting an exasperated glare at Kakuzu. The older man might have been ancient compared to the rest of them, but that didn't stop him from taking every chance to smugly provoke the youngest in the group.
"Fine, fine, you're family. I'll shut up," Kakuzu relented, raising his hands in mock surrender. Despite his bravado, he knew better than to push his luck with Nagato.
Though Kakuzu now had five hearts again, he was under no illusion that he could take on Nagato. Over ti, he had co to respect the overwhelming power the man possessed.
Nagato's enigmatic eyes brought abilities that seed to defy logic, making even Kakuzu's decades of experience feel like a cruel joke. In those monts, Kakuzu was reminded of a harsh truth:
In the face of absolute talent, hard work is nothing.
"Konan~"
Nagato called out to Konan, his tone carrying a hint of reproach. It was a rare mont of fairness—at least Kakuzu wasn't taking all the bla this ti.
"Hmph."
Konan let out a frustrated sound, stomped her foot, and reluctantly returned to her seat, clearly still fuming.
"Okay, okay, let's get down to business," Yahiko said, soothing Konan briefly before steering the conversation back on track.
"Tomorrow's outco is predetermined," he began, his tone calm yet resolute. "But we still can't be careless. Kakuzu, you can go all out tomorrow. Konan and I will provide support. Nonō, you and Nagato will handle dical care and work to limit casualties."
He paused, looking around the room to gauge their reactions. Then, he added, "We are not saviors. An easy victory is often not rembered, and even less likely to be cherished."
Yahiko's voice was asured, the words ant only for his closest allies. It wasn't that he lacked compassion—he understood the weight of sacrifice. But he also believed that only through hardship could the people of the Land of Rain truly value what they fought to achieve. Their stability depended on understanding the cost of peace.
"Understood," Kakuzu said, twisting his neck until it gave an audible crack. His gaze was steady, unflinching. For him, killing was a routine task, no different than assessing whether a bounty was worth the effort.
"I've already organized a rescue team," Nagato added. His preparations had been thorough, reflecting his innate kindness. If he couldn't fight on the frontlines, he would dedicate himself fully to saving lives.
"Understood," Konan muttered impatiently when Yahiko's eyes turned to her, still simring from earlier. Yahiko didn't mind—he knew her mood would pass.
"We've sent out scouts. So far, everything appears normal," Nonō reported. She had taken steps to prepare in advance, ensuring the enemy would be caught off guard. Though a complete surprise attack was unlikely, their strategy still had a strong chance of success.
"Very well. Tomorrow's battle will decide everything," Yahiko said, nodding in approval. "When the ti cos, we'll report the good news to Sensei and the others."
He could already picture their Sensei, Kawakaze, smiling with pride. Even if they couldn't see his face, hearing his voice through Katsuyu's connection would be enough.
"Good," Nagato and Konan responded in unison.
It had been a long ti since they'd contacted Kawakaze. It wasn't that they didn't miss him—they simply wanted to prove their worth first. They wanted to show him that his three disciples had achieved sothing aningful, that they hadn't let him down.
"Then don't bother calling . I might not be able to stop myself from chewing him out," Kakuzu grumbled, his eye twitching as he clenched his teeth. Just the ntion of Hatake Kawakaze stirred bitter mories of his captivity—a dark Chapter he'd rather leave behind.
"Ha! As if anyone cares whether you show up," Konan shot back. Her earlier anger had mostly subsided, leaving her free to poke at Kakuzu instead.
"Then thank you," Kakuzu replied, his tone flat, clearly not in the mood for more banter. ntioning Kawakaze had effectively drained his patience.
"Stop it. Let's go," Yahiko said, cutting Konan off before she could escalate things further. He sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation, feeling utterly powerless against their constant antics.
The five of them filed out one by one, bringing the pre-battle eting to a satisfactory, if not entirely harmonious, conclusion.
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