"How many more are there?"
In a makeshift dical station, Nagato was operating on a seriously injured soldier.
"Lord Nagato, this is the last batch."
"The battle is over. Lord Yahiko killed the enemy leader."
The two mbers of the rescue team could not hide the excitent in their voices. They had won. The Land of Rain now belonged to the Akatsuki Organization—belonged to them.
"I know. You go ahead."
Nagato's face showed no surprise or joy. He continued his treatnt as if nothing had happened.
"Yes, Lord Nagato."
The two left quickly. Though physically exhausted, their mood was incredibly upbeat.
"Yahiko and the others should be back soon."
"Do you need any help?" Nonō asked, finishing what she was doing and walking over to Nagato.
"They should be here soon. You rest, I'll finish up."
Nagato glanced back at Nonō with a faint smile. He could already sense Yahiko and Konan's presence approaching.
"I'm a little tired, but not as tired as you," Nonō replied, sitting cross-legged on the ground without caring about the ss around her. Her face was pale, and her chakra was being depleted rapidly.
Compared to Nagato, her total chakra reserves were far inferior. He had saved more people than her, yet he showed no signs of fatigue.
"What's there to compare? We're both saving lives."
After finishing the treatnt, Nagato skillfully bandaged the injured.
"Carry him away."
With a wave of his hand, soone carried off the treated patient, and another injured person was brought to Nagato. He had arranged this with the rescue team beforehand, knowing that Nonō wouldn't be able to handle the treatnt of so many people alone.
"I'll co back and relieve you after I rest a bit," Nonō said, feeling a little guilty. As she spoke, she reached behind her back for her dical kit.
"No, I can do it."
Nagato caught Nonō's hand before she could start examining the next patient. He had guessed her intention—she was likely reaching for a military rations pill.
While these pills could restore chakra, they ca with side effects. Nagato recalled a piece of trivia Tsunade had once shared with him: the pills could accelerate the aging process in won.
"Okay," said Nonō, withdrawing her hand in a huff, as if she had done sothing wrong.
"You're already very good. It's just that I'm a little special," Nagato said. He understood that, as a mber of the Uzumaki Clan, he was born with a naturally much higher chakra count than the average person. It was an innate trait, sothing others couldn't hope to replicate.
"I know—red hair," Nonō replied without naming anyone in particular. She had done her research on the Uzumaki Clan. Their mbers were known for an abundance of chakra, powerful Fūinjutsu, and heightened senses.
"Lord Nagato, I'm in pain..."
The weak voice of the injured man interrupted their conversation.
"I'm sorry, I almost forgot." Nagato scratched his head awkwardly, his embarrassnt evident.
Nonō looked at his expression and burst out laughing. It's good to have him around!
"I can't save your hand, but I can save your life," Nagato said firmly. Without waiting for the injured man's response, he swiftly amputated the nearly detached limb, which was hanging by just a sliver of skin.
"I..."
The injured man stared at his arm, now discarded to the side, on the verge of tears.
Was he now a cripple? Had he inconvenienced Lord Nagato?
He had held onto a sliver of hope, but now reality hit him hard.
Still, he supposed he was lucky—at least he didn't have to die.
"Okay, carry him away," Nagato ordered after finishing the procedure with precision. The man was promptly taken away.
"We're back!"
Yahiko and Konan's voices rang out before they even entered the room, Konan's tone brimming with joy.
"Did you strike it rich?" Nonō asked with a smile, still sitting on the ground as she looked up at Konan.
"Ta-da!" Konan pulled a stack of bills from her bosom and waved it like a treasure for everyone to see. Though much of the money had been destroyed in the battle, this remainder was enough to delight her for a long ti.
"You really understand her," Yahiko comnted, reaching out to grab the money, but Konan quickly dodged his attempt.
"Little money lovers are only happy when they see money," Nonō teased, knowing Konan all too well.
"Nonsense, I can see that you two are also very happy," Konan countered, plopping down beside Nonō. She sat cross-legged, her slightly arrogant expression making her look endearing.
"Where's Kakuzu?" Nagato asked, observing Yahiko and Konan carefully to ensure they weren't hurt before inquiring about Kakuzu.
"Don't even bring him up. He nearly took down with him," Yahiko said, his frustration evident.
Just thinking about the earlier scene still sent a chill down his spine. If he hadn't dodged in ti, even though Nagato would've ensured he survived, it wouldn't have been without serious consequences.
"Yes, that guy is really annoying," Konan said angrily, backing Yahiko. On the way here, the two of them had cursed Kakuzu countless tis.
"What's going on?" Nagato frowned. What had Kakuzu done this ti to anger everyone?
After Konan added more fuel to the fire, Nagato finally understood the situation.
"When he cos back, I'll deal with him," Nagato said, intending to give Kakuzu a stern warning. Yahiko was one of his most important people, and he wouldn't tolerate anyone endangering him.
"Forget it. I'll handle him myself in the future," Yahiko replied, refusing Nagato's offer. He didn't believe he would always be suppressed by Kakuzu. One day, he intended to teach him a lesson personally.
"Okay." Nagato nodded, agreeing directly. He could guess Yahiko's determination. A lesson for Kakuzu was unavoidable, but Nagato didn't need to wait for Yahiko to handle it. If Kakuzu's behavior escalated, Nagato wouldn't hesitate to act. After all, teammates weren't disposable, and such recklessness would not be tolerated.
"He's not running away, is he?" Nonō asked skeptically. She didn't have much trust in Kakuzu and cared little whether he stayed or left.
"I haven't seen him since the battle ended," Konan noted.
"Yūichi Nagashima said he went to collect a reward," Nagato added.
"Oh, whatever. I don't care about him," Konan muttered, wishing Kakuzu would never return so she could keep all the money he had collected for herself.
"Heh, he's not going anywhere now," Yahiko said confidently. Knowing Kakuzu's personality, he was sure Kakuzu wouldn't abandon the group. As long as there was money to be made, Kakuzu would stick around.
"He's probably heading to the nearest bounty exchange," Nagato speculated. Kakuzu often took it upon himself to claim bounties, and Nagato had no intention of wasting energy keeping tabs on him. If Kakuzu did leave for good, Nagato would deal with him ruthlessly if they crossed paths again.
"How are the casualties?" Yahiko asked, realizing he hadn't yet reviewed the numbers. It seed easier to get the information directly from Nagato.
"Over 100 killed in battle, about 80 seriously injured and discharged, and countless lightly injured," Nagato replied. The final group of wounded had already been tended to, so he was fully aware of the situation.
With only about 2,000 ninja in the entire Land of Rain, losing over one-tenth of their forces in this battle was a significant blow.
"Hmm." Yahiko pondered for a mont, then spoke decisively. "I plan to choose a location to establish our own ninja village. Agakure is a thing of the past. We need to look forward."
"Bring back the bodies of those who died in battle and erect a morial Stone. First, we need to reassure the people. Once we've recovered, we can do great things."
Yahiko's voice was filled with determination as he envisioned the future. The weight on his shoulders grew heavier—not only to honor his Sensei but also to uphold the hopes of his followers and the people of the Land of Rain.
"Whatever you say," Konan and Nagato said almost in unison. They couldn't help but share in Yahiko's energy and enthusiasm.
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