Chapter 412: Let's Travel Together
In Amegakure, under the same night sky.
The never-ending rain turned the sky and distant horizons dark, with only the streetlights illuminating the city, offering a faint glimmer of hope.
Pain stood atop the central statue of Amegakure, gazing out over the village.
The once-bustling streets of Amegakure had grown quiet under the looming shadow of war. Patrols of shinobi wearing Amegakure headbands moved through the streets, maintaining order.
Only the bright lights of the streets hinted at the transformation the village had undergone over the years.
Pieces of white paper fluttered down from the sky, eventually coalescing behind Pain into the shape of a human figure.
It was Konan.
Pain asked, "Is there a spy that needs to be dealt with, Konan?"
Konan pursed her lips and replied, "You're still the same as ever, standing here to watch over the village."
Seeing that Konan didn't directly answer his question, Pain already understood.
Amegakure was at peace. After eliminating a batch of enemy spies recently, the Anti-Konoha Alliance seemed to recognize Pain's unique abilities and had refrained from sending any more infiltrators.
Pain said, "I like standing here, watching over the village. Observing its changes, seeing the new people and innovations that appear.
"Watching the village grow step by step into a better place, seeing people transition from struggling for food to pursuing spiritual fulfillment—it brings me peace. Especially when I view it through Yahiko's perspective.
"Perhaps, through the Rinnegan, Yahiko can see from the Pure Land how far our village has come."
Konan walked closer to Pain, seemingly leaning slightly toward him.
"Nagato, don't you feel tired? You could leave much of the village's management to others."
"Take Kakuzu, for example—he's excellent at managing finances. With him overseeing operations, no one dares to embezzle, and any financial discrepancies are quickly caught.
"Kakuzu despises anyone touching his money. Even though the village's funds aren't technically his, he enjoys managing it. He's good at it and hardly spends on himself."
"Didn't you say you admire Haneda? He delegates tasks to the most capable people, leaving himself time for his own pursuits."
Pain replied, "I can't let go of this village, nor can I abandon Yahiko's dream. Until the dream of peace is realized, I am a god—a god of the people. I don't belong to myself, not even these eyes belong to me."
Konan fell silent. She had been hinting at her feelings to Nagato for a long time, but he remained unmoved.
She couldn't tell if Nagato was pretending not to notice or deliberately avoiding the topic.
The ninja world had reached a critical point. The dream of peace would be realized after the war, and Konan didn't want to bring up her feelings outright.
Changing the subject, she said, "The 300 billion explosive tags are ready. When the time comes, we'll distribute them…"
Pain interrupted her. "Keep them. Use them to protect yourself."
Hearing this, Konan instinctively looked at Pain's eyes. They were still the same cold, indifferent Rinnegan.
Yet, for some reason, she saw warmth and concern in them.
Her face flushed, and she quickly turned away to avoid his notice.
"…I'll protect myself…"
"I mean it. They're likely to come for you to threaten me into handing over these eyes. If that happens, I'll agree to their demands."
"You…"
"You misunderstood, Konan. This is something Haneda specifically instructed. He said Madara would need these eyes to control the tailed beasts and execute the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Haneda wants Madara to witness the collapse of his dream firsthand."
Konan's flushed face stiffened. She realized Nagato's mind was still on business.
"But these are your eyes. You're just going to give them up?"
Pain replied, "Aren't you still here?"
Konan froze, her mind going blank.
She instinctively stared into Pain's eyes, trying to read something from them.
But the Rinnegan was cold and indifferent, devoid of human emotion.
Beneath those eyes, Pain was a god.
In that moment of confusion, Konan seemed to understand something.
She stepped closer to Pain, wrapping her slender arms around his waist and leaning against him.
Through his connection with the Deva Path, Nagato could feel everything—the warmth of Konan's face, the faint sweetness of her breath.
"Promise me, Nagato… Don't push yourself too hard on the battlefield. If Madara comes for the Rinnegan, just let him have them.
"Without the burden of the Rinnegan, you'll regain your health. Maybe your legs will heal too.
"Then no one will recognize you. We could walk around the village together—or go to Konoha, or anywhere else.
"I heard the beaches in the Land of Waves are beautiful, the hot springs in the Land of Hot Water are relaxing, the mountains and rivers of the Land of Rivers are breathtaking, and the ice fields of the Land of Frost are tranquil.
"We could take the train to travel—or even fly. I heard Konoha's research institute is close to inventing a flying vehicle called an airplane. We could travel by plane, anywhere we want.
"Let's go together."
Her gentle, earnest words lingered in Pain's ears.
Far away, in the cold cavern where Nagato's true body resided, his pale face turned slightly red, and even his lifeless red hair seemed to regain some vibrance.
Ever since the day Konan had kissed him, Nagato couldn't deny that his attachment to her had grown, no less intense than his dedication to Yahiko's dream.
He no longer wanted to be the god the world worshipped.
He wanted to be with Konan. He wanted to accompany her, after the war, after peace.
That's why he had agreed to Haneda's request without hesitation.
He would relinquish the Rinnegan, those burdensome eyes that had belonged to Madara and the world.
He would no longer be a god.
As a man, he could let go of everything—his past, his burdens—and be with the one he loved.
Pain said, "Alright. I'll go with you—to see the seas of the Land of Waves, soak in the hot springs of the Land of Hot Water, marvel at the mountains and rivers of the Land of Rivers, and wander the ice fields of the Land of Frost. We'll see it all."
Leaning on each other, Pain and Konan embraced, like lovers who had finally confessed their feelings.
Perhaps they had been in love from the very beginning, and neither resisted this closeness.
Cold rain continued to fall, soaking their hair, their faces, their clothes, and their shoes.
But their love burned bright.
The rain, the material world—it all faded from their thoughts.
---
From Jiraiya and Tsunade in Konoha to Nagato and Konan in Amegakure, this was but a glimpse of the ninja world.
As the shadow of war loomed closer, and life and death hung in the balance, the courage that people once lacked surged forth.
Countless confessions were made on this cold night.
War would hurt some, but it would also bring others together.
Yet this had no bearing on the inevitable—the Fourth Great Ninja War was still on the horizon.
...
(T/N: And Haneda still remains single. The writer destroyed Mei Terumi, Parkra's character and already paired most canon girls his age. I wonder will he ever have a lover...)