"Konan-san, if you keep staring like that, people might think you're a creep who likes children..."
"Who!?"
Konan, who had been pondering the gymnastics movements in her mind, was startled by the sudden voice.
She turned her head and saw a blond boy standing beside her. He's also watching the students on the playground.
"You are..."
Konan had already recognized him as the leader of the Land of Waves, Uzumaki Naruto.
Although she hadn't seen him in person, his appearance had long been memorized by every member of the Akatsuki.
Her question was just a reflexive reaction.
"My identity is probably already known to you, right?"
Naruto simply smiled and continued, "This is the first set of radio gymnastics for the Land of Waves' school."
Hearing Naruto's words, Konan suppressed her initial greeting and instead asked, "What's the purpose of this radio gymnastics?"
"It seems like it can help with physical exercise, but the effect doesn't seem significant."
"Because this is a method designed for civilians to improve their physical fitness. Currently, most of the students here are civilians."
"In the past, people here couldn't even afford to eat properly, so their physical fitness was generally weak. This method is meant to gradually improve their physical condition."
"Of course, adults can also learn this set of gymnastics. Besides strengthening the body, it also helps relieve fatigue and relax the mind."
"But since you're already an excellent ninja, it doesn't seem very useful to you. Similarly, for members of Ninja Clans who have been training for a long time, its effects aren't significant either."
Naruto explained patiently, as he felt Konan was a very special talent.
Not only could she greatly improve the printing efficiency in the Land of Waves, but she was also a stable source of military supplies.
The sea of explosive tags Konan could create was something Naruto found extremely appealing.
Naruto didn't believe those explosive tags were bought with money. After all, no weapon shop in the entire Ninja World could supply that many explosive tags.
So, those 600 billion explosive tags could only have been created by Konan herself using her Paper Release.
600 billion explosive tags! The number of explosive tags used in all three Ninja World Wars are probably not even a fraction of this number.
"I see. It seems your vision is even more far-reaching than I imagined."
Konan's praise was sincere. Her experiences over the past two days had made her realize that Naruto was a capable leader.
Facing Konan's praise, Naruto didn't show much emotion. After all, praise wasn't worth much.
"I heard you're here on behalf of the Akatsuki to exchange ideas with me. How about we find a place to talk properly?"
"I'd be delighted to."
The two didn't go far. They simply sat down on a bench outside the playground.
Amidst the sound of children reciting their lessons and the winter sunlight, their conversation didn't feel like a discussion of important matters. It was more like a casual chat between two old friends.
"I've heard that the Akatsuki's goal is to gather the Nine Tailed Beasts, create an ultimate weapon, and achieve peace through deterrence. Is that correct?"
Naruto's words were very direct, catching Konan off guard. She had expected the other party to be more tactful.
She wasn't surprised that Naruto knew about the Akatsuki's plans, after all, Kakuzu and Orochimaru were now under his command.
Konan nodded and said, "That's the goal we've been working toward. With some sacrifices, we can achieve long-lasting peace. We're walking a path similar to the Land of Waves."
"No, no, no."
As soon as Konan finished speaking, Naruto said 'no' three times in a row.
Under Konan's puzzled gaze, Naruto explained, "Perhaps we both seek peace, but our paths are completely different from the start."
"Why? Is there anything wrong with our method?"
Konan was confused. In her view, Naruto's method also involved the Land of Waves waging war against the Five Great Nations, using its powerful national strength as a deterrent.
"What the Land of Waves seeks isn't mere deterrence, but absolute control."
"Control?" Konan thought for a moment and then tentatively asked, "You mean controlling the Daimyos of the Five Great Nations, making them manage their countries according to your will?"
Konan thought her guess was bold, but Naruto felt it was still too conservative.
Or rather, the entire Ninja World's thinking was too conservative.
Even the Akatsuki, as native Ninjas, still had their limitations.
Naruto had always found the political system of the Ninja World strange. After all, no matter how intense the Ninja World Wars were, no matter who won or lost, the Daimyos of the Five Great Nations had never shown any desire to annex other countries or seize their territories.
No matter how large the gap in national power, such a situation had never occurred.
Take the Land of Grass, for example. Kusagakure had not only disbanded but had also been destroyed, yet the country's territory hadn't shrunk at all.
The Daimyo remained the same, and the nation remained intact. Naruto wondered if they are really that uninterested in land and resources.
"Konan-san, I don't think you've seen the complete curriculum of the Land of Waves' school yet."
Since it was the first semester, the current 'Thought and Morality' textbook only covered basic principles of how to be a good person.
It wasn't until the next semester that the content would gradually rise to a higher level.
Konan had only seen the shallow parts of the curriculum.
Naruto then pulled out a complete copy of the Land of Waves' textbook from his pocket and handed it to her.
Konan accepted it with eager eyes. Before she opened it, Naruto asked again.
"Have you ever thought about who will rule the world after achieving deterrence?"
"We have never intended to rule the world. After establishing deterrence, we planned to let them govern themselves."
Konan answered matter-of-factly. They knew they didn't have the ability to manage a nation. They simply wanted to put an end to the endless wars in the Ninja World.
"That's why you're destined to fail."
Naruto spoke with a hint of regret. "Destruction is always easier than creation. You want to use the power of destruction to stop wars, but you haven't considered how to create a new world after the wars end."
"By maintaining the existing system and not carrying out a thorough revolution, even if you achieve temporary success, you will ultimately fail."
Hearing this, Konan frowned. She hadn't expected Naruto to outright dismiss the Akatsuki's plans.
Seeing the 'I don't understand' expression on Konan's face, Naruto continued.
"In that case, let me explain with a practical example."
"Do you know why, after the incident in Konoha, Sunagakure, as their ally, was the first to declare war on Konoha?"
Konan thought for a moment but shook her head. She wanted to hear Naruto's perspective.
"It's very simple. It's about interests, the interests needed to survive."
"Among the Five Great Ninja Villages, Sunagakure and Kirigakure are the weakest, but Sunagakure has the harshest living conditions."
"With the largest desert in the Ninja World, constant sandstorms, and a lack of water resources, their infrastructure is extremely backward, and transportation is inconvenient."
"No one wants to go to Sunagakure. Population, money, and goods struggle to circulate. They can't grow their own food, and the village's share of missions is insufficient. Internal conflicts are constant. If they don't find a way to gain external benefits…"
"And as their income continues to decline, the Ninjas they train become weaker. And as the Ninjas grow weaker, fewer missions are assigned to their village."
"In the long run, Sunagakure won't need external forces to destroy it, and it will collapse on its own."
"They can only think of solving problems through war because, under the Ninja Village System, Ninjas are such a group."
"This..."
Konan gritted her teeth and remained silent for a while before saying, "Perhaps, in the future, they could move to another place."