"Don't even think about it. I won't agree."
The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, shook her head decisively.
"Do you really think Konoha is foolish enough to collapse completely? Leaving aside the fact that two of the Three Sannin are still alive, the village has only just recovered from the masked man's control. Even now, there are still unknown forces lurking beneath the surface."
She paused, her gaze cold.
"Starting a war at this moment would be suicide."
Hearing Ao's suggestion, Mei Terumī rejected it outright. Although Ash's strength was terrifying, as Mizukage she could see the situation clearly. Konoha's losses were enormous, but its foundation had not been destroyed.
Other ninja villages shared the same thoughts.
They could think about it—but none dared act.
A cornered beast bites the hardest, and no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.
Among all those involved, Sunagakure suffered the most humiliating fate.
Not only had their Kazekage died, but they had also been manipulated into serving as expendable pawns. Overnight, Sunagakure became the laughingstock of the ninja world.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Deep within Orochimaru's base, he stared grimly at his heavily bandaged arms, gasping for breath.
"Damn Sarutobi… damn monkey…"
The seal didn't just rob him of control over his arms—it subjected him to constant pain, as if his soul itself were being scorched by invisible flames.
"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto Yakushi said calmly from the side, "you shouldn't let your emotions fluctuate too much right now. After all, your opponent was the strongest Hokage of the Five Great Nations."
"Tch…"
Orochimaru said nothing more.
Elsewhere in the ruins of Konoha—
"It's really devastated… truly worthy of Ash."
Teuchi, who had gone out with other merchants to purchase supplies and had just returned, stared at the destruction in disbelief.
"Dad, we were incredibly lucky this time," Ayame said with lingering fear. "If we hadn't gone out to buy ingredients, we might not have survived."
Many other shop owners felt the same way.
"…Enough talking," Teuchi sighed. "Let's check the damage to the shop. Actually—forget it. We'll just set up a temporary stall. Ramen doesn't need complicated preparation anyway."
He was already accustomed to this kind of life.
Danger came without warning, yet ordinary people still struggled to survive—and that fragile sense of normalcy was something Teuchi cherished deeply.
An hour later, Teuchi and Ayame had put together a crude stall.
Despite everything, they began selling ramen again.
There weren't many shops left that could reopen so quickly.
When Naruto heard the news, he ran over excitedly.
"Ramen! Ramen! I'm here!"
"Good. Now that I've obtained Mokuton, it's almost time to return to my main world."
Ash stood quietly in the forest, his expression calm.
"As for the next Hokage… according to history, it should be Tsunade. I have no interest in interfering with that."
After fully familiarizing himself with Mokuton, Ash's heart burned with anticipation. The Pokémon world was his true home—only there could he continue pursuing his real goals.
"I should inform Konan first."
With that thought, Ash activated space–time movement.
A few hours later, he arrived within Amegakure.
"Konan… Ash has returned."
Sensing Ash's chakra, Nagato spoke softly to the woman beside him.
"Really?"
Before he could say anything else, Konan unfolded her paper wings and flew out immediately.
Nagato could only shake his head with a faint smile—unrequited feelings were never easy.
"Ash."
As Ash reached the high tower of Amegakure, a familiar voice called out.
He smiled, opening his arms as Konan flew straight into his embrace.
"I'm back," Ash said quietly, breathing in her familiar scent.
"Are you hurt?" Konan asked softly, worry flickering across her face as her hands gently checked his chest.
"I'm fine," Ash replied calmly.
The rain continued to fall over Amegakure, washing the world in silence.
"Relax. Don't worry about my strength," Ash said calmly. "Go see Nagato first. I have something to tell him."
After reassuring Konan, Ash wrapped an arm around her and activated space–time ninjutsu.
A swirling vortex opened—and the two of them vanished from the streets of Amegakure.
The villagers barely reacted.
Ash often accompanied Konan and Haku on shopping trips, and everyone in the village was already used to scenes like this. They knew very well that it was because of Ash's presence that Amegakure could maintain such stability.
As for the rumors circulating outside…
No one here cared.
If anything, the more terrifying Ash's reputation became, the safer they felt.
Inside Nagato's room, Ash sat down on the sofa, Konan still in his arms.
"You've worked hard," Ash said casually. "How are things? Did you find anything new in Konoha this time?"
Nagato shook his head slightly.
"Nothing worth mentioning. Other than Orochimaru taking a heavy loss," he replied. "His hands were sealed by the Third Hokage. If he wants to recover, he'll have to pay an enormous price. Aside from that, there was no useful information."
Ash thought for a moment, then nodded.
As for the stone tablet and its secrets, he chose not to mention them. Whether it was truth or deception remained uncertain, and there was no need to bring it up yet.
"Brother."
At that moment, Haku's voice sounded from the doorway.
She entered the room wearing a maid outfit, her expression gentle and warm. Sitting down beside Ash, she smiled softly.
"You've been doing well lately?" Ash asked, smiling as he reached out and gently ran his hand through her long hair.
When it came to Haku, Ash's feelings were complicated.
Sometimes he treated her like a younger sister.
Other times… different thoughts inevitably surfaced.
But seeing her pure, gentle nature always made him hesitate, leaving him oddly conflicted.
"Mhm. Haku has been very well," she replied softly, sounding like a contented kitten as she enjoyed his touch.
She leaned closer, resting comfortably beside him.
"Oh—Ash," Konan suddenly said, as if remembering something. "Didn't you say earlier that you had something important to tell Nagato?"
Her gaze shifted toward him.
The room fell quiet.
(End of Chapter)
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