As if completely ignoring Yahiko's complaints, Nagato's expression suddenly turned sentimental, his eyes softening as he gazed at the cannon before him.
"Yahiko, don't always try to shoulder everything alone. I know. Without our grandteacher's presence now, the Land of Rain is in a difficult position. Back then, our grandteacher was like a symbol of the Land of Rain—just his name alone was enough to keep smaller nations from causing trouble here. But now…"
Listening to Nagato's words, Yahiko fell silent.
Nagato wasn't wrong—without Hanzo, the Land of Rain was indeed in a much tougher spot.
Hanzo had not only been the leader of the Land of Rain but also a deterrent to enemy nations.
Now, the Land of Rain had lost that deterrent.
Currently, Nagato was the strongest shinobi in the Land of Rain, but Yahiko didn't want him to rely on that power too often.
Because when they were children, Nagato had once lost control and descended into madness after using that overwhelming power.
Yahiko never wanted to see that happen again.
Nagato then turned to Yahiko with a smile and continued, "Katsura-sensei once said that for the Land of Rain to achieve peace, we must remember that domestic stability comes before external threats. Since you're handling the internal affairs, I can't let you shoulder the external responsibilities alone."
Hearing this, Yahiko was momentarily stunned before showing a touched expression, his eyes even glistening with unshed tears.
"Nagato..."
"So I created this!" Nagato confidently patted the cannon beside him and continued enthusiastically.
"Believe me, Yahiko. This will surely become a symbol of the Land of Rain, just like our teacher's legacy!"
"FORGET ABOUT THIS DICK WILL YOU!"
Yahiko's touched expression vanished instantly.
Nagato raised a hand to stop him.
"Wait, Yahiko! I know you're excited about this, but hear me out first!"
"I am excited! But not the kind of excitement you're thinking of! Not at all!"
"Honestly, you're as impatient as ever. you never changed." Nagato shook his head helplessly.
"WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE?!"
"I know you're curious about the power of the Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon, so I won't hide it. With just the chakra of ten elite shinobi, it can fire a laser particle beam capable of annihilating a small nation!"
"That's way too overpowered! What are you even building this for?!"
"As for the range, it's a bit disappointing—it only reaches the Land of Water..."
Watching Nagato's regretful expression, Yahiko's eye twitched.
That range...
It practically covers the entire Shinobi World!
Nagato then smirked confidently and said, "As for the purpose, isn't it obvious? Deterrence! Once neighboring nations witness the power of this Neo Armstrong... whatever cannon (Yahiko: Even you think the name's too long!), they'll think twice before messing with the Land of Rain! Then we can focus on reforming our nation in peace!"
"I get the logic, but why does it have to look like this?"
Nagato chuckled approvingly.
"As expected of you, Yahiko. I knew you'd notice. Don't worry—I've already commissioned the factory to produce miniature souvenir versions."
"Wait, souvenirs? What are those? Why would you make something like that?"
Before Yahiko could finish, Nagato tossed something at him, which he instinctively caught.
Staring at the miniature metallic Neo Arm... cannon keychain in his hand, Yahiko fell into stunned silence.
Meanwhile, Nagato had already launched into his explanation.
"As the symbol of the Land of Rain, this di—ahem—the Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon will be revered by the people of the Shinobi World! Its miniature souvenirs will undoubtedly become a must-have item for tourists!"
"They won't—!" Yahiko finally snapped, pointing at the cannon and yelling.
"And who approved this thing as our nation's symbol?! Stop deciding things on your own! I absolutely refuse! Absolutely!"
Not listening at all, Nagato gazed with emotion at the towering metal cannon, lost in his own world as he couldn't help but murmur softly.
"What an incredible symbol..."
"LISTEN TO ME DAMN YOU!!!"
Nagato's expression shifted slightly as he turned to Yahiko with seriousness.
"Yahiko, while your idea to use this as the new Forehead Protector insignia for the Land of Rain has merit, I think it's still too early. We should promote it gradually. First, as leaders, you and the higher-ups should lead by example..."
"That's just your delusion! No one ever said anything like that!"
Yahiko roared again, cutting off Nagato's words, then pointed at the cannon and launched into another frenzied rant.
"If this thing gets engraved on our Forehead Protectors, the Land of Rain will become the laughingstock of the Shinobi World! Every ninja from our country would hang their heads in shame when stepping outside!"
"So this is what they mean by 'heavy is the head that wears the crown'?"
Nagato sighed and shook his head, gently stroking the cannon's barrel as he lamented.
"Indeed, the wish to change this world and bring peace is still too heavy a burden..."
Yahiko: "..."
Just as Yahiko fell silent, too exhausted to retort, he suddenly heard a child's voice behind him.
"Mommy mommy, look at that huge [beep—]!"
Turning around, Yahiko saw a little brat in a black raincoat pointing at the cannon, along with what appeared to be a civilian from the Land of Rain who had just been grocery shopping.
Plop!
The grocery bag in the young mother's hand slipped and fell to the ground.
Seeing the mother's face hidden in shadow, Yahiko hurriedly explained.
"Ma'am, please don't misunderstand! Even though it looks exactly like... that thing, this is actually a defensive weapon for the Land of Rain! It's meant to protect our country! Hey, hey! Don't just walk away without saying anything—this really is just a weapon! It's absolutely not some weird thing! Hey—!"
That day, a rather peculiar structure was added to Amegakure, the Hidden Rain Village.
As for the commemorative merchandise Nagato had ordered to be sold in shops...
Surprisingly, they sold quite well!
...
Inside the private office of the Land of Rain's leader.
As Yahiko reviewed the documents Nagato had submitted—[Sales Report on the Land of Rain's New Symbol: The Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon Commemorative Merchandise], [Request for Increased Production Approval], and [Customer Feedback]—his face darkened, and he remained silent for a long time.
One piece of anonymous feedback, emphasized repeatedly, stood out.
'Hope you can produce slightly larger sizes.'
Yahiko had no idea how to respond to this.
Due to years of war, the Land of Rain had indeed lost many male heads of households... leaving behind many widows.
After a long pause, Yahiko set down the anonymous feedback with a serene, almost enlightened smile and looked out the window.
Gazing at the towering cannon that had become Amegakure's "landmark" in just a few days, he whispered softly.
"Ah... I wish I could turn into a bird..."
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This chapter is gold hahahahaha