Naruto: Fate System

After finally knocking some sense into Nagato, Shin went out to patrol the area. He comforted the wounded Akatsuki members within the base, checking their bandages and offering words of encouragement.

Even pawns need maintenance to remain useful.

Then, he went to find Konan, ready to return to the northern frontlines.

Yesterday, after killing Hanzō, they had left in a rush, leaving much unfinished work in the north. He couldn't rest easy without returning to complete it promptly.

Konan didn't object. She immediately unfolded her paper wings and carried him swiftly toward Ame, where the frontlines awaited.

Returning to Ame, both the scene before Konan and her mindset were completely different from the first time she had arrived months ago.

Back then, they had been forced to look up to Hanzō. Even when they encountered injustice, they could only take roundabout measures to resolve it, ensuring that no shuriken they threw directly implicated them in interfering with the bullying merchants faced at the hands of Ame ninjas.

But this time, everything was different.

Hanzō was dead.

Now, they were conquerors, reigning over Ame. This time, all evil would meet its end.

In every alley, the Ame ninjas who once terrorized the common people were no longer to be seen.

Instead, numerous hastily wrapped corpses, not yet buried, were scattered around...

As Konan carried Shin above Ame, providing an aerial view, his heart settled considerably. The village had not suffered significant destruction; its buildings were intact, with no riots or fires, and the number of corpses was far fewer than he had anticipated.

"It seems Kakuzu has done an excellent job," he commented with a smile, watching as people below began their morning routines, carefully stepping around the wrapped bodies.

After landing in the largest mansion in the inner district—Hanzō's former residence, Shin asked Kazuya, "Where's he?"

Kazuya explained, "Kakuzu went to confiscate assets from the defeated and surrendered Ame ninjas after the battle yesterday."

"What assets?" Konan, still unaware of the details, asked.

Kazuya elaborated, glancing at the mansion's opulent decorations, "Their property and valuables. Normally, this wouldn't require Kakuzu's involvement, but he's unusually enthusiastic about it, so we didn't stop him."

He lowered his voice. "He's been at it since dawn."

Trust Kakuzu to be thorough with anything involving money, Shin thought, suppressing a smirk.

Not long after, Kakuzu returned, bringing three large, fully-packed chests that landed on the floor. Trailing behind him was a line of surrendered enemies with faces ashen and expressions of utter despair.

"He stripped us of everything..." one of the defeated ninja whispered. "Even the copper pipes from our homes..."

It seemed no one had escaped Kakuzu's thorough search.

Konan was visibly shocked by the scene. "To think you collected this much?"

Kakuzu snorted, appearing slightly dissatisfied as he patted one of the chests possessively. "It's still not thorough enough. These people surrendered too quickly, so I couldn't go all out."

He muttered under his breath, but Shin caught fragments like, "If only they were all like Hanzō," and "Entire mansions would be ours."

The defeated ninjas trembled violently, their faces pale as paper, nearly falling to their knees in terror. One man actually wet himself when Kakuzu glanced his way.

Seeing this, Shin felt reassured—not only in Kakuzu's expertise in asset confiscation but also in the knowledge that these utterly broken ninjas posed no further threat.

Ame was destined to belong to Akatsuki.

Out of curiosity, he asked about the spoils taken from Hanzō's mansion.

The answer was thrilling.

Hanzō, who had lost his ambitions in middle age, had hoarded substantial wealth over the years. Akatsuki was now truly on the path to affluence.

Money breeds power, and power breeds more money. The cycle begins.

Moreover, the assets weren't limited to gold and jewels; they included fine weapons, ninjutsu scrolls, and Hanzō's personal training notes. Kakuzu spread them out on a nearby table.

Among these were high-level, valuable jutsu such as Water Prison Jutsu, Water Body Flicker, and Giant Vortex Jutsu.

It was a monumental haul.

Given time, Akatsuki's overall strength would undoubtedly reach new heights.

The more Shin reviewed the inventory, the more delighted he became, and the more amiably he regarded Kakuzu. Each scroll and weapon represented not just monetary value, but potential power for Akatsuki.

This man was truly a master at this kind of work.

At that moment, Kakuzu suddenly asked, "Shin, what will you do with Hanzō's mansion? Sell it? If so, leave it to me. I guarantee—"

He didn't feel that selling property was beneath a strong ninja. As long as it was lucrative, he was willing to do anything.

But this time, Shin cut him off with a firm shake of his head.

"You're not selling it? Planning to live here yourself?" Kakuzu asked again, surprised.

To his astonishment, Shin shook his head once more.

"I plan to issue a bounty for skilled urban planners and architects to redesign the entire village. This mansion may not remain in the future, so it's too early to answer you now."

Kakuzu stepped forward, nearly pressing his face against Shin's. "You're planning to demolish this place? Are you joking? Do you know how much this mansion is worth?"

"I can guess. But that's not my primary concern. This village's current layout is highly flawed." He gestured toward the window, where the sharp contrast between the inner and outer district was visible even through the rain.

"The inner district was reserved exclusively for Hanzō and his men's indulgence, while the outer district grew chaotically—filthy, disorganized, and inefficient. This design squanders the village's strategic location and logistical advantages."

His finger moved across the map, highlighting key points. "Look here, and here. The current layout blocks natural trade routes. And these districts? They're perfect chokepoints for enemy attacks."

"As Akatsuki's new base, Ame, and the region's largest commercial hub, it must change."

Kakuzu didn't understand, but the tax officials behind him did. So did the village's temporary administrators. Years of watching Ame decay under Hanzō's negligence had taught them to recognize true vision when they saw it.

In that moment, an extraordinary sight shocked Kakuzu and the passing Akatsuki ninja:

These village officials, who had been trembling with reluctance only yesterday—many forced to surrender at swordpoint—now abandoned their last shred of loyalty to Hanzō.

In unison, they knelt before Shin, tears streaming down their faces.

"Thank you! Thank you for your mercy and wisdom! You are greater than the Salamander! You are Ame's savior!"

The speaker was a former loyalist who had managed Ame for over a decade under Hanzō's rule. His graying hair and weathered face showed of years spent watching his beloved village crumble under mismanagement.

Moved by a single statement from Shin, this elderly official wholeheartedly prostrated himself, expressing heartfelt gratitude.

His hands trembled as he pressed them against the floor. "For years, we watched Ame rot from within. The outer districts flood every spring because the drainage systems were never completed. Children sicken because the water purification plants were abandoned half-built..."

The ninjas couldn't comprehend it. Kakuzu especially looked bewildered, his mercenary mind unable to grasp why anyone would choose future potential over immediate profit.

Only those who lived in this village truly understood.

For how many years had they waited for a leader who, beyond personal enjoyment, would make long-term, rational plans for Ame?

Before today, many from Ame's northern district had been wary of Akatsuki's arrival, fearing they might be worse than Hanzō. Windows had been boarded up, children hidden away, expecting the worst.

The people had dreaded the monsters from the south, landing on the riverbank, bringing unspeakable horrors to the village.

But from this moment on, there would be no dissenting voices. The people would only warmly welcome the savior of Ame, who had arrived today.

Perhaps this, above all, was Shin's greatest triumph here.

After addressing issues related to city planning, he quickly gathered all the ninjas within Akatsuki and announced another shocking piece of news.

As a counterattack for Danzō's involvement in the civil unrest in the Land of Rain, the newly reborn Ame declared war on Konoha.

Standing on stage, Shin proclaimed loudly, his voice carrying to every corner of the gathering:

"Yesterday, at the critical moment of our victory, individuals from Konoha launched a sneak attack on our rear base, resulting in the deaths of many innocent comrades. Their crimes are unspeakable."

"I firmly believe that the world created by the Sage of Six Paths should uphold fairness and justice. Those who commit wrongs must be punished."

"Whether it means breaking their arms or legs, no one should be allowed to act recklessly just because they come from a great shinobi village."

The assembled ninjas murmured in agreement, their own experiences with the great villages' arrogance fueling their anger.

"Therefore, I announce that from this moment onward, Ame will join the Shinobi World War! Our vengeance will not cease until Konoha has fully paid for their sins!"

For the first time in history, Ame actively joined the war instead of waiting passively to be invaded.

Initially, Nagato, who arrived alongside Konan after Shin's speech, felt confused and worried. He feared that the mention of war might trigger painful memories among their comrades.

Unexpectedly, instead of fear, everyone erupted in spontaneous cheers, proud to stand as part of Akatsuki.

The crowd surged forward, and Shin led them, his fist slamming against his chest twice. The sound cut through the cheers like a warrior's drum.

Thump-thump.

"This is the drum of revolution!" he roared, his eyes scanning the crowd.

Each face he saw reflected the same fire, the same resolve. Let the rhythm of change echo across the nations. And let me live longer.

The rhythm spread like wildfire. Two by two, then dozens, then hundreds joined in, their fists pounding against their chests in unison. The sound shook the very foundations of their rebuilt village.

Thump-thump.

"THIS IS THE DRUM OF REVOLUTION!"

Thump-thump.

"THIS IS THE DRUM OF REVOLUTION!"

The sound echoed through the skies, deeply moving Nagato and dispelling his doubts and hesitation. This isn't about pain... it's about justice. About standing up together. He found his own fist rising to his chest, joining the rhythm that united them all.

Thus, the original version of Nagato, who saw himself as a god and sought to make the world feel pain, ceased to exist entirely.

Since Shin's declaration, the news spread like a whirlwind across the shinobi world, carried by messengers and whispers, each telling adding to the legend of Ame's rebirth.

The major shinobi villages reacted differently to the news, their responses revealing much about their own positions in the fragile balance of power.

In Iwa, Ōnoki sat heavily in his chair as he read the intelligence report. He glared at his son Kitsuchi with frustration.

"No wonder that brat forced me to swear not to meddle in Ame's affairs after saving you back then. Did they plan to overthrow Hanzō that early?"

His eyes narrowed as he stared at the intelligence scroll again.

Why can't Iwa produce talents? Ōnoki glared at Kitsuchi again, seeing his own village's future in his son's awkward stance.

Scratching his head awkwardly, Kitsuchi looked helpless. He knew he couldn't argue—after all, he really had been defeated and captured by Shin in front of everyone back then.

"Father, perhaps we should still—" he started, but Ōnoki cut him off with a sharp wave.

"Idiot! We're not staying out of this because of some oath!" He slammed his small fist on the desk. "It's because their war against Konoha benefits us! Why reject a free ally?"

Kitsuchi still smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Isn't that the same as doing nothing?"

Ōnoki was so furious that he almost lunged to hit his son, only to throw out his back in the process. His face twisted in pain as he froze mid-motion. "My back! Call a medical ninja!"

In Suna, Chiyo sat in her workshop, surrounded by her puppets as she reviewed the intelligence report. So the rain finally washes away the salamander...

"Hanzō was taken down by children in the end... What a..." She paused, unable to find the right word, and simply set the scroll down.

Her brother Ebizō entered to report that the Fourth Kazekage had sought her advice on the matter.

Chiyo chuckled, the sound dry as desert wind. "What advice could I give? Their declaration of war against Konoha doesn't harm us. And let's be honest, we couldn't even conquer Ame when I neutralized Hanzō's poison back then."

"Do you think we could win against those who toppled him now? Tell Rasa not to overestimate himself."

When Ebizō relayed her words, Rasa was furious.

Kiri's reaction was the most intense. After over a year of observing the Third Shinobi World War from their isolated position, dissatisfaction had been brewing within the village.

Hearing that even a small village like Ame dared to challenge Konoha, the war-hardened ninjas of the Blood Mist policy erupted in fervor.

The silence of the Mizukage's office finally broke, as Terumi Mei came to deliver the Third Mizukage's order.

"Effective immediately, Kiri will join the war!"

Kiri declared war on both Konoha and Suna, launching simultaneous offensives from the Land of Fire's southeastern coast and along the Land of Wind's riverways.

Despite the two-front assault, their primary focus was on Konoha.

The Seven Swordsmen deployed in full force, putting Konoha under immense pressure and worsening the already chaotic state of their war efforts.

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen had gone through three full pouches of tobacco but still looked grim.

"Danzō... why? You've caused such a mess again..." He sighed as reports of Kiri's movements piled up on his desk.

Despite repeated orders for Danzō to return and explain himself, there was no sign of him.

Unbeknownst to Hiruzen, Danzō's delay wasn't his fault this time.

As he prepared to leave the Land of Rain, he was intercepted by a young ninja.

"What do you want?" he sneered, his visible eye narrowing dangerously. This meddlesome Uchiha...

"You interfered in the Land of Rain. What happened to Hanzō? And what about his men?"

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