Ninja World: World Peace Through Excessive Firepower.

The next morning, Seramu brought Nagato to the Dragon's Vein. The night before, after a long discussion, Seramu had also handed Nagato the blueprint of the seal that suppressed the Dragon's Vein's power.

When Nagato arrived, he stood before the Dragon's Vein Altar. It lay in the heart of the ancient city's ruins, half-buried beneath shifting sands and creeping roots. Time had eaten away the outer walls, leaving crumbling stone and cracked steps.

Smooth, dark rock formed the altar's circular platform, etched with glowing lines that pulsed softly—like the quiet heartbeat of the earth. At its center rose a slender pillar carved with spiraling runes, old and unreadable.

Although Nagato couldn't read the script, the structure was familiar.

. . . Uzumaki sealing style. I can't read it, but I know what it does. . . .

Seramu pointed at the altar.

"This is the Dragon's Vein Altar," he said. "We're supposed to check on it every six months. But lately... it's been unstable. We have to suppress it every week now."

He sounded exhausted, his shoulders slightly slumped.

Nagato frowned.

"Every week? That's a huge change."

Seramu sighed.

"Yeah. Something's off. I don't know why."

Nagato narrowed his eyes.

. . . Someone must be tampering with it. If I had to guess... it's Mukade. . . .

It has to be him. In The Lost Tower, he went back in time when he was around thirty. But when Naruto first encountered him, he looked half-dead. He was already a missing-nin, but he looked like he hadn't eaten in days. That means he probably spent his youth researching the Dragon's Vein, not doing missions."

Seramu tilted his head slightly.

"Perhaps there is someone, in another timeline, who is studying the Dragon Vein," Nagato mused.

"That could make sense. The Dragon's Vein isn't just chakra—it's time. If someone's messing with it from another timeline, we'd feel the effects here."

Nagato placed a hand on the pillar, staring at the glowing lines beneath his feet.

"What do you want to do about it?" Seramu asked.

Nagato turned to him, a small grin playing on his lips.

"How about connecting the Dragon's Vein to a farm, so rice can be harvested in a month?"

Seramu's eyes widened.

"Grow rice? Are you crazy?"

Nagato shrugged.

"What? If rice grows faster, it'll be cheaper. If it's cheap, more people can afford it. But... it should be sold in limited quantities."

Seramu blinked.

"Why limit it? If it helps people, sell more."

"Then what happens to the farmers outside Loren?" Nagato asked. "They'll be forced to sell their rice at a loss."

Seramu paused.

. . . That's... a good point. Weird idea, but not wrong. . . .

"Yeah... this is also true."

The sun hung low in the sky, bathing the land in a golden light. Beyond the altar, dried rice paddies and wilted crops stretched into the distance, all victims of a long drought.

Nagato knelt by the field and placed both palms on the cracked soil. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. Beneath his skin, he felt the thrum of power—the Dragon's Vein, ancient and alive.

He moved his fingers, channeling the energy upward. Warm golden light flowed like silk between his hands.

He guided it gently into the ground.

Where the energy touched, the soil shimmered. Rice stalks rose, greener and straighter. Leaves unfurled. Tiny shoots erupted from the ground—

And then, too quickly, they surged, overgrew, and withered.

Nagato pulled back, watching them fall.

"The method is right," he muttered, "but the energy is too wild. Harder to control than my Wood Style."

He returned to the altar and placed a hand on the pillar. He drew in a small amount of the Dragon's Vein's energy, just enough to test it.

After a few seconds, he stumbled back, panting and drenched in sweat.

"This is different from Nine-Tails' chakra... or Hashirama's cells," he said. "It's wilder. Harder to tame. But I learned a bit."

. . . If I can't control it, I'll use sealing techniques to let the Dragon's Vein guide itself. If I can make it work... I can use this as an energy source to create Six Paths power. . . .

He let out a tired laugh.

. . . Just thinking about the Ōtsutsuki clan makes my head hurt. Unlike Mukade, who wanted to merge with the Dragon's Vein, I want to use it to support power. Not become it. . . .

To become a Six Paths powerhouse, one needed a massive reserve of chakra—and a body capable of withstanding it. That's why the Ōtsutsuki used the chakra tree to harvest energy from an entire planet. Without a suitable body, absorbing that power meant death. Even the chakra fruit needed extreme durability.

. . . The body comes first. Otherwise, you'll burst before you even reach the peak. . . .

Suddenly, a message reached Nagato—one of his clones at the Akatsuki base sent it telepathically.

"Danzo just arrived in the Hidden Rain. He's meeting with Hanzo. Looks like they're planning something."

Nagato smiled coldly.

"Of course they are."

. . . Danzo and Hanzo. Two peas in a rotten pod. Finally, a reason to kill Hanzo without damaging Akatsuki's image. If they strike first, then I'll be justified. Time to take the Land of Rain completely. . . .

Nagato didn't plan to use the Distinguished Heavenly God on Hanzo. The man was strong—but that was all. Unlike the Gold and Silver Brothers, who carried the bloodline of the Sage, Hanzo relied on poison. In terms of poison techniques, even Torune was more talented.

In a flash, Nagato appeared at the Akatsuki base. Most of the core members had already gathered—except for Kakuzu.

"Why are we gathering?" Tsunade asked, frowning. She had been training Nawaki, and the sudden call irritated her.

Nagato stood before them, arms crossed.

"One of my clones just reported Danzo is in the Hidden Rain, meeting Hanzo. Not long after, our scouts noticed strange movements among the Hidden Rain shinobi. They're probably planning to attack."

Sakumo frowned.

"Danzo? Why would he get involved? If Akatsuki and Hanzo fight, both sides get weaker. What's his angle?"

Nagato shook his head.

"No idea. If Nawaki or you had political motivations, I'd get it. But Danzo helping Hanzo? There's no real gain."

Pakura, though from another village, spoke up.

"That man is strange. Some say he's obsessed with control, even if it leads to chaos. Still... this doesn't make sense." tsunade

"No need to understand him," Nagato said. "He's insane. I just wanted to inform you—prepare yourselves. If you want to fight, do so. If not, focus on defense and protecting the civilians."

He turned to Sakumo.

"If any students over fifteen want to experience battle, take them along. Let them observe. No need to push them into combat."

. . . I don't want to throw lives away. Most Akatsuki members are orphans or outcasts. I won't coddle them—but I won't waste them either. Someday, Akatsuki will walk on its own. Until then... I fight. . . .

"I want to join," Yahiko said firmly.

"Me too," Konan added. "I'm stronger than him now."

Nagato looked at them both.

"You're under fifteen. Sorry. You're not going."

"But you're not fifteen either!" Konan protested.

Nagato smirked.

"Who made me leader? Brother, let me teach you two rules. Rule number one: The leader is never wrong. Rule number two: If the leader is wrong, please reread rule number one."

Laughter broke the tension in the room. The pre-war meeting, once grim, turned oddly light.

"I'll fight," Tsunade said. "If I don't, I'll lose my mind thinking about Nawaki."

"I'll fight too," Sakumo added. "I need to show the kids I'm still worth learning from—and Kakashi's been giving me that look since my last mission failed."

Nagato nodded.

"Do as you please. Prepare yourselves. I'll notify the rest of the members to stay on alert. And I'll leave the brother duo on standby to watch the perimeter—just in case there's a sneak attack."

. . . Danzo's tactics are shameful, and he has no bottom line. If we let our guard down, we'll pay for it. . . .