Chapter 132: 128: Akatsuki and Nagato (2)
The sound of raindrops pattering filled the air.
Rainy days were especially annoying.
People from the Land of Rain especially, hated their country where it rains all year round.
Nagato's gaze fell upon a ravaged village, a stark casualty of the battle between Konoha and Suna ninjas. It now lay in ruins, uninhabitable.
The casualties were not limited to fallen ninja; civilians from the Land of Rain had also been caught in the crossfire, innocent lives claimed by the chaos of ninja war.
This grim sight weighed heavily on Nagato's heart. He looked up at the grey sky, his lips pressed tightly together. His vision seemed to blur as his expression shifted from sorrow to confusion and doubt.
Why should their own nation be involved in the wars of major powers? Akatsuki had advocated for sparing civilians during their battles, and yet they had inflicted such brutality upon the innocent people of the Land of Rain.Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.
Weren't the five major nations the ones who themselves had laid down the rule that civilians should remain unharmed in ninja battles? Why had they been the first to break their own rules?
Where was their sense of justice and self-discipline? Where was the strength they believed set them apart from others?
Extreme violence and might?
This wasn't the first time such a tragedy had occurred. Nagato's parents had met a similar fate at the hands of a powerful ninjas when he was young.
Now, more of his countrymen were suffering the same fate, and this cycle showed no signs of ending. More lives would be lost to future wars.
Nagato closed his eyes, reflecting on the plight of his homeland. Homeless wanderers and orphaned children were a common sight, their frail, emaciated bodies often preyed upon by scavenging wild dogs.
Nagato suddenly realized a terrible thing, that is, from the time he remembered, what he saw in his eyes was a disordered, chaotic, distorted world full of blood and killing as long as he could remember.
"You're here, Nagato,"
A voice came from behind him.
He turned slightly, revealing his profile to a young woman with blue hair. "Konan, what's going on?"
Seeing the tragic scene in the village, Konan's eyes welled with sadness. "Seeing all of this, does it bring back memories?"
Nagato nodded without hesitation. In the company of his comrades, there was no need to hide the pain he felt in his heart. He had endured such an experience, and now his heart was filled with questions and confusion.
"Don't think too much abiut it. One day, we'll succeed. Everyone is working tirelessly towards that goal."
"I know. I'm okay, Konan. What does Yahiko say?"
Nagato shifted the conversation to business.
"He's gone to negotiate with the Suna and Konoha ninja."
"Negotiate?"
"To ask them to stop the war."
Though Nagato supported Yahiko's approach, he found it somewhat inappropriate after witnessing the aftermath of this battle. He couldn't help but wonder if the ninja from the major nations would truly heed their pleas, lay down their weapons, and return home.
In the end, it was the Land of Rain that bore the brunt of the suffering, and Nagato was skeptical if anything would change.
This reminded Nagato of a man from a certain organization who had called himself a "Bug Man" when he had come to recruit them three years ago. He had foreseen their eventual failure and argued that their efforts would ultimately be in vain.
Nagato recalled this encounter, and it seemed the "Bug Man" had been right.
Despite their efforts, donations, and free assistance, nothing had changed. The poor remained poor, and any momentary relief they provided was quickly overshadowed by the relentless hardships of their lives.
"Before that, we need to distribute the supplies we've collected recently to the others. Yahiko wanted you to join us."
"Alright, let's go now."
Despite his lingering questions about the effectiveness of their efforts, Nagato recognized that the immediate priority was to aid the people of their homeland. In this era marred by war, every second counted, as demonstrated by the devastated village they now faced.
.....
Nagato and Konan braved the rain.
The two of them carried a lot of supplies on their backs, and they were all things that were going to be distributed to the people of the Land of Rain.
In this dilapidated village, most buildings had been ravaged by the recent ninja battle, with many houses sporting gaping holes in their roofs, now filling with rainwater.
Despite the harsh conditions, numerous Land of Rain citizens sought shelter here, waiting for the next ninja attack before moving on to yet another refuge. Those who couldn't escape in time were left with no choice but to await an uncertain fate.
In a nation burdened by such hardships, the powerful elite remained indifferent, indulging in their excesses while the commoners struggled to survive. The life and death of the civilian population meant little to them.
"Why is there so little this time?" a disgruntled male villager, peering through the broken wooden door, expressed his dissatisfaction with the meager supplies he received this time..
Apologetically, Nagato responded, "I'm sorry, but the supplies we've gathered recently have been dwindling. We'll try to bring more next time."
"Our family won't last long with ths little thing,"
The man said, estimating that the supplies they received would barely sustain them for half a month.
Immediately, his gaze then shifted greedily behind Konan.
"What about those? Bring them down and give them to me," he demanded, a request that seemed only fair to him.
"No! These supplies are meant for others. We only have this much to distribute."
Konan firmly rejected his request.
Unyielding, the male villager advanced towards the supplies behind Konan, prompting her to take a step back to protect them from his reach.
"Does it really matter? Our family is the largest in this village. We should receive a larger share."
"These supplies are meant for others. There's only so much to go around."
Konan remained resolute.
Clearly frustrated, the man took matters into his own hands, attempting to seize the supplies behind Konan.
"Do not come near me!"
Konan retorted, her patience wearing thin. She grabbed his arm and swiftly pushed him back.
She understood the cause of this scarcity. With Konoha and Suna at war, many nobles and civilians were stockpiling medicines as a precaution.
In times of conflict, preparation was key.
Additionally, Purple Rose Medical Company's medicines were known to be more effective than those from other sources.
Even the Five Great Ninja Villages had allowed them to establish branches, a testament to the medical company's reputation and influence.
"But..." Konan began, before being interrupted by the woman.
"Furthermore, on several your previous visits, Konan-san has used credit here, and it's about to expire. We kindly request prompt repayment of the outstanding balance, as failure to do so will result in Konan-san being blacklisted by our company, and future transactions may be met with less favorable terms," The woman added firmly.
Konan wore a pained expression.
Her financial situation had never been particularly huge. In previous visits to purchase medicine, she had resorted to obtaining credit and signed an IOU, complete with monthly interest payments. It amounted to no small sum, especially for her personally.
Nagato, on the other hand, had overheard snippets of this situation but noticed Konan avoiding eye contact. He had never heard Konan mention this matter before. Had she intended to shoulder this burden alone without informing anyone in Akatsuki?
"Please allow me to be tolerant. I hope Konan-san can settle the outstanding debt before June this year."
The woman declared.
Konan acknowledged this, then asked further, "And what if it goes unpaid?"
The woman with a hint of seriousness in her tone, responded, "Should Konan-san fail to meet the deadline, please rest assured that our company has a dedicated team of debt collectors who will handle the matter. They are more than capable of handling it."
Hearing this, Konan's anxiety deepened.
She understood that a large corporation like Purple Rose likely engaged in some questionable practices, but she hadn't expected them to have a specialized team for debt collection. She knew what that meant - it was probably a squad of ninja debt collectors.
"If you find yourself in need of funds, Konan-san, I can introduce you to some special opportunities," The woman offered.
"Special... opportunities?" Konan's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Please don't misunderstand. Our Purple Rose Company is a legitimate business and not involved in any unsavory industries. The opportunities I mentioned are entirely legitimate," The woman clarified.
Konan sighed with relief. "Could you, perhaps, lower the price of the medicines this time?"
She was in dire need of these medicines, but the woman's response wasn't favorable. "I apologize, but the decision to increase the prices was made by our headquarters, and I have no authority to change it."
The woman explained that the Land Of Rains's medicine market was experiencing shortages due to the ongoing war, which had caused prices to surge. She empathized with the situation in the Land of Rain but said that the price adjustment was beyond her control. Her role was to implement the decisions made by upper management.
"However, if Konan-san is set on these medicines, you might consider purchasing them from our Land Of Demons headquarters. The prices there have remained stable, and in fact, they might be considerably cheaper."
The woman offered a potential solution to Konan. Medicine prices varied according to local conditions and regulations, and the Land Of Demons might offer a more budget friendly alternative.
"The Land Of Demons?" Konan hadn't gone beyond the Land of Rain before and hesitated. The turmoil in the Land of Rain made traveling to the remote Land Of Demons time consuming.
Leaving the Purple Rose branch alongside Nagato, Konan felt troubled about her decision: whether to buy medicine within the Land of Rain or make the journey to the Land Of Demons. She intended to discuss it with the others.
"Nagato, please don't share the fact that I owe money. I don't want the members of Akatsuki to worry about me," Konan cautioned Nagato on their way back.
Nagato nodded but then asked with hesitation, "However, this can't continue indefinitely. How do you plan to repay the debt, and exactly how much do you owe?"
Konan looked away unnaturally. "It's not much."
Nagato has a serious expression asking further.
"What do you mean by 'not much'?"
Konan hesitated and finally extended one finger.
"One million?"
"Not counting the interest, it's around ten million..."
Konan admitted in a hushed voice.
"One... ten million!?" Nagato's voice grew louder, shocked.
Ten Million ryo!!!. This was an astronomical sum, far surpassing Akatsuki's annual operating budget.
Konan sighed. "That's right. It's more than I initially thought, too."
"No wonder you always bring back large amounts of medicines... I thought the price of medicines in the Land of Rain had dropped a lot."
Nagato realized that Konan's frequent purchases of vast quantities of medicine, which he had attributed to favorable prices in the Land of Rain, were to service this staggering debt. He had been oblivious to the situation, given his focus on other aspects of Akatsuki's operations.
Nagato was moved by Konan's selfless actions. She had done this to help Akatsuki and save more people. While he couldn't blame her, the challenge of repaying ten million ryo weighed heavily on him.
The suggestion of a "special job" from the branch manager raised concerns about potential involvement in illegal activities.
.....
"To the Land Of Demons?" In a cave sheltered from the rain, Akatsuki members held a brief meeting. Konan explained her intention to travel to the Land Of Demons to procure the medicines cheap instead of buying them within the Land of Rain.
"I've made my decision. Buying affordable medicine from the Land Of Demons will ensure an adequate supply. Besides, traveling alone will help us save on expenses."
Konan said with determination, emphasizing Akatsuki's limited finances.
Yahiko, while supportive of the idea, voiced his concern. "But... letting Konan go to the remote Land Of Demons alone worries me."
He was unable to accompany her as he had to negotiate with the ninj8a from Suna and Konoha, a responsibility that demanded his presence in the Land of Rain.
Nagato stepped forward willingly. "I'll go with Konan."
He knew that sending someone in his place would reveal the debt issue. Furthermore, as the strongest member of Akatsuki, he could provide Konan with ample protection, even in dangerous situations.
Yahiko accepted their proposal. "Very well, I entrust this task to both of you. Be cautious on your journey."
Konan and Nagato nodded resolutely, aware of the significance of this mission for Akatsuki and the need for a flawless execution. Akatsuki members were known for their decisiveness, and they promptly set their plans into motion.
After the short meeting, Yahiko led the remaining Akatsuki members to negotiate with the formidable ninja forces, while Nagato accompanied Konan on their journey towards the unfamiliar and distant Land Of Demons
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