"Have they dug it all up?" Mufasa asked, glancing at the head miner, Ren.
"My lord," Ren wiped sweat from his brow, looking nervous. "The yield... it's disappointing. The vein was nearly dry."
Mufasa frowned slightly at the scarcity of the Gelel Stones. However, Kyuuichi confirmed the report; there really wasn't much left to scavenge. The ancient civilization that lived here had mined it into oblivion.
"Fine," Mufasa signaled. "Pack it up. We're heading home."
He turned his attention to the old caravan master and Temujin. With a casual wave of his hand, the magnetic bindings released them.
"You're free to go," Mufasa said. "Go wherever you want."
The old man hesitated, wringing his hands. "Lord Kazekage, are you sure...?"
Mufasa shot him a sharp glare, his eyes cold. "Don't test my patience. Leave before I change my mind."
The old man didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Temujin, and the two hastily departed. Before they left Sunagakure territory, they purchased a reinforced wagon to upgrade their caravan—a small mercy Mufasa allowed them.
Back in the heart of Sunagakure, Mufasa carried the crates of ore directly to the Brainwave Enhancement Room.
Inside, the air hummed with psychic static. Floating in the center of the chamber was Altair—the Saber Princess. She was a construct of pure mental energy, born from Mufasa's imagination and sustained by the willpower of the shinobi who trained here. She hovered elegantly, two spectral military sabers drifting at her feet.
She had been absorbing the mental waves of the training ninja, her presence growing stronger and more defined than the day she was 'born.'
Mufasa dumped the Gelel Stones—the Stones of Fantasy—onto the floor.
'Thank you, Father,' Altair's voice resonated directly in Mufasa's mind, clear and bell-like.
Mufasa chuckled, a genuine warmth entering his expression. "Heh. Just doing what a father should."
A soft radiance descended from Altair, bathing the pile of ores. She began the slow, intricate process of weaving the stones' reality-warping properties into a physical vessel for herself.
Mufasa watched with satisfaction. 'If she keeps growing at this rate... I wonder who will be stronger when the time comes? Her, or Kaguya Otsutsuki?'
Leaving Altair to her work, Mufasa stepped out of the chamber, his demeanor shifting instantly from doting parent to the iron-fisted Kazekage.
A year passed in the blink of an eye.
Mufasa found himself traveling to the Land of Rain once again. But this time, it wasn't a slog through the mud.
The Akatsuki's fortunes had taken a nosedive after their internal purge of the "traitor" Obito. They had launched several covert missions to capture Tailed Beasts, but every attempt had been thwarted. Someone else was beating them to the punch.
After a thorough investigation, the Akatsuki realized their competitor was none other than Danzo Shimura of Konoha.
Nagato harbored a deep, festering hatred for Danzo. This was the man who had conspired with Hanzo the Salamander, leading to Yahiko's death and the destruction of the original Akatsuki. And now, this fossil was stealing their prey?
Nagato began plotting a massive strike against Danzo and the village that sheltered him.
That was the backdrop for Mufasa's arrival.
When Mufasa's armored limousine rolled up to the entrance of Amegakure, he was met with a sight that would have been impossible a year ago. Pain (the Deva Path) and Konan were waiting for him. Behind them, a crowd of Rain villagers waved flags and cheered.
Mufasa stepped out of the vehicle, raising an eyebrow as Pain stepped forward to open the door for him.
"Lord Kazekage," the Deva Path intoned. "Welcome to Amegakure."
Mufasa pointed a thumb at the cheering crowd. "Is this your doing? I didn't take you for the type to stage a pep rally."
'I never imagined Nagato, of all people, would learn how to suck up,' Mufasa thought, amused.
"When the people heard the Kazekage was coming to preside over the railway completion ceremony, they came of their own accord," Pain replied smoothly. "The highways and railways you funded have transformed the Land of Rain. Everyone is truly grateful."
Mufasa stroked his chin. 'Am I really that charming now?'
"And you?" Mufasa asked, a smirk playing on his lips. "Are you going to thank me too?"
Pain nodded. "Of course. You have helped us immensely."
"Hahaha!" Mufasa laughed loudly. "This is new. Usually, when I spend money on people, they look at me with suspicion. It's nice to be appreciated."
"Please, my lord," Pain gestured toward the central tower. "I have prepared a banquet for you."
"Oh?" Mufasa feigned surprise. "I've been here many times, but I've never been invited inside the tower for dinner. That is strange."
Internally, his mind raced. 'Has the brat finally changed his mind after all the painful lessons I taught him? Is he ready to hop on the capitalist train?'
"Very well. Lead the way."
The Rain Tower, once a cold, metallic monolith of depression, had been renovated. The banquet hall looked like a high-end hotel suite, warm and inviting.
Mufasa sat at the head of a long, rectangular table. He glanced at the Deva Path standing nearby.
"Come on, sit. Have a drink with me."
'I wonder if corpses can metabolize alcohol,' Mufasa mused. 'Let's find out.'
Pain remained silent. instead, a voice echoed from behind a screen at the far end of the room.
"Why don't I have a drink with you instead, Lord Kazekage?"
Konan stepped out, pushing a wheelchair.
Mufasa had never met Nagato face-to-face, but the black chakra receivers protruding from the man's back gave him away instantly. However, this wasn't the emaciated, skeletal figure from the intelligence reports. Nagato looked healthy. His complexion was rosy, and his muscles were filled out. He looked like a man who took his physical therapy seriously.
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "And who might you be?"
Nagato was wheeled to the opposite end of the table. "My lord, why ask a question you already know the answer to? I am Nagato. The true leader of the Akatsuki and Amegakure."
Since Nagato was dropping the act, Mufasa dropped the feigned ignorance.
"Haha, fair enough. I admit, I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd ever come out of your hole to meet me."
"I intended to remain in the shadows," Nagato said, pouring himself a glass of water. "But times have changed. I believe it is better to speak with the Kazekage face-to-face."
"Something unusual must be brewing," Mufasa noted, swirling his wine. "So, what's on your mind?"
Nagato leaned forward, his Rinnegan fixed on Mufasa. "My lord, what are your ideals?"
Mufasa scratched his head, sighing. "Why does everyone keep asking me about my ideals? I don't have any grand philosophy. I just want to make everyone in the ninja world suffer."
Nagato blinked. "Suffer?"
"Yes. The suffering that comes from being so rich you're bored out of your mind," Mufasa deadpanned.
Nagato stared at him. "...Could you please not use the word 'pain' so lightly?"
"Fine. So, what do you think is missing from your life that stops you from achieving your dreams?"
"The Four Great Villages," Nagato said, his voice hardening. "They are obstacles. I know you export technology to improve productivity, but the wealth ultimately flows to the daimyo and the elite, not the people."
Mufasa's eyes glinted. "Well, look at you. You've actually grown up a bit."
"Amegakure is developing," Nagato said solemnly. "I have to manage the economy now. I see the new inequalities rising."
Mufasa chuckled. "In that case, isn't your Rain Village also an obstacle for me? You're a military dictatorship."
"No," Nagato said immediately. "The Akatsuki is absolutely fair. We treat every villager equally. Wealth means nothing to us."
'Right,' Mufasa thought, rolling his eyes internally. 'Because you're a bunch of S-Rank criminals running a cult. Of course wealth means nothing to you; you're all delusional.'
He looked at Nagato and saw the same "Chuunibyou" energy that plagued Madara Uchiha. These people always wanted to save the world without understanding how the world worked. Madara plotted for decades to enact a plan that wasn't even his. Nagato wanted to enforce peace through fear.
'The world doesn't need saving,' Mufasa thought. 'It needs jobs. If you force peace, what happens to the millions of ninjas and samurai who eat because of war? They become bandits. You have to turn swords into plowshares first.'
"Nagato," Mufasa said aloud, "a true ideal should be like the sun. It hangs in the sky for everyone to see. If it's good, people will naturally bask in it. Those who plot in the dark... that's just conspiracy. And conspiracies always rot from the inside."
Nagato fell silent, reflecting. He was, after all, the king of hiding in the dark.
"But what if they don't follow you?" Nagato asked.
"Then I keep walking," Mufasa shrugged. "Eventually, the crowd behind me will be so big the world will shake with our footsteps."
Nagato shook his head. "That is too slow. I believe we still need... necessary means."
"Necessary means?" Mufasa narrowed his eyes.
"Destroy the Four Great Villages. Annihilate their leadership. Seize control and redistribute the power," Nagato said, his voice rising with revolutionary zeal. "My lord, if you are willing, I will destroy Konoha first."
Mufasa nearly choked on his drink. 'Holy crap. Konoha is really unlucky.'
"Young man, are you out of your mind?" Mufasa slammed his glass down. "Konoha is Sunagakure's biggest factory right now. I have billions of ryo invested in their infrastructure. You wipe them out, and who pays me back? You?"
"I will pay!" Nagato insisted. "Whatever it costs. Sand can invest in Rain instead. We will offer better terms. Zero taxes!"
Mufasa covered his face with his hand. "Kid... if you don't collect taxes, your government collapses and everyone starves. Listen to me. Poverty spreads like a virus. If I let you turn the Land of Fire into a wasteland, those refugees will flood my borders. My economy takes a hit. Everyone loses."
He looked at Nagato's intense expression. "Why are you so fixated on Konoha? Is this about Danzo?"
Nagato nodded, his knuckles gripping the wheelchair. "Yes. I want his head."
Mufasa sighed. It always came back to Danzo.
"What has the old warhawk done now? He's barely relevant."
"He is competing with us for the Tailed Beasts," Nagato growled. "He is stealing our purpose."
Mufasa fought back a laugh. 'Danzo isn't stealing your purpose. He's trying to pay off his debts to me.'
It was almost poetic. Mufasa had pressured Danzo so hard for loan repayments that the old man had been forced out of retirement to hunt Tailed Beasts just to make ends meet. Mufasa had accidentally created Akatsuki's biggest rival.
"I see," Mufasa said, composing himself. "I will speak to Konoha about Danzo. But you need to drop this 'Destroy Konoha' rhetoric. Give me, the Kazekage, some face here."
Mufasa exerted a fraction of his pressure—the power of the Face-Saving Fruit. It wasn't a visible jutsu, but an overwhelming aura of authority that made it nearly impossible to refuse him.
Nagato hesitated, feeling the weight of the request. He nodded slowly. "If... if the Kazekage insists."
"Good," Mufasa leaned back.
"But my lord," Nagato pressed, "don't you want to achieve your dream faster? With our combined power..."
"Young man," Mufasa interrupted, pouring himself another drink. "Look at you. You're healthy now. You're strong. You'll probably live to be a hundred. Why are you in such a rush?"
He took a sip of wine, his eyes gleaming with wisdom that went beyond mere jutsu.
"When water flows, a channel forms. Take it one step at a time. Rush the river, and you'll just drown in the flood."
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Word count: 1955
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