"Hey, kid, you've got to give me a break this time!"
Jiraiya's loud voice boomed through the room before he even entered. "It's been ages since I've had time off to gather material for my novels!"
Aoki, who had been buried in paperwork, heard the complaint before seeing the man. He set down his pen with a resigned expression, and Minato beside him couldn't help but chuckle.
Though Jiraiya loved to complain, Aoki was genuinely grateful to him. Their relationship was both that of teacher and student, and of close friends who deeply respected each other—a bond that was anything but ordinary. Soon, Jiraiya pushed open the office door and led Yahiko and the others inside.
"You are, after all, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. You should set a diligent example for everyone," Aoki said, looking at him calmly. "As for the vacation, it will have to wait a little longer."
Hearing this, Jiraiya opened his mouth to protest, but Minato shook his head at him with a serious expression. Jiraiya immediately deflated, slumping to the side like a defeated rooster with no spirit left.
At that moment, Aoki's gaze shifted to Yahiko and the others behind Jiraiya. Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato had just established Akatsuki, and the organization still had very few members.
They had come to Konoha with Jiraiya. Yahiko and Konan's intentions were clear—both were passionate young people and sincere followers. As for Nagato, Aoki activated his eyes, then slowly raised his gaze to meet his directly.
"?! Aoki, your eyes?!" Jiraiya exclaimed in shock. "What's going on?!"
Upon clearly seeing Aoki's eyes, both Jiraiya and Minato widened their eyes in astonishment. Especially Jiraiya, who hurriedly moved closer to Aoki to examine his eyes carefully.
"H-how is this possible?" he said, his face full of disbelief. "How can two such profound eyes appear at the same time?"
After confirming that Aoki truly possessed the Rinnegan, Jiraiya was completely stunned. The Rinnegan was only briefly mentioned in historical records, and he had always believed it to be a legend—until he met Nagato and learned it truly existed.
But now, Aoki, whom he saw every day, also possessed the Rinnegan. Even Minato was filled with confusion; he had grown up with Aoki and had never seen him with such an Eye Technique.
Facing the doubtful gazes of Jiraiya and Minato, Aoki smiled and explained, "I'm not sure of the reason either. These eyes suddenly awakened a few days ago, and my Chakra surged dramatically along with it."
Hearing this, Jiraiya and Minato were filled with envy but didn't press further. Yahiko and the others beside them were even more curious.
"Look, the Hokage's eyes are exactly the same as Nagato's!"
"That's right!"
"They're practically identical!"
Looking at Aoki's Rinnegan, Nagato was also astonished. Though he felt a faint, inexplicable joy in his heart, after a moment of thought, he turned to Aoki and asked, "Lord Hokage, I want to know the message you asked Master Jiraiya to convey—how can we achieve true peace?"
Aoki was already prepared to answer Nagato's question. In his view, the current Ninja World was nothing more than a battlefield where the various Hidden Villages fought each other. Having studied thousands of years of Chinese history, he knew deeply that there was only one path to achieving true peace.
"Do you know why the Ninja World is plagued by endless war?" Aoki asked in return.
Nagato thought for a moment before replying, "For profit! For resources!"
Hearing this answer, Aoki shook his head and slowly began to explain, capturing everyone's attention.
"It is because the entire Ninja World is split into too many large and small nations. With the land fragmented, disputes over resources and territory have never ceased, and wars have followed one after another. But what if..." Aoki deliberately paused, creating suspense, "starting with me! Starting with this Hokage! We unify the Ninja World completely—would there still be war then?"
As Aoki's words fell, everyone in the office began to envision this scene, their eyes filled with unprecedented hope. Even Jiraiya could hardly contain his excitement. The idea of unifying the Ninja World gave them a new goal and direction.
However, just as everyone was immersed in this vision, Nagato suddenly spoke, pouring cold water on the fervent mood: "But if Konoha initiates the war, countless people will still die, won't they?"
Hearing this, Aoki smiled and shook his head. "You only see the sacrifices that starting a war might bring, but you haven't considered that if we continue to remain divided like this, in ten or twenty years, a new great war will inevitably erupt in the Ninja World. When that happens, will fewer people die? No! But if Konoha can unify the Ninja World, there will be no more war in the future. If someone in this world must play the villain, then let it be me!"
Aoki's words plunged Nagato into deep contemplation. The confusion in his Rinnegan gradually faded, replaced by a new understanding. Seeing this, Aoki knew his words had moved him.
Just as Aoki was about to invite Yahiko and the others to join Konoha, Jiraiya excitedly approached him.
"Kid!" he exclaimed loudly, "So you are the Child of Prophecy! You are the one destined to save the Ninja World!"
Looking at the overly excited Jiraiya, Aoki couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed not only Nagato but even Jiraiya could be easily swept away by such grand visions.
Setting Jiraiya aside for the moment, Minato, who had accepted the mission from Aoki the previous day, was now completely convinced. After some thought, all his doubts vanished. Aoki's vision was far more profound than he had imagined, and to achieve this ideal, Minato resolved to give his all.
Seeing the passionate expressions of both master and disciple, Aoki found it amusing. But he also understood that even a unified Ninja World would still face many challenges.
Internal conflicts could become new hidden dangers, such as class struggles arising from wealth disparities or ethnic conflicts due to cultural differences.
Moreover, with the threat of the Otsutsuki Clan drawing ever closer, a unified Ninja World would also face external enemies. Aoki knew there was no need to dwell on the various changes that would come after unification. What mattered more now was preparing to deal with potential threats, uniting all forces, and standing together against external foes.
He turned his gaze back to Yahiko and the others, asking, "So, Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, for the peace of the Ninja World, are you willing to join Konoha?"