Chapter 300: Konan, You Don’t Want Nagato To…

"What insight does the Sixth Hokage have?!" Nagato's voice was laced with anger.

Even though he was now at the mercy of others, with his and Konan's lives in Natsuro's hands, that did not mean his ideals could be trampled upon so easily.

"Insight? I wouldn't go that far." Natsuro shook his head.

"I just think world peace is nothing more than an ideal, something that exists only in dreams. It's something people can imagine, but never truly achieve."

"How do you know that without trying?" Nagato retorted.

"So, do you really think capturing all nine Tailed Beasts and turning them into a weapon will bring about world peace?" Natsuro's tone was slightly mocking.

Nagato wanted to say "yes" without hesitation… But he paused. "…At the very least, it's a possibility."

"No, it's not." Natsuro countered immediately.

"Suppression may work for a time, but have you never heard the phrase: 'Where there is oppression, there will be resistance'? When the oppressed gather enough strength to overturn their oppressor, the resulting chaos will be even greater than before."

"However…" Natsuro suddenly added, "there is one way that collecting all nine Tailed Beasts might actually bring world peace."

"…What way?" Nagato's voice carried both surprise and urgency.

Jiraiya and Konan were also intrigued, their eyes fixed on Natsuro, who had a peculiar expression on his face.

"No rush. Let me tell you a story first." Natsuro thought for a moment and then recounted the entire story of a certain mage named Kiritsugu Emiya, who fought for justice and peace but became ruthless in his pursuit of his ideals.

He spoke of the Holy Grail, a wish-granting artifact.

He described the method by which the Grail would fulfill Kiritsugu Emiya's wish.

And he narrated the famous dilemma, the Grail's question, or more commonly known as the Trolley Problem.

"So," Natsuro concluded, "once all nine Tailed Beasts are gathered, their power could be used to wipe out every living being on this planet."

"That, too, would be a form of 'world peace.'" Natsuro shrugged.

A long silence followed.

"That kind of peace is meaningless." Nagato's voice was hoarse.

"I never said it had any meaning." Natsuro responded casually. "But can you deny that it would, in fact, be 'world peace'?"

Nagato was at a loss for words.

It was meaningless, yes… But if every living thing ceased to exist, there would be no more conflict. Not only would war be eradicated, so would the very conditions necessary for war. Even the most extreme individuals wouldn't go that far.

"That's why 'world peace' is nothing more than an ideal." Natsuro said lazily.

"You can strive for it, and even dedicate your life to the pursuit of it. Even if it can't be achieved, the journey itself can be fulfilling. Every small step toward peace can be a reward in itself."

"But if you treat this impossible dream as a task that must be completed at any cost, you won't just fail, you'll also lose everything you had. So let's stop discussing this pointless topic. It's far more practical to talk about how you two are going to stay alive." Natsuro yawned. 

Then tell me, how can Nagato and I survive?" Konan suddenly interjected.

She wanted to help fulfill Yahiko and Nagato's ideals. But more than anything, she wanted them to live.

She had remained silent before because she knew both Yahiko and Nagato were the kind of people willing to die for their beliefs.

No matter how much she wanted to stop them, she couldn't. But now… She could tell that Nagato, while not abandoning his ideals, was beginning to question his methods.

This was the perfect time for her to step in, at least, to ensure that Nagato lived.

Hearing Konan's words, Natsuro paused.

Then, a strange thought popped into his mind… "Konan, you don't want Nagato to…"

Cough!

Natsuro coughed twice, his expression momentarily stiff.

Konan looked at him in confusion but waited patiently for his answer.

Natsuro mentally scolded himself.

I already have Ino. Why the hell am I thinking about this nonsense?

But… it's Konan.

One of his favorite female characters from the original story. Cold and elegant Konan. Cheerful and confident Ino, who fit his aesthetic preferences perfectly.

And adorable Hanabi, the cute little sister type. Still…

That was the original story.

In reality, he had no special thoughts about it.

It was just that when Konan asked that question, his past-life memories had surfaced out of nowhere.

After a brief awkward pause, Natsuro shook off the thought and spoke.

"You've probably already realised that I have no intention of killing you." Natsuro said.

Konan nodded.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought Jiraiya-sensei to talk to them, his goal was clearly to persuade them rather than execute them.

"My judgment is simple: You won't die, but you won't escape punishment either." Natsuro looked at Nagato.

But then, he sighed. With Nagato's eyes gone, his combat strength had dropped drastically. And given his crippled body, he wouldn't be useful in any missions. So instead, Natsuro turned to Konan.

"If it's a normal mission, I can follow orders and guarantee its completion." Konan said.

She was a little surprised, she hadn't expected this outcome.

But this was far better than she had imagined. She breathed a sigh of relief and for the first time, her eyes showed a trace of gratitude toward Natsuro.

Are the conditions so lenient because of Teacher Jiraiya? At this moment, Konan silently added the title of 'junior brother' for him, although she might never actually call him that.

But, she remembered the favor.

Nagato wanted to speak, but he didn't know what would be appropriate to say. For Konan's sake, he couldn't refuse.

At this moment, Jiraiya looked towards Natsuro, opened his mouth, but said nothing. In his view, his leniency towards Nagato and Konan was also because of him, and his gratitude was beyond words.

Natsuro, for his part, hadn't thought too much about it. The trio of Nagato in the original story had a rather tragic fate, and although perhaps their methods were not entirely right, their intentions were sound.

Most importantly, in the original story, the segment where they killed Jiraiya did not occur, which alleviated his major grievance against them, naturally eliminating the need to make things difficult for them.

Moreover, his mention of needing help was sincere. Nagato probably needed a long period of recuperation before he could be useful again.

But Konan could be of use. Although her strength wasn't top-tier, she was at least on the level of an average Kage and could be very helpful.

And there was no need to worry about her having other intentions.

After all, there's that saying...

Konan, you don't want Nagato to run into trouble in Konoha, right? So, he now effectively had a free Kage-level subordinate.

"Your residence will be next to Jiraiya's," Natsuro thought for a moment before adding.

Although Natsuro, who had read the original story, wasn't too worried about Konan and Nagato suddenly betraying him, it was better to be safe. Moreover, it would be convenient for Jiraiya to instill in them the 'Will of Fire.'

Konan nodded and did not refuse; they were all adults, and they understood what Natsuro meant.

However, Konan actually wanted to be closer to Jiraiya. After all, in the future in Konoha, the people she knew well would likely only be Nagato and Jiraiya. Who else should she be close to, if not Jiraiya?

Moreover, given Jiraiya's status in Konoha, he could help them a lot and at least mitigate some of the exclusion they might face.

Jiraiya was silent at this time. According to Natsuro's arrangements, he would likely stay in Konoha Village from now on. Originally, he wanted to refuse, but thinking of all he had done for him, he felt it was inappropriate to reject Natsuro's plans. Staying in Konoha... well, he would stay in Konoha, considering his age as well.

"Alright, now can you tell me what's the deal with your Rinnegan?"

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Currently on Chapter 355 - Meteors Across The Sky, and Meeting of Madara and Natsuro