Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Kakuzu hadn't gone far when Naoto intercepted him at the corner of the corridor: "Lord Kakuzu, something's up."

Naoto spoke in a very serious tone: "Onoki of Iwagakure has sent troops."

Upon hearing this, Kakuzu's expression finally changed.

Naoto continued, "Iwagakure has assembled a 5,000-strong ninja army, which is now stationed on the western side of the Land of Rain. Yesterday, Onoki Ryouhei sent an envoy to Amegakure, saying that he wants to borrow their passage to attack Konoha."

"Because Hanzo the Salamander was not around, Negishi Kusami couldn't make up his mind, so he sent a message to us asking us to decide."

"Borrowing passage?" Kakuzu sneered. "Hmph, if you ask me, borrowing passage is a pretense; taking advantage of the chaos is their real intention. That old codger looks honest, but he's more cunning than anyone else."

Kakuzu analyzed, "He's trying to take advantage of the chaos caused by the fighting between the Three Kingdoms Alliance and Sunagakure. He claims that the five thousand men are just passing through to attack Konoha, but in reality, as long as we and Sunagakure are both severely weakened, he can turn around and swallow up the Land of Rain at any time."

"But that guy Negishi Kusanagi is still as incompetent as ever! He can't even do this little thing right. He should just refuse."

Naoto nodded and said, "That's what I was thinking too. Should we inform Hanzo the Salamander?"

"What's the point of notifying him? The pressure on the west will only increase once he leaves. I've already invested a lot of money in the loach seafood business!"

He was about to suggest that the girl, Zi Ling, go over, but then he heard footsteps chasing after him.

Kakuzu, quick-witted, suddenly changed his tune, saying, "What! Iwagakure is actually preparing to attack Konoha and is trying to persuade us to cooperate with them, give up the road, and share the spoils."

"No, something's not right. I have to go there. This guy is clearly trying to take advantage of our misfortune. Amegakure and Takigakure are allies after all. As the saying goes, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. I can't just sit idly by."

Kakuzu patted his chest and spoke with righteous indignation, while Naoto felt as if he had gone deaf. How come he didn't remember that Lord Kakuzu valued the relationship between allies so much?

Moreover, this was clearly a thankless task with no money to be made, but when he saw the three teenagers chasing after him, he seemed to have already made up his mind.

But are these three really that powerful?

Just as he was wondering, Kakuzu turned around and suddenly looked at Yahiko and the other two, his tone suddenly becoming exceptionally cheerful.

"Yahiko, right? I've been thinking carefully about what you were saying earlier—"

Yahiko's eyes lit up: "You agree?"

"Agree to what?"

"What I'm trying to say is that old bastard Onoki is dishonest. He's actually playing the trick of feigning one thing while secretly doing another. I'm a kind-hearted person, and I can't just sit idly by while things are going on in the Land of Rain."

"Naoto, you stay in Takigakure and continue teaching. You're no match for that old bastard Onoki. Let me go and deal with him."

After saying that, he turned and walked out, shouting as he went, "Someone, gather a squad of ninja soldiers and come with me to meet Onoki of the Two Heavens."

His actions were swift and his tone decisive, as if the person who had refused to help because of the 30 million taels of silver in performance fees was not him at all.

As he reached the door, Kakuzu suddenly stopped, turned around, and shook his head with a smile, saying, "You see, it's not that I don't want to help, nor that I don't want peace, it's just that I can't leave right now."

His tone was somewhat mocking: "If you really have the ability to make Onoki withdraw his troops, perhaps I can sit down and listen to your explanation. As for the money, I can back down and let you just sign an IOU."

After saying that, Kakuzu left without looking back, leaving only Yahiko, the other two, and Naoto in the corridor, where the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

Yahiko took a deep breath, turned to Naoto, and was about to speak when Naoto reached out and stopped him, saying, "Gentlemen, my duty is to protect the Land of Waterfalls, and I will not leave easily. I'm sorry."

After saying that, he turned and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Yahiko stood there, suddenly feeling a little tired, as if he were the protagonist in a storybook.

To complete his mission in Sunagakure, he traveled to the Land of Waterfalls. Just as he was about to persuade Kakuzu, Kakuzu encountered another difficulty. Only by helping him overcome this difficulty could Kakuzu go with him.

However, Lord Kakuzu is right. Onoki's 5,000-strong army is like a sword hanging over our heads. If this problem cannot be solved, any peace initiatives are just empty talk.

After a long silence, Yahiko said softly, "Let's go."

Konan and Nagato were slightly taken aback: "Where to?"

Yahiko looked up at the loess mountains far to the southwest. "Naturally, I should go to the Land of Earth to negotiate with Onoki and persuade him to withdraw his troops, thus ending this meaningless retreat and conflict."

"But will things really go smoothly this time?" Xiao Nan asked casually, feeling that their trip was pointless.

"Yes, Minami, we've already seen hope, haven't we?"

Can we be sure that wasn't Kakuzu's excuse for refusing us?

However, before Konan could say those words, Yahiko had already left the underground palace and headed towards the Land of Earth.

Konan and Nagato exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes, but could only silently follow behind.

The road to peace is too long, and in fact, some people have already fallen behind without realizing it.

Only Yahiko remained steadfast in his belief and perseverance, because he believed that Jiraiya would not lie to him, and that there was always a kind side to everyone in the world.

Hatred can be resolved with understanding, and misunderstandings can be communicated with words.

However, Konan and Nagato no longer follow Jiraiya's principles; they simply want to follow in Yahiko's footsteps and protect his safety.

Even though they had come to understand that Jiraiya's philosophy might not be entirely correct, they were one, and Yahiko was a ray of light in their lives.

It was Yahiko's childhood kindness that saved them, not only leading them to survive but also guiding them to apprentice under a master, which led to their future today.

So go and do your best, Yahiko, to protect the kindness and integrity in your heart. We will always be there for you, ensuring that your compassion and sunshine continue to spread and remain untainted.

At the border of the Land of Earth, Huang Tu stood in front of the camp and said, "Father, the people of Amegakure won't let us pass. We're not really attacking, so what's the point of stationing troops here?"

Onoki sat in a chair, fanning himself, and said, "I'm waiting for someone, someone to come and negotiate with me."

"Who is it?" Huang Tu asked curiously.

"I've never seen them either, but they must be a few children."

"What?" Huang Tu had no idea what it meant.

But all he heard was Onokido saying, "You don't understand. You don't need to ask for too many details. You just need to know that this matter is beneficial to our Land of Earth."