Chapter 201: Chapter: 199

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If we hit 100 PW I post a extra chapter.

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The great wall of Sunagakure showed massive fractures, and the sandstone buildings that once lined the main avenues now lay reduced to mounds of broken stone, charred wooden beams, and crushed debris.

The usual hum of the markets had been replaced by the rhythmic sound of pickaxes striking rock, the muffled cries of the injured, and the constant creak of heavy carts transporting construction materials from one end of the village to the other.

Sunae walked at a slow pace down a path forcefully cleared through the collapsed buildings. She, who always used to walk the streets with contagious energy, a radiant smile, and a light step that brought laughter to passersby, now moved in absolute, heavy silence.

Actively participating in the defense of the village during the siege by Iwa and Akatsuki, witnessing the explicit cruelty of mortal combat, and spending the last forty-eight hours without proper sleep—helping rescue trapped bodies and using her own chakra to stabilize citizens on the brink of death—had left a deep, cold, and painful mark inside her.

She was trying to mature by force, to assimilate the gravity of the ninja world and act like a seasoned kunoichi, but she didn't know how to process the tight knot suffocating her chest.

With every step she took, the surrounding view only worsened her mental torment. She passed by a series of improvised medical tents where Sand medics worked tirelessly, changing blood-stained bandages and administering antidotes to those wounded by explosions.

A little further ahead, in a cleared clearing, several plain wooden coffins were lined up under dark blankets awaiting transport to the central cemetery. Questions crowded Sunae's mind without finding any answers. Why did the world have to be so cruel? Why did good people have to die crushed in their own homes? Why had she felt so small and insignificant when the true storm hit them?

What would have happened if her father hadn't been there?

In the midst of that surge of doubts and frustration, Sunae knew there was only one person in the entire world capable of giving her answers, of clearing the fog in her head and restoring firm ground beneath her feet: her dad.

Although Daigo had barely had a second of rest since the battle ended—dividing his time between village logistics, care for the wounded, and wartime diplomacy—Sunae desperately needed to speak with him.

Clenching her fists tightly, she changed her direction and headed with a firm stride toward the temporary Kazekage headquarters, a fortified structure of thick stone that had managed to remain standing near the command center.

As she climbed the stone entrance steps and reached the heavy wooden doors leading to the main office, two figures wearing porcelain masks and dark cloaks immediately stepped into her path, intercepting her.

"Princess Sunae, we ask that you stop," spoken one of the ANBU guards in a completely neutral, emotionless voice.

"The Kazekage is currently in an extraordinary, top-priority session with the high military command and members of the executive council. He has strict orders not to be interrupted by anyone."

Sunae stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at the guard's ape mask and then at the closed door. She didn't argue or protest. She simply nodded slightly, took a step back, and leaned her back against the cold corridor wall, willing to wait as many hours as necessary just to see her father.

On the other side of the heavy door, the atmosphere in the spacious meeting room was suffocatingly dense, thick with heat and the faint smoke from stacks of report scrolls piled on the table.

At the head of the room, seated on a high-backed chair, Daigo wore the official robes of the Kazekage, which draped elegantly over his shoulders. However, his physical appearance imposed a mix of respect, fear, and sorrow on everyone present.

A clean, thick bandage of white cloth completely covered the right side of his face, concealing the empty socket where his glass eye used to be, while the left side remained exposed, displaying his sharp, pink-hued eye.

In front of him, lined up on both sides of an oak table, sat members of the council, Sand clan heads, and the village's tactical commanders.

"The negotiation report is officially drafted," Daigo declared in a calm, serene voice that echoed off the four walls without needing to be raised.

"The delegations sent to the border with Iwagakure have returned after finalizing diplomatic agreements under the explicit surrender of their diplomats."

One of the young commanders on the council, adjusting his tactical vest, took the floor.

"Lord Kazekage... Iwa cowardly allied with Akatsuki to raze our village and leave us in ruins. How did the Stone command react when we presented our demands for reparations?"

Daigo rested his elbows on the table and interlaced his fingers in front of his face, fixing his single eye on the councilman.

"At first they tried to show resistance out of pure military pride," Daigo explained calmly without expressing much emotion.

"But the reality of their situation hit them quickly. Following the fall of Ōnoki at my hands on the battlefield, Iwagakure was left without their leader and without their strongest warrior, along with the capture of the Five-Tails by Sasori and Karinna. I made it absolutely clear to them that if they refused to take full responsibility for the destruction they caused alongside Akatsuki, we would march directly onto their territory. They know perfectly well that right now there is no one in their entire village capable of standing up to me or our elite troops."

The council members nodded with satisfaction and relief. Daigo's overwhelming individual victory over the Tsuchikage had left Iwa paralyzed with fear, on top of losing a jinchūriki.

"The provisional command of Iwagakure had no choice but to yield to avoid their own eradication," Daigo continued, unfurling a scroll bearing the official seal of the Land of Earth onto the table.

"They have formally accepted the terms of a definitive ceasefire. Furthermore, they signed off on transferring an astronomical sum in reparation funds and sending immediate shipments of polished stone, high-strength steel, and resources to rebuild every destroyed building in Suna. Money and materials have already begun flowing into our treasury via the northern trade routes."

The leaders nodded in approval. Daigo had not only punished the traitors of Iwa, but he had also secured the economic future of the village.

However, the tone of the meeting shifted drastically when Daigo looked down at a black-bordered scroll resting right by his right hand. The victorious atmosphere dissipated instantly, giving way to a mournful silence.

"But we cannot fool ourselves by celebrating diplomatic victories when the cost in blood has been devastating," Daigo uttered with restrained bitterness. "The military casualties of this invasion have struck at the very core of our elite structure. Among the many brave shinobi who gave their lives defending the village, I must officially report the fall of two fundamental pillars. Kaito and Yokai, renowned members of the Seven Swords of the Sand, fell heroically in combat against Akatsuki officers while protecting civilian underground shelters."

The council members bowed their heads in mourning. Kaito and Yokai were not only exceptional warriors with terrifying mastery over their respective swords, but they also represented the raw strength and pride of Sunagakure's guard.

"Their names will be engraved on the village's central monument," Daigo ordered.

"Their families will receive lifetime state pensions, and their swords will be kept in the royal armory until worthy successors emerge to wield them. We will not allow their sacrifice to be in vain."

Rasa, who had not spoken until now, raised his hand to catch Daigo's attention. Daigo nodded for him to speak.

"Everything sounds good to me, but what do you plan to do with the Five-Tails? We still have it captured, and knowing you, I doubt you'll return it," Rasa asked, causing the others to direct their attention to Daigo.

Daigo nodded before speaking.

"That's right, I will not return it. They used it against us again, and since we captured it, it belongs to us now. Whether they like it or not doesn't matter to me. For now, we will keep it sealed until someone worthy comes along to bear it and become the jinchūriki of the Five-Tails."

Hearing Daigo's words, everyone knew nothing would change his mind, so they nodded.

For the next forty minutes, the session continued addressing administrative matters: the redistribution of medical supplies coming from Iwa, the creation of new sensory detection barriers around the desert perimeter to prevent future surprise attacks, and the establishment of double patrols under the direct command of Sasori and Rasa.

When the wall clock marked the end of the session, Daigo raised his hand, concluding the assembly.

"That is all for today. Return to your posts and keep the troops on high alert."

As soon as the door opened, everyone passed right by Sunae, who remained leaning against the corridor wall. The young girl watched them leave one by one, noting the exhaustion and gravity stamped on the leaders' faces. Once the last council member crossed the threshold, the hall fell into absolute silence.

Inside the room, Daigo let out a long, heavy, deep sigh. He leaned back in his large chair, closed his remaining healthy eye, and massaged the bridge of his nose with two fingers to try to soothe the throbbing headache that threatened to split his skull.

The physical overload and mental fatigue accumulated were astronomical. Just as he extended his hand to take the next file from the stack, his refined sensory perception caught a very familiar chakra signature—soft yet unstable—waiting patiently on the other side of the wall.

Daigo opened his eye, looked toward the door, and gave a slight hand gesture to the ANBU guard standing motionless in the corner of the office.

"Open the door and let her in. I don't know why you didn't let her pass earlier."

At his last remark, the ANBU simply shook their heads internally, knowing he himself had instructed them not to let anyone through. The guard bowed his head, stepped forward quietly, and opened the heavy wooden structure.

"Princess Sunae, your father is waiting for you."

Sunae tensed slightly upon hearing her name, straightened her clothes with trembling hands, and crossed the threshold into the room. The door closed softly behind her.

Seeing her father's condition, the physical reality of his sacrifice hit her like a direct punch to the stomach.

Daigo fixed his uncovered eye on her and wiped the military rigidity from his face, adopting a much softer expression.

"Is something wrong, Sunae?" he asked in a tone full of paternal patience.

Sunae didn't answer right away. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at the two ANBU guards stationed near the room's windows, then snapped her gaze down to the floor, biting her lips and tightly interlacing her fingers.

The discomfort and distress in her posture were so obvious that Daigo didn't need words to understand what his daughter needed.

With a subtle nod toward the ANBU, Daigo gave a short command:

"Clear the room. Maintain watch from the outer perimeter."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage!" the two shinobi answered in unison before vanishing instantly in a blur of speed, leaving behind only a slight gust of air.

Silence reclaimed the large office once more, but this time it was a warm, intimate, and safe silence.

Daigo stood up slowly from his chair. His movements were firm, though a slight stiffness in his posture betrayed the wounds still healing under his clothes.

He walked slowly around the large wooden desk until he stood just inches from his daughter. Seeing her so small, so crestfallen, with her eyes fixed on the stone floor tiles, Daigo extended his right hand and, with infinite tenderness, placed two fingers under Sunae's chin, gently lifting her face.

When their eyes met, Daigo could see his daughter's eyes completely filled with water. Those tears held back through days of pure pressure finally overflowed, streaming endlessly down her cheeks. Feeling exposed and protected all at once, the fragile composure Sunae had tried to maintain shattered into a thousand pieces.

"Dad!" Sunae burst into a heartbreaking sob, unable to hold back the pain any longer.

The young girl threw herself forward, crying with a desperation that squeezed the Kazekage's heart.

"Why... why does all of this have to happen?" Sunae expressed between gasps, pausing abruptly to catch her breath, her voice completely broken.

"Why does there have to be so much death, so much pain, and so much destruction? I was in the hospitals... I saw people who have always treated me so well die... I felt so completely useless on the battlefield! And... and I feel like I was an embarrassment to you and the village during the tournament finals... I didn't live up to what you expected of me... I couldn't protect anyone..."

Daigo didn't let her keep talking. Without saying a word, he leaned down, wrapped his strong arms around his daughter's waist, and lifted her off the ground with the same ease he had when she was just a little girl taking her first steps. He turned slowly, walked back to his large Kazekage chair, and sat down, keeping Sunae curled up directly in his lap.

Sunae hid her face in her father's chest, pressing her cheek against the tough fabric of his uniform and clinging to his robe with both hands, as if fearing he might vanish if she let go. Her heartbroken crying echoed off the office walls, releasing every drop of fear, frustration, guilt, and helplessness she had kept bottled up since the invasion began.

Daigo didn't interrupt her or tell her to calm down right away. Instead, he began running his right hand down her back in a slow, patient, and steady rhythm, stroking her hair to convey his warmth and presence.

Meanwhile, Daigo wore a sad, melancholic smile on his lips, feeling a deep ache in his chest as he saw his little princess confront the darkest, bloodiest, and most heartless side of the shinobi life for the first time.

Several minutes passed with only the girl's crying and the sound of the wind rattling the windowpanes filling the room. Slowly, Sunae's breathing began to even out, her sobs softened into quiet hiccups, and her desperate grip on her father's robe loosened slightly.

When he noticed she was calmer, Daigo pulled a cloth handkerchief from one of the side drawers of his desk. With extreme gentleness that drastically contrasted with the brutality he usually displayed on the battlefield, he wiped the tears from her eyes, dried her cheeks, and smoothed away the strands of hair stuck to her forehead from crying.

"Sunae... look at me," Daigo requested in a deeply serene voice, filled with a warmth and paternal authority that filled the room.

Sunae looked up, showing her red, swollen eyes from crying, and fixed her gaze on her father's single eye.

"Listen very carefully to what I am about to tell you," Daigo began, holding her face with one hand.

"Death, war, and destruction are the most tragic, harsh, and constant realities of the world we were born into. It isn't something you caused, nor is it something you could have prevented on your own. And I want you to get that absurd idea out of your head that you embarrassed me in the tournament finals."

Sunae lowered her gaze slightly, but Daigo gently pressed her cheeks so she wouldn't break eye contact.

"That day at the tournament, I didn't see a failure or an embarrassment," Daigo continued with absolute firmness.

"I saw a brave kunoichi with monstrous talent and, above all, a huge heart that genuinely cares about her comrades and the people of her village, even if you get carried away by the thrill of battle," Daigo said, bringing a slight smile to Sunae's face before he continued.

"Furthermore, you possess a beautiful empathy, Sunae—a light that many shinobi lose just a few years after taking a life. However... you must understand a very hard lesson."

The young girl remained completely silent, listening to every syllable as if it were a commandment written in stone.

"Your mother and I have massive expectations for you, not because we want to pressure you or demand impossible things, but because we know the infinite potential that lives inside you," Daigo explained, his eyes burning with contagious determination.

"We know perfectly well that you will achieve everything you set your mind to in this life, just as your brothers will. But in this world, good will, noble feelings, and tears of frustration are not enough to save anyone. To protect the lives of the people you love, to prevent ninjas from Akatsuki or other villages from destroying your home, and to keep this village standing, you need one single thing: strength. A destructive, unyielding, and absolute strength. And one more thing."

Sunae felt a shiver run down her spine. Her father's words didn't sound like a scolding, but like a torch igniting a completely new flame deep within her soul, though she was left wondering what that other thing was.

"Dad, what's the other thing I need?" Sunae asked.

"Well, although strength is important, you need friendships and bonds you can trust. Even though you have Daiku and Kimimaro and they will always be by your side, having more reliable people is always good. But without enough strength to impose yourself over your enemies, the best intentions in the world become simple tragedies," Daigo concluded, breaking into a smile full of pride and affection.

"That's why I need you to stand up. I need you to become strong, to turn yourself into an impenetrable wall. Only then can you protect your smile and the smiles of others."

Sunae wiped the last traces of moisture from her face with the back of her sleeve. She looked intently at the bandage covering her father's empty socket, finally understanding the giant weight of responsibility he carried on his shoulders every second of his life so they could have a home to return to. A new, mature, firm determination settled in the young girl's gaze.

"I promise you right here and now, Dad," Sunae said in a clear, steady voice devoid of any trace of doubt.

"I am going to train harder than you ever imagined. I will set aside my immaturity, I will become extremely strong, and I will protect this village with my life... to become the next Kazekage and make you deeply proud of me."

Daigo let out a low, genuine laugh, feeling the day's fatigue vanish for a moment. He ruffled her hair playfully, messing it up as he pulled her into one last embrace.

"I know perfectly well you will, my princess. I have never doubted you for a single second."

While in Sunagakure the spark of a new generation was beginning to forge itself over the ruins, hundreds of kilometers away, in the heart of the Land of Rain, the outlook was infinitely darker.

At the top of the highest tower in Amegakure—a structure of black steel and massive pipes rising toward a perpetually overcast sky—water fell in a relentless torrent, pounding against the metal gargoyles with a metallic, rhythmic echo. Inside the main hall at the peak, submerged in heavy, cold gloom, the Akatsuki organization was holding an emergency meeting.

Of the original lineup of ten S-rank criminals who had once sworn to sow terror across the Five Great Nations, the roster was severely depleted.

Two fundamental pillars were no longer present: Banatel, whose body had been defeated in his confrontation against Daigo, and the leader figure of Akatsuki, Pain.

The remaining members stood atop the fingers of a demonic statue, casting their shadows against the stone wall.

Konan stepped forward, her dark robe adorned with red clouds draping flawlessly over her figure. Her voice, cold as mountain ice, echoed through the hall.

"The operation in Sunagakure has concluded. From this moment on, the organization will fall back and operate exclusively from the shadows for the next three years. We will use this time to restructure our members, fund our military resources, and strengthen the foundations of our intelligence network before executing our next strategic move."

Arangis crossed his arms with clear annoyance, letting out a dismissive scoff that echoed in the gloom.

"Operate from the shadows again?" Arangis asked in a raspy tone laced with suspicion.

"We lost Banatel, and the leader was destroyed in that Sand village. Was Pain nothing more than a simple articulated corpse? Who guarantees that this organization still has real direction, or if we're just following the orders of a ghost?"

Before Konan could answer, a masked figure hopped comically onto one of the stone platforms. Tobi began waving his arms exaggeratedly, clutching his head with dramatic gestures.

"Oh no! How awful! Was boss Pain fake?!" Tobi shrieked in his high-pitched, ridiculous voice, bouncing in place.

"Tobi is terribly confused and scared! If the boss was a puppet, that means Tobi could be turned into a puppet too! Somebody save poor Tobi!"

No one in the room bothered to laugh at the masked man's act. The tension in the air was so dense it could be cut with a kunai, and everyone knew that without a leader powerful enough to keep them in check, there was no reason to stay.

Konan didn't even look at Tobi or Arangis. She kept her gaze fixed on the back of the hall, where the iron doors began to open slowly with a metallic creak that brought everyone to an abrupt silence.

From the depths of the outer gloom, the sound of slow footsteps began echoing across the metal floor.

Out of the shadows emerged a tall, erect figure draped in the black Akatsuki robe with red clouds.

This was no pale corpse pierced by black iron rods, nor an unfeeling puppet controlled from afar.

He was a living man, a shinobi of flesh and blood advancing with overwhelming elegance and presence. His long, vibrant red hair—characteristic of the pure Uzumaki lineage—fell impressively over his shoulders and back. But what froze the blood of every mercenary present was his face: as he raised his head, his eyes revealed the absolute, deep, and unmistakable gleam of the original Rinnegan.

The amount of chakra emanating from his body was so massive, dense, and heavy that the air inside the hall became difficult to breathe. The spiritual pressure he exerted on his surroundings far surpassed the limited vitality that Tendo Path had ever managed to convey.

It was Nagato in his full form, free from the bonds of what had once been his support machine and charged with a rejuvenated life force.

The members of Akatsuki, including the most arrogant and violent, wiped any smirk from their faces and adopted serious, alert combat postures, recognizing instantly that they stood before a monster on a completely different level.

Nagato stepped forward until he stopped dead in the center of the hall, sweeping his purple, ringed gaze over every member of the organization.

"Pain was merely one of my many instruments to dialogue with the world," Nagato declared in a deep, booming voice loaded with absolute authority that seemed to shake the very foundations of the tower.

"However, the name, will, and purpose of Pain will not change at all. The temporary setback in the Sand is nothing more than a simple adjustment in the grand scheme of things."

The silence in the room was absolute; not even Tobi dared to make a single ridiculous move.

"From this very second, we enter the final preparation phase," Nagato concluded, raising his right hand as his Rinnegan eyes glowed with terrifying power in the darkness.

"We will take advantage of these three years of illusory peace to grow stronger. Our final goal has been set, and no force in this world will be able to stop us: the hunt and capture of the nine Tailed Beasts."

"And thus show PAIN."