Chapter 330: In the End, It’s Still the Same
Yahiko, upon hearing those words, immediately turned to Nagato and told him to kill him. Yahiko’s words were firm, unwavering, yet within his eyes flickered an unmistakable agony—a torment carved deep into his soul.
Nagato instantly refused, his voice strained, because he knew it was a trap. But Yahiko, without hesitation, snatched up a kunai, and in a flash, he plunged it into his own chest. A sharp cry was swallowed by the storm as dark red blood sprayed out, mixing with the puddles of rainwater soaking the ground beneath their feet.
That moment shattered Nagato’s restraint. His Rinnegan gleamed with a frenzied light, swirling violently, his face contorted with a storm of rage and grief that exploded without control.
Nagato summoned the Gedo Mazō statue, and instantly unleashed his wrath upon the Ame shinobi around them. Screams tore through the night, explosions cracked the air, and the gruesome sound of bones shattering echoed everywhere. Blood ran like streams, soaking into the already rain-drenched earth until the ground itself seemed to breathe death.
The rest unfolded just as Aoki had already known: Hanzo and the Ame ninja abandoned the battlefield and fled. Nagato, eventually regaining some semblance of awareness, collapsed from exhaustion. Konan, with trembling hands yet unshaken resolve, carried both Nagato and Yahiko’s lifeless body away from the carnage.
Though at first there had been hope of a different path for the members of Akatsuki, in the end, everything still came to the same conclusion as the story already foretold. The only difference was that initially, Akatsuki surrendered their dream of rebellion, choosing instead a quiet life as fish farmers.
But in the end, with Obito’s arrival, the tide shifted once more. Obito twisted Hanzo’s will, manipulating him to strike against Akatsuki. This time, however, Hanzo attacked while Akatsuki were caught off guard, unable to prepare for the onslaught. Moreover, Hanzo no longer sought aid from Konoha—more precisely, from Danzo’s Root division.
Yet despite these altered details, the outcome was unchanging—Akatsuki still met a miserable, tragic end.
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Elsewhere, in the Oni Main Headquarters, Aoki was seated in his office, reading through a report delivered by the women who ran the Oni tavern near the border between Amegakure and Konoha.
The information detailed a battle of considerable scale, even describing the appearance of a monstrous giant that had thrown the entire area into panic and chaos.
The moment his eyes caught the words “giant monster,” Aoki instantly understood what had transpired. His calm expression hardened, a subtle seriousness washing over his face, as though he had already suspected this outcome from the beginning.
“So, in the end, it’s still the same,” Aoki murmured flatly, his tone devoid of surprise, as he slowly ate his chicken and rice. Meanwhile, Kurisu, Akarin, and Rin sat across from him.
The three of them looked relaxed, each enjoying their own meal: Kurisu was savoring spicy deep-fried fish that still released curling wisps of steam; Akarin was nibbling at grilled rice stuffed with fiery chili and fried quail eggs, its sharp aroma cutting through the room; while Rin had before her a plate of warm rice paired with roasted chicken, its golden-brown skin crisp and glistening with oil.
“What’s wrong?” Rin asked, tilting her head slightly toward Aoki with a hint of curiosity. Her eyes narrowed just a fraction, as if trying to read beyond the mask of calm on his face.
“Nothing important,” Aoki replied curtly, shaking his head. He then placed the document beside his seat, pinning it down with one hand as though ensuring it wouldn’t slip out of place.
At that moment, Aoki and the three girls were seated within his office. The space glowed with the warm, flickering light of an oil lamp hanging overhead. The air was thick with the lingering fragrance of freshly prepared food, a strange blend of comfort and gravity settling into the atmosphere.
“By the way… there’s something I want to say.” Rin’s voice cut through the quiet. Her tone was heavier than usual, carrying a gravity that was rarely present in her words. She looked directly at Aoki, her expression sharp and earnest. Her fingers, which moments ago had been loosely holding her chopsticks, now rested slowly and deliberately on the wooden table.
“Hm? What is it?” Aoki turned toward her, brows furrowing slightly, a puzzled look softening the sharpness of his face as he returned her gaze.
“Could you… could you allow me to help teach Medical Ninjutsu to the members of Kisatsutai?” Rin’s voice faltered at first, betraying her hesitation. Her eyes, however, radiated a firm sincerity, even though she looked slightly awkward, almost vulnerable, in the way she confessed her intent.
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