That night, Shin ultimately did nothing to Kaori beyond practicing some healing ninjutsu techniques on her. Afterward, he simply advised her to go back and rest.
The next morning, the group woke up early.
"We need to move quickly," Shin instructed as they swiftly packed their belongings. "The longer we stay, the more attention we'll draw."
Nagato adjusted his pack, glancing at their remaining inventory. "What about the supplies we haven't sold yet?"
"Leave them," Shin replied firmly. Better to lose some profit than risk exposure. We've already drawn too much attention.
The priority now was to quickly leave the Land of Grass and ensure Kaori's safe return to Akatsuki.
On the way back, he yawned several times, the lack of sleep finally catching up to him. This made Konan, walking beside him, feel guilty.
"You've worked so hard this time, Shin. Be sure to get a good rest once we're back," Konan said, her voice full of concern.
Shin has been working tirelessly for Nagato and for all of us. I even doubted him before—how foolish of me! Konan silently rebuked herself, watching his tired face.
Behind them, Kaori was being carried on Nagato's back, her arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders. Watching Konan show her concern for Shin stirred unexpected feelings within her.
On one hand, Konan's words made her even more grateful to Shin. But on the other hand, she felt a twinge of sadness. Was it because I'm too old and no longer young that he was so restrained last night? Kaori wondered, feeling a little sorry for herself.
Shin had no idea that his yawns had sparked so many inner thoughts among those around him. He was simply tired from not sleeping well.
However, just then, as they were running, his expression suddenly changed.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Konan immediately rushed to his side. Paper began to materialize around her fingers, ready to deal with any threat.
"Nothing," Shin shook his head, regaining his composure. His eyes scanned the horizon, but he wasn't really seeing it.
It had nothing to do with the others. His sudden alarm came from a quick, unconscious check of his system. He discovered that his destined outcomes had changed again. These numbers...
The probability of dying of old age remained unchanged, still at 0.6%. However, the probabilities of dying in Konoha in several different scenarios had dropped to zero—not because he'd become safer, but because he wouldn't live long enough to reach those scenarios.
In other words, the likelihood of him not surviving another year and a half had greatly increased.
What's going on? Why did this happen? Did I do something wrong recently? Every action should have been calculated, precise. His fingers twitched unconsciously, counting through his recent decisions.
Could it be because I saved Kaori? But that doesn't make sense! He glanced back at the woman on Nagato's back, analyzing and dismissing the possibility.
In the original timeline, Kaori herself had no ties to Akatsuki. True, her future daughter Karin would have had connections to the organization—but that was meaningless now. By rescuing Kaori, he'd already changed the future. There was no guarantee Karin would even be born, let alone follow the same path.
No, something else must be causing the acceleration.
For the rest of the journey back, he racked his brain, finally confirming that none of his recent actions should have had such an impact.
There was only one explanation left: it wasn't his fault—it had to be something within Ame. When the variables don't add up, look for the unknown factor.
Could Yahiko have done something foolish again? That idealistic fool is always the wild card in my calculations.
As soon as they returned to the base, he rushed to find Yahiko.
Unexpectedly, Yahiko was also looking for him. Upon seeing Shin, he immediately pleaded for help.
"Shin? It's great you're back. There's been a tricky situation lately, and I need your advice."
His hands fidgeted with some papers on his desk.
Relieved to have solved the mystery, Shin calmed down and said, "Go ahead. What's the problem?"
"Recently, while we've been gathering wandering ninja, we've encountered open and secret resistance from other Ame shinobi."
"Some of our members even reported being robbed and extorted by them, which has made everyone uneasy."
"Other Ame shinobi?" Shin suddenly understood. "Hanzō's men?"
"Yes."
"Why are they targeting us now? What have you been doing lately?" Shin continued to ask. There's always something with you and your misguided good intentions.
Yahiko looked innocent, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture. "We haven't done anything extra. Just the usual—helping neighboring villages, spreading our ideals, and taking in orphaned refugees." His voice carried genuine confusion, as if he couldn't understand why anyone would object to such noble actions.
To be fair, Yahiko was a good person, genuinely devoted to helping others. Unlike the hypocritical saints of later generations, he acted on his convictions.
But these were chaotic times, and Shin quickly identified his mistake.
"Wait, have you been giving out aid constantly? How much have you used in the past few days?"
Yahiko's face grew awkward. He shuffled some papers around, clearly trying to avoid direct eye contact.
Just tell me the damage, Shin thought, watching the obvious avoidance.
"Not much... maybe about a quarter of the supplies." Yahiko whispered.
Shin's eyes widened in shock. A quarter?!
The secret warehouse they stored supplies in contained enough to affect the economy of the entire Land of Rain. And in just a few days, Yahiko had given away a quarter of it.
No wonder Hanzō's men are robbing you! Anyone would be tempted by such a fat target.
He sighed and said, "Stop it immediately. You're just inviting trouble for Akatsuki."
He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, organizing his thoughts before asking, "Do you normally have any contact with Hanzō?"
Please tell me you at least maintained basic diplomatic relations.
Yahiko looked even more embarrassed, if that was possible. His face had the expression of someone who'd just realized they'd forgotten something incredibly obvious.
"Occasionally, we send letters." He started fidgeting with a loose thread on his sleeve.
"How often is 'occasionally'?"
"I sent him one letter two years ago…"
Seriously? You've only been leading Akatsuki for a few years. Shin felt a headache building behind his eyes.
He now felt that Yahiko's death in the original story wasn't so unjust after all. Having good intentions and being proactive is great, but his complete lack of tact was the real problem.
Hanzō has always been the de facto leader of Ame.
Back when Akatsuki was just a small grassroots organization, not reporting to him was fine. But now, with their increased influence and recent gains, how can they expect the local ruler to tolerate them without even informing him?
Basic politics, Yahiko. Even a genin should understand this much.
Recalling the sarcastic remarks he had made about Minato not long ago, Shin realized how quickly the tables had turned.
There was no respect for Hanzō at all. With everything now clear, he knew what had to be done. He straightened up, his fatigue forgotten in the face of this crisis.
"Stop your charity work right away, Yahiko. You're attracting too much hatred towards Akatsuki."
"And take out half of the supplies you've given away recently. Seal them in a scroll and offer them to Hanzō as tribute."
"Also, let me know how you delivered letters before. I'll write one to Hanzō myself."
Turning to one of Yahiko's ninja followers who stood nervously in the corner, he asked, "How's the task I gave you about copying Minato's statement?"
The follower glanced at Yahiko, who hung his head low, unable to defend himself. Even your own people can see how badly you've mishandled this, Shin thought, watching the interaction.
"We've made over a hundred copies like you asked," the follower said.
Shin nodded. "Good. Distribute these statements to the surrounding towns."
"Emphasize that Konoha's next Hokage, out of respect for Hanzō's power, made this concession. Stress that Hanzō has once again protected the Land of Rain!"
"Make sure you say it exactly like that. Got it? Also, have the refugees we've helped spread this news. The faster it spreads throughout the Land of Rain, the better."
The follower looked conflicted, casting repeated glances at Yahiko. But with no solutions of his own and worn down by recent conflicts, he had no choice but to rely on Shin's plan.
"Follow his instructions," he said. "His advice is indispensable to us right now."
Yahiko could only comfort his followers this way.
Shin chuckled lightly. "What an honor. It's rare to hear you praise me like that."
Yahiko's cheeks twitched awkwardly. He didn't want to admit it, but he had no grounds to argue. To make things worse, Nagato and Konan entered the room, their timing impeccable as always.
"That's great, Yahiko! You've finally come to trust Shin!" they congratulated Yahiko in unison.
Their synchronized approval only seemed to deepen his discomfort. It was one thing for Konan to say this—she had been increasingly supportive of Shin's decisions lately. But even Nagato had changed during their recent journey. The usually quiet and reserved Uzumaki now spoke with conviction about Shin's judgment.
Yahiko's feelings at that moment were indescribable. He looked from one face to another, searching for any sign of the old dynamic, the old loyalties.
Why does it feel like the world around me is changing too fast? Yahiko found it hard to keep up.
"We should start implementing these changes immediately," Shin said. "Every hour we delay is another hour Hanzō's men might act against us."
He began organizing the papers on Yahiko's desk, taking control of the situation. Yahiko could only watch as his companions nodded in agreement, their faith in his leadership visibly shaken.
Sometimes the best victories come not from confrontation, but from simply being there when others falter.