"By the way, how effective are the medical machines from our trade association? I remember Miss Konan bought two of them, about the same as the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
Keikou Sanmoku casually brought up the topic with a smile, but Konan remained silent, her expression as cold and distant as ever, like an ice-cold beauty.
"Alright, it seems your village is highly wary of us, so I'll get straight to the point."
Keikou Sanmoku took out a capsule, pressed a button, and tossed it aside. With a loud *puff*, a cloud of smoke appeared, revealing a large computer and a projected map inside the room.
A special sealing scroll? Konan watched with a hint of confusion. The man before her wasn't a ninja, so how was he using a sealing scroll? And the design of that scroll seemed rather unusual…
"Miss Konan, does your village have any plans to change the constant rainfall in the Land of Rain? I mean turning it into a climate similar to Konoha, with balanced seasons and mild weather."
As he spoke, Keikou Sanmoku manipulated the computer to display an overview of the Land of Rain, showcasing the endless downpour across its territories. Only a few small areas were not covered by dark clouds, while the rest suffered from relentless rain.
If not for the rivers flowing into the sea, the Land of Rain would have long turned into the Lake of Rain.
"The land and environment here are highly suitable for farming, but the never-ending rain forces the villagers to abandon agriculture and seek other forms of work. As a result, most of your food has to be imported… from the Keikou Trade Association, isn't that right?"
"Recently, the trade association has been shifting more of its focus to the Sand Federation. We might have to slightly reduce the amount of food sold to Amegakure. Apologies, but that is the association's decision."
Keikou Sanmoku nodded slightly at Konan before pointing at the displayed weather patterns. "If we can change the climate here, the people of the Land of Rain wouldn't have to rely on imported food. This is the root cause of the constant rain."
Konan followed his gesture and examined the weather patterns. While she didn't fully understand climate analysis, she could tell that the rain clouds originated from the direction of the Lands of Fire, Grass, and Earth. Her tone turned cold as she spoke.
"Just tell me your goal."
Keikou Sanmoku nodded. "Miss Konan, do you and Pain have any desire to change the Land of Rain? The Keikou Trade Association can make it happen—turn this country into a place as fertile as the Land of Fire, suitable for farming and living. We can even provide high-yield crops. If the villagers cultivate them, they will never go hungry again. Instead, they might even produce a surplus to sell to other regions."
With that, he displayed another projection—a side-by-side comparison of agricultural output. On the left was the typical farmland of the shinobi world, sparse and lacking density. On the right was a field with crops developed by Hyuga Mirai, boasting yields at least three times greater.
"What do you think, Miss Konan? Transform this country and let the people experience the care and protection of their 'angel' and Pain. If you follow the trade association's plan, the people's fear of you will turn into gratitude. They will support you wholeheartedly because you will have brought true change to the Land of Rain."
As Keikou Sanmoku spoke, the screen continued displaying contrasting images.
The gloomy, rain-soaked Land of Rain against the sunlit, thriving Land of Tea.
The weary laborers of the Land of Rain braving the downpour for odd jobs against the prosperous farmers of the Land of Tea enjoying a bountiful harvest.
The final frame settled on the expressions of children from both countries—one group blank and emotionless, the other filled with laughter.
The last image struck a chord with Konan. Though her face remained as calm as still water, her mind drifted back to the vow she, Yahiko, and Nagato had made in their childhood.
The Akatsuki now controlled Amegakure and even the Land of Rain, but had anything truly changed? At most, they had abolished the oppressive policies left behind by Hanzo.
That final image of the children's contrasting expressions unsettled her. She even felt the urge to destroy it.
"Please don't, Miss Konan."
Before she could act, Keikou Sanmoku chuckled as if reading her thoughts. "This computer is worth millions. And even if you destroy it, you're only turning a blind eye—it won't change reality."
He then placed a scroll on the table and continued, "This is the plan to alter the Land of Rain's climate. If you're interested, you can show it to Pain."
Konan stared at him intently before speaking calmly. "You seem to know a lot about Amegakure."
"More or less, just as you understand your own village, Miss Konan. There's no need to be so hostile toward us. If you set aside our connection to the Sand Federation, we should be your best allies, shouldn't we? You have dreams, and the Keikou Trade Association has the power to make them reality."
Konan fell silent for a long time, deep in thought.
Keikou Sanmoku's words hadn't resonated with her at first, but the images had stirred something in her.
She had grown up in this ceaseless downpour. If Yahiko hadn't made the bold choice to seek out Jiraiya, who knew if the three of them would have even survived?
Yahiko had sworn to change this crying country, to bring peace and prosperity to its people.
Yet even now, many people in the Land of Rain were still suffering as they had in the past. War no longer loomed over them, but their quality of life had hardly improved.
The Akatsuki had grown wealthier, but Konan had never felt truly happy. Since Yahiko's death, she had dedicated herself to his dream, but looking back now, she and Nagato had yet to fulfill their original promise.
"We'll take the scroll. You'll have an answer in two days."
A voice came from above. Both Konan and Keikou Sanmoku looked up.
A figure with short orange hair, black facial piercings, and a cold expression stood on the wall. He extended a hand, and in the next moment, an invisible force pulled the scroll into his grasp.
"Pain," Konan said before dissolving into paper, reappearing beside him.
Keikou Sanmoku watched Pain take the scroll, then smiled. "In that case, I'll await your response in Amegakure. As for other matters, we'll discuss them once cooperation is established."
If they couldn't reach an agreement, then there would be no need for further discussion.
Pain and Konan both understood the underlying message in his words. However, what puzzled them was how an ordinary businessman—someone who wasn't even a ninja—had the audacity to speak with such confidence.
Keikou Sanmoku then pressed a button on the back of the computer, causing the device and its projection equipment to shrink back into a capsule. He pocketed it and turned to leave.
As soon as he stepped outside, the Uchiha guards who had been standing by immediately surrounded him. When Pain had appeared earlier, Uchiha Tekka-san and the others had been on high alert. If a fight had broken out, they would have charged in without hesitation.
"Keikou-san."
Keikou Sanmoku waved a hand dismissively. "We might need to stay in Amegakure for a couple more days. Sorry for the trouble, Tekka-san."