The reason Nagato and the others were so shocked was very simple.
If Konoha and Amegakure officially formed an alliance, it would essentially be equivalent to declaring war on the other four great ninja villages.
If it were another village, perhaps the others wouldn't be so wary.
But Amegakure was different.
It sat at the intersection of three great nations, making its strategic and political position extremely sensitive.
In simple terms—
Whichever village allied with Amegakure would gain a forward base for invading other villages, a hand that could reach deep into enemy territory.
In the past, several villages had signed alliances with Amegakure.
But those had merely been symbolic agreements, the kind that could be torn up at any moment.
This time was completely different.
"Lord Feng… is Konoha really willing to sign a formal alliance treaty with us?" Nagato asked in surprise.
None of them were fools. They all understood the implications of such a move.
Just the pressure Konoha would face from the other four great villages would be enormous.
"Heh…"
Ning Feng simply smiled faintly, not bothering to explain.
At that moment, a member of the Akatsuki hurried into the room excitedly.
Only then did he notice that the Third Rain Shadow had returned.
He immediately bowed to Ning Feng before speaking to the group.
"Lord Feng, Lord Nagato, Lord Yahiko, Lady Konan…"
"News just arrived from Konoha."
"High-ranking elder Hiruzen Sarutobi has passed away due to old age."
"After Sarutobi's death, Konoha's leadership has undergone a series of rapid personnel changes…"
The moment those words were spoken—
Nagato, Yahiko, and the others suddenly realized something.
They all turned to look at Ning Feng with shocked expressions.
Soon after, their expressions changed to deep admiration.
None of them were stupid.
They understood immediately.
Sarutobi had supposedly died of natural causes on the surface.
But in reality—
He must have lost a political struggle and fallen from power.
At the moment, Konoha's real authority had been split between Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze.
Now that Sarutobi was dead…
And Minato treated their Third Rain Shadow with great care—even showing signs of possibly handing power to him in the future—
It suddenly made perfect sense.
No wonder Konoha was willing to bear the pressure of the other villages and formally ally with Amegakure.
Everything behind this situation must have been secretly orchestrated by their Third Rain Shadow.
The more they thought about it, the more Nagato and Yahiko looked at Ning Feng as if he were a god.
"I just realized something…"
"Even an old fox like Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't a match for our boss."
Nagato sighed in admiration.
Yahiko nodded in agreement.
"That's right. When it comes to political battles, our boss is the true veteran."
"How could Sarutobi possibly compete with him?"
"Alright, that's enough flattery."
"Now do you understand why we're forming a formal alliance with Konoha?"
Ning Feng shrugged.
Nagato and Yahiko immediately nodded like obedient subordinates.
Soon afterward, Ning Feng assigned them various tasks regarding the alliance with Konoha.
These included matters such as treaty signing between the two Kage, diplomatic coordination, and other formal procedures.
Once those matters were settled, the conversation quickly shifted to the next topic—
Hunting a Kage.
Nagato and the others naturally couldn't understand why Ning Feng wanted to hunt the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
After all, Sunagakure was currently going through internal turmoil within the Land of Wind.
The once-important military village had seen its budget drastically reduced.
In recent years, countless Sand ninjas had been unable to find work and were forced to become rogue ninjas.
Additionally, the Land of Wind was already a barren region with scarce resources.
Many people had no choice but to become ninjas just to survive.
As a result, the country was plagued by constant internal friction and occasional small rebellions.
Compared to other villages, Sunagakure posed the least threat to Amegakure.
That was why Nagato and the others couldn't understand why Rasa was the target.
Ning Feng simply smiled and didn't explain too much.
Instead, he issued orders.
He instructed the Amegakure intelligence division to immediately gather all possible information on Rasa.
As for Ning Feng himself—
He would personally make a move.
In truth, Ning Feng had several reasons for hunting Kazekage Rasa.
First, it would serve as a demonstration of Amegakure's terrifying strength, intimidating the other villages.
Second, he wanted to test the true power of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
But the real reason he chose Rasa was something else entirely.
It wasn't because Ning Feng was picking an easy target.
It was because Rasa's value was simply too great.
Although Amegakure was developing well, it still lacked stable financial resources.
Rasa possessed a unique ability—
His Gold Dust technique.
He could literally create gold.
If Ning Feng captured him and brought him back, the increase to Amegakure's financial income would be unimaginable.
And without Rasa producing gold to support its economy, the already poor Sunagakure would likely collapse even faster.
Of course, if the other Kage learned that Ning Feng was hunting Rasa simply to increase revenue…
They would probably die of anger.
Honestly, if Ning Feng had encountered Orochimaru, he would have kidnapped him immediately for one thing—
The Impure World Reincarnation (Edo Tensei) technique.
The combat value of Edo Tensei armies wasn't actually that high.
But if they could be turned into perpetual engines, the energy they generated alone could push Amegakure into the ranks of the top ninja villages within a short time.
Unfortunately, although Orochimaru and Kabuto had mastered Edo Tensei, they had never truly utilized its full potential.
"We'll start gathering intelligence immediately."
"Lord Feng… when will you depart?"
Nagato took a deep breath.
Ever since the First Great Ninja War, it had always been other villages attacking Amegakure.
Although during the Second Great Ninja War, the Second Rain Shadow—Hanzo the Salamander—had declared war on three nations…
In reality, Amegakure had mostly been forced into a defensive position.
Never before had they taken the initiative to strike.
And now—
Their Third Rain Shadow, Uchiha Feng, was proposing to hunt down a Kage.
Their excitement was beyond words.
When had Amegakure ever felt such pride and confidence?
Ning Feng didn't answer.
Instead, he silently stood atop the highest point in Amegakure, gazing down upon the world below.
The scene carried a striking resemblance to Pain standing above Konoha before destroying the entire village.
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