Chapter 44: Divergence in the Plot
Setting aside the furious wrath of Uchiha Madara after his scheme had been foiled, the moment Sarutobi Hiruzen learned everything from Yahiko, he immediately penned a letter filled with scathing words that rained curses upon Jiraiya, then dispatched a squad of ANBU carrying Yahiko's message to the Land of Rain to search for Nagato and the others.
Meanwhile, deep underground in the Land of Rain, the damp rock walls were beaded with droplets of water, glistening like tiny beads of blood.
Nagato's eyes snapped open, the concentric ripples of his Rinnegan trembling violently.
He struggled to rise, only to discover that his limbs were bound tightly by some viscous black substance. Memories surged over him like a flood—Yahiko's blood-soaked corpse being hoisted by "Root," the sight of Konan collapsing heavily to the ground, grievously wounded, and his own uncontrolled eruption of chakra...
"You're awake?"
The hoarse voice slithered from the shadows. From the darkness, Black Zetsu slowly emerged, seeping forth as though tar were oozing from the stone itself. Half his face was swallowed in shadow; the half that showed was twisted into a grotesque, knowing smile.
"Who are you? Yahiko... and Konan..." Nagato's voice rasped like sandpaper scraping over wood.
"Konan is fine." Black Zetsu moved closer to his side, icy fingers brushing across Nagato's forehead. "As for Yahiko..." He deliberately paused. "Unfortunately, the Konoha shinobi struck too quickly."
Nagato's pupils contracted sharply, the ripples in his Rinnegan spinning in frenzied circles. "No... impossible! That corpse was a fake!"
"You refuse to believe me?" Black Zetsu let out a low, mocking chuckle. "Yahiko died miserably. So devoted to Jiraiya-sensei, yet he forgot the wounds the Konoha shinobi once inflicted upon you." His voice lowered to a poisonous whisper by Nagato's ear. "In the end, his fate was no different from your parents—slaughtered by Konoha shinobi..."
At the mention of his parents' deaths, Nagato's self-control nearly shattered. Chakra surged wildly within him, ready to burst out.
At that moment, a faint, pained moan from deeper within the cavern made him stop short.
Nagato turned his head sharply and saw Konan lying atop a jutting rock, scraps of paper scattered around her. The bandages over her abdomen were already seeping fresh blood.
"You are both in grave danger right now," Black Zetsu's voice hissed like a serpent flicking its tongue. "Hanzō's men are hunting you, and Konoha's ANBU are also on the search. If I hadn't brought you here in time..."
Nagato's breathing came in harsh gasps, his chakra roiling out of control. Yahiko's final words echoed in his mind—'Someone is scheming against Hanzō and Konoha.' He recalled the Root shinobi wearing those animal-faced masks.
In the haze between reality and memory, Black Zetsu's words twisted into something seamless and irresistible. Lacking even the most basic education, his reasoning was too underdeveloped to spot the holes in Black Zetsu's story. Shivering, he followed the other's lead and asked in a trembling voice:
"Why... why would they do this..."
A cruel smile curled at the corner of Black Zetsu's lips. "Because this is the truth of the shinobi world. Hatred breeds strength. Pain gives birth to change." His body began to melt back into the darkness. "Rest now. Once you recover... we will change this world together, and make those who killed Yahiko pay."
When Black Zetsu had completely vanished, Nagato struggled across the rocky floor toward Konan. Grasping her hand tightly, he said, "Konan, I only have you now. You mustn't die! I will make those who hurt us pay!"
On the other side of the cavern, the same Black Zetsu who had just been brainwashing Nagato now stood before an elderly man.
The once-feared "The Devil of all Shinobi" had grown old—so old that he could only hunch weakly against the back of his chair, unable even to stand. And yet, from the shadows, he still had the power to stir chaos across the world.
"Yahiko must die," Black Zetsu whispered persuasively. "Only then will Nagato's full power awaken."
Uchiha Madara, naturally, shared this sentiment. But now that Yahiko had entered Konoha, their movements had already drawn the village's suspicion. Killing him now would be several times more difficult, and it was certain they would leave traces.
Even so, they had no better options. For the moment, they could only continue plotting Uchiha Obito's descent into darkness while feeding Nagato their manipulations.
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In the special ward of Konoha Hospital, the sharp scent of disinfectant mingled with the bitter tang of medicinal herbs.
Rin leaned back against the headboard, carefully regulating her chakra as she secretly studied her own kekkei genkai.
"It's time for your medicine," Kobayashi Riko entered, pushing a medical cart. She deftly unwrapped the bandages around Rin's abdomen. "The wound is healing well, but your chakra pathways still need time to recover."
As a seasoned medical-nin, Kobayashi Riko immediately noticed that her patient had not been resting properly and had instead been secretly practicing ninjutsu. Her elegant brows drew together sharply, and she poked Rin's forehead with a reprimanding finger.
"Have you been practicing ninjutsu again? You are not allowed to circulate chakra during this recovery period! You're a medical-nin yourself, so why can't you follow medical orders? Keep this up and I'll report to your father!"
Rin hurried to beg for mercy. She absolutely could not let Kenichi find out she was injured. If he knew she had returned to Konoha and was now in the hospital, she could forget about recovering in peace.
Her gaze landed on a half-visible sheet of paper sticking out from Riko's nurse uniform pocket—it looked like a war report. Rin quickly changed the subject. "Is there news from the front?"
Riko's eyes lit up and she lowered her voice. "A victory announcement from Hokage-sama just this morning." She glanced warily at the doorway, then pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper. "Orochimaru-sama repelled Sunagakure's offensive. I heard even the Fourth Kazekage's gold dust was scattered!"
Rin took the sheet—It was an official brief printed for public release, every line infused with the joy of victory. But she noticed scorch marks along the edge. "This is...?"
"Fished out of the waste bin," Riko admitted sheepishly. "The full battle report said that Chiyo used poison, but Tsunade-sama managed to counter it. In that battle, Sunagakure lost more than thirty jōnin."
Rin's fingers tightened around the sheet. Only Sunagakure's casualty numbers?
She knew Sarutobi Hiruzen would only release news of their victories, while concealing Konoha's own losses. Such control over information was as much about maintaining morale as it was a necessary wartime measure.
"And here's something even more amazing," Riko leaned closer, her breath trembling with excitement. "Minato-sama took down fifty Iwa-nin all by himself. Now, the moment the enemy hears the name 'Konoha's Yellow Flash,' they flee without looking back!"
Rin feigned surprise on her face, though inwardly she was hardly shocked—this was the man who would one day become the Fourth Hokage.
Still... wasn't Namikaze Minato supposed to be on the Kumogakure front?
"And that's not all. Before this, Minato-sama single-handedly held back Kumogakure's AB Combo on the battlefield, forced them to retreat without gaining a single inch!"
Riko then gave Rin a regretful look. "If you hadn't been injured, your name would be spreading across the village too. I've heard that Orochimaru-sama has already recommended you for commendation. Rumor has it you might be promoted to chūnin. Even though you don't have the required number of missions, there's a special wartime promotion system. With your achievements, you'd pass without question!"
"How do you even know all this?"
"Hmm? Don't you worry about that."
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