Bang!
With a loud slam, the heavy door of the meeting room shut behind him. Danzo, who had just endured over two hours of relentless interrogation from Hiruzen and his three advisors, stormed out with a dark expression on his face.
"Damn that Kakashi... how did he find out I have the Three Tomoe Sharingan?"
His face twisted with irritation, Danzo clenched his fist. This secret was known only to him. Not even his most loyal Root operatives were aware of it. Yet somehow, that brat Kakashi—a mere child with barely any interaction with him—had unearthed it.
Worse, Hiruzen was starting to show signs of doubt. If Danzo hadn't preemptively destroyed the eye gifted to him by Uchiha Kagami on his deathbed, Hiruzen might've had the evidence to bring him down. In that case, today's punishment would've gone far beyond a temporary confinement.
Just as he was simmering in frustration, a masked Root ninja appeared and knelt respectfully.
"Danzo-sama, we received a message. It's from Hanzo."
Danzo raised his hand dismissively. "Save it. We'll discuss it back at the base."
"Yes, sir."
---
Back in the underground Root headquarters, Danzo finally relaxed into his chair, his visible eye narrowing with anticipation.
"Now, what's the message?"
"Hanzo has agreed to our terms," the Root agent replied after receiving Danzo's nod to proceed.
Danzo's cold demeanor shifted slightly. A glint of satisfaction flashed in his eye. "Even the additional conditions?"
"Yes. However, in return, he demands immediate reinforcements."
Danzo leaned back, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "So urgent... when does he plan to act?"
"According to our intelligence, Hanzo has arranged a meeting with the leader of the Akatsuki—scheduled to take place in one month."
Danzo smirked. "Perfect timing."
He stood and turned away from the Root ninja, gazing at the dimly lit map hanging on the wall.
"Send word to Team B. Dispatch fifteen squads for support. Move quickly."
"Yes, sir!"
Danzo's smirk deepened. The Third Hokage's ban wouldn't officially take effect until tomorrow. That gave him just enough time to operate in the shadows without consequence.
"One more thing," Danzo added. "Remind them—we've already made our agreement."
"No matter the result, make sure we recover every single benefit Hanzo promised. Understood?"
"Understood!"
Danzo paused, then let out a quiet chuckle.
"Oh, and when you engage… don't actually fight. Just create chaos. Focus on protecting yourselves."
He turned, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Only a chaotic Rain Country is useful to us. I'll bleed them dry, and when they have nothing left, they'll have no choice but to bow to me."
This, he thought to himself, is the kind of strategy that proves the value of Root.
Victories without bloodshed. Influence without sacrifice.
Such accomplishments would place him one step closer to the Hokage seat.
---
One month later, in a rainy valley deep within the Land of Rain.
Dark clouds blanketed the sky, casting a suffocating gloom over the earth below. The rain fell endlessly, cold and thin, driven sideways by bitter wind.
Standing high above the basin was Hanzo of the Salamander, flanked by members of Danzo's Root division. Below them stood Yahiko and Nagato, drenched and cornered, the basin acting like a trap.
Hanzo's eyes were cold and emotionless.
"Your organization stands in my way."
He took a slow breath.
"Yahiko, as your leader, you must die here today."
And then, as if to heighten the tension, he held up Konan—Yahiko and Nagato's closest companion—his kunai pressed dangerously close to her neck.
"If you still dare to resist… she dies."
With that, Hanzo lowered the kunai and threw it down, planting it firmly between Yahiko and Nagato.
"The red-haired one," Hanzo said, eyes narrowing. "Use this kunai to kill Yahiko, and I'll let you and the girl live."
Nagato stared at the weapon in horror, rainwater mixing with the tears streaming down his cheeks. His long red hair clung to his face, soaked through.
"Don't, Nagato!" Konan shouted, her voice breaking. "Leave me—just run! You and Yahiko both!"
"Nagato…" Yahiko finally broke his silence. His eyes were calm, but resolute. "Kill me."
"No!!" Konan screamed, her voice filled with desperation.
She couldn't bear it. If Yahiko died, there would be no reason for her to live.
Hanzo ignored her. "Well? Are you going to do it, or shall I kill her now?"
Nagato's chest felt tight. His breath hitched. He was paralyzed, body trembling.
Slowly, he stepped forward, picking up the kunai with trembling fingers. His eyes—full of helplessness and despair—met Konan's.
He couldn't do it.
But before he could even decide—
Thump!
Yahiko surged forward suddenly.
Before Nagato's eyes could widen in shock, Yahiko seized his hand—and forced the kunai into his own chest.
Blood sprayed, warm and crimson, hitting Nagato's face.
Nagato stood frozen, the life draining from Yahiko's eyes right in front of him.
With his dying breath, Yahiko spoke softly, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth.
"Together… with Konan… survive…"
"You're the savior of this world. I believe in you…"
And then Yahiko collapsed, his lifeless head resting on Nagato's shoulder.
"YAHIKO!!!"
Konan's scream tore through the rain-soaked valley.
It was a sound that pierced bone and soul—unmistakably the sound of a heart being shattered.
---
Nagato couldn't move.
Images flooded his mind like a tidal wave.
His parents, slain by Konoha Shinobi.
The days of wandering alone, starving and cold.
The moment he met Konan—the girl who brought him food and warmth.
How she carried him back to the cave, where Yahiko waited.
There, he had found a new family.
A war-torn land offered no refuge for orphans. To survive, they had to steal food—scrap by scrap.
Nagato was always the weakest and the slowest. Often, he'd get caught and beaten.
But Konan would bandage his wounds gently, and Yahiko—always grumbling—would share what little food he had.
Even then, Yahiko never gave up on the future.
He fought to become stronger.
He led them to Jiraiya.
Under his tutelage, the three of them learned ninjutsu and hope.
And when Jiraiya left, promising they'd meet again when they were grown—
They formed the Akatsuki, driven by Yahiko's dream of peace without violence.
More and more followed them. They began to believe. Nagato began to believe.
And now, here they were.
Yahiko's body lay limp in his arms.
Everything was falling apart.
---
Nagato could still hear Yahiko's voice echoing in his mind:
> "Nagato, do you have a dream?"
"I won't die in a place like this. I want to conquer the world."
"If I stood at the top, I wouldn't have to live in misery anymore."
"Only by making the perpetrators feel the same pain can people understand each other."
"This country is crying, Nagato. It's in pain. And I want to save it."
Nagato's hands clenched.
His heart, broken and bleeding, now pulsed with hatred.
"Damn it… DAMN IT! In this twisted world of war, there's no place for Yahiko's dream!"
A roar escaped his throat.
Darkness exploded from within him.
The Rinnegan in his eyes gleamed with unnatural power. Concentric ripples glowed with deadly energy.
It was a terrifying transformation.
The massive chakra hidden in his Uzumaki blood surged forth. His Rinnegan absorbed it like a bottomless pit.
Something ancient was awakening inside him.
Nagato raised his hand high into the air.
His voice echoed through the rain—
"Summoning Technique… Gedo Statue!!"
The sky split open as a monstrous, terrifying figure descended—
The Gedo Statue had returned to the world once more.
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