The Land of Thunder.
Located in the northeastern corner of the Shinobi world, the Land of Thunder is mostly mountainous, with rolling hills and rugged terrain. Most of the population lives scattered among the cliffs and slopes.
To adapt to the landscape, the farmers grow buckwheat and barley—both hardy, cold-resistant crops well-suited for the high altitude. Tea is also cultivated, serving as a major economic export.
In some valleys, winding rivers run deep through the mountains. After the planting season, farmers transform into part-time fishermen, casting nets in both freshwater and brackish currents to supplement their food supply.
Today began like any other morning.
Villagers woke before dawn, kissed their children goodbye, and gathered in groups to head downriver. Nets slung over their shoulders, they boarded rickety boats and pushed off into the mist.
Summer was nearing its end. With only a few weeks of warmth left, they needed to catch enough fish to make it through the colder months. If the catch was good, maybe they'd even be able to buy new clothes for their children before winter came.
The fog hung thick over the river as the fishermen moved quietly among the reeds.
One by one, nets were thrown and retrieved.
Empty.
Thrown again.
Still empty.
And again.
Nothing.
"What's going on today? Where did all the fish go?" one of the fishermen grumbled, scratching his head in confusion.
Before he could think too much, his companion suddenly tugged on his sleeve.
"Hey. Look—"
The man turned, following his friend's gaze.
A small boat drifted silently through the mist.
It wasn't big—just enough to carry two people, one adult and one child. Between them sat a small stove, and from it came the gentle aroma of cooking fish.
That alone wasn't strange.
What was strange was what trailed behind the boat:
A massive, pale snake's head.
More accurately—a dragon's head. Or so it seemed.
"Wait! Do snakes… grow horns?" one of the more educated fishermen asked, eyes wide.
"No way. That's a dragon, for sure! It has to be!"
As the boat drew closer, the fishermen began to realize what had really happened.
The river wasn't empty.
The fish hadn't vanished.
They were following the snake's head—no, the White Snake Immortal's head.
The fish didn't dare bite it. They simply swam behind in reverence, soaking in the traces of divine energy leaking from the corpse. With each sip of that tainted water, the fish grew plumper, stronger—and stranger. A dim flicker of intelligence seemed to gleam in their eyes.
Their scales shimmered in rainbow hues under the morning mist. Some even leapt into the air, flashing like koi leaping through the Dragon Gate of legend.
Above, white cranes and herons flew overhead, drawn by the scent of divinity. They hovered, breathing in the rising steam with grace.
"Immortal… an immortal…"
No one knew who spoke first.
But one fisherman suddenly dropped to his knees and bowed toward the figure in the boat.
Logan.
He had slain a dragon, called birds from the sky, and made fish leap like spirits.
If he wasn't an immortal… then who was?
The Sage of Six Paths reborn?
After the first knelt, the rest followed. Dozens of fishermen knelt in the boats, pressing their heads to the wood in reverence.
But these were fishing boats—not known for their stability.
So many standing at once made them rock violently. Several unlucky souls tumbled overboard with loud splashes.
Normally, experienced fishermen wouldn't worry. But today, the river boiled with thousands of energized fish, churning the current into chaos. The men couldn't climb back up and screamed for help.
Logan sighed from the boat.
"I just wanted a peaceful breakfast," he muttered, "but it's always something."
Sasuke smirked and ladled a bowl of fish soup, handing it to Logan.
He knew Logan well. No matter how annoyed he pretended to be, he wouldn't let innocent people drown.
Logan accepted the bowl, tapped two fingers on the side of the boat.
A green ripple spread across the river.
Suddenly, the current surged. The fishermen who had fallen in were swept upward—flung gently back onto their boats.
Their knees hit the planks again. Even more awestruck than before, they bowed and shouted thanks.
Then, as if in response, six or seven fat fish leapt from the water and landed beside them with wet thuds.
From the distance, Logan's voice echoed calmly:
"The morning water is cold. Go home and make some soup."
---
Logan's boat continued drifting downriver.
This was the main river that led directly to Cloud Shinobi Village. Keep following the current, and you'd reach the heart of Lightning Country.
From both sides of the riverbank, shadowed eyes observed.
Bushes rustled, wooden Golem puppets loomed in the trees. The number of observers grew with each passing mile.
Among them were Cloud Village scouts, as well as spies from other major shinobi nations.
Xi was one of them.
With golden hair and a handsome face, Xi was Cloud Village's intelligence specialist—a master of genjutsu, perception, and medical ninjutsu.
Cloud Shinobi had launched the surprise attack that started this mess. And they'd already received word that their agent, the Wooden Golem, had been destroyed.
But Logan had vanished afterward.
No reports. No sightings.
Xi had assumed Logan was like many others—hesitant to start an all-out war between villages. The type to prioritize the "bigger picture."
Just like Konoha's Third Hokage once did.
He thought Logan had inherited the Will of Fire.
But then… Xi saw it.
The colossal snake head floating behind the boat.
Cloud had a covert alliance with Ryūchi Cave. Naturally, they had done their research.
There was no mistaking it.
The White Snake Immortal.
A thousand-year-old monster. Now dead. Its head torn from its body.
Xi clenched his fists, struggling to breathe evenly.
"Logan... destroyed Ryūchi Cave alone?"
Slapping his cheeks to calm himself, he whispered:
"He single-handedly annihilated one of the Three Great Sacred Lands…"
He wasn't the only one who reached that conclusion.
Spies from various villages exchanged information, whispering urgently.
Unlike Xi, whose face was pale with tension, the other spies seemed excited.
Because they knew Logan's pattern.
When faced with arrogance, he was even more domineering.
Since his name first appeared in intelligence reports, Logan had never lost. He shattered deadlocks, destroyed schemes, and bulldozed through enemies.
And now that Ryūchi Cave was gone…
Was Cloud Shinobi next?
One by one, carrier pigeons were released into the sky, flapping toward their hidden outposts.
The eyes of the world turned toward Logan.
On one side: Cloud Shinobi Village, a rising military superpower.
On the other: Logan, a force of nature wrapped in human skin.
Everyone wanted to know—
Who would win?
---
Elsewhere.
Obito turned a shining scale over in his hand—a trophy brought back by Zetsu, who had observed the battle from the shadows.
He looked toward Pain and said simply, "Need I say more?"
"Obviously," Pain replied. "It's a win either way."
Whether Logan destroyed Cloud Village or died trying, the result was the same:
Akatsuki gained.
At that moment, all remaining Akatsuki members were gathered at their base. Pain had called them together to reveal the next stage of their plan.
But first—
"Introducing our new member," Pain announced.
He stepped aside.
A tall, thin figure walked from the shadows into the candlelight.
With a bright, sunny smile, the newcomer greeted them.
"Hey everyone," he said cheerfully. "I'm Hidan. Nice to meet you all. Since I don't know your preferences, I'll just offer a blessing from the Evil God…"
He smiled wider.
"I wish you all a quick and painful death."
No one said a word.
Deidara whispered under his breath, "A Uchiha traitor, a lunatic cultist, and…"
He glanced at Konan, still flipping through her ledger.
"…and a vice leader brainwashed by the enemy."
Deidara shook his head.
"Akatsuki… it's really time to pack it up."
But Pain didn't care for the sarcasm. He turned and addressed the group with conviction.
"For now, all standard missions will be suspended. Capturing the Tailed Beasts is our top priority."
"The Tailed Beasts?" Uchiha Itachi frowned slightly. "Are we preparing for war with the Five Great Nations?"
"Not yet," Pain replied. "Thanks to Logan, both the Two-Tails and Three-Tails have escaped their villages and gone rogue. If we position ourselves strategically, we can intercept them without engaging any nation directly."
Kakuzu, the organization's financial manager, raised his hand.
"What about the money?"
The steady flow of cash from Kirigakure had dried up. Maintaining their vast intelligence networks, gear, and logistics wasn't cheap. Akatsuki might be small in number, but their expenses were massive.
What's worse, the funds in their accounts kept mysteriously vanishing.
Kakuzu had reviewed the books multiple times. All he found were suspicious entries marked "Explosive Tag Depreciation."
Depreciation?
Who the hell burns through ten million ryo worth of explosive tags?
Everyone knew it was Deidara. But he refused to admit it.
Still, missions were being suspended. No more mercenary contracts. No more side income.
Was he supposed to rely on Sasori selling his creepy dolls for cash?
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes.
"You better have a solution."
"Don't worry," Pain said calmly. "We'll receive financial backing from a powerful conglomerate."
Kakuzu raised an eyebrow. "Which country's?"
Pain gave a faint smile and replied:
"The Five Great Nations."
Deidara's eyes sparkled.
"Akatsuki… you're really getting better and better!"
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