The Land of Rain.
True to its name, it was a nation perpetually veiled by rainfall. Three people once believed that this endless downpour was the land's way of weeping—mourning its unending suffering.
So they founded an organization called Akatsuki, meaning "Dawn", hoping to bring light not only to this wounded country, but to the entire shinobi world.
They began to gather comrades who shared their ideals. What had started as a small group slowly grew into a well-known organization throughout the Land of Rain.
But as Akatsuki expanded, it began to alarm the aging leader of Amegakure — Hanzō. His ambition had long withered, but his paranoia had not. With the help of a certain high-ranking intelligence operative from Konoha, Hanzō crafted a detailed plan to eliminate Akatsuki once and for all, before they could threaten his control over the village.
However, fate had other plans. Just as Hanzō prepared to act—he received shocking news. There had been an internal conflict… within Akatsuki itself.
It all began when Madara, after being defeated by Mitsuki in the Land of Water, was forced to retreat. Madara accepted that he'd lost this round. Without hesitation, he activated his contingency plan.
Through the cursed seal he had placed on the vessel nurturing his Rinnegan, Madara sent a pulse of chakra across vast distances.
At that very moment, far away in the Land of Rain, within a towering gray building — the Akatsuki headquarters — Yahiko and his comrades were holding a morning meeting.
Yahiko pointed at a map spread across the table.
"Kyūsuke, your mission is to investigate this sector. The war between Konoha and Suna has ended, but bandit groups have multiplied. Be careful—there may be rogue shinobi among them."
Kyūsuke nodded seriously. "Understood. I'll carry out the mission with everything I've got."
Yahiko chuckled. "Haha, no need to be so stiff. We're all comrades here. Your safety comes first, always."
He continued assigning tasks, but as the meeting went on, Konan noticed something was wrong .Nagato was trembling.
She stepped closer, concern in her voice. "Nagato, are you feeling unwell?"
Yahiko also noticed, frowning. "You've been on too many missions lately. You should rest today."
Nagato didn't respond. His head was lowered, his long bangs concealing his face—but behind that curtain of hair, his purple Rinnegan was wide open, almost splitting from strain.
Dark markings began to crawl across his skin beneath the Akatsuki cloak. When those ominous patterns reached his face, both Yahiko and Konan realized something was terribly wrong—but it was already too late.
Nagato screamed in agony. A surge of overwhelming chakra blasted outward, knocking everyone back.His hands formed seals instinctively:
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A massive cloud of smoke erupted. From within, a towering, monstrous form appeared—its grotesque frame bursting through the ceiling and walls. Chunks of the building rained down as the Gedo Statue emerged in full.
Out of the haze stepped Madara.
He muttered coldly, almost to himself,
"So many rats… Nagato, it seems you've grown rather complacent over the years."
To Madara, true strength was solitary.Those who huddled together for warmth were, by nature, weak.
The surviving Akatsuki members scrambled to evacuate the collapsing building. Madara moved his hands in a blur.
"Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"
Outside, someone shouted in confusion, "What's going on with Nagato—?!"
Before he could finish, a dozen sharp wooden stakes shot from the smoke, impaling him and several others instantly.
The branches grew inside their bodies, sprouting outward through flesh and armor until no life remained. When the smoke cleared, Madara surveyed the carnage—only a few survivors remained.
Yahiko stared in horror at his fallen comrades, shouting, "Who are you?! Why are you doing this?!"
Konan's eyes darted toward Nagato, who was barely conscious, his body trembling violently.
Madara ignored them. He raised his hand to summon another volley of wooden spears—but at that moment, Nagato's will flared. The curse markings that had crept to his face stopped, retreating back to his neck.
"Universal Pull!
Several wooden stakes froze midair, suspended by an invisible force before Nagato's eyes.
Gritting his teeth, Nagato said,
"Whoever you are… if your goal is me, then it's because of these eyes, isn't it? Let Yahiko and the others go—or I'll destroy them!"
Madara turned his head slightly, his expression calm.
"Don't misunderstand… those eyes aren't yours to destroy."
Nagato didn't understand what he meant—but he knew his guess had been right.The stranger wanted the Rinnegan.
"Let Yahiko and the others go!" he roared.
Madara smirked. "Heh… you can't even control your own life, and yet you dare to make demands?"
With a flick of his wrist, more wooden stakes shot forth. Two Akatsuki members screamed as the wood pierced them clean through—the branches split, and they died instantly before Nagato's eyes.
Nagato's vision blurred red. His breath came in ragged gasps. His rational mind told him not to act on emotion — but every part of him wanted to crush these cursed eyes, just to see the look on his enemy's face.
Yahiko couldn't stand by any longer. "We're not just going to die here! Everyone, attack!"
"Great Waterfall Technique!"
The remaining members joined in — kunai, shuriken, and ninjutsu raining toward Madara from all directions.
Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly. A pair of ethereal blue skeletal arms materialized—Susanoo. Every attack bounced harmlessly away.
The massive arms swept across the battlefield. Several Akatsuki members were smashed aside like dolls, blood spraying midair before their bodies hit the ground, motionless.
Of the dozens who had gathered, fewer than ten remained alive. They leapt and dodged desperately, trying to evade the relentless attacks.
Kyūsuke stumbled mid-jump — the skeletal arm descended toward him like a falling mountain.
"Water Bullet Technique!" Yahiko shouted, launching a burst of water to divert the blow.It didn't do much damage, but it slowed the arm just enough for Kyūsuke to escape.
But Yahiko was left exposed. The other arm of Susanoo swung down with deadly force.
"Yahiko!" Konan screamed.
"Almighty Push!
In that instant, Nagato's will exploded again. The shockwave blasted Susanoo's arm backward, saving Yahiko.
"Yahiko! Konan!" Nagato shouted. "Don't worry about me! You can't beat him—run! Now!"
"Run!"