Uchiha Itachi fell silent as the words reached him.
"The Akatsuki Organization's true purpose in taking Sasuke is only known to them, isn't it? It's to benefit Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan."
Kakashi's voice remained steady, calm, and measured, yet each syllable struck like a hammer, reverberating in the minds of everyone present.
On the other end of the connection, Itachi no longer maintained his usual composed demeanor. The calm exterior that had always masked his inner thoughts cracked just slightly. He did not respond—not out of agreement, nor denial, but because he was unsure how to.
For a long moment, he simply stared, lost in contemplation. Were all the choices he had made, the sacrifices he had endured, truly worth it? And Sasuke… was he about to pay the ultimate price for the burdens Itachi had carried alone?
It wasn't just Konoha who was concerned; even Nagato and Konan, having understood the stakes of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, were beginning to suspect that Uchiha Itachi's involvement was far more intricate than anyone had realized.
As the rain fell steadily over Hidden Rain Village, the atmosphere grew heavier, thick with unspoken tension. Suddenly, from the outskirts of the village, a powerful chakra fluctuation surged—a ripple so intense it cut through the quiet patter of rain.
Nagato immediately severed contact with Itachi, his Rinnegan eyes narrowing as he scanned the horizon. "Leaf Village's Anbu?" he asked cautiously, his voice low but alert.
Within moments, dozens of figures appeared along the village borders, clad in black cloaks with masks bearing the shapes of animals. Their movements were precise, disciplined, and swift—an unmistakable display of Root ninjas, elite operatives from Konoha trained to execute commands without hesitation.
Nagato's gaze shifted toward Jiraiya, the faint glow of his Rinnegan pulsing with barely contained scrutiny. "Is this the Leaf Village's sincerity?" he asked, his tone carefully neutral but edged with incredulity. "We had just begun discussing cooperation, and yet you send your Anbu to surround us?"
Jiraiya's expression twisted with embarrassment. He had not anticipated such a development. Hastily, he turned to Kakashi, seeking an explanation. "Kakashi, what's happening? Weren't you just here to escort me?"
Kakashi's brow furrowed, his eyes grave. "I was ordered by the Third Hokage to escort Lord Jiraiya. As for these Root ninjas…" He paused, glancing toward the advancing black-cloaked figures. "It might be Danzo."
At the mention of Danzo's name, Nagato's entire demeanor changed. His aura, already formidable, grew even more intense, darkening with memories long buried. Rainwater swirled around his feet as if trembling in response to his growing rage.
Danzo. The man who had long influenced the balance of Hidden Rain Village through subversion and control. The man responsible, in no small part, for Yahiko's death.
From the shadows, Black Zetsu, ever the observer, shifted slightly, recognizing the danger. His instincts screamed that something was spiraling out of control. He knew Obito could act irrationally—but this situation with Konoha, with Danzo at the helm, felt… wrong.
Danzo's timing was too precise, too calculated. Even a seasoned manipulator like Black Zetsu sensed that someone, somewhere, was stirring the pot, ensuring that chaos would unfold even as the world teetered on the brink of destruction.
Amid the steady drizzle, footsteps echoed across the flagstones. Slowly, a figure emerged from the cluster of Root ninjas, leaning on a cane, his dark gray robe dripping with rain. The air itself seemed to still in his presence.
Danzo.
Countless eyes turned toward him, but Danzo's gaze rested solely on Nagato, cool and analytical, hiding a flicker of interest beneath the mask of composure.
"The Rinnegan… I finally meet you," he said, his voice low and hoarse, carrying the weight of twisted ambition and greed.
Killing intent ignited in Nagato's eyes, a surge of chakra rippling outward as the Six Paths of Pain stirred in response, radiating lethal energy.
"You shouldn't have come," Nagato said, his tone steady, yet layered with uncontainable wrath.
Kakashi instinctively drew his short sword, stepping protectively in front of Jiraiya. "Lord Jiraiya, it seems peaceful communication will be very difficult now," he said calmly, though tension laced every word.
Jiraiya's face contorted with suppressed fury. "Danzo! What are you doing here? Are you here to sabotage the negotiations?"
"Negotiations?" Danzo's voice was laced with a subtle, venomous amusement. "I am still the Hokage's assistant. Do you think the Akatsuki Organization truly wishes to cooperate? They only paralyze us, buying time for their schemes. The world is on the verge of annihilation. What we need is to control and integrate all available forces—not indulge in naive diplomacy."
Jiraiya's mouth tightened in barely suppressed exasperation. "So you brought an entire Root squad and forcibly entered their territory?"
Danzo's expression remained impassive. "If we do not demonstrate the Leaf Village's strength, how will they submit willingly?"
The tension in the air thickened, taut like a drawn bowstring. One wrong move, one surge of emotion, and catastrophe would follow. Nagato's Rinnegan pulsed with blinding light, the Six Paths of Pain aligning in perfect formation, each radiating readiness to strike.
Above, heavy clouds churned, rain falling in relentless sheets. The atmosphere was electric, almost tangible, charged with power and the impending clash of ideologies.
Danzo, leaning slightly on his cane, observed Nagato with a cold, calculating smile. His gaze, however, betrayed a flicker of curiosity. He had long underestimated the boy who had once been Yahiko—the same boy now wielding god-like power through the Rinnegan.
And then, as if remembering a long-forgotten memory, Danzo's lips curved into a faint, sardonic smile. His voice carried the weight of condescension and provocation.
"The Rinnegan… how did it end up with you?" he asked, speaking casually, almost as if teasing. "I remember… your name is Yahiko, isn't it?"
The words detonated the fragile calm like a spark hitting dry tinder. Nagato's eyes narrowed, his aura expanding violently as raw, murderous intent erupted from him. Even the rain seemed to shiver under the weight of his fury.
Konan's chest heaved violently, her voice breaking through the torrential rain. "You… what did you say?" Her words trembled with anger and grief, as memories long buried surged forth. Danzo had dared to trample on their most sacred scars, mocking and provoking them with a single sentence.
Danzo's smirk deepened. "Hanzo was truly useless," he said casually, arrogance dripping from every word, as though the entire world existed merely for his amusement.
The Six Paths of Pain stiffened, sensing their leader's fury. Nagato's body moved as one with the surrounding chakra, the air itself distorting in response to his power.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The command exploded outward like a violent storm. The ground warped and cracked, rainwater shot upward in towering waves, and Root ninjas were hurled through the air, crashing against walls with sickening force. Blood mingled with water, the cries of the injured echoing through the rain.
Even Danzo was forced to retreat, staggering under the magnitude of the shockwave. His cane snapped against stone, sending splinters flying as he stumbled back several yards before regaining balance.
"You dare insult Yahiko's name," Nagato's voice thundered across the battlefield. "You are not worthy to set foot on this land!"
Black Zetsu, observing from the shadows, could only think: I'm really tired…
The storm raged on, and the world seemed to hold its breath, witnessing the clash of wills and the reawakening of old vendettas. Nagato, Yahiko reborn in spirit and power, was no longer a mere student or pawn. He was a force to be reckoned with, and any who challenged him would soon discover the true cost of their arrogance.
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