Konan's body dissolved into countless sheets of paper and drifted lightly up into the overcast sky.
Raindrops slipped through the gaps between the papers, but couldn't soak the specially treated sheets.
She circled overhead, looking down at the black tide gathering below.
Three hundred meters away, Rain shinobi were forming ranks.
Not a few dozen—two full platoons, more than eighty ninja.
They wore uniform gray rain cloaks, their forehead protectors glinting coldly through the curtain of rain.
Farther out, even more figures flickered in and out among the trees.
Konan's heart sank.
She dropped lower. The papers gathered back into a human shape, and she landed on the branch of a dead tree.
Through the rain, she saw the center of their formation: a figure in a gas mask standing atop a massive salamander.
The salamander was the size of a small house, its skin a dull brown and its back studded with poison glands.
Hanzo of the Salamander himself.
Why would Hanzō-sama bring an army here?
Konan couldn't make sense of it.
She drew in a breath, unfolded paper wings behind her, and sped back toward the base.
At the entrance, Yahiko stood at the front, rain dripping from his short orange hair.
Behind him were more than twenty Akatsuki members, every face tense.
"Konan's back," someone murmured.
Paper fluttered down like snow. Konan re-formed in front of Yahiko, her face pale.
"Hanzo is leading them personally. At least eighty Rain shinobi."
"Hanzo…"
Yahiko clenched his fist.
He couldn't understand it. Things had been fine just days ago—so why did they suddenly send this many ninja at Akatsuki?
If this was negotiation, it wouldn't look like this.
Just then, Kiyohara, Tsunade, and the others walked over as well.
"Tsunade-sama," Yahiko said.
"The Rain shinobi are here?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes." Yahiko nodded.
And they were almost certainly here with hostile intent.
He found himself wondering if yesterday's attackers on Konan had also been Rain shinobi.
But to identify a ninja's true affiliation, you either needed to analyze their ninjutsu—or see their uniforms.
Right now, neither clue was clear.
"This is antitoxin. I've fought Hanzo before."
Tsunade produced a bottle.
After getting burned by Hanzo once, she had analyzed the salamander's poison. But she hadn't returned to the Land of Rain since, so she'd never had a reason to use it.
"Antitoxin?"
Yahiko hadn't expected something like this.
And Tsunade was giving it to them?
His impression of Konoha shinobi improved yet again.
Even Nagato shot Tsunade a brief, surprised look.
"You're cooperating with Konoha. That makes you allies. Konoha won't abandon its allies lightly," Tsunade said, shaking her head.
If she had come here on a mission, she would finish the mission.
And frankly, this mess had started because of Konoha.
But Tsunade couldn't exactly say that out loud.
"I don't have much antitoxin."
She handed Yahiko a small vial. How he distributed it was his decision.
Then she took out several more bottles—one for Shizune, one for Kurenai, and the largest one she gave to Kiyohara.
"Sensei, you're not taking any?"
"I don't need it."
Tsunade waved it off.
With her hemophobia, she couldn't really fight even if she wanted to. Fighting a strong enemy meant blood.
"Put it away," Tsunade told Kiyohara.
He could fly—if things went bad, he could take Shizune and Kurenai and get out.
"Understood, Sensei."
Kiyohara accepted the biggest bottle.
Somehow he felt like he was getting treated even better than Shizune now.
"Tsunade-sama, thank you for your generosity."
Even a small vial made Yahiko happy.
He poured it out, split it into multiple smaller bottles, and distributed them among Akatsuki members.
Then Yahiko looked at Nagato.
"Nagato, take the non-combatants and evacuate through the back mountain tunnel. Kyūsuke—take a few people and assist him. Make sure everyone gets out safely."
Nagato's red hair clung to his cheeks in the rain, the Rinnegan faintly visible between strands.
"Yahiko, I'll stay. My power—"
"Your power is for protecting the people who trust us," Yahiko cut him off. "Go. That's an order from the leader."
Nagato fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
He turned toward the civilians gathered deeper in the base—elderly, women, and children.
Idaten Kyūsuke had already started organizing them.
"Stay close. Don't make a sound," Nagato said.
The group began moving, slipping into a crack in the rock wall behind the base.
Yahiko watched until the last silhouette vanished—only then did he turn back.
In the time they'd spent, Rain shinobi were already advancing out of the nearby woods.
Most eye-catching was Hanzo's summoned salamander, looming like a living fortress.
Rain shinobi clustered behind Hanzo, filling the slope.
For many Akatsuki members, it was the first time seeing a formation like this—they looked openly frightened.
Kiyohara, Kurenai, and Shizune had lived through the Third Shinobi World War; their expressions didn't change.
"Tsunade… long time no see."
Hanzo noticed her.
"It has been," Tsunade replied.
"What—your other two Sannin friends didn't come?"
The sarcasm in Hanzo's voice was obvious.
Tsunade's brows tightened slightly.
"They don't need to."
She gave Hanzo a cool glance.
Hanzo was older than she was. And a shinobi's power usually declined with age.
Hanzo might not be as strong as he once was—while she and her generation were still in their prime, with room to grow.
If Hanzo was willing to work with Shimura Danzō, Tsunade guessed he'd already rotted from the inside.
"Is that so."
Hanzo sneered at her calm face.
Then he signaled the salamander to spew out poison mist, and Rain shinobi immediately followed up with Wind Style to spread it.
"Watch out—poison! Use Wind Style!" Yahiko shouted.
He hurriedly released a wind technique. With a wind affinity, he could use Wind Style, of course.
But one person's wind was a drop in the bucket. Only when other Akatsuki members snapped out of it did they begin casting Wind Style in succession.
"Sensei, you should step back."
Kiyohara expected there would be blood soon. Better for Tsunade to move away early.
"Fine."
Tsunade nodded. Before leaving, she summoned Katsuyu, then retreated into Akatsuki's base.
A small slug climbed onto Kiyohara's shoulder.
Kiyohara watched the purple poison mist continuing to spread.
Without Tsunade's antitoxin, Akatsuki would've taken heavy casualties right there.
He formed hand seals.
"Wind Style: Dragon Tornado!"
He unleashed a high-level Wind Style technique.
A massive tornado rapidly formed, fed by wind chakra, swallowing up the entire purple mist. From a distance, the white funnel looked like it was turning purple.
Paired with "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Release Song," it could even produce a wide-scale sea of fire.
"What a huge tornado!"
Kurenai's crimson eyes flashed with surprise.
Before she trained Wind Style, watching Kiyohara was like a frog at the bottom of a well staring up at the moon.
After learning Wind Style herself, she finally understood how much wind mastery—and chakra—something like this demanded.
Under Kiyohara's tornado, Hanzo's poison mist was completely swept away and hurled far into the distance.
Hanzo didn't expect Kiyohara to neutralize it so easily. His contempt faded.
At his signal, the Rain shinobi behind him surged forward—
and the melee with Akatsuki began.
...
Elsewhere, Nagato led the evacuation from the front, with Idaten Kyūsuke and a few Akatsuki members guarding the rear and checking constantly for pursuers.
"We're almost there," Nagato said quietly.
The exit opened onto a mossy slope of broken stone, beyond which lay dense conifer forest.
Nagato slipped out first. The Rinnegan scanned the area. Only after confirming it was safe did he step fully out.
He turned back and helped the others climb out one by one.
When he carried the last child out, a distant explosion rumbled.
Nagato hesitated for a fraction of a second.
"Nagato… big brother?" the child looked up at him.
"…It's fine." Nagato patted the child's head, then turned to Kyūsuke.
"Take them to the designated hiding spot. Food and medicine are already prepared."
"And you?" Kyūsuke asked.
"I'm going back," Nagato said.
Before the words even settled, his figure vanished into the rain.
Kyūsuke opened his mouth, then only sighed, turning back to wave the crowd onward.
"Everyone, follow me—move!"
Nagato raced through the forest.
Rain slapped his face, icy and biting.
The Rinnegan granted him extraordinary perception; he could feel hostile chakra massing near the base, and Yahiko's chakra surging violently.
The battle had already started.
Just as he was about to break out of the trees, the space ahead warped.
It rippled like the surface of water, and a figure slowly appeared—wearing an orange spiral mask, only one crimson Sharingan eye visible.
"Who are you?" Nagato demanded, fingers already on his ninja pouch.
"Uchiha Madara," Obito said, imitating Madara's tone.
Nagato narrowed his eyes.
"Madara? What do you want with me?"
"Your eyes are the Sage of Six Paths' eyes," Obito said flatly.
Manipulating Nagato was part of the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Used properly, the Rinnegan could accelerate tailed beast collection tremendously.
"You know these eyes?" Nagato asked, suspicious.
Even Jiraiya-sensei didn't know much about the Rinnegan—most of it was still unknown.
"Of course," Obito nodded.
"Guiding the one who awakens the Rinnegan is an ancient mission of my organization. You are the reincarnation of the Sage's will—the one who longs for a stable world."
As he spoke, he walked forward.
Yet the rain kept passing through him, as if he wasn't truly "there" in that space at all.
"The great nations bask in sunlight while small nations like yours barely breathe in shadow."
"To end war, you must draw out the Rinnegan's true power. Come to my side. I'll tell you how to use that power."
Nagato stared at him in silence.
Rain streamed down his red hair, pooling at his feet.
"I don't need your guidance."
He shook his head. He wasn't an idiot—he wasn't going to believe some stranger who popped out of nowhere.
"Akatsuki has its own path. We'll achieve peace through understanding, communication, and mutual help. Peace won through violence is just another form of oppression."
Under the mask, Obito frowned.
Nagato was still too naïve.
As always—only loss could awaken the darkness inside.
"This world's rules were never changed by words," Obito's voice sank.
"Pain. Loss. Hatred. Only by living through them can humans truly understand the value of peace."
"Then I'll understand it my way," Nagato said, turning away.
"And if you really are Uchiha Madara, you should know this: forcing others to accept your ideology is the beginning of war."
Obito stood in place, watching Nagato's back fade into the rain.
Rain fell through Obito's body and pattered onto the earth.
"So without pain… you can't taste reality?" he muttered.
"Even with the Rinnegan, you're still just human, Nagato. Fine. Let your own suffering show you the truth."
Space twisted again, and Obito dissolved like smoke.
Only the sound of rain remained.
Nagato didn't look back.
Normally, he would've investigated someone that mysterious.
But right now, he had something more important.
The explosions near the base were growing more frequent.
Nagato quickened his pace.
...
Meanwhile, far away at the Mountain Graveyard…
The enormous Demonic Statue of the Outer Path loomed deep inside the cavern.
Uchiha Madara sat in a wooden chair, his aged body wrapped in a black cloak.
White Zetsu rose slowly from the ground, his body twisting like melting wax.
"Madara-sama, there's a small issue with Obito," Zetsu said cheerfully, completely out of sync with the mood.
"Nagato refused the 'guidance' and insists on following Akatsuki's own path."
Madara's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh?"
"And also… Kiyohara has exceeded expectations. He…"
White Zetsu reported everything he knew.
Madara listened without much emotional change.
Most developments had been within his predictions.
The only true exception was Kiyohara's Sharingan evolution speed—and the sheer growth of his chakra reserves.
Compared to Kiyohara, even Obito started to feel… less appealing.
If Kiyohara were as easy to manipulate as Obito, awakened Mangekyō, and gained a powerful ocular ability, Madara would've considered him the perfect successor.
But that was only if.
"Bring me some of the statue chakra I've stored," Madara ordered.
Nagato might end up summoning the Demonic Statue soon, and Madara needed chakra prepared in advance to avoid dying of old age.
...
Back outside Akatsuki's base, the battle had fully erupted.
Rain shinobi advanced from three directions. Kunai and shuriken struck sparks in midair.
Akatsuki members used terrain and cover, but their numerical disadvantage was overwhelming.
"Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death!"
Kurenai's voice rang out through the rain.
Her figure vanished, and three Rain shinobi suddenly froze, terror flooding their faces.
In their illusion, the trees came alive—thick branches wrapping tight, squeezing tighter and tighter.
In reality, they simply stood there, unable to move.
Shizune seized the opening and flicked both hands—dozens of poison senbon shot out.
The needles hit necks and joints. The three shinobi grunted and collapsed.
"Nice!" an Akatsuki member shouted.
But more Rain shinobi immediately filled the gap.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Wind fed the flames. Fire exploded even in the rain, turning the area into a steaming kill zone.
Two Akatsuki members couldn't evade in time and were swallowed by fire.
"Damn it!" Yahiko roared, forming seals.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Rainwater gathered above him and formed a vicious water dragon that slammed into the blaze.
Water and fire collided, producing an even larger cloud of steam that briefly obscured vision.
Konan circled overhead, paper shards firing like darts toward enemies on the ground.
But the Rain shinobi were prepared. Several formed seals at once:
"Fire Style: Fire Bullet!"
Fireballs shot into the sky. Konan scattered into paper again, but some sheets still ignited.
At that moment, Kiyohara charged straight into the Rain shinobi.
Curse mark patterns spread across his skin in branching lines.
His first punch went toward a Rain chūnin rushing him head-on.
The punch cut a clear line through the rain—but it missed.
Yet—
BOOM!
An invisible impact slammed the chūnin's chest. He flew back, snapping two trees before collapsing with his ribs caved in.
"What?!" The Rain shinobi around him stared.
Kiyohara didn't slow.
A side step—an elbow strike.
Again, no contact—yet the enemy on his left was smashed in the side, vomiting blood as he fell.
A turn—one kick.
His foot was still half a meter away, but three enemies were launched at once.
Frog Kata.
Inside the base, Tsunade sensed something.
She couldn't step out to see blood, but she could still feel what was happening.
In her perception, Kiyohara's chakra suddenly changed—into something she recognized.
Natural energy.
"That feeling… Sage Mode?" Tsunade thought.
She hadn't taught him senjutsu yet. And he'd already learned it?
"No… it's different in the details," she realized.
Kiyohara's chakra didn't feel like Jiraiya's.
~~~
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