The Land of Rain.
Rain poured endlessly here, year after year.
The downpour washed over the earth, leaving the stones on the ground slick and treacherous.
On a high outcropping of rock stood Hanzō of the Salamander, cloaked in a long robe and wearing his signature gas mask.
In his hand, he held Konan, her wrists bound tightly together.
Behind him stood several Amegakure shinobi, alongside Danzō Shimura, his right eye covered, and more than a dozen Root operatives wearing animal masks.
Below the rock stood two figures.
One was the orange-haired Yahiko.
The other, the red-haired Nagato.
"To me, your organization is nothing but an eyesore,"
Hanzō said coldly.
"Yahiko, as the leader, you will die here today.
If you continue resisting—this woman dies."
He pressed a kunai against Konan's throat.
The cold metal touched her skin as rainwater slid down the blade, mixing with the soaked strands of hair on her forehead and dripping into her eyes.
Yahiko's breathing abruptly stopped.
Hatred burned in his eyes as he stared at Hanzō, his fingers digging deep into his palms.
He had only wanted to build a bridge— a bridge of understanding between people, a path toward peace.
So why had it come to this?
He was an Amegakure ninja too.
A child of the Rain.
Rain slid down his trembling fingertips and fell into the mud below, like drops sinking into a bottomless abyss.
Nagato's Rinnegan quivered faintly behind the curtain of rain.
His nails bit into his palms, blood mixing with rainwater and trickling down.
He stared at Yahiko's rigid back, his throat tightening as if an invisible hand were choking him.
Konan's breathing was weak, yet there was no fear in her eyes— only absolute trust in the two of them.
Thunk.
Hanzō threw the kunai toward Yahiko.
It embedded itself in the ground at Yahiko's feet, splashing up mud.
A cruel smile appeared beneath Hanzō's mask.
"You there—the red-haired one.
Pick it up and kill Yahiko.
Do that, and I'll spare you and this woman."
"Stop!" Konan screamed.
"Nagato, don't listen! You two—run!"
"Konan!"
Yahiko's tense body suddenly relaxed.
Nagato stiffened, turning to him.
Yahiko looked at Nagato with eyes full of resolve, of absolute willingness to die.
"Kill me."
Nagato's pupils shook violently.
He didn't want anyone to die.
Seeing Nagato hesitate, Yahiko shouted,
"Nagato!"
"Stop it!" Konan's voice tore through the rain.
Nagato trembled from head to toe, breathing erratically as rainwater flooded his mouth and nose.
Confusion and despair consumed him.
As if possessed, he picked up the kunai from the ground.
"Yahiko… Konan…"
Nagato raised his head helplessly.
At that moment—
Yahiko suddenly rushed forward at full speed, aiming to impale himself on the kunai in Nagato's hand.
It happened too fast.
Nagato, frozen in panic, reacted far too slowly.
By the time he realized what was happening, resistance transmitted through his hand—
The feeling of metal piercing flesh.
—
Whoosh.
A barely perceptible sound rang out.
A golden figure appeared between Yahiko and Nagato.
One hand pressed firmly against Yahiko's chest, stopping him from moving forward even an inch.
"Seriously…
I almost arrived too late."
A gentle voice sounded.
Everyone froze in shock as they saw the blond figure standing there.
Danzō's pupils shrank.
Hanzō's pupils shrank.
"Namikaze Minato!"
"Hey!"
A voice thundered alongside roaring lightning.
"You two old dogs really don't know how to behave!"
Lightning tore through the rain as a golden flash ripped across the sky.
The streak of lightning struck straight toward Hanzō's face, forcing him to roll away in embarrassment.
When Hanzō regained his footing, he looked up in shock and fury—
A small figure stood beside Konan.
A long, slender ninja blade rested casually on his shoulder.
An eerie smile hung on his face, and the three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes slowly rotated.
Konan lifted her head in surprise, staring at the figure before her.
He wasn't tall—
yet he felt as solid and reassuring as a mountain.
An indescribable sense of safety filled her heart.
Several figures landed swiftly behind Wen Lan.
ANBU shinobi.
And Shisui and Naori.
Shisui immediately activated his Sharingan, scanning the surroundings.
Naori silently drew his kunai and positioned himself protectively near Konan.
Hanzō did not recognize Wen Lan.
After all, the Land of Rain had isolated itself ever since the Second Shinobi World War nearly destroyed Amegakure.
Information from the outside world arrived slowly—if at all.
But he knew Minato.
Furious, Hanzō shouted, "Namikaze Minato! You dare interfere in Amegakure's internal affairs?!
Does Konoha want to go to war with us?!"
Minato's expression was cold, his blond hair fluttering in the rain as his blue eyes locked onto Hanzō.
"Sorry," he said calmly.
"I can't stand by and watch children slaughter each other."
Nagato still clutched the blood-stained kunai.
Seeing the blood on Yahiko's chest, he panicked and threw the weapon away, hastily channeling chakra to heal Yahiko.
Yahiko, upon seeing Minato, finally relaxed completely and collapsed to the ground.
In truth, the kunai had only broken the skin—nothing serious.
But the sudden release of overwhelming tension left him utterly drained.
Because Jiraiya was from Konoha, Yahiko had always harbored trust and goodwill toward Konoha ninja.
Wen Lan tapped the back of his blade against his shoulder and turned toward Danzō.
"Danzō, I figured you'd escape prison sooner or later.
What I didn't expect was for someone to actually help you.
That idiot calling himself Uchiha Madara—
he's here too, isn't he?"
There was no response.
Wen Lan immediately understood—Obito wasn't present.
He had no intention of exposing Obito's identity yet.
The game had only just begun—revealing the final boss too early would ruin the fun.
"Uchiha Wen Lan—!"
Danzō glared at him in rage, teeth grinding as if about to shatter.
"Your dad's right here," Wen Lan replied casually.
He stepped forward, slashing his blade in a sharp arc, sneering.
"Danzō, don't worry—I won't kill you.
"I'll make sure you're tortured to death properly."
The moment Wen Lan said I won't kill you, the five accompanying ANBU visibly relaxed.
"Kill me?"
Danzō tore the bandages off his right arm, snarling.
"Let's see if you have what it takes!"
Three Sharingan were embedded in his arm.
Wen Lan froze for a split second—then understood immediately.
Obito gave them to him.
Danzō roared,
"This is the moment you were born for!"
Two Root members stepped forward, kneeling on one knee.
"For Lord Danzō!"
Each pulled out a chunk of flesh from their ninja pouches.
Danzō rapidly formed hand seals.
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
He slammed his hands onto the ground.
Black, tadpole-like characters spread outward, enveloping the two Root operatives.
Wen Lan's expression changed.
He hadn't expected Danzō to know Edo Tensei.
Then realization struck him—
Tobirama Senju had used Edo Tensei in the Second Shinobi World War.
And Danzō was Tobirama's student.
Of course he knew it.
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