Orochimaru had been fixated on the Hidden Mist Village for a long time.
Since the end of the Third Shinobi World War and Yagura Karatachi's ascension as the Fourth Mizukage, the village had spiraled into chaos. A brutal policy of oppression against bloodline limit clans, coupled with a series of bafflingly cruel mandates, had bled the village of its finest shinobi.
The legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had already begun to fracture, with figures like Juzo Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki deserting the village to become rogue ninjas.
"Do you have some specific intelligence?" Menma asked. He had every reason to suspect that Orochimaru had spies active within the Mist.
After all, in the original timeline, the snake had been suspiciously precise in "discovering" Kimimaro Kaguya and capturing Suigetsu Hozuki.
"Heh, I do have a few leads," Orochimaru replied with a subtle, smug tone.
Even a powerhouse like Shura—who claimed to be "from the future"—evidently didn't possess a monopoly on the dark secrets of the Bloody Mist.
"When do we leave?" Menma inquired. He knew the current state of the Bloody Mist made it the perfect time for a recruitment drive. He couldn't let Orochimaru snatch everyone up; if he couldn't get Kimimaro, he at least wanted to secure Haku.
"In three days, then," Orochimaru said, a wide grin spreading across his face.
The Bloody Mist was a death trap. Even for a shinobi of Orochimaru's caliber, a botched infiltration meant a desperate flight for survival. This was exactly why he wanted Shura along. Shura's record was legendary across the Five Great Nations; Konoha and Kumo still had active bounties on his head, and rumors were circulating in the underworld that the destruction of the Hidden Grass Village was also his handiwork.
"Fine. In three days, I'll be waiting for you in the Land of Waves," Menma nodded, turning to vanish into the shadows.
The Land of Water was an archipelago. While the Hidden Mist maintained a strict isolationist policy, the nation itself wasn't entirely closed off. The easiest way in was to take a ship from a coastal port and then infiltrate the village by land or sea.
Amegakure—the Hidden Rain. Rain fell in a relentless, rhythmic weave, shrouding the village in a perpetual grey haze.
Disguised by a transformation jutsu, Konan held an oil-paper umbrella as she navigated the puddles of a dim alleyway. The damp air was thick with the scent of mildew and rot, a reflection of a nation torn apart by the scars of war.
"Hey! Get lost, you brat!" A man's coarse shout cut through the patter of the rain, catching Konan's attention.
She followed the sound to see a butcher rudely driving away a group of ragged orphans. Such scenes were common in the Land of Rain; orphans were as ubiquitous as the raindrops themselves. Sandwiched between the Land of Wind, Earth, and Fire, this territory had been the primary battlefield for three world wars. The people here were intimately acquainted with the pain of loss.
The scene was hauntingly familiar. It pulled Konan back ten years, to a time when she, Yahiko, and Nagato huddled together in the ruins.
Carrying her basket, she followed the children on a whim. As they ducked into an alley, she "accidentally" dropped a paper-wrapped bundle of food on the ground. The rain drummed against the parchment with a soft, crinkling sound.
Before she could walk away, a clear, high-pitched voice called out from behind her.
"Big sister!"
Konan turned, her expression unreadable.
"You dropped something!" A girl with purple hair stood barefoot in the muddy water. The tattered umbrella she held did little to block the downpour.
The girl was startlingly thin; her ribs were visible beneath her threadbare clothes, and her stomach gave an unfaithful growl at the scent of the food. Yet, her eyes held a spark of innocence that made Konan see her old self.
"It's dirty. I don't want it anymore," Konan said, her voice intentionally cold.
She vanished in a flicker of movement, leaving behind only a trail of crystalline water droplets arching through the air.
Little Ajisai stared at the spot where the woman had been, a look of longing in her eyes. Clutching the bundle of food to her chest, she hurried back to her companions.
"Wow! I told you she wouldn't want it!" "Open it, open it! What is it? It smells amazing!" "Don't push! Leave some for me!"
Konan stood atop a nearby skyscraper, watching the purple-haired girl share the food with her friends. A rare warmth flickered in her chest.
Returning to their secret base, Konan began preparing a meal for Nagato.
Nagato's legs were useless, and his body was constantly drained to provide chakra to the Gedo Mazo. He relied entirely on Konan for his daily needs.
"That 'Madara' fellow hasn't returned for a while, has he?" Nagato's weak voice drifted from behind her after the meal.
"It's been nearly half a month," Konan replied, clearing away the trays.
"It seems that Shura character left him with quite a shadow," Nagato remarked, a hint of mockery in his frail tone. He remembered the man who called himself 'Uchiha Madara' returning with significant injuries last year.
Neither Nagato nor Konan trusted 'Madara' or his companion, Zetsu. When 'Madara' first approached the Akatsuki seeking cooperation, Yahiko had rejected him outright, simply stating that he "didn't seem like a good person." After Yahiko's death, Nagato chose to work with them—but it was a deal with the devil, and he remained perpetually on guard.
"Zetsu claimed Shura is a rogue Uchiha of immense power, but he hasn't provided any further intel," Konan said. She wasn't sure of 'Madara's' true ceiling, but a man who claimed that name and had caused the Nine-Tails incident in Konoha was someone even Nagato respected. Therefore, anyone who could wound 'Madara' was a high-priority concern.
"Furthermore, Zetsu said he won't send any White Zetsu near the Star Village again, as they have a highly capable sensory ninja," Konan added.
"Hmph, I see," Nagato chuckled softly. "That man is trying to goad me into dealing with Shura for him."
While the Six Paths of Pain weren't yet fully complete, Nagato was confident he could handle most Kage-level opponents with the Rinnegan. However, he had no intention of dancing to 'Madara's' tune and starting a war with a powerhouse like Shura in the Land of Bears just to do someone else's dirty work.
"It seems they truly fear Shura's power," Konan noted. To her, this was a positive development. An external threat kept 'Madara' and Zetsu focused and more likely to serve the Akatsuki's interests.
As Konan went back to assisting Nagato with the construction of the remaining Paths, a pitcher-plant-like figure emerged from the floor.
"Yo, Leader. Konan," the white half of Zetsu greeted them.
"Where is Madara?" Konan asked immediately.
"He likely went to the Hidden Mist. You know, he has to reinforce the genjutsu on Yagura every so often," Zetsu answered.
The last time they had gone to the Mist together to scout for potential members, they had coincidentally run into Yagura returning to the village. 'Madara' had defeated the Mizukage and placed both him and the Three-Tails under a powerful genjutsu—a feat that had given Nagato and Konan a sobering glimpse into 'Madara's' true capability.
"The Hidden Mist..." Konan murmured.
The "Bloody Mist" tyranny currently strangling that village was entirely the work of that 'Madara' fellow. She didn't know what kind of grudge he held against the Mist, but he had been orchestrating its downfall from the shadows for years.
A single relevant follow-up question: How would you like the tone of the dialogue to shift once Menma and Orochimaru actually reach the Hidden Mist?