The gloomy sky drizzled with rain, drops falling onto the ground, covering the land that should have been bathed in light with darkness.
Konan reached out, as if trying to catch the raindrops from the sky, but in the end, she just watched the water slip through her fingers.
The Land of Rain—a country covered in rain all year round.
It seemed like this land hadn't seen sunlight in a long time. The kind of sunlight that shone as brightly as Yahiko.
"What's wrong, Konan? Why are you here alone?" Yahiko, dressed in an Akatsuki cloak, walked over with a smile.
Konan turned her head. That bright smile didn't drive away the gloom in the sky, but in the darkness, it was still strikingly warm.
She smiled and shook her head gently. "I just wonder sometimes… What does the sun in the Land of Rain look like? It must be beautiful, right?"
"Probably." Yahiko sat down beside her, a curious look appearing on his face as well. He gazed at the sky as if trying to see past the thick clouds. "Well, we'll get a chance eventually. No matter how heavy the rainclouds are, they'll disappear someday. It's not like it can rain forever, right?"
His cheerful laughter echoed through the Land of Rain.
Nagato stood nearby, watching the two from behind, a happy smile on his face.
Maybe sensing Nagato's presence, Yahiko turned his head and said, "Hey, Nagato, you really want to see what the Land of Rain looks like without rain, don't you?"
Nagato was slightly taken aback, then stepped forward and sat down beside Yahiko, nodding gently. "Yeah, it must be beautiful."
"Right?" Yahiko grinned, overjoyed.
He reached out, wrapping an arm around their shoulders. The three of them sat together on the high platform.
There was always a light of hope in Yahiko's eyes. "When the time comes, the three of us will see it together. Just thinking about it already makes it seem so beautiful—we can't miss it. The future of the Land of Rain is something we have to witness ourselves!"
"By then, we'll be able to stand tall when we meet Jiraiya-sensei again!"
As he said this, Yahiko's smile was so bright.
… But in the end, it all faded like a dream.
The future of the Land of Rain never saw the sun again.
Nagato used the Rain Tiger at Will Technique to cover the entire Land of Rain. Maybe there were moments when the sky cleared, but no matter the time, no matter the place, the whole land was drowned in endless rain, never seeing a clear sky again.
Yahiko… Was it my mistake, Nagato thought?
No, just like Jiraiya-sensei said, Nagato wasn't wrong. He simply chose a different path from others. Because he longed for a brighter future, he was willing to stay in the shadows for now, under a sky that would never clear.
Just like Naruto said… rather than doing nothing, it's better to give it your all, even if it costs your life halfway.
Yahiko: "The future of the Land of Rain is something we have to witness ourselves!"
Nagato: "Look at the future for me and Yahiko. See for us… what kind of future Jiraiya-sensei believed in. Then, come back and tell us all about it."
The sun shone brightly, the sky was clear, and warm light bathed the land, bringing life to everything.
Konan closed her eyes, feeling this peace and warmth. It was a radiance the Land of Rain had never known—so dazzling, so beautiful.
Something to long for.
Obito stepped out from the shadows, looking at Konan in front of him. "Were you waiting just for me?"
Konan opened her eyes, her bright gaze flickering with light. She smiled, the same gentle smile as always. "Yeah, I had a feeling why you'd come."
Obito glanced at Nagato's lifeless body lying among the flowers. For a moment, even he felt a wave of emotion.
But his voice remained steady. "Since that's the case, will you hand over the Rinnegan yourself, or should I take it?"
Konan stood up, placing herself in front of Nagato's body, blocking Obito's gaze. "I'm sorry, but the Eye of the Moon Plan… the Akatsuki will no longer be a part of it. The Rinnegan belonged to Nagato, and I won't let you take it."
"You?" Obito sounded almost amused.
"Yes." Konan nodded slightly. "Nagato told me… to see the future for him. Yahiko said… we had to witness the future together. But now, I have to stop you—because only then can we see the future we hoped for."
Obito's expression darkened, and a deep anger rose within him. "If that's the case, then I'll just have to kill you."
It's always the same… Orochimaru, Nagato… and now you!
Why does everyone always pull something like this at the most critical moment of my plan?
Obito's chakra flared up. "That corpse is part of your jutsu, isn't it? Do you really think a trick like that will work in front of the Sharingan?"
Konan chuckled softly but didn't answer.
But Obito wasn't wrong. Just as he spoke—
The body of Nagato on the ground suddenly broke apart, transforming into countless sheets of paper that fluttered into the sky like the pure white feathers of an angel, swirling around Konan and wrapping her within them.
Obito clenched his fist. "Where are the Rinnegan?"
"If you kill me or defeat me, you'll find out." Konan raised her hand, and the paper transformed into shuriken, slicing through Obito in an instant.
But Obito simply watched as his body passed through the countless flying paper blades. "Did you forget? This kind of jutsu is useless against me. Your techniques... I've already seen through all of them."
Konan's abilities should have been among the hardest for Obito to deal with. The Paper Angel Technique was a rare and powerful jutsu, but its attacks were straightforward ninjutsu, and it didn't last long. Against Kamui, it was far too easy to counter.
On top of that, Obito was highly skilled in Fire Release, making him Konan's natural enemy.
Konan was well aware of this. She slowly lowered her outstretched hand and sighed. "It's true. After the intense battle earlier, I don't have much chakra left. And with my jutsu being countered by yours, I probably don't stand a chance."
"Hmph..." Obito snorted coldly.
"But..." Konan lifted her head, and the gentle look in her eyes vanished. A chilling killing intent surged from her gaze. "You can see through my jutsu, but do you really think I can't see through yours, Uchiha... Obito?"
Why does everyone know who I am?!
Obito was furious.
But Konan paid no attention to his anger and continued speaking. "Your jutsu is tricky, but I know it has a time limit. You've just never let anyone see it before."
Obito's heart sank. "Oh?"
He didn't deny it outright—that would be too obvious. Besides... Konan wasn't wrong. Kamui did have a limit on how long it could be used.
Shikamaru had already exploited this weakness once.
But... how did she know?
Shikamaru had only made a guess. He didn't know the exact duration of Kamui's effect; his strategy was more of a gamble.
But the way Konan spoke... it was as if she knew exactly how long Kamui lasted.
Was that even possible?
Konan's face remained calm as she looked at Obito. The paper swirled around her, creating a strange and mesmerizing scene. "I can't beat you in a direct fight, and I've already used up a lot of chakra in the previous battle. That means I only have one chance to defeat you."
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