"Huff... huff... huff..."
Space twisted into a swirling vortex.
Obito tumbled out from Kamui's dimension, landing heavily.
After escaping from Kirigakure, he returned to the underground cavern where the gears of fate had first begun to turn.
The ninja world was vast, but there was nowhere for him to hide—nowhere but here. This place alone was safe.
"Obito~~"
White Zetsu—Tobi—popped out from the wall, connecting a Mokuton conduit to Obito to help restore his strength.
"Looks like you really got roughed up."
Obito had no intention of answering this bizarre White Zetsu, who once asked him what using the bathroom felt like.
He had barely escaped death. Half his body was gone again. A painfully familiar situation.
Another ordinary White Zetsu emerged from the ground. Obito quickly severed its arms and legs with a sharp chop, then attached the dripping white limbs to his own wounded body.
As the cells fused together, a hissing sound and thin smoke rose from the healing points.
"Obito, bad news."
Tobi shuffled closer. "Black Zetsu is dead."
Obito showed no reaction.
That black creature—Black Zetsu—according to Uchiha Madara, was born from Madara's will to assist with the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Assist, huh. If you translated that word properly, it just meant surveillance.
Obito had suspected from the beginning that Madara's motivations for "cooperating" weren't so pure. Madara knew that too.
But they shared a common dream, and under the weight of mutual interests, they "cooperated."
Whether or not Black Zetsu existed, Obito had already decided to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan to the very end.
...
Most of his injuries were stabilized now; the rest he could heal with his new body's regenerative abilities.
Obito ripped off the Mokuton conduit. His face darkened as he stared silently at the ground.
The Land of Water had been the last place he personally traveled through, the final glimpse he had of this broken shinobi world—and he hadn't expected to suffer such a devastating defeat.
"Obito? Why are you squatting there? Did you need to... relieve yourself?"
Tobi stuck close, pestering him non-stop. "Come on, tell me, what does needing to go feel like? I really want to know!"
Obito ignored the babbling, his mind elsewhere. Without sparing Tobi a glance, he rose and sat in the old chair.
Reality had dealt him a vicious blow.
His experience in Kirigakure left him with a kind of unease he hadn't felt even in the other hidden villages.
The other four great villages had just suffered a massive war; their strength was depleted.
But Kirigakure... Kirigakure was far stronger than rumors had suggested. Its untouched civilians were exactly like the ones described in the Infinite Tsukuyomi world—no war, no pain.
"I have to accelerate the plan."
Facing the sheer power of a Kage and a perfect Jinchūriki firsthand, Obito finally understood: he alone was nowhere near strong enough to hunt down all nine tailed beasts scattered across the world.
Besides his new body, Black Zetsu, and the White Zetsu army, Uchiha Madara had left him one more weapon—
Nagato, wielder of the Rinnegan.
Black Zetsu's death wasn't a huge loss. Regaining control over the White Zetsu's intelligence network would just take some time.
Obito's next move was clear: he would head to the Land of Rain and bring Nagato under his command.
Resolute, Obito activated his space-time ability.
"Tobi. Black Zetsu is dead. From now on, you're taking over. You'll control the White Zetsu army, gather intel from the villages, and track the Jinchūriki."
Tobi whined, "Ehhh~~ but you still haven't answered my question!"
...
Several months later.
The Land of Rain — Akatsuki.
After receiving Konan's secret letter from Kirigakure, Yahiko made his decision: to cooperate with Kirigakure's operations inside the Land of Rain.
A prepared team stationed at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain had been waiting for this signal. Upon receiving the message, they immediately moved.
They first offered lavish gifts to the Daimyō and his ministers, earning official approval from the Land of Rain's government.
By the time Hanzo of the Salamander, leader of Amegakure, realized what was happening, it was already too late.
The Daimyō's office had opened the gates, and Hanzo couldn't launch a full-scale attack without risking political disaster.
Small strike teams from Amegakure attempted covert assaults—but they were intercepted and repelled.
The invading forces included elite Kirigakure shinobi serving as bodyguards—few in number but terrifyingly skilled. Among them was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Hoshigaki Kisame.
They also had help from within the Land of Rain itself—Akatsuki.
Kirigakure's forces had already safely reached the capital.
Hanzo, the so-called "demigod," was holed up as always in his isolated, traditional Japanese-style compound.
Orders went down. Reports came up. Everything happened within the confines of that closed space.
Hanzo stared at the report delivered to him and, enraged, ripped it to shreds before slamming the remains onto his desk.
BAM!
"Those damn Kirigakure bastards!"
The fates of Sunagakure and Konohagakure after the last war were there for all to see—a stark warning of Kirigakure's scheming hand.
If he'd been better prepared, Hanzo was confident he could have driven these outsiders out of the Land of Rain.
But Kirigakure had struck first, targeting the Daimyō's court—a move Hanzo could neither predict nor prevent.
His thoughts drifted to Kirigakure's recent operations in the Land of Wind.
Feeling a bitter sense of déjà vu, Hanzo narrowed his eyes.
...
"The new Mizukage... seems adept at leveraging political influence through the Daimyō's office, forcing ninja villages to bow without drawing their blades," Hanzo muttered coldly.
The so-called demigod, who had ruled the Land of Rain for decades, carefully analyzed his new opponent.
Different from old rivals like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Ōnoki.
Hanzo knew little about the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura—both as a man and as a tactician.
Still, Hanzo wasn't ignorant of Kirigakure... or Akatsuki.
With Kirigakure, Hanzo even had a bit of history. He recalled how the previous Mizukage had sent his descendants into hiding in the Land of Rain to protect them from bloodline-hating enemies.
As for Akatsuki—
It was a sizable, unofficial organization within his own territory. A growing threat that Hanzo had never fully controlled.
Now, working alongside Kirigakure, they were openly challenging Amegakure's rule!
"Hanzo-sama!"
Outside the sliding paper door of the traditional room, a kneeling Rain ninja cast a shadow.
Hanzo responded, "Speak."
"There's a visitor from Konohagakure," the Rain ninja said. "A man calling himself Shimura Danzō requests an audience."
Hanzo's face darkened.
...Shimura Danzō. What does he want?
Just hearing the name conjured unpleasant associations.
The so-called "Darkness of the Shinobi"—not a title given lightly.
Hanzo's first instinct was caution. After a moment's thought, he said,
"Bring him to the reception hall."
Rising slowly from his tatami mat, Hanzo methodically fitted his gas mask over his face.
As a child, his body had been implanted with a poison sac from a salamander, making even his breath lethal.
It was a blessing and a curse. But it had also helped him master poisons, tame the giant salamander summon, and rise to become the Land of Rain's undisputed ruler.
Here, it was routine—both Hanzo and his Rain ninja wore gas masks for survival.
Hanzo strode to the reception hall.
At the far end of a five-meter-long table sat Shimura Danzō, calm as ever.
Only Hanzo would arrange such an awkward meeting table—distances were just another weapon.
Danzō greeted him with a slight nod. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Hanzo-sama."
Hanzo wasn't feeling particularly friendly.
"Why has a shinobi of Konoha come to my Land of Rain?"
In Amegakure, Konoha was no friend.
Danzō clearly understood that. He picked up on the hostility, but answered smoothly,
"Hanzo-sama, let's set aside past grievances between our villages. I come today not as an envoy of Konoha, but as an individual—seeking a partnership that benefits Amegakure."
Hanzo gave a cold snort.
The great Darkness of Konoha, offering to help without self-interest? Who would believe that?
"In your personal capacity?" Hanzo scoffed, seizing the opportunity to mock him. "Word is you're not very welcome back in Konoha these days. Driven into the shadows by the Yellow Flash—the great Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."
Danzō said nothing. His eyes, half-lidded, betrayed no emotion.
"A grown man pushed aside by a mere youngster... honestly, it's pathetic."
The more Danzō remained unmoved, the more Hanzo felt sure that the intelligence he'd received from Konoha was accurate.
"That must be why you have so much free time—to meddle in the affairs of Amegakure."
Having vented enough, Hanzo fell silent, signaling that negotiations could now begin.
Danzō said calmly, "You're half right. The Fourth Hokage is a remarkable young man—a hero who's leading Konoha toward a new future. As an elder, I'm proud to see it."
Flattering words, but Hanzo wasn't buying it.
"However," Danzō continued, his tone sharpening, "we are indeed being pushed aside by the younger generation."
He got straight to the point.
"I am here to propose an alliance—against our mutual enemy, Kirigakure. To break the conspiracy the Fourth Mizukage set in motion during the last war."
Hanzo snorted inwardly.
You're quite well informed, huh?
Since you knew all this, why didn't you stop Kirigakure before they crossed into the Land of Rain?
Danzō pressed on. "As for Akatsuki—your own village's rogue element—I propose we eliminate them as well. I can assist you."
"With the traitors wiped out, Hanzo-sama, you will regain full control over Amegakure."
Hanzō didn't say anything, but his silence was enough permission for Danzō to continue.
In the past, he could tolerate the existence of the Akatsuki, because in some ways, they had done good work at the grassroots level for the village.
But now... that was no longer acceptable.
...
Akatsuki hideout.
Nagato leaned against the railing outside the base.
From inside, he could hear the cheers and laughter of the other Akatsuki members like Kansuke. Somehow, even the endless rain felt a little less heavy tonight.
Yahiko stepped outside, searching for the friend who had gone missing during the festivities.
"Nagato!"
Nagato turned around with a smile.
"Everyone's spirit... Akatsuki's dream... it's come back."
"Yeah," Yahiko let out a long breath. These past few months had been exhausting; he had taken on too much, borne too many burdens.
"We've always been fighting for our ideals... but people get tired."
He lowered his head, staring at the palms of his hands.
"Even when we complete our missions, we don't get paid. Life's been tense, and everyone's exhaustion just keeps building up. More and more people have sacrificed themselves for the sake of the dream."
He looked up at Nagato.
"Don't laugh at me... but I actually thought about handing Akatsuki's leadership over to you."
Nagato froze.
"Yahiko?!"
Before Nagato could say anything else, Yahiko raised his hand to stop him.
"I know myself. I'm not suited for this position. I don't have the ability. I don't have the strength.But you do, Nagato."
Nagato understood what Yahiko was implying.
"Yahiko... you want to use the power of my Rinnegan."
Yahiko admitted it honestly.
"Yeah. Those eyes... they're a symbol of power."
Nagato turned his face away, avoiding Yahiko's gaze.
"I've always been afraid... terrified of having such eyes."
"I know," Yahiko said softly.
He understood his friend too well. Leaning back against the railing, Yahiko looked at the Akatsuki, now full of renewed energy, and smiled.
"But that's all in the past now. Maybe... I have a little ability and a little luck too."
Seeing Yahiko pull himself together, Nagato finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling genuinely happy for him.
"It's been almost half a year since Konan left us, hasn't it?" Yahiko changed the subject, pushing away the heavy mood.
"Half a year without seeing her... Since we first met, we've never been apart this long."
"Yeah... seems like she really likes it there."
Yahiko laughed.
"Reading her letters... sometimes it makes me want to go see the Land of Water for myself."
"We'll go someday. Definitely."
Konan had been sending letters back every few days, letting them know she was safe.
Besides, Kirigakure had been keeping friendly relations with them, and the changes they were bringing to the Land of Rain were mostly positive.
Neither of them worried too much about Konan's safety.
Kirigakure had even given them a guardian when they first made contact.
Originally, they had hired Kakuzu, paying him to stay and protect Akatsuki for fifty days.
When the contract period ended, according to the agreement, Kakuzu should've left immediately. Kirigakure didn't renew the contract with more money either.
Instead, they gave Kakuzu a top-level financial officer position in the Land of Rain—an annual salary worth over a hundred million.
In exchange, Kakuzu would stay on with Akatsuki, at least in name.
Now, Kakuzu wasn't stationed at the hideout anymore. He spent most of his time counting money and managing accounts. Whenever there was an emergency, he would rush over at once.
Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.
As they talked, the conversation grew lighter, smiles appearing on their faces.
"Boss! Something big just happened!"
Kansuke rushed out, panting.
Their conversation was interrupted. Yahiko immediately asked,
"What's wrong?"
Kansuke was in a panic.
"An envoy from Hanzō just arrived!"
—?!
Yahiko and Nagato both froze in shock.
So it had finally come.
Hanzō.
...
Kirigakure.
In the temporary home where she had settled, Konan sat bent over a pile of books she had borrowed from the library, fully immersed in study.
She was like a sponge, absorbing everything she could.
In the past six months, she had thrown herself into learning about everything she saw and experienced in Kirigakure.
As Yagura had once joked, it was as if Konan was studying abroad.
Eventually, the reading wore her out.
Konan looked up, rubbing her tired eyes. With her pen still in her right hand, she reached out for her cup sitting nearby.
Crack!
Before her fingers even touched it, the cup split along its side, a jagged crack appearing without any outside force.
Konan froze.
"Even though I'm not one to believe in omens..."
She couldn't help but glance out the window, looking in the direction of the Land of Rain, worry in her eyes.
It had been so long since she'd returned to Akatsuki.
Yahiko... Nagato...
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (265 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)