Nagato and Yahiko (1)
The sound of raindrops falling to the ground rang in his ears, and the biting cold wind made Nagato shrink involuntarily.
Waking up from a coma, Nagato looked at the rain outside the cave with wary eyes.
He remembered chasing Danzo Shimura, the enemy of the Akatsuki, through the deserts of the Land of Wind. But in the midst of battle, he had inadvertently triggered a sealing technique and blacked out.
Now, he found himself in this dark, damp cave. The Six Paths of Pain had also lost contact.
Before losing consciousness, he recalled glimpsing Uzumaki Menma, the leader of Uzushio, and Uchiha Shisui. Could Menma have attacked him and brought him here?
Raising his palm, he conjured a miniature Shinra Tensei, feeling the familiar gravitational pull. If Menma had truly subdued him, his Rinnegan would have been taken already.
Despite their rivalry, he and Menma had an unspoken understanding—one where they constantly sought to suppress each other but never outright eliminated the other.
But what happened to the Six Paths of Pain? Why were his summoning techniques ineffective?
Pushing his thoughts aside, Nagato observed his surroundings.
The cave was damp and dimly lit, but what caught his attention was the presence of several faint chakra signatures—more than a dozen in total.
If they were meant to be his guards, they were far too weak.
Standing up, he walked toward the cave entrance. The air smelled of wet earth, and the sky was the dull, unrelenting gray that could only belong to one place.
A strange thought surfaced in his mind—could this be the Land of Rain?
How long had he been unconscious?
Before he could dwell on it, footsteps echoed through the cave. A figure emerged, wearing a Hidden Rain forehead protector.
A vaguely familiar ninja smiled at him and said,
"Nagato, you're finally awake. When we found you, we were shocked. Tell us—what happened? Who attacked you? Why were you lying unconscious in a puddle?"
Nagato frowned, sifting through his memories.
This man—Umino Taro—had once been a comrade of Akatsuki during Yahiko's era. They had interacted a few times, got along fairly well, and—most importantly—Taro had died years ago, executed during negotiations with Hanzō of the Salamander.
His Rinnegan sharpened.
"Who are you?" Nagato's voice was cold. "Why are you pretending to be Taro?"
Taro's expression turned confused. "Pretending? Nagato, what are you talking about? Didn't we just fight side by side a few days ago?"
Suspicious, he reached out to check Nagato's forehead, thinking he might be feverish.
Nagato slapped his hand away, bringing his own palms together.
Genjutsu: Kai.
He whispered the release technique, convinced this had to be an illusion. How else could a dead man be standing in front of him?
Nothing changed.
His Rinnegan granted him near-immunity to illusions—if this were one, he would have dispelled it already.
A chilling possibility crept into his mind.
Had he… traveled back in time?
Was he back in an era where the original Akatsuki still existed—before it was destroyed?
His pulse quickened, but he needed proof. Seizing Taro by the collar, he activated the Human Path's ability, ready to extract his memories.
Before he could, another Akatsuki member rushed into the cave, drenched in rain.
"The Sand Shinobi have attacked the nearby villages again! This time, there are three squads. If they steal the food supplies, the villagers won't survive until the next harvest."
The urgency in his voice distracted Nagato.
"Wait—Nagato, why are you grabbing Taro like that? Are you two fighting?"
The ninja tried to pry Nagato's grip off Taro, but his strength was like steel—unyielding.
"Nagato, Yahiko doesn't want you on the battlefield right now," the ninja muttered. "You don't have to vent your anger on us."
At the mention of Yahiko's name, Nagato froze.
Yahiko… was alive?
His fingers trembled slightly before he let go.
"Take me to them." His voice was calm but firm. "I will deal with the Sand Ninja."
Taro rubbed his neck, eyeing Nagato with suspicion.
Something about him was different. Just days ago, Nagato had been far weaker, but now… his presence alone felt suffocating.
What happened to him?
—
At the Village
The group arrived at a rain-drenched village, where Hidden Rain shinobi stood in tense opposition against a squad of Sand Ninja.
The Sand forces showed little concern, clearly confident in their strength.
Taro stepped forward. "This is the Land of Rain. Leave now."
The Sand Ninja leader scoffed. "We have no quarrel with Amegakure. We just need supplies. You wouldn't risk war just to protect these villagers, would you?"
Taro hesitated. "If you take their food, they won't survive until harvest. This is murder. The war shouldn't involve innocent people."
One of the Sand Shinobi sneered. "If we don't take it, Iwagakure or Konoha will. You weaklings should know your place. Even Hanzō of the Salamander fears the great nations. What do you think you're doing?"
"Hanzō-sama is only exercising restraint for the sake of peace!" a Rain ninja shot back.
Nagato watched the argument in silence, irritation bubbling inside him.
Yahiko believed peace could be achieved through understanding.
But Yahiko's ideals had led to his death.
They had attracted followers… but also enemies like Hanzō and Danzo Shimura, who saw their dreams as a threat.
Nagato clenched his fist, then slowly raised his arm.
A pulse of gravity yanked the Sand leader forward.
Before anyone could react, Nagato drove his fist into the man's chest, sending him crashing to the ground.
The remaining Sand Ninja froze. Their leader was a strong Chūnin, yet he had been defeated instantly.
"…Who the hell are you?" one of them muttered.
Nagato narrowed his eyes. "I've changed my mind." His voice was cold, merciless. "I'm not letting any of you leave."
A massive wave of repulsion erupted from his palm—Shinra Tensei.
The Sand Ninja were blasted away like ragdolls, their bodies slamming into the wet earth.
When the dust settled, twelve Sand Shinobi lay on the ground. Some unconscious. Others… never to wake again.
Nagato exhaled slowly. That felt satisfying.
Turning to Akatsuki's members, he noticed their horrified expressions.
This was not the Nagato they knew.
The Nagato they knew was powerful, but never so ruthless. Never one to smile like this after taking lives.
Taro finally spoke, his voice unsteady. "Nagato… you shouldn't have done that. If Sunagakure learns of this, they'll retaliate. We'll be responsible for starting a war."
Nagato's Rinnegan gleamed.
"The Land of Rain was already suffering." His tone was eerily calm. "Your weakness only emboldens our enemies. The only way to stop them is to destroy them completely."
His words made sense. But…
The Akatsuki members disagreed.
"That's not what Akatsuki stands for," Taro said firmly. "If we had negotiated, maybe—"
"Negotiate?" Nagato's voice darkened. "Your trust in others got you all killed once already."
His expression was unreadable.
Yahiko's ideals had been beautiful.
But without power… they had been meaningless.
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