The Land of Rain, situated at the crossroads of major nations, was plagued by incessant rain, a stark contrast to the climates of the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind.
In the heart of it all, Amegakure, the Village Hidden in the Rain, was a village where every citizen was a ninja. Ordinary people could only settle on extremely high ground to ensure their homes wouldn't be flooded by the next day.
Numerous drainage channels ran directly to the ground, and the buildings boasted heights that were among the greatest in the shinobi world. The Amegakure ninja, living entirely within these structures, had forsaken the ground level. This had led to the formation of an inland lake in this landlocked country, with a depth comparable to the deep sea, located southeast of the leader's Mansion.
At this moment, the Leader's Mansion received an unwelcome guest.
"Why has it come to this? A Konoha ninja."
"Demigod" Hanzō of the Salamander, leader of Amegakure, wore a custom-made gas mask. This mask was designed to seal the toxins he exuded with every breath, capable of killing on contact. Since the day a salamander's poison sac had been implanted in his abdomen, he had never breathed fresh air again.
He looked down condescendingly at the Konoha ninja who had made this brash visit, his hands near his ninja pouch. Below him, a middle-aged to elderly man, one eye wrapped in bandages and dressed in attire similar to Konoha's Anbu, gestured with an indifferent gaze towards the surrounding corpses.
Among the bodies of Amegakure ninja were several from Iwagakure, all now covered with white cloths, their gruesome states hidden from view.
"By the time they were discovered, it was already too late."
Danzō's voice was heavy, as if mourning the one who had committed this act.
"Although our peace negotiations with the Land of Earth are not yet complete, we brought them here because we saw they were Lord Hanzō's people. I fear it was... Akatsuki..."
"Akatsuki? But Akatsuki is...?"
Hanzō mulled over the name he had heard several times, a slight stir in his composure.
"An organization advocating for peace, which has been growing in strength within Amegakure in recent years."
Danzō finished the sentence Hanzō had left hanging.
"Indeed. I heard it was an organization that shared my ambitions. But why?"
"Lord Hanzō, you've been too lenient with them."
"What?"
"It is commendable to pursue your ideals, but therein lies your weakness."
"My weakness?"
Narrowing his eyes, Hanzō took a step forward, slightly closing in on the man who had come alone to lecture him.
"Precisely because your aspirations are lofty, you are too indulgent with those who also claim to have ideals. Yet, such leniency has become a hidden danger, harming you in the end. That is what led to this tragedy. Among these corpses, many were your trusted confidants, were they not? No matter how noble your ambitions, such methods cannot apply to everyone. Even if they initially display the same ideal-chasing posture as you, they are, in the end, just a disorderly mob. Eventually, they will be consumed by desire and power, transforming into malevolent spirits. Peel away Akatsuki's grandiose façade, and you will find them to be a bunch of rats scheming to overthrow the village."
"Lord Hanzō, if this continues, it won't be long before they seize your village from you."
"The Sannin... their like appears but once. Akatsuki is not worthy."
Believing Shimura Danzō's words, Hanzō of the Salamander made his decision.
"You will accompany me to exterminate these incompetent rats."
"Precisely my intention, Lord Hanzō. I have a plan that will perfectly expose their hypocritical ideals before everyone."
Waving his hand, Hanzō summoned several Amegakure ninja and headed deeper into the building. A few ninja stood to either side as Danzō followed the "Demigod" into the supreme and mysterious structure of Amegakure.
On another building, the figure of a young man was visible. In the distance, his black tomoe spun slowly, observing the leader of "Root" enter, then gradually disappearing from his sight.
Rin's wound was festering, growing deeper. If she weren't a medical ninja herself, she would have likely lost consciousness and her life would be in peril.
Obito Uchiha analyzed the current situation. Deserting the Land of Water warzone alone was already a grave offense. Once captured and returned to Konoha, he would at least be tried as a deserter. Moreover, he was second-in-command only to Uchiha Fugaku, the general commander of the Land of Water front; the consequences would be even more severe.
If he were also discovered to be tracking Danzō, the highly influential leader of Konoha's "Root," he feared he would become a rogue ninja, just like the Kakashi.
That wasn't important. What mattered most was that Rin absolutely had to be cured.
"Hanzō of the Salamander's poison... only one person in Konoha might be able to neutralize it, and that's Tsunade, one of the Sannin. But her current whereabouts, whether she's alive or dead, are unknown. In that case, only the one who administered the poison would possess the antidote."
Obito recalled his conversation with Rin.
"Why were you poisoned by Hanzō of the Salamander?"
He had found a wartime medical team transfer notice on her desk, clearly stating "High-Danger Area: Land of Rain - Inner Region."
"This was my own decision, it has nothing to do with Lord Hokage."
"You still want to join the Anbu?"
Next to the notice was an Anbu application form.
"Yes."
"I..."
Obito wanted to ask Rin why she hadn't discussed it with him, but he swallowed the words that had risen to his lips. What was the point of asking such a question in this situation? Neutralizing the poison as quickly as possible was the priority.
He had rushed to the medical team and learned the whole story. A Root ninja who had clashed with Hanzō of the Salamander was urgently sent for treatment. Rin happened to be the one to save him. No one would have thought the poison was contagious. Even through gloves, Rin's body was corroded. She hadn't noticed at first, only realizing after returning to Konoha that she too had contracted this incurable, potent poison. Fearing she would infect others, the young woman had locked herself in her room to try and detoxify herself. If Obito hadn't knocked on her door to check on her, death would likely have been her only fate.
Obito didn't have time to ponder why Hanzō of the Salamander, leader of Amegakure, which was in a friendly ceasefire with Konoha, would attack a Konoha ninja, and a Root ninja at that.
Now, seeing the leader of Root conversing with Hanzō gave him the sense of a conspiracy. According to Rin's own assessment, she could last another week. As long as he could resolve the antidote issue within that time, it would be fine.
"A frontal assault will likely not be enough to defeat Hanzō of the Salamander. I need to find an opportunity."
Although confident in his own strength, Obito didn't believe his current self could kill the long-renowned Demigod.
He hadn't heard the conversation between Hanzō and Danzō just now, but it didn't stop him from using his Sharingan to read their lips and grasp the main information.
"Akatsuki, huh?"
If this organization was strong enough, it would inevitably clash with the Demigod. Therefore, following the principle that the enemy of an enemy is a friend, Obito underwent a transformation. Donning a spiral mask to hide his identity, he found Akatsuki's hideout.
"Your peace is like a flower in the rain outside – fragile and laughable. Only by understanding true strength and standing at the pinnacle of the world can you propagate your ideals. Before that, Hanzō of the Salamander is your greatest obstacle."
The deep tone, paired with the mysterious mask, made Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan very wary. Yahiko, adhering to his no-kill principle, was the first to express his opposition.
"Lord Hanzō of the Salamander is very supportive of us. I will meet with them tomorrow, and then I will make him understand our ideals."
"I just learned that Konoha ninja have allied with Hanzō to carry out a purge against you."
"That's impossible!"
"Face reality, fool!"
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