In a valley in the Land of Rain, Hanzo the Salamander and Yahiko, the leader of the Akatsuki, faced each other in conversation. The atmosphere seemed quite cordial.
"I've been keeping an eye on you ever since the Akatsuki began operating near Amegakure. I strongly agree with your ideals, which is why I specifically arranged to meet you here," Hanzo said sincerely, his eyes showing approval.
As he spoke, Hanzo looked at Yahiko and the others with the fondness of an elder admiring the younger generation.
Hearing Hanzo's words, Yahiko, the leader of the Akatsuki, looked delighted. "With the support of someone like you, Lord Hanzo, known as the 'Demigod,' we're even more confident that we can spread our ideals of peace throughout the Ninja World. The entire Ninja World has been ravaged by war for years, and countless people have been driven from their homes. If we can resolve conflicts between nations through peaceful negotiations, we can prevent so many tragedies!"
Hanzo burst into laughter, as if he wholeheartedly agreed with Yahiko. But only Hanzo knew what he was really laughing at: the naivety of the people before him!
But it's precisely because you're so naive that I have a chance to get my hands on the Rinnegan! Hanzo thought.
As Yahiko continued speaking animatedly, Hanzo listened patiently, seeming to seriously consider the plans and prospects Yahiko described. Inwardly, he was calculating the right moment to strike.
"Lord Hanzo, what do you think of our ideas? If we follow this plan, we'll surely bring lasting peace to the Ninja World!" Yahiko asked excitedly, watching Hanzo nod again and again.
As far as he was concerned, they were just one step away from success.
"Excellent. You're truly a group of ambitious young people. The future of the Ninja World will depend on you." Hanzo nodded amiably, though contempt lurked deep in his eyes.
In his view, the Akatsuki's shinobi were a bunch of ignorant fledglings who had no idea what it meant to be a shinobi, much less how cruel the shinobi world could be.
"Wonderful!" Hearing Hanzo's approval, Yahiko turned toward Nagato and Konan. They both returned his delighted look.
Now! A trace of malice flashed through Hanzo's eyes. He seized the moment when Yahiko and the others were exchanging glances and secretly made the signal to begin the operation.
Just then, an Akatsuki member behind Konan suddenly lunged at her. Yahiko and Nagato had no time to react before two more members attacked them, preventing them from helping Konan.
Konan reacted quickly and turned to block the shinobi's attack from behind, but the Demigod himself was standing right behind her!
Hanzo attacked her from behind, wrenching her arms back and restraining her. Then he immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to take her to a high ledge in the valley.
The Akatsuki members who had just attacked them were actually shinobi from the Root Organization in disguise. Their purpose was to help Hanzo capture Konan, forcing Yahiko and Nagato to hold back for fear of endangering her.
From the ledge above, Hanzo looked down at Yahiko and Nagato, whose faces were full of disbelief. Beneath his gas mask, a cruel, sinister grin spread across his face.
(The original anime didn't cover the events before Konan was captured, so the author made up this part of the story. The anime does show the later plot, where Konan is used as a hostage to force Nagato to kill Yahiko, as well as what happens afterward, so the author won't elaborate further.)
Meanwhile, Yusuke was trailing Danzo and his subordinates from a distance, growing more and more uneasy. What he didn't know was that someone was secretly watching him, too.
On a mountain peak not far from Yusuke stood a figure clad in a black cloak.
The figure wore a white mask with black markings, and the right eye visible through it was unmistakably a Sharingan!
This was Obito Uchiha. He and Zetsu had been secretly watching the Akatsuki—or, more accurately, Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan.
He had also leaked much of the Akatsuki's information to Hanzo. His aim was to provoke Hanzo into attacking the Akatsuki, giving him a chance to corrupt Nagato and draw him into the Eye of the Moon plan.
"Uchiha Yusuke... Is that really you?" Obito murmured, looking at the figure trailing Danzo in the distance.
"What, is he an old friend of yours?" A black-and-white head suddenly emerged from the trunk of a large tree beside Obito. Its owner was encased in two plant halves resembling aloe leaves. It was Zetsu, the great filial son who had lain low in the Ninja World for a thousand years.
"I wouldn't call him a friend. I've just always wanted to settle things with him, and now he's come right to me," Obito said.
"This is a crucial moment. We need to force Nagato to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. You shouldn't pick a fight with someone irrelevant," Zetsu advised.
"I only need five minutes to deal with someone like him. No, three." Obito gave a cold snort. Before Zetsu could say anything else, his body began to contract in a spiral around his right eye, then was sucked into the Kamui Dimension and vanished.
Just as Yusuke was nearing the place where Hanzo was meeting the Akatsuki, he suddenly sensed a ripple in the space in front of him. He stopped at once and went on guard.
A spiral ripple slowly unfolded before him, finally taking the shape of a masked figure in a black cloak.
Even Yusuke, who usually remained calm no matter what happened, couldn't help narrowing his eyes in shock.
Obito, standing before Yusuke, assumed that his stylish entrance had stunned him, and couldn't help feeling a little pleased with himself.
Once, Obito had quietly taken Uchiha Yusuke, a genius of the Uchiha Clan, as the standard he wanted to surpass. He had even challenged Yusuke, only to suffer defeat after defeat.
Now was the moment to settle things with Yusuke once and for all. This time, though, he would be the one to win.
But Yusuke wasn't shocked by Obito's entrance. He was shocked to encounter Obito here.
Although Yusuke had forgotten many plot points and details from the original story, he could never fail to recognize Obito, one of the defining figures in the entire Naruto story.
"Who are you, and why are you blocking my way?" Yusuke asked, pretending not to recognize him.
He was also puzzled about why Obito had stopped him. Could Obito have something to do with Danzo's actions?
Seeing Yusuke recover his composure almost immediately after his initial shock, Obito sneered. "You're as arrogant as ever."
Obito's words left Yusuke full of questions. Why does this guy sound so bitter? I only asked what he wanted.
Obito had always been fiercely competitive, but his abilities had been unremarkable. Meanwhile, Yusuke, who was his age, had always been hailed as a genius, an insurmountable peak he could never get past.
Obito had always harbored a grudge against Yusuke. It wasn't that he was petty and wanted revenge; he was simply obsessed with defeating him.
When Yusuke didn't respond, Obito continued, "I just saw an incompetent Uchiha and decided to teach him a lesson."
Yusuke raised an eyebrow. Obito was really getting into his role as Uchiha Madara.
But if they fought, Yusuke would have no choice but to give it his all. Obito's Kamui was far too strange and unpredictable; one careless mistake could cost Yusuke his life.
Any shinobi unfamiliar with Obito's abilities could be caught off guard and thrown into the Kamui Dimension, where they would be at his mercy.
"Ten Thousand Things, All Turn to Ashes!"
Facing Obito, Yusuke didn't bother testing him. He released his Zanpakuto, Ryujin Jakka, into Shikai. A long blade wreathed in raging flames appeared in his right hand.
Obito's attention was drawn to Ryujin Jakka. Yusuke had achieved Shikai on the battlefield of the Third Shinobi World War, debuting in the Ninja World under the title "Flame Tachi." Obito had heard about it back then but had never seen Yusuke draw his blade.
In the past, Obito had occasionally challenged Yusuke despite having no chance of winning. But Yusuke had never disliked him; after every spar, he would even offer him pointers in private.
Yusuke knew about many famous events in Naruto, but not exactly when they had happened, such as the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, which had changed Obito's fate. And as an ordinary shinobi, he had no way to influence the course of such events.
Yusuke had once wondered how he would face his fellow Uchiha if he ever met him after he had gone dark.
Now, looking at Obito's eyes as they grew colder and filled with murderous intent, Yusuke knew he had completely cast aside everything from his past. Apart from Rin, no one else meant anything to him—not even his former teacher, Namikaze Minato!
I'll put an end to your sins here! Yusuke thought. His killing intent rose, and he no longer hesitated. With a Fire Release Body Flicker, he appeared right in front of Obito.
Obito hadn't expected Yusuke to attack so decisively. As far as he knew, this fellow Uchiha loved showing off and always seemed to have everything under control, letting others strike first. This was the first time he had seen Yusuke initiate a fair fight.
Their eyes met, and Yusuke launched a fierce attack, sweeping Ryujin Jakka horizontally. The blade left a long trail of fire in the air. A falling leaf brushed against the flames and instantly turned to ash.
Obito immediately used Kamui, phasing his body. Yusuke's slash passed through his waist without causing him the slightest harm.
Yusuke stood beside him after the horizontal slash, but Obito didn't see a trace of surprise in his eyes. That puzzled Obito slightly. Whenever his previous opponents saw this move, they would look incredulous, then panic, unsure how to respond. He had grown used to savoring their bewildered expressions.
"But it doesn't matter. Uchiha Yusuke, you've already lost!" Obito's mouth curled beneath his mask.
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