On this day, the thick fog above the Land of Water's sky was denser than usual by several degrees.
"Dense clouds, yet no rain, from our western outskirts..."
Araki stood alone on the eastern coast of the Land of Water, hands clasped behind his back, looking up at the heavens with a soft sigh. "How fitting."
At that moment, amid the crash of the waves, a large ship broke through the fog.
On the deck by the rail stood three imposing figures.
But in Araki's eyes, there was room only for the one in the middle.
His red hair looked somewhat dull, and his face and build were rather gaunt. He even had faint dark circles under his eyes, as though he had not rested well.
However, those Rinnegan glowing with pale violet radiance were enough to make anyone overlook everything else.
The god of the Akatsuki—Nagato—had arrived!
Thud!
The ship struck the ferry dock and stopped, but the three of them were in no hurry to disembark, because a clear voice rang out from the top of the mast behind them.
"Everyone from the Land of Rain, you've come all this way to our Land of Water. May I ask what brings you here?"
Kakuzu and Zetsu both turned to look back. Only Nagato maintained the bearing of a god and did not turn around, merely shifting his gaze slightly.
"Brat, do you still remember your Lord Kakuzu?"
Kakuzu had begun taking off his clothes the moment he saw Araki's face. It seemed that although his words were arrogant, when he truly faced him, he was still very cautious.
"I do. Of course I do."
The corner of Araki's mouth lifted, revealing a mocking smile. "When you burrowed into the ground and fled in the Land of the Moon,