Akatsuki's Fall

The Land of Rain.

Jiraiya trudged along the muddy road, his wide straw hat dripping murky water droplets, and even his heavy raincoat couldn't keep out the relentless rain.

He raised his head and gazed at the vast land through the misty rain. After many years, he finally set foot on this land that had been soaked in blood, tears, and sorrow once again.

Compared to the lifeless, famine-ridden, and numb country he remembered, ravaged by continuous war and Hanzo rule, the scene before him caused Jiraiya's tense nerves to relax slightly.

Although the villages along the way were dilapidated, every house was inhabited, and the crops in the fields were growing lushly. Although the faces of the passersby were etched with the hardships of life, they no longer held the emptiness of despair that he had felt when he left.

They talked, busy making a living, and a hint of liveliness appeared in their eyes.

This subtle change infused Jiraiya's heavy heart with an indescribable complex feeling—a mixture of relief and deeper worry.

Hanzo of the Salamander, however, lacked the art of ruling; he only knew how to brutally exploit and wage war—that was his true nature.

Could this change be related to the Rinnegan?

His purpose for this trip was clear: to investigate the owner of the Rinnegan and the organization he belonged to.

He traveled to several of the larger towns in the Land of Rain, posing as a writer gathering material, listening intently in the corners of taverns, markets, and inns, chatting with all sorts of people, and cautiously probing for news about "Akatsuki".

However, the gains were minimal.

"Xiao?" An old shopkeeper who ran a general store in a border town scratched his gray hair, his cloudy eyes full of confusion.

"It seems like there was such an organization many years ago? I heard it was made up of ambitious young people? It's long gone!"

Who knows? In this world, organizations rise and fall quickly.

"Yahiko?" A middle-aged man who had once lived on the outskirts of Amegakure heard the name and a hint of regret flashed across his face. "He was a good lad, with ideas, but alas—he's been dead for many years."

No matter how Jiraiya tried to probe, the answers he received were all similar: the Akatsuki organization did exist, founded by Yahiko, and its members were mostly young people who longed for peace, but it had mysteriously disappeared many years ago, and the reason for its demise remained a mystery.

As for whether the Akatsuki organization still exists, whether it has changed its name, whether it has a new leader, especially regarding Nagato...

There is absolutely no information.

The lack of information weighed heavily on Jiraiya's mind like a stone. As he traveled, the doubts in his heart not only did not dissipate, but grew even stronger.

Yahiko's death, the destruction of Akatsuki, Nagato's transformation all seemed to have completely disappeared after that day.

He needed a breakthrough, a place where he could access deeper secrets.

Thus, his footsteps inevitably led him to the heart of this land— Amegakure.

On this day, Jiraiya stepped onto the land of Amegakure. He looked up in surprise and saw that the lead-gray clouds had unusually cracked open in a few places, and a few rays of golden sunlight pierced through the haze, falling on the towering steel pipes and the wet streets.

This rare sunny day brightened Jiraiya's mood considerably, Jiraiya he had been drenched in drizzle for days.

This trip to Amegakure, bathed in sunlight, seems to have a brighter future ahead.

Like a true travel writer, Jiraiya began wandering through the streets and alleys of Amegakure.

He observed the shops along the street, noted the distribution of guards, and listened to the idle chatter of the people. He walked through the bustling market and squeezed through narrow alleyways.

He tried to piece together information from snippets of conversation from passersby, but all he got were trivial matters of daily life and relief at the improved weather. No one mentioned, nor dared to mention, any changes in the village's leadership or secrets of the past.

Finally, he stopped at a brothel with suggestive lanterns hanging around its entrance.

This was Jiraiya's usual spot for "gathering information," and also his unique channel for obtaining intelligence.

Loud music, cheap cosmetics, and hazy lighting create a small world isolated from the outside world.

Jiraiya embraced a heavily made-up young woman, drinking sake one cup after another, subtly steer the conversation towards the current state of Amegakure through casual banter.

"Oh my, this guest is clearly very knowledgeable!" The young lady chuckled, covering her mouth as she poured Jiraiya a full glass of wine. "Our Amegakure has finally become a bit more peaceful these past few years. Back when Lord Hanzo was still alive, the atmosphere—tsk tsk, it was so tense." She carefully lowered her voice.

"Hanzo?" Jiraiya feigned nonchalance. "That demigod? What happened to him? Did he retire?"

"Dead!" The young lady's voice was even lower, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fear. "I heard he was assassinated!"

It's been many years. Now this Daigo Masakazu the master—"

She curled her lip, her tone tinged with disdain, "So mysterious, rarely showing himself. I've heard he has a pretty good temper, unlike Hanzo, who's so intimidating."

"Daigo Masakazu?" Jiraiya noted the name and continued, "So who's in charge of the village now? Is there any special organization? For example, there used to be something called 'Akatsuki'?"

"Xiao?" The young lady shook her head blankly, genuine confusion in her eyes. "Never heard of it. What organization are you talking about? It's quite peaceful here; there aren't any shady organizations."

No matter how Jiraiya tried to probe, his information about Akatsuki was like hitting an invisible wall.

The women in the brothels knew nothing about it, as if the name had never appeared in Amegakure.

After several rounds of drinks, still no intelligence had been obtained. Jiraiya's frustration grew, and he could only pay the bill and leave, ending this futile "research."

The young woman who had been accompanying him earlier dutifully saw him out. Looking at the unusually clear sky, she casually remarked, "The Tenten, it's rare to see it like this. I hope it'll be like this tomorrow too."

The line involving brothels was completely severed. Jiraiya stood on the slightly damp street in Amegakure, looking at the crowd that appeared somewhat lively in the sunlight, his eyes sharpening.

Since the undercover investigation yielded no results, he had no choice but to investigate openly. He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and headed straight for the heavily guarded administrative building in the center of Amegakure.

"Jiraiya Konoha requests an audience with the leader of Amegakure. I have important matters to discuss; please inform him of my presence."

He revealed his identity, his voice steady and powerful, displaying the grandeur of a great ninja village.

Jiraiya's name still resounded throughout the Ninja World. The guard was clearly taken aback and, not daring to be negligent, immediately went inside to report.

Not long after, Jiraiya was respectfully invited inside.

Soon, a figure, surrounded by several guards, met Jiraiya.

The man was about thirty years old, slightly plump, with a round face and a small mustache. He wore a slightly tight-fitting Rain Shadow robe, and his face was covered with a kind and even somewhat humble smile. His eyes held just the right amount of nervousness and flattery.

This appearance was far removed from the image of the leader who could control Amegakure that Jiraiya had imagined; he looked more like a Merchant who had been temporarily pushed onto the stage and was somewhat at a loss.

"Oh my! What an honored guest! I have failed to greet you properly! I am Daigo Masakazu, the village chief. I have Lord Jiraiya's reputation, and it is truly an honor to meet you today!"

Daigo Masakazu strode forward, extending both hands enthusiastically to shake hands, his posture extremely humble and his tone full of flattery.

Jiraiya harbored many doubts, but his face remained impassive. He politely shook hands with Daigo, saying, "You're too kind, Lord Daigo. Please forgive my intrusion in visiting."

The two took their seats. Daigo Masakazu was extremely cooperative, answering Jiraiya's routine questions about the restoration of the Land of Rain, border security, and governance of the people perfectly.

He vividly described how Amegakure, under his leadership, overcame difficulties and achieved peace and stability, his words filled with both "pride" and "humility."

Jiraiya listened patiently, but his vigilance grew stronger.

Such excessive humility and cooperation seem unusual in this environment.

He decided to stop beating around the bush, looked directly at Daigo Masakazu, and asked in a deep voice, "Lord Daigo, to be honest, I have come here on the orders of the Hokage of Konoha to investigate an organization called Akatsuki."

According to our intelligence, this organization is very likely located within the Land of Rain, and its core members possess extremely dangerous power, threatening the peace of the entire Ninja World. Does Lord Amekage possess any information about this "Akatsuki" organization?

When Jiraiya clearly uttered the name "Akatsuki," Daigo Masakazu and kind smile froze for a moment.

His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, and then an extremely strange expression appeared on his round face.

It was a complex expression, a mixture of surprise, understanding, and even—a hint of subtle, almost mocking—that mingled.

He didn't answer immediately, but instead scrutinized Jiraiya with a scrutinizing gaze, carrying a strange sense of inquiry, as if to confirm whether the person in front of him really knew nothing about "Akatsuki".

The air in the reception room seemed to freeze. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting clear shadows on Daigo Masakazu's slightly overweight body and illuminating the indescribable strangeness in his eyes.

After several seconds, Daigo Masakazu slowly spoke, "Lord Jiraiya —the Akatsuki organization you mentioned—I do know something about it."

He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiraiya's changing expression. Then, in a tone as if recounting an old story, he continued, "That was many years ago. The Akatsuki was indeed born in our Land of Rain. Its founder was a young man named Yahiko."

This organization—originally founded with the ideal of pursuing peace—once held some influence among the lower classes of the Land of Rain.

Daigo Masakazu's words confirmed some of the information Jiraiya had previously obtained.

"What a pity." Daigo Masakazu sighed softly, but there wasn't much genuine regret in his sigh. "Ideals ultimately couldn't withstand the cruelty of reality. The Akatsuki —ultimately perished."

"Destruction?" Jiraiya's voice deepened; this was information he didn't know. "Who did it?"

Daigo Masakazu paused again, his gaze sweeping over Jiraiya's face, a barely perceptible smile even appearing at the corners of his lips.

"As far as I know—" Daigo Masakazu's voice was even lower, yet it struck Jiraiya's eardrums like a heavy hammer, "it was the former leader of Amegakure, Lord Hanzo of the Salamander —and—"

He deliberately drew out his words, looking directly into Jiraiya's eyes, Jiraiya, and clearly uttered the name: "And—Elder Shimura Danzō of your village, who jointly planned and executed this. They set a trap, using peace negotiations as a pretext to lure and kill Yahiko, the leader of Akatsuki."

In that First Shinobi World War, Yahiko died on the spot, and the core members of the Akatsuki were said to have been almost entirely slaughtered. From then on, the Akatsuki organization completely disappeared from the Land of Rain.

Boom!!!

Daigo Masakazu's words were like a Tailed Beast Bomb exploding in Jiraiya's mind! Konoha — Danzo —joined forces with Hanzo —to wipe out Yahiko's "Akatsuki"? They killed Yahiko?!

Jiraiya froze on the spot, his pupils dilating suddenly from extreme shock, his fingers unconsciously tightening on the armrest of the chair, the hard wood groaning under the weight.

The sunlight outside the window was still bright, shining through the window onto Jiraiya's stiff profile, but it could no longer bring any warmth.

No wonder—no wonder someone as shy as Nagato has become like this, still attacking Konoha despite his own feelings of gratitude towards him.

So it turns out that Konoha was behind all of this. Danzo, he deserves to die! No, even in death he can't let people rest in peace!

After leaving Amegakure, Jiraiya concluded his investigation. He gained some information, but very little. Further details would take time to arrive.

He now needs to return to Konoha to report this information and see what Konoha's next move should be.

Meanwhile, not long after Jiraiya left, Daigo Masakazu, the former leader of Amegakure, appeared in a cave outside the village.

"Lord Pain."

"Um.

"As you predicted, Konoha sent Jiraiya to inquire about Akatsuki's situation, and I have revealed the information as you instructed."

He gave it to him.

Pain, hidden in the darkness, slowly emerged, his purple Rinnegan fixed on the person before him. His tone unusually complimentary, "You've done very well. From now on, Amegakure will be under your management."

"Yes, I will certainly live up to your trust. But—" Daigo Masakazu hesitated for a moment.

"What, do you have any more questions?"

"My lord, is it really appropriate for me to tell Jiraiya so much information about the organization?" Daigo Masakazu, a hint of worry on his face.

"Heh!" Pain chuckled coldly. "As an organization of the Land of Rain, it would be abnormal if Amegakure didn't have any information about Akatsuki. Revealing some information appropriately would help to better conceal our own information."

Besides, the information I asked you to tell Jiraiya is the real headache for him. It's just that Danzo died Danzo; otherwise, this information alone would have been enough to give Konoha a run for their money. Now it's just icing on the cake."

Daigo Masakazu suddenly realized that the leader was trying to stir up discord within Konoha. Someone had to be held responsible for interfering in the internal affairs of another country and ultimately causing Konoha to suffer the consequences.

Although the main person responsible back then is dead, Konoha now has two Hokage, so this could very well turn into an internal power struggle!