Amegakure.
Water splashed everywhere as rain fell steadily, drumming against the windows and breaking the silence of the gloomy day. Dark clouds blanketed the sky, their heavy gray-black mass seeming to weep for the entire country.
Gazing up at the sky, an orange-haired boy stood by the window, his face troubled. He remained motionless, as if deep in thought.
Beside him stood a purple-haired girl and a red-haired boy.
Behind them stood a dense crowd of people of different ages and appearances. Yet, without question, they all looked to the three by the window as their leaders.
Those three were none other than Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato.
Ever since parting ways with Ye Ning and Tsunade, they had set out on a path to seek change.
Several years had passed, but the Land of Rain... was still much the same.
Although Hanzo had received a sum of money from the Land of Fire, it was still a drop in the bucket for Amegakure and the Land of Rain.
The entire Land of Rain was still mired in misery.
The harsh climate and years of war had driven countless civilians from their homes, leaving them destitute and struggling to survive.
Yahiko drew a deep breath and glanced back at the crowd. His eyes grew resolute as he spoke:
"This country has to change. The clouds have hung over the Land of Rain for far too long. We must break through that darkness to see the dawn!"
"My friends, today we will officially establish an organization dedicated to changing our country and building a path toward world peace through communication between people. Every member of this organization will be my partner. Together, we will shoulder this mission and fight for it!"
"This organization will be called... Akatsuki!"
In the year 45 of