A Visit to Amegakure

Obito had originally wanted to ask Jiraiya about Nagato and the others, since they had been exchanging letters.

But Jiraiya wasn't in the village. The atmosphere between the villages was growing increasingly tense, and capable shinobi like Jiraiya and Minato had all been sent to the borders to shore up defenses.

Obito remembered watching the anime and learning that the Third Shinobi World War had broken out because Sasori, that brat, had taken out the Third Kazekage.

But now that Obito was actually living here, he'd realized that the Third Shinobi World War would break out whether or not there was a Third Kazekage. His disappearance had actually weakened Sunagakure's forces. Otherwise, the war would have been even more brutal!

Obito wanted to build a peaceful Naruto World, but not at a time like this. In his view, it was the growth in both the strength and numbers of shinobi that caused wars to keep breaking out!

Why should you have something I don't? Roll up your sleeves and—whoa, your arms are way bigger than mine... Never mind, it was all a misunderstanding!

But if you rolled up your sleeves and saw that everyone was about the same, then what was there to say? I'll kick your ass...

The Third Shinobi World War played an important role in Obito's plans. First, he could use the chaos to bring smaller countries under his control, making them the foundation of his power and turning them into a model for others.

He'd weaken the great nations' fighting forces as much as possible! That would make future negotiations much easier...

Huh? That reminded Obito of Nagato's original idea: making everyone experience pain. There was something to it, actually. The problem was that Nagato only wanted people to suffer, not to be happy. He'd taken things to an extreme.

Speaking of the trio—Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan—they'd been pretty popular in the original story. And did the author have some kind of grudge against groups of three?

A trio either got wiped out completely or lost one member... Three never seemed to end well.

He was getting sidetracked! Back to the point!

Obito felt that their lives had taken two major turns. The first was when they became Jiraiya's students, going from ordinary people to shinobi—and not just any shinobi, but ones with lofty ideals who wanted to become saviors.

The second turning point came late in the Third Shinobi World War, when Danzo, that underhanded old schemer, and Hanzo teamed up to set them up. Yahiko chose a foolish way to die, while Nagato summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to save Konan. It drained his body, then he was ambushed and lost both legs. That was what turned him dark.

But the Third Shinobi World War hadn't begun yet. The Akatsuki they'd founded was still on good terms with Hanzo, who thought highly of the kids. If Danzo weren't involved, perhaps...

There was no "perhaps." They were just pawns. Their tragedy had been set in motion the moment Nagato was implanted with the Rinnegan. If it weren't Hanzo and Danzo, then the old man Madara would be waiting in the wings as an even bigger boss.

Obito would have to decide how to handle them once he reached Amegakure. But no matter what, he was going to deal with Hanzo.

Shadow Clone Technique!

Poof! Another Obito appeared in the room. The difference between the Shadow Clone Technique and the Clone Technique was that the former created a physical body. With Obito's chakra reserves, even a clone with only half his chakra could stay in the village without arousing suspicion.

The original and the clone looked at each other and nodded. Then Obito's original body vanished into a swirling vortex of space.

The sky was perpetually dim, as if a gray cloth had been draped over the Land of Rain—except it was a rag that couldn't keep the rain out...

Rain poured onto the buildings, which were just as gray and dark, pattering against them.

Yet one house in Amegakure was brightly lit. Around a dozen people sat on either side of a long table covered with food. Their hearty laughter and loud chatter filled the room with warmth and cheer.

Yahiko sat at the head of the table, watching the members treat one another like close brothers. It made him even more certain of his ideals and dreams!

That morning, they'd just mediated between two hostile groups, and both sides had shaken hands and made peace.

"Konan, stop fussing and come sit down to eat!" called a burly, bald man.

Konan fluttered between the kitchen and dining room like a dancing butterfly, bringing out one delicious dish after another.

"It'll be ready in a moment. Today is a day worth celebrating," Konan said with a smile.

"All right, come sit down," Yahiko said.

Konan set the dishes down and took the chair beside Yahiko. The others looked at the two of them knowingly. Feeling their eyes on her, Konan lowered her head shyly and nibbled at her food.

Nagato sat opposite Konan. Seeing her blushing face, he was happy for her, but he also felt a little lonely... There was only one Konan.

"It sure is lively in here. Mind sharing some food with me? The weather in Amegakure really isn't something to be happy about."

The sudden voice instantly shattered the warm, cheerful atmosphere.

Everyone around the table leaped to their feet and took defensive stances, turning toward the sound.

"Creak..." The damp wooden door groaned open. A young man stood outside. Their eyes narrowed when they saw that he wasn't wet at all—not a drop of rain on him. Yahiko discreetly glanced at the man's shoes. They were dry, too.

"Sir, you've arrived uninvited. Please tell us your name," Yahiko said as he stepped in front of the others. Konan and Nagato followed closely at his sides. The others gathered behind Yahiko, their presence imposing.

"Hey, hey... Don't be nervous. I'm not here to fight. We're on the same side. You all know Jiraiya, right?" It was Obito speaking.

"Jiraiya-sensei... What are you to him?" Yahiko relaxed a little but remained on guard.

"I'm Jiraiya's..." Obito blanked for a moment.

"The three of you met Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and another woman named Tsunade. I heard from Jiraiya that he'd taken on two foolish students in Amegakure, one named Yahiko and another named Nagato, as well as a lovely girl named Konan. You even had a little sign you flipped over when you went out... Do you believe me now?" Obito rattled off.

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan exchanged glances. Only the three of them and Jiraiya-sensei knew about the sign they flipped when they went out. This man was telling the truth.

As Yahiko and the others relaxed, the tension disappeared at once.

"Then did Jiraiya-sensei send you? Or... Sorry, I still don't know your name," Konan said first.

"Call me Obito. Jiraiya went to the front lines. Before he left, he got down on his knees and begged me to come to Amegakure to look after his little students, so no one would trick you into counting the money while they sold you off," Obito said.

...This guy didn't seem quite right in the head.

"Obito, did Jiraiya-sensei have any message or letter for us?" Yahiko asked carefully.

"Don't bother trying to test me." You're pretty clever, aren't you? You don't seem like someone who's not right in the head! Obito thought.

"I could kill you easily. What Jiraiya taught you is nowhere near enough. He has another student named Minato Namikaze, about five years older than you. He's already one of Konoha's top jonin. You've heard of the Yellow Flash, right?" Obito said, subtly trying to sow discord.

"The Yellow Flash? Never heard of him," Yahiko said, confused.

Oh, right. Minato didn't earn the name Yellow Flash until after the Third Shinobi World War, Obito thought.

"We're from Amegakure. We're already deeply grateful for Jiraiya-sensei's help. Please don't say things like that, Obito."

Ah, a girl this wonderful can't be allowed to die so tragically like she did in the original story. A good girl deserves to be cherished, like a flower, so she can blossom in all her beauty.