Inside the tallest iron tower in Amegakure, pale yellow light fell across Hanzo's face.
Hanzo furrowed his brow slightly. He slowly raised his head, looked straight at Shimura Danzo across from him, and asked, "Those people from Akatsuki didn't notice, did they?"
Shimura Danzo sat there, half his figure hidden in the gloom.
He reached out his bandage-wrapped hand without hurry, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a small sip before replying calmly:
"Of course not."
After hearing Danzo's answer, Hanzo said slowly, "Once that boy Yahiko is dead, Akatsuki will naturally fall apart."
"Oh? And how are things on your end? Will tomorrow's plan go smoothly?"
At Danzo's questioning tone, Hanzo's expression turned stern, but he replied nonchalantly, "Don't worry. If the timing's right, the hostage should already be in our hands."
"Once they're eliminated, Amegakure will still be yours."
With that, Danzo set down his teacup and rose to leave.
The next day, at Akatsuki's base.
"We've finally reached this point."
Nagato gazed at the rain, his mind full of possibilities.
"Nagato."
At the sound of the voice, Nagato snapped alert and turned to look behind him.
"You're... Uchiha Madara? You came here to..."
"Nagato, the world is about to undergo a tremendous change. Leave Akatsuki now and act with me.
Yahiko's ideas are ultimately idealistic. Even if you can understand other people's pain, they won't care about yours.
So, as the wielder of the Rinnegan, you should understand what reality is."
"Madara, no matter what you say, I'll believe in Yahiko's ideals."
"Very well. Then let your own pain show you the true face of this world."
As "Madara" finished speaking, the air around him seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, twisting out of shape.
Then his figure vanished like an illusion, swallowed by a vortex.
Just after Uchiha "Madara" disappeared, Uchiha Shisui stepped out from nearby and looked at Nagato. "Nagato, if you see the world he spoke of for yourself, will you still stand by your choice?"
Nagato was startled when Uchiha Shisui appeared beside him. He hadn't sensed him at all.
Hearing Shisui's question, he nodded and said, "My answer is still the same. No matter what happens, I'll stand by Yahiko's ideals."
"If the world really is about to undergo a tremendous change, just as that Uchiha 'Madara' said, then let's make a wager.
"If your views change after the upheaval, you'll have to agree to do one thing for me, no questions asked. If I lose, I'll do the same for you."
After hearing Shisui's wager, Nagato looked toward the rain beside them and said slowly, "I don't believe any great upheaval is really coming. I accept your wager."
Just as they reached their agreement, Yahiko walked over and waved.
"There you two are. It's about time. Let's get going—we shouldn't keep Lord Hanzo waiting."
Heavy black clouds hung over the horizon. Fine rain wove a dense curtain between heaven and earth, shrouding the entire world in a misty haze.
Uchiha Shisui, Yahiko, and Nagato had been racing through the rain for several hours. Water streamed down their cheeks and hair, and their soaked clothes clung to their bodies, but they didn't slow down.
At last, they arrived at the valley where they were to meet. The steep cliffs loomed through the rain and mist, and the air in the valley was thick with the damp smell of earth.
"That's Konan! Damn it, we've been tricked!"
Yahiko's voice shattered the valley's silence. His eyes widened, his gaze fixed like a torch on the earthen cliff ahead.
Following his line of sight, they saw the towering figure of Salamander Hanzo standing there. He had a slender young woman tightly in his grasp—it was Konan.
Rain had soaked her hair, leaving it clinging messily to her face. Her eyes were defiant, though a hint of alarm was hard to conceal.
Seeing this, Yahiko ground his teeth, his face filled with rage.
Salamander Hanzo's lips curled into a smug, cold smile. The kunai in his hand gleamed with a frigid light in the dimness.
He lifted his chin slightly and looked down at Yahiko. "Yahiko, I want you, the leader, to die here. If you dare resist, this woman dies."
As soon as he finished speaking, Salamander Hanzo flicked his wrist and tossed the kunai beside Nagato, splashing muddy water.
The kunai stuck firmly in the mud, its razor-sharp tip gleaming coldly.
He looked at Nagato again, his voice full of unmistakable menace. "Redhead, kill Yahiko, and I'll let you, the boy beside you, and this woman go unharmed."
Now, aside from the patter of rain in the valley, only heavy breathing could be heard. The oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe.
"Nagato! Yamero! Don't mind me—get the three of you out of here!"
Konan's voice was carried by the wind and rain. It came in broken fragments, yet her resolve was unmistakable.
Nagato's eyes widened, filled with inner turmoil. His mind was in chaos, and for a moment he had no idea what to choose.
Just as the tension reached its breaking point, a hand settled firmly on Nagato's shoulder.
Nagato instinctively turned his head and saw Uchiha Shisui, his expression composed and his gaze resolute.
Uchiha Shisui gave Nagato's shoulder a light pat. His voice was low, but carried through the sound of wind and rain with striking clarity.
"Why do you have to choose between the options they gave you? If one of them is going to die anyway, you might as well fight back. Are you really willing to let them control you like this?"
Yahiko had been about to sacrifice himself to keep his companions safe, but Uchiha Shisui's actions stopped him.
"Do it! Don't you care about this woman's life?"
Salamander Hanzo held the kunai against Konan's neck and shouted at Nagato.
"Hey, Salamander Hanzo! Look over here!"
As he spoke, the Sharingan appeared in Uchiha Shisui's eyes. Salamander Hanzo happened to turn his head slightly, meeting Shisui's gaze.
The instant their eyes met, Salamander Hanzo's body stiffened as if an invisible yet immensely powerful force had frozen him in place.
At the same time, Nagato seized this fleeting opportunity. He stamped down hard, splashing muddy water everywhere, and leapt high into the air like an arrow released from a bow.
In the brief moment Salamander Hanzo was caught in the genjutsu, Nagato reached him, stretched out an arm, and pulled Konan safely into his embrace.
"Release!"
Salamander Hanzo let out a shout. He was no ordinary opponent. Though the genjutsu was powerful, his formidable skill and extensive combat experience allowed him to break free soon after being ensnared.
His gaze quickly locked onto Nagato, who was about to flee with Konan, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
Then Salamander Hanzo swiftly formed hand seals.
"Fire Style: Explosive Flame Formation!"