Beneath Amegakure, inside one of the Akatsuki's most secret hideouts.
It had been cut off from the sunlight for years, and a suffocating air hung all around.
The hideout's iron door was ice-cold, as though it shut out every trace of life from the world.
Suddenly, a dull creak broke the silence, and the tightly shut iron door slowly swung open.
A blinding ray of light, sharp as a blade, shot straight into the pitch-dark room.
Nagato, who had been sitting silently in the darkness, slowly raised his head. His eyes, utterly devoid of emotion, calmly turned toward the doorway.
As the sound of footsteps drew closer, four figures gradually came into view.
They wore matching black cloaks patterned with red clouds, their appearance all the more mysterious in the dim surroundings.
Konan walked lightly beside Shisui until they reached Nagato. Once they had stopped, Konan turned slightly, her concerned gaze lingering on Nagato's face for a moment.
Zetsu and Obito, wearing an orange mask, stood silently by the doorway.
"Wasn't I right?"
Obito's low, hoarse voice echoed through the cramped room.
Hearing him, Nagato showed no sign of emotion. He simply answered calmly:
"Yes. I finally understand that there is no true peace in this cursed world. And to bring about true peace, people must experience pain firsthand."
As Nagato spoke, his gaze was profound, as though he had already seen through the cruel truth of the world.
Obito heard his answer and gave a slight nod. Though his mask hid his face, he seemed satisfied as he said:
"That's reality."
With that, a strange vortex suddenly swirled around Obito, like a black hole rapidly swallowing him up.
At the same time, Zetsu silently sank into the ground, as though he had never been there.
With the two of them gone, the room fell briefly silent.
Just then, another figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Nagato watched the figure gradually come into focus. A faint smile slowly appeared on his face as he said:
"You will always be the leader of Akatsuki."
Standing nearby, Shisui gently turned the ring on his long finger, engraved with the character "Mei." Its dark sheen glimmered faintly in the room, like an unfathomable abyss.
He lifted his eyes and looked straight at Nagato, speaking calmly:
"Next, Konan will prepare the remaining six vessels. The Deva Path Pain and I will deal with Salamander Hanzo."
Hearing this, Konan nodded lightly without a word.
In an instant, her body became like petals stirred by a breeze, turning into countless scraps of paper that whirled through the air before floating out of the hideout. In the blink of an eye, she vanished from sight.
Uchiha Shisui and the Deva Path Pain walked out of the room side by side, their steps steady.
They passed through the winding underground passage, where a damp chill hung in the air. Now and then, drops of water fell from the walls, their crisp plinks breaking the silence.
Before long, the two of them emerged onto the streets of Amegakure.
Rain poured down without letup. People hurried along the streets, yet no one dared spare more than a glance at the two mysterious figures in black cloaks patterned with red clouds.
Uchiha Shisui and the Deva Path Pain did not stop. Their figures darted through the streets toward the tallest tower in Amegakure.
The tower thrust skyward like a blade, radiating the cold aura of steel beneath the curtain of rain.
Inside, a scene of extravagance met their eyes.
The lights blazed like daylight, illuminating every corner in the finest detail until the brightness made one feel dizzy.
The heavy smell of alcohol mingled freely with the dancers' cloying perfume, filling every inch of the air with a heady, oppressive scent.
Salamander Hanzo slumped in a wide chair, his cheeks flushed an unnatural red from the alcohol.
His arms curled around the dancers beside him like vines. Their faces wore professional smiles, but their eyes betrayed their fear.
Hanzo raised a bottle in his other hand, tipped back his head, and gulped down two mouthfuls.
Liquor ran freely from the corners of his mouth, soaking the front of his clothes, but he did not notice.
Ever since he had locked eyes with Nagato's Rinnegan, fear had clung to him like a parasite, burrowing deep and refusing to let go.
For months, he had tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Even with his eyes shut, those cold Rinnegan would appear before him.
The pride and confidence he had once possessed as the Demigod of the Ninja World had been shattered by this endless fear, vanishing without a trace.
From then on, he had thrown himself into drink, pleasure, and power, hoping that a life of luxury and control over his subordinates would numb him and make him forget the fear that had sunk into his bones.
Power became his shield, while fine liquor and beautiful women became his refuge. He sank deeper and deeper, unable to pull himself free, losing the man who had once shaken the Shinobi World.
Perhaps the alcohol had dulled Salamander Hanzo's senses.
At some point, blood had splattered across the snow-white door. The vivid red stains were horrifying to look at, yet he remained unaware.
The once-bright lights had also been spattered with blood, and gradually turned a dim yellow.
Boom! A deafening roar suddenly erupted. Rolling thunder crashed as though divine punishment meant to shatter the entire world.
At the very instant the thunderclap burst, a powerful repulsive force blasted the room's door away.
Splintered wood flew in every direction, tracing sharp arcs through the dim light.
The Deva Path Pain strode slowly into the room.
At that moment, lightning flashed across the sky, each blinding bolt illuminating his stern face.
His Rinnegan glowed faintly purple in the lightning, as though a true god were surveying everything in the world.
At the sight of him, the fear Hanzo had suppressed for so long burst its banks, surging over him like a raging tide and swallowing him whole.
In a panic, he shoved away the dancer he had been clutching. She shrieked as she fell to the floor, her eyes filled with fear and hurt.
Hanzo had no time to care. He shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Who are you? How did you get in? Where are my men? Where the hell did you all go?"
Shisui unhurriedly stepped out from behind the Deva Path Pain and slowly wiped the blood from his Ninja Blade. Blood slid down the snow-white cloth and dripped onto the floor, blossoming into little crimson flowers.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a faint, cold smile. He spoke slowly: "I'm afraid the dead can't answer you."
The Deva Path Pain looked down at the panicked Hanzo, his face cold and utterly devoid of warmth. His thin lips parted, and he spoke in an icy voice:
"We are the new Akatsuki. Now, feel pain, Salamander Hanzo."
With that, he spread his palm toward Hanzo. A repulsive force surged forth, its power lifting the floor. Hanzo was crushed against the wall before he could even scream. As the sound of twisting bones rang out, the demigod fell.
With Hanzo dead, the Deva Path Pain planted his foot on the corpse, as if announcing that a new era was about to begin.
"From this moment on, I am the only god in this world!"