Akatsuki's shadow, the Rinnegan's wariness

Amegakure.

This city, perpetually soaked in torrential rain, even has an air that smells of rotting rust.

The tower stands in the very center of the city, its top disappearing into the thick rain clouds like a bone spur piercing the sky. On the platform at the top, rainwater is diverted by some unseen force field, forming a dry vacuum zone around a slender figure.

Deva Path Pain, one of Nagato's Six Paths, stands at the edge of the platform.

His short orange hair was blown by the wind and clung to his forehead, his eyes, marked with concentric circles, were staring into the distance. A week ago, he had sensed an extremely faint fluctuation coming from the southeast.

It's not Chakra.

It is not Natural Energy.

It's some kind of higher-dimensional... pulse.

It was as if something was being nurtured on that land. And the frequency of that pulsation resonated extremely subtly with the Rinnegan in his eyes.

This made him uncomfortable.

"The intelligence has arrived."

A cool female voice came from behind. Konan stepped out of the shadows, her short blue hair falling to the side of her face, her lips as straight as ever, and she held a thin piece of paper encrypted with a spell in her hand.

Pain did not turn around.

"Read."

Konan unfolded the paper, her amber pupils quickly scanning the contents.

She paused for a moment when she read the third line.

"... Naruto Uzumaki, twelve years old, Hidden Leaf Special Jōnin. During the Chunin Ninja Exams, he single-handedly defeated the fully-formed One-Tail Shukaku. Despite being severely injured after the battle, he still instantly killed Danzo's elite Root Danzo. Half a month ago, he went on a mission to the Water Country, where he single-handedly annihilated over four hundred Hidden Mist rebels in one night. Their military fortress was completely vaporized, leaving a crater over eighty meters in diameter on the ground. He was unharmed."

When the last two words landed, even the sound of rain fell silent for a moment.

Pain finally turned around.

The concentric circles of his Rinnegan slowly contracted and then slowly expanded. This was his habitual reaction when he was thinking at high speed.

"Twelve years old," he repeated the number.

The sound was very flat.

But Konan noticed that Pain's right hand, hanging by his side, had its five fingers slightly spread open and then closed again.

She had followed Nagato for over a decade. This action signified—vigilance.

Extremely high level of vigilance.

"Continue."

Konan's gaze returned to the paper.

"Hidden Leaf has classified its combat strength as S-rank top secret. Fragments of information obtained by Zetsu through his spore clones indicate that this target may possess a Pure Byakugan bloodline surpassing that of the Hyuga Clan's progenitor, and their Taijutsu strength far exceeds conventional understanding. Furthermore—"

She paused.

"Furthermore, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, is dead. After Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, took over, she immediately raised the level of protection for this target to the same rank as Hokage. The Konoha High Command's attitude towards him has shifted from surveillance to... courting."

Raindrops pounded on the edge of the platform, splashing up a fine mist.

Pain was silent for five seconds.

In those five seconds, countless possibilities flashed through his mind.

A twelve-year-old child possesses combat power that overwhelms the One-Tail Jinchuriki. He has the value that makes the Fifth Hokage willing to stand on equal footing with him. He possesses the violence to slaughter four hundred elite missing-nin in one night.

And this child—is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

"The source of his power," Pain began, "Is there any analysis?"

"Ze's assessment is—unknown." Konan shook her head. "The target's Chakra fluctuation pattern is extremely unusual; it's neither a leakage of Tailed Beast Chakra nor a manifestation of an unconventional Kekkei Genkai. Zetsu used one word."

"What word?"

"Like the sun."

Pain's Rinnegan narrowed.

Like the sun.

Yang Release).

The Sage of Six Paths' power is divided into two branches. Yin Release grants spirit, imagination, and creation. Yang Release grants life, matter, and strength.

His Rinnegan originated from the Yin Release lineage.

If that child truly awakened pure Yang Release...

"This person," Pain's voice dropped a half-tone, "Can't wait for him to grow up."

Konan raised her head.

She rarely saw Nagato speak in this tone. Even when faced with information about other Jinchūriki, Nagato's reaction was nothing more than "collect according to plan."

But now, he's saying, "We can't wait for him to grow up."

What does this mean?

This means that in Nagato's judgment system, this twelve-year-old Naruto Uzumaki has already been listed in the highest category of "potential threat".

It is on par with the Tailed Beast Collection Project.

"Do you need me to go to Hidden Leaf to scout?" Konan asked.

Pain shook his head.

"No. If your Paper Release is detected by a sensory ninja from Hidden Leaf, it will expose the entire Hidden Rain."

He turned and walked into the tower, his black robe with red clouds trailing across the waterlogged ground.

"Pass on the order."

Their steps didn't stop.

"Vermilion Bird, Southern Dipper. They are closest to the Land of Fire."

Konan's amber pupils flickered.

Vermilion Bird -- Itachi Uchiha.

Southern Dipper – Kisame Hoshigaki.

The Akatsuki's most elite duo combat team. One is Mangekyō Sharingan, and the other is Hidden Mist missing-nin from Chakra with Chakra's ability to absorb unlimited Samehada and a chakra level comparable to a Tailed Beast.

The deployment of these two individuals, within the Akatsuki's operational hierarchy, falls into the category of --

"A-rank probing mission." Pain's voice echoed from within the tower. "Send them to see... just what that Nine-Tails brat really is."

He paused for a moment.

"But don't engage in a direct confrontation. If you determine that the situation is out of control—retreat. Bringing back the intelligence is enough."

Konan nodded.

She gently crumpled the love letter in her hand, and the thin paper transformed into hundreds of miniature white doves, which fluttered into the rain and disappeared in different directions.

The order has been relayed.

She stood there, her gaze fixed on the direction where Pain had disappeared.

Before that gaunt figure was swallowed by the darkness, she saw his right hand—open again, then close again.

This was repeated three times.

Konan lowered her eyes.

She didn't say anything.

But she remembered the frequency of that movement. In the past ten years, Nagato had only shown the same frequency of alertness when facing one person.

Hanzo.

The man who killed Yahiko.

Now, a twelve-year-old child is receiving the same treatment.

The deepest part of the Hidden Rain Tower.

Nagato —the real Nagato, sitting limply in his life support device, his body riddled with tubes, like a dried-up corpse nailed to an iron frame.

But those Rinnegan shone astonishingly bright in the darkness.

He closed his eyes.

The high-dimensional fluctuation I sensed a week ago resurfaced in my mind. Extremely low frequency, extremely weak intensity, but its nature—

It shares the same origin as the Rinnegan.

They are not of the same origin.

Yes... to the higher-ups.

Nagato's withered fingers scratched a white mark on the armrest.

"Naruto Uzumaki"

He uttered the name in a dry, cracked voice, like a piece of withered wood breaking.

Uzumaki.

He shares the same surname.

Same bloodline.

"Interesting."

Hidden Leaf.

Naruto's apartment balcony.

As the autumn wind blew into his collar, Naruto's right hand unconsciously pressed against Hinata's lower abdomen.

The system's blue pop-up window was still hovering in the corner of the field of vision; the last line of text flickered twice before slowly fading away.

[Additional Hint: The location of the high-dimensional sensory fluctuation source has been pinpointed—northwest, approximately 1200 kilometers from Hidden Leaf.]

[This fluctuation carries the fundamental frequency characteristics of the "Rinnegan".]

[Host is advised to... be prepared.]

Naruto looked away.

The smile at the corner of her mouth hadn't faded.

But the hand on Hinata's waist tightened even more.