First arrival in Amegakure

The Land of Rain lay where the territories of Earth, Konoha, and Sand met.

Beneath a gloomy sky and a drifting curtain of rain, the village surrounded by lakes seemed abandoned by the entire world.

The cold sculptures at the village entrance took on an even more sorrowful cast after being soaked by the rain.

Naruto felt guilty toward Amegakure.

He had once promised Konan that, after becoming Hokage, he would bring peace to Amegakure.

Yet in the years that followed, Amegakure had still declined, infiltrated by Kara and reduced to a breeding ground for evil.

Even after Kara had been rooted out, including Isshiki and Code, Amegakure had never recovered. It had vanished into the vast sea of shinobi, leaving only the rain to fall without end.

Now, this desolate village would become his refuge, his base of operations.

Of course, Naruto could not simply enjoy its shelter with a clear conscience. He had resolved to weather its storms and share its hardships.

Standing on the lake beneath the pouring rain, he gazed at the village and swore to himself: From today onward, Amegakure will be my second home. What I, Naruto Uzumaki, owed in my previous life, I will repay in this one...

Konan, Orochimaru, and Kisame, who accompanied him, did not know what Naruto was thinking, but even from behind, they could sense a new resolve rising within him.

There was no grand welcoming ceremony when they entered the village.

But civilians and Ninjas alike greeted Konan with heartfelt reverence on their faces.

Konan was their Lady Angel, the emissary of their god, Pain, and held immense influence in Amegakure.

Isolated from the outside world, the people did not know that Lord Pain, who ruled Amegakure, was already gone.

They regarded the strangers accompanying Lady Angel with intense curiosity and wariness.

In particular, they whispered about the blond masked man walking beside Konan.

"Could that be Lord Pain?"

"Surely not. Lord Pain is so mysterious and discreet that he never appears in public. Even whether he exists is a mystery."

"Then he's an outsider!"

"Why would Lady Angel bring outsiders into the village?"

"There must be a reason for this. Lord Pain would never harm us..."

Sensing the suspicion around them, Naruto murmured, "The Pervy Sage must have faced all sorts of difficulties when he sneaked in here to investigate..."

Konan said calmly, "Yes. This place is cut off from the outside world. Pain, who defeated Hanzō and unified Amegakure, is a god in their hearts. Anyone who shows hostility toward him becomes a target for everyone."

"Also, before Pain took power, there were actually two Amegakure villages: one in the Land of Rain and one in the Land of Rivers. After taking control, Pain united the two divided villages into the Amegakure we have today."

At that, Konan turned her gaze toward Naruto. "Now that Nagato is gone, Naruto, I want to help you become Amegakure's new village chief."

Naruto considered this. "Now isn't the time. I'm an outsider with no foothold here. If I suddenly took over as village chief, it would damage your reputation too, Konan..."

Something stirred in Konan's heart, and she looked away. "I was thinking the same thing... No secret stays hidden forever. Sooner or later, people will learn that Pain is gone. If you build up your reputation before that day comes, you'll be able to succeed him as village chief legitimately."

Amid the murmurs, they left the residential district and headed deeper into Amegakure.

The buildings here were mostly made of steel, with a considerable amount of stone as well. Their cold-toned designs, paired with reliefs rich in religious symbolism, gave the area an oppressive yet solemn air.

Steel pipes of all sizes rose inside and outside the buildings, creating a distinctive landscape. This was closely tied to Amegakure's heavy rainfall, which necessitated so many large pipes and sewers.

"..." Perhaps because of his experiences in his later years, Naruto felt that the atmosphere here resonated deeply with his heart.

Looking toward the tallest tower to the south, Naruto said, "Amegakure is full of Amegakure Towers. They say Pain lived in the tallest one. That must be it."

Konan nodded. "Yes. Pain liked to look down on the rain-soaked village from that tower. The Akatsuki's highest-level meetings were held there too, so that man marked it as well."

Naruto glanced at her. "You mean Obito?"

Konan's orange eyes darkened slightly. "Yes, the man who called himself Madara. His Sharingan has a Spacetime dōjutsu. After observing him for years, I've more or less figured out how it works."

"He can mark spaces with his eye, then move back and forth between those marked locations and the Spacetime dimension within his eye. That tower is one of the tens of thousands of places he's marked."

Naruto considered this. In other words, Kamui's Spacetime marks target spaces, not individuals. My Flying Thunder God has an advantage in that respect.

Konan looked north. "So I intend to abandon that tower and activate the reserve tower to the north. Follow me..."

The four arrived at an open area to the north. After forming hand seals, Konan pressed her hand against the ground.

Rumble, rumble...!

With a thunderous rumble, a tower buried deep underground rose to the surface, along with numerous smaller towers.

Once it was done, she stood up in the rain, hope in her eyes. "This will be our new starting point..."

Naruto nodded in satisfaction. "Exactly what I had in mind."

Konan suggested, "We've been sleeping out in the elements for a long time. Why don't we get a good night's rest first and discuss our plans tomorrow?"

Naruto looked at Orochimaru and Kisame. "What do you two think?"

"No objections."

Orochimaru and Kisame answered in unison.

"Then it's settled..."

With a swish of his cloak, Naruto strode into the tower.

The tower did not look large from outside, but its interior was spacious.

It had nine floors in all, with corridors and rooms on the first seven.

As they climbed the stairs, Konan said, "Orochimaru, Kisame, you may choose any room on the first six floors. You are not to enter the seventh floor without permission..."

Kisame stopped on the second floor.

Orochimaru stopped on the fourth.

Konan continued up to the seventh floor with Naruto.

The seventh floor was somewhat unusual, with only three rooms arranged side by side.

Konan asked, "Naruto, which room would you like?"

Naruto asked in return, "What about you, Konan?"

Konan said, "Any of them is fine. You choose first. I'll stay next door so we can look after each other."

Naruto thought for a moment, then said, "The middle one, then."

Konan said, "All right. I'll take the innermost one. If you have trouble settling in..."

Naruto removed his mask, revealing a face both young and world-weary. "I won't. After all these years, I'm used to sleeping in caves. Having a bed to sleep in is more than enough for me..."

Konan smiled gently. "Those days are over now. Naruto, welcome officially to Amegakure!"