In the Land of Rain, torrential rain poured down.
Beneath the endless curtain of rain, blood streamed in winding trails through the water. Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan had all been pushed to their limits, especially Nagato, whose lower body had been blasted into a bloody mess.
The original Akatsuki had ultimately failed to escape annihilation, but this time, the mastermind was not Danzo, that eternal scapegoat.
The secret that Nagato possessed the Rinnegan had been leaked, even spreading throughout the Five Great Nations. The legendary sage's eye had sent shock waves through the Shinobi World.
Forces large and small surged toward the Land of Rain like sharks scenting blood, determined to claim this legendary power for themselves.
Through ambush after ambush, the members of Akatsuki fell one by one. Only Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan were still struggling to hold on.
They had survived this long only because Nagato had held their enemies back with his Rinnegan.
But now, not only had Hanzō blown off Nagato's legs, his repeated, reckless use of the Rinnegan had left him skeletal, as though every scrap of flesh had been drained away.
Anyone could see that these three were nearly spent. If the pursuit continued just a little longer, they would inevitably be caught.
"Nagato, hang on!"
Yahiko charged onward with Nagato on his back, while Konan used Paper Release to constantly scout their surroundings, trying to find a way out of the relentless encirclement.
But with their chakra and stamina nearly exhausted, both of them were stretched almost to the breaking point.
At this moment of life and death, the ground beneath their feet suddenly split open, and a white head shot out.
"Who's there?!"
Yahiko and Konan cried out together, their tension instantly reaching its peak.
Uzumaki Zetsu immediately leaped out, spreading its