Martial uncles and nephews

"Yes! I've gone mad! He's driven me mad with his chatter! I'm going to shut Zetsu up! Otherwise, I'll be mad for the rest of my life!"

"There's no need! There really isn't!"

Zetsu backed away repeatedly. "I just wanted to pass the latest intelligence on to you. If you really think I'm too noisy, send Pain to take a look. If he sees it, that's the same as you seeing it."

"Nagato, I want to go see what's going on too, and why Kakashi is posing as an Akatsuki member."

"Fine! I'll have Pain take you there."

As he spoke, Nagato began forming hand seals. Before long, the Yahiko Puppet appeared in the cave and flew off with Konan toward Uchiha Yan's location.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Yan was filthy, blood pouring from his back and right arm as he ran toward the most crowded part of Amegakure.

"Help! Someone's trying to rape an innocent young man!

Isn't anyone going to save me? An Akatsuki member wants to kill me to silence me! They killed Lord Hanzō!

Are all the ninja in Amegakure dead? Your Lord Hanzō is being surrounded and attacked! Hurry up and save him!"

Boom!

A stream of water exploded beside Uchiha Yan. He used the momentum to throw himself toward a nearby stall, frightening its owner into standing motionless.

Hearing the noise, everyone on the street turned to look. They saw someone dressed in Akatsuki robes approaching Uchiha Yan step by step, a short sword in hand.

"Huh? Is this the Angel?"

"Obviously a fake. Lady Angel is a woman. How could that be her?"

"Maybe he's a new one?"

"Impossible! The Angel said that when a new member arrived in Amegakure, she'd take them on a walk around the village."

Standing in the crowd, Hyuga Taichi spoke up at just the right moment.

"Maybe Lady Angel is busy?"

"True! Lady Angel might be at the Orphanage right now."

"True, my ass! That guy said Akatsuki was attacking Hanzō. How long has it been since anyone saw that old bastard? Maybe he's long dead!

No! He's definitely dead! If he weren't, how would we have all this food? He would've sold it for ninja tools long ago."

"But no one's seen it! We can't say he's really dead. Should we find someone to save Hanzō?"

"What would we save him for? If God wants to kill Hanzō, he must be right.

God is governing the Land of Rain now. What would Hanzō come out for?"

Disbelief showed in Taichi's eyes as he listened. Uchiha Yan had really guessed right. Hanzō wasn't running the Land of Rain.

Having obtained what he wanted, Taichi quickly approached Uchiha Yan and called out to Yan, who was playing dead.

"I found out. Hanzō's fate is currently unknown. Someone called God is governing the Land of Rain, and there's also an Angel who should be his subordinate.

Judging by their reactions, most people seem to know. Couldn't we have just asked?"

"We need to see them in person. Who knows whether these people are putting on an act like me?"

"You mean that God? Will he come out..."

Before he finished, cold sweat broke out on Taichi's forehead. He whipped his head toward a rooftop a short distance to his right. He had never seen such immense chakra.

Those eyes... Are those the legendary Rinnegan?

Kakashi and Yan followed Taichi's gaze, their faces equally horrified. Only when truly facing a powerful opponent did Uchiha Yan feel that threat of death.

As Kakashi watched Pain, Pain, Konan, and Zetsu were also sizing them up.

Zetsu chuckled. "Pain! They got the intelligence they wanted before we even realized it. They even figured we'd come over.

Judging by their expressions, they didn't account for the Rinnegan. Shall we give them a surprise?"

"Banshō Ten'in!"

Without wasting a word, Pain raised his right hand and immediately used the Rinnegan's ability, intending to finish all three at once.

Uchiha Yan and the others flew uncontrollably toward Pain.

The sudden attack visibly stunned even Kakashi, despite his extensive combat experience.

Uchiha Yan reacted first. He lightly tapped his thigh twice with the fingers of his right hand, then spat a fireball from his mouth, which flew toward Pain along with the pull.

"Shinra Tensei!"

The repulsive force not only dispersed the Fireball but also sent all three flying, toppling stalls along the way.

"Hiss..."

Clutching his back, Uchiha Yan quickly got up and surveyed the surrounding scene. He knew Pain hadn't used even one ten-thousandth of his power.

"Captain Kakashi, does this count as completing the mission? Isn't it time to leave?"

"Not until we find Hanzō! You two go first. You'll only be a burden if you stay!"

"Okay!"

Without a second thought, Yan ran toward the village outskirts without looking back.

Konan froze briefly on the rooftop, then shouted.

"Uchiha brat, you're just running away like that? Aren't you afraid your teammate will be killed?"

"It's fine! A martial uncle disciplining his martial nephew isn't going to kill him!

Teach Kakashi whatever lesson you want. I swear on the Uchiha's honor that I won't tell anyone."

Before he had run ten meters, Konan appeared in front of Uchiha Yan with a Body Flicker Technique. Several explosive tags had been attached to him without his noticing.

"Brat! What was that you just said about martial uncles and nephews? What do you mean?"

"Um, could you take the explosive tags off first? This is dangerous.

It's fine if you blow me up, but it'd be bad if my blood splashed all over you!

Especially my brains. Anyone would have nightmares after seeing those. You don't want to have nightmares every night and lose sleep, do you?"

"Hehehe..."

Konan chuckled. "Brat, if you're afraid to die, answer honestly.

You can rest assured of one thing: I have enough explosive tags to blast Konoha into dust."

Uchiha Yan pointed at Kakashi and immediately spoke. "He's the student of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and Minato Namikaze was Jiraiya's student.

That makes Minato Namikaze your junior fellow disciple and Kakashi your martial nephew. I'm not wrong!

We're all family. Whatever you have to say, talk it out. Don't go fighting and killing and make yourselves a laughingstock for nothing."

"How do you know that?!"

Konan's gaze sharpened. A white spear appeared behind her, its point aimed between Uchiha Yan's eyebrows.

"Talk! Who told you?"

"Ma'am!"

Uchiha Yan stared fixedly at the white spear, his voice beginning to tremble.

"Don't do anything rash! You're Lord Jiraiya's students, so of course you're recorded in the Konoha Archives. That was the way out Lord Jiraiya left for you!

After the war ended, the Fourth Hokage wanted to find you and bring you back to Konoha, but he could never find any trace of you.

Then something happened to the Fourth recently, so the matter was put on hold.

If you don't believe me, ask Lord Jiraiya. He knows all about it.

Lord Jiraiya might be traveling abroad, but he kept asking the Fourth Hokage to look for you."

Hearing this, Konan's voice softened, and she released her ninjutsu.

"Go back to Konoha! Tell Master Jiraiya that we have our own things to do. He doesn't need to look for us."

"Okay! We'll..."

"Konan!"

Pain interrupted. "Don't forget how Yahiko died. We can't trust anyone from Konoha!"

"What do you mean, died? Aren't you alive and well? Why would you curse yourself like that?"

As he spoke, Uchiha Yan backed up to Kakashi's side.

"Yahiko with yellow hair, Nagato with red hair, Konan with blue hair. I remember correctly!

Right! Where's Senior Nagato? Honestly, after all these years, you couldn't even write a letter to Konoha to let Lord Jiraiya know you were safe.

You made the old man fly into a rage the moment he returned to Konoha. He nearly tore down the Hokage Building. Even Lord Danzo got caught in the crossfire and had his arm broken."

Kakashi stared at Uchiha Yan, dumbfounded. This guy was lying through his teeth. When had any of that happened? Hadn't Danzo's arm been lost long ago?

"Pain, the intelligence they know doesn't matter at all. If only for Master Jiraiya's sake, let them leave!"

"No! They figured out Hanzō is dead, and they've seen the Rinnegan."

"Th-then..."

Pointing at Pain with his right hand, Uchiha Yan turned his gaze to Kakashi, his face filled with excitement.

"Captain, you heard him! He said it himself! We can call this mission finished!"

"I'm not deaf yet! The question now is whether we can get back alive. That's the Rinnegan!"