Rain fell without pause.
A steady drizzle blanketed the forest, as if the sky had no intention of clearing. Beneath the curtain of rain, four ninja in black hooded cloaks moved swiftly through the trees, their figures flickering in and out of sight.
Suddenly, the middle aged leader raised his hand.
"Stop."
The group halted at once, each landing on separate branches in a loose formation, eyes fixed ahead with caution.
About a hundred meters away, two figures stood atop a large tree. Both appeared to be teenagers.
"Shinobi from Amegakure?" the middle aged ninja, Daibutsu, muttered as he glanced at their headbands, his expression turning serious.
This was the Land of Rain, territory of Hanzo. Even in chaos, anyone who was not from the Five Great Nations had to respect the will of the so called Demigod.
But something felt off.
Since when did Hanzo involve himself in such small matters?
Daibutsu and his team were mercenaries, hired to raid a village. Normally, such a minor job would never attract Hanzo's attention.
"No passage allowed," the yellow haired boy said, forcing his voice deeper.
Even so, the strain of adolescence made it crack slightly.
Daibutsu narrowed his eyes. "Is Hanzo interfering with our mission?"
The boy shook his head. "No. We wear Amegakure headbands, but we are not his subordinates."
He paused briefly, then spoke with conviction.
"If you need a name, we are the guardians of the Land of Rain."
Before he could say anything more, Daibutsu's group moved.
No more words.
Hand seals flashed.
"Earth Release, Rock Pillar Spears!"
Sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground and shot toward the two teenagers.
"Crude. No patience at all," Yahiko scoffed.
He pushed off the branch, dodging the attack while forming hand seals.
"Nagato!"
"Water Release, Water Fang Bullet!"
The charging ninja was instantly torn apart by high speed jets of water.
Yahiko's eyes sharpened. "An Earth Clone."
A sudden killing intent surged from behind.
"Earth Release, Rock Impalement!"
Stone rods shot forward like spears.
Nagato leapt into position.
"Water Release, Water Formation Wall!"
A surging wall of water rose and blocked the attack.
The moment Daibutsu revealed himself, the remaining three rushed in. They spread out quickly, forming a circle around the two teenagers.
Yahiko and Nagato remained calm.
They had faced situations like this countless times. It did not shake them in the slightest.
…
Ten minutes later, Daibutsu crouched behind a tree, breathing heavily. His face was pale with disbelief.
At first, he had underestimated them.
Now he knew better.
These two were monsters.
Especially the red haired boy.
Nagato barely spoke, standing quietly like a follower. Yet in just a few minutes, he had used all five basic nature transformations.
And his chakra showed no signs of running out.
What kind of person was this?
Fear crept into Daibutsu's chest.
He peeked out and saw that his three teammates had already been subdued.
Without hesitation, he decided to flee.
Survival came first. It always had.
He had long since grown used to abandoning others if it meant living another day.
Even if their strength had been equal, he would not have risked his life.
Let alone now.
"When I get stronger, I will come back for revenge," he muttered as he slipped away.
"You're over there."
Nagato's calm voice cut through the rain.
Daibutsu cursed under his breath and broke into a sprint.
But after barely a hundred meters, an explosion erupted beside him.
A paper bomb.
The blast sent him flying.
Dazed, he pushed himself up, only to feel cold steel press against his throat.
A kunai.
"I surrender," he said immediately, raising his hands.
Yahiko smiled and tied all four of them together.
Daibutsu let out a quiet breath.
If they intended to kill them, they would not have bothered with this.
Yahiko stepped back and clapped his hands lightly.
"I can let you go, but there are conditions."
"What conditions?" one of the Chunin asked quickly.
"You may leave, but you must promise never to attack that village again."
"That's all?"
The Chunin blinked, stunned.
Yahiko raised an eyebrow. "Simple?"
It sounded simple, but few actually kept such promises.
He had seen it many times.
People would swear not to kill, only to return the next day for another mission.
"Do not take chances," Yahiko continued. "If I find out you break your word, you will not be this lucky again. I will send you to the Land of Wind to dig sand."
The Chunin shivered.
Daibutsu spoke seriously. "I can promise not to return. But the employer will not give up. Others will come."
Yahiko smiled calmly. "Thanks for the warning. But whether it is ten attacks or a hundred, we will stand our ground until they are willing to talk."
Daibutsu frowned.
These two were not just strong.
They were naive.
"Then take this as advice," he said. "Defense will not solve anything. Find the employer and eliminate them."
Yahiko shook his head. "That only creates more hatred. I believe people can understand each other. Conflicts can be resolved without killing."
He looked at them sincerely.
"That is why I let you live."
"You… are you serious?" the Chunin asked.
In the world of shinobi, talk of peace sounded absurd.
Yet Yahiko only smiled, bright and unwavering.
"We are Akatsuki. We fight to change that thinking. We will use strength when necessary, but we will not abuse it. If people understand pain and open their hearts, they can understand each other. Only then can hatred be reduced."
He paused.
"You all want peace too, don't you?"
Silence followed.
Yahiko bent down and picked a few blades of grass.
"One blade is fragile. But together, they become stronger."
The grass snapped in his hands.
…
An awkward silence spread.
Yahiko sighed.
"Fine. Then imagine a whole bundle. If we gather people with the same dream, we can make it real."
Half an hour later, after a long speech, Nagato cut their ropes.
As Daibutsu left, he glanced back at Yahiko, his expression complicated.
…
On the way back, Yahiko chewed on a blade of grass, looking dissatisfied.
"Nagato, was my speech that bad?"
Nagato shook his head. "No. I think it was good. I hear your words in my head every night."
Yahiko fell silent.
…
The Akatsuki base sat in a remote town.
From a distance, the buildings looked like they were made of pipes, their surfaces rusted from constant rain. It was not beautiful, but it suited the Land of Rain well.
Inside, several members gathered as soon as Yahiko and Nagato returned.
"Boss, how did it go?" a chubby man asked with a grin.
"With Boss around, there is nothing to worry about," another added.
Most members were older than Yahiko, yet they followed him willingly. His ideals and charisma drew them in.
"We have a lot of requests lately," a bald man said, holding a mission list. "Some are trivial. Do we really need to take them all?"
"Yes," Yahiko replied firmly. "We help anyone in need. That is our mission."
"I wish we had influence like Hanzo," another muttered.
Yahiko smiled. "One day, Akatsuki will stand on equal ground with him."
After handling matters below, Yahiko and Nagato moved to the second floor.
Leaning on the railing, Yahiko exhaled softly.
"Akatsuki has grown."
Nagato nodded. "People believe in your dream."
Yahiko clenched his fist slightly. "If we stay united, we can achieve the peace Jiraiya sensei spoke of."
He looked around.
"Where is Konan?"
"She stepped out earlier," a voice answered.
A young man approached with a gentle smile.
It was Iota.
Yahiko nodded, reassured.
Iota had joined not long ago, but he was capable and handled internal affairs well.
Nagato, however, frowned slightly.
He did not trust him.
Something about that smile felt off.
"Do you need something?" Yahiko asked.
"There are two matters," Iota said calmly.
"First, a shinobi contacted us. He is interested in our ideals and wants to provide support."
Yahiko's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Akatsuki lacked funds. This could change things.
"I do not know his identity," Iota continued. "But he will return in five days to meet you."
Yahiko nodded. "And the second?"
Iota's smile did not change.
"Hanzo has begun mobilizing his forces."
A brief pause.
"It seems he is preparing for war with Konoha."
Yahiko's expression froze.