Chapter 207 : The Hongmen Banquet*
In the latter half of this episode, Yahiko and Nagato returned to the base and talked for a long time on a terrace.
Nagato was confused by the responsibilities and missions that Naraku spoke of, so Yahiko encouraged him not to be bound by them, but to find his own path.
Just as Nagato decided to continue following Yahiko, he heard the other person say that he wanted to hand over the leadership to him.
Yahiko admitted that his resolve to take the lives of enemies was not strong enough, and he was not fit to be a leader.
Moreover, for many years, his companions had been toiling tirelessly without seeing any hope, and now they were exhausted and unable to carry on.
Perhaps, the Akatsuki needed to change.
The Rinnegan was the best belief, and Nagato, who possessed these eyes, would surely lead everyone to a new ideal.
[The path of predecessors may not be suitable for the present; Nagato might need a different way to protect the world than the Six Paths Sage.]
[Speaking of which, Naraku only told Nagato to learn from the Six Paths Sage, but didn't clearly explain how the Sage maintained peace or the specific operations involved?]
[Who reveals everything on the first meeting? He probably wanted to see Nagato's attitude before considering whether to reveal the details.]
[Yahiko: It's decided, I'm abdicating immediately!]
[Nagato: Your Majesty, your humble servant is ready to fight to the death... Huh? I've ascended to the throne?]
[Naraku: Ah? I'm not the Crown Prince anymore?]
[Two people sharing one big pie, hahahahahahaha]
[Yahiko is too soft-hearted; he's indeed not suitable to continue leading the Akatsuki Organization.]
Nagato was at a loss for how to respond when he heard Kyusuke's panicked shouts from afar.
Hanzo of the Salamander had actually sent an envoy, which was unprecedented for the Akatsuki. Yahiko immediately gathered the existing personnel at the base to give them a solemn reception.
After introductions, the envoy handed Yahiko a personal letter from Hanzo of the Salamander, in which Hanzo of the Salamander expressed his desire to meet with the Akatsuki Organization leader to discuss important matters.
According to the envoy, Hanzo of the Salamander not only acknowledged the legitimacy of the Akatsuki but also intended to entrust the Akatsuki with the future peace negotiations with the three great nations.
The entire Akatsuki Organization became a sea of joy, with everyone embracing each other and crying tears of happiness.
Yahiko was also influenced by the atmosphere and, at Nagato's persuasion, temporarily abandoned the idea of him succeeding as leader.
[No good deed goes unpunished; there's something fishy going on!]
[A weasel paying respects to a chicken — no good intentions here.]
[Isn't this a trap?!]
[marararara]
[A whole group of people, not a single one with a good head on their shoulders.]
[These kids are suffering from a lack of education. If they had studied with us for a few years, they wouldn't be this foolish.]
[Still laughing! Hanzo of the Salamander is coming to kill you!]
Amidst the pessimistic and exasperated complaints from the bullet screen, this episode came to an end.
In the next episode, at the break of dawn, Yahiko and Nagato set off to meet Hanzo of the Salamander, leaving their companions, who had celebrated all night, to rest at the base.
The camera shifted to a certain gorge, where a boot sole crushed gravel at the edge of the road, and two dew-kissed figures gradually appeared in the frame, walking together against the wind.
Next was a long, empty shot.
A small black beetle crawled from the grass roots onto a leaf, gnawing at the tender edges of the grass, but a " विशाल " blurry shadow gradually approached from behind, revealing a pair of sharp forelegs.
The mountain wind gently swept across the rugged cliffs, and a muffled wailing sound made one's scalp tingle, as if it were the constant lament of wronged souls, or a warning from fate in the unseen depths.
The camera returned to the two, and it could be seen that from the moment they entered the gorge, Nagato had become noticeably more tense, with anxiety and unease clouding his brow.
His Ninja intuition repeatedly warned him — he should not go deeper; the terrain ahead was treacherous and not suitable for a negotiation site.
From an angle Nagato couldn't see, Yahiko's expression also wavered for a moment, as if he suspected Hanzo of the Salamander's intentions were impure, but once he stepped into the heart of the gorge, his gaze became resolute and determined again.
All hesitation transformed into resolve, and his vibrant orange hair fluttered in the wind, like a flame fueled by courage, its heat even scorching through the chill of the mountains.
— Clearly, he was gambling on the success of this meeting.
After all, this was probably the only chance for the Akatsuki and Hanzo of the Salamander to repair their relationship, and as long as there was a glimmer of possibility, he had to seize it.
[So naive, the leader goes alone, and they're still drinking and singing all night long.]
[The Akatsuki Organization has dozens of members, not a single smart one among them.]
[Even the Uchiha Clan might not be this reckless.]
[Run, you silly children!]
[Oh, I'm so frustrated, can't you just turn around and leave?!]
[Yahiko seems to have noticed something is wrong?]
[As an idealist, he would never run away... Running away would mean he didn't trust Hanzo of the Salamander and betrayed his original ideals.]
[He won't give up until he hits a brick wall.]
As expected, when they arrived at the meeting point, Hanzo of the Salamander was already fully prepared, with nearly a hundred Anbu Ninjas occupying the high ground, surrounding the two.
Immediately, the small gorge was filled with killing intent, and even the distant dark clouds took the opportunity to spread, bringing with them gusts of cold air.
Nagato tensed up, quickly assessing which direction to escape from.
Yahiko, however, looked desolate.
Reality was ultimately so cruel, forcing an idealist to witness his own failure, seeing the ideals he had risked his life to uphold all this time now being trampled upon so casually.
Even though he offered Hanzo of the Salamander such a degree of sincerity, he received not an ounce of genuine trust in return.
Disheartened, he exchanged a glance with Nagato, and the two prepared to cooperate in their retreat, but Hanzo of the Salamander brought out a hostage.
A family member whom Yahiko and Nagato had lived with for nearly a decade and were willing to sacrifice their lives for.
[Hanzo of the Salamander clearly knew what kind of hopes the Akatsuki harbored; these people were incredibly naive, so why couldn't he tolerate them?]
[There's no why; the very existence of the Akatsuki was a threat to him.]
[Why is Konoha Anbu here too???]
[Which Konoha old fart made a shady deal with Hanzo of the Salamander?!]
[Run, you two fools, it's too late if you don't go now!]
[Konan! Damn you, Hanzo of the Salamander, you old scumbag, you're taking hostages!]
[Shameless and despicable! Where's the integrity of the Ninja World Demigod who once stood firm against the three great nations?!]
Hanzo of the Salamander demanded that Nagato kill Yahiko with his own hands; only then would he spare Nagato and Konan.
The heavy rain poured down, and Yahiko smiled bitterly and with a sense of relief, the dull thud of his shattered beliefs echoing in his mind.
Amidst the sound of his ideals collapsing, he remembered that both Master Jiraiya and Naraku had said the Rinnegan was the savior, and infinite hope sprouted in his barren heart.
His path had already reached its end, but Nagato's destiny was just beginning.
To protect Konan and the Akatsuki, and for the Ninja World to still have a future, Nagato had to live.
Even if it meant sacrificing his own life, he would not hesitate.
[Fool! Don't believe him!]
[Yahiko originally wanted to hand over the burden to Nagato, and upon hearing that he could exchange his life for Nagato and Konan, he couldn't possibly hesitate.]
[Hanzo of the Salamander has no credibility now! If Yahiko dies, Nagato and Konan will definitely not survive!]
[No, no, no, no, no!]
[Yahiko, you big fool, what are you doing?!]
[I can't bear to watch,Woo woo woo]
From the moment he heard Hanzo of the Salamander's demand, Nagato froze in place, until he heard Yahiko's terrifyingly calm voice in the rain.
"Nagato, kill me."
In a close-up of his eyes, Nagato's pupils suddenly trembled.
Rapid string and drum beats erupted, accompanied by a deep, heavy hum, intensifying the tense atmosphere to the extreme.
The leaden clouds were suddenly torn open by a pale crack, and the world was vast and desolate, followed by thunder, like the roar of some ancient giant beast echoing in Nagato's chest, causing his heart and lungs to ache.
His vision blurred, his ears rang, and he seemed to sink to the bottom of the sea, separated from the outside world by a transparent wall of water. The shouts of Yahiko, Konan, and Hanzo of the Salamander intertwined, becoming distorted and blurry.
He dazedly picked up the Kunai on the ground, confused about what he was doing, and helplessly turned to look at Yahiko.
What he met was his close friend's determination to die.
When Yahiko impaled himself on the Kunai, the background of the scene became a void of white light, the music abruptly stopped, leaving only the figures of the two embracing, standing silently in the center.
The bullet screen completely exploded.
[No, no, no, no!!!]
[Hanzo of the Salamander won't keep his promise, don't be so foolish!]
[Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah Yahiko —!!! (TAT)]
[Foolish Yahiko ah ah ah —]
[Yahiko, who would tremble when killing, showed no hesitation when committing suicide.]
[It's so not worth it,Woo woo woo... How could Hanzo of the Salamander keep his promise?!]
[Hanzo of the Salamander, you * * *!!!]
[Konoha is also an accomplice! It's probably those old farts again! The Third Hokage must be well aware of it!]
[Damn Third Hokage, how will Jiraiya face his disciples now?!]
As the white light dispersed, Nagato's pupils contracted violently in shock, while Yahiko, on the other side, spat blood but revealed a heartfelt smile.
He spoke his last words disjointedly until he lost consciousness and his body fell to the ground.
Amidst Konan's heartbreaking wails, the camera cruelly adjusted its angle, focusing on Yahiko, who lay on the ground with his eyes slightly closed. Rain streamed down his face, hands, and clothes, but it couldn't awaken the person who had just been alive.
Nagato awoke from his trance, finally realizing that Yahiko had died in his arms. His collapsing, maddened inner voice intertwined with Naraku's earlier "prophecy," piling up an even deeper and boundless despair.
Just as Nagato's Dōjutsu Power erupted, the camera shifted to Naraku, who was staring blankly at the sky somewhere. He seemed to sense something, glanced in a certain direction, and vanished from the spot.
[I can't hold back the tears,Woo woo woo... Yahiko, you died so tragically.]
[The last words left by the dead will become a lifelong shackles for the living.]
[Don't die, please don't die,Woo woo woo]
[Yahiko, you are so cruel... How will Nagato live after this, T-T]
[Someone, please save Yahiko, ah ah ah ah ah!]
[From love comes sorrow, from love comes fear. Love and hate are one, inseparable, inescapable.]
[Are they tears or raindrops? What does it matter? It's just a person crying or the sky crying.]
[Naraku's words back then seemed more like a prophecy of the Akatsuki's end.]
[Is this? Can Naraku sense Nagato's condition?]
—
Naraku: There was no sensing. Naraku was present the whole time, he didn't just show up at the last minute.
This is another montage commonly used by animators, placing an earlier clip here to make it seem like he was aware of the Rinnegan's awakening.
—