I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

He is a Good Man

Emerging from the dark and damp cave, Uchiha Itachi had already developed a basic understanding of the Akatsuki organization.

This was a loosely structured group with only a few fundamental rules: complete missions regularly, never betray the organization, and avoid killing fellow members.

While Akatsuki outwardly claimed to be working toward world peace, in reality, every member had their own motives. Even the organization's response to Kakuzu's actions showed its flexibility regarding internal conflict. Though Akatsuki prohibited the killing of comrades, Kakuzu had a history of eliminating his own partners—likely on purpose. However, as long as the victim perished, Akatsuki merely issued verbal reprimands, never enforcing true consequences.

In many ways, Akatsuki embodied the law of the jungle in its purest form, despite being established under the pretense of bringing peace to the ninja world.

With a quiet sigh, Itachi turned his attention to his newly assigned partner. He glanced at the masked man beside him and asked, "What do you know about Loquat Jūzō? What kind of person is he? Why did he defect from Kirigakure?"

Obito came to a halt, his voice calm but laced with an enigmatic undertone. "Why did Loquat Jūzō defect? Probably because he was a good man… born in the Blood Mist."

"A good man… in the Blood Mist?" Itachi's usually composed expression flickered with surprise.

The Blood Mist referred to Kirigakure's notorious graduation ritual. Unlike other villages, Kirigakure's students were forced to kill their classmates in brutal combat to graduate. In such an environment, was it even possible for a "good person" to exist?

Yet, if Jūzō truly was good, why had he chosen to betray Kirigakure and become a rogue ninja aligned with Akatsuki?

As though reading Itachi's thoughts, Obito turned slightly, his lone eye meeting Itachi's. "Good men can't change the Blood Mist's policies. So Loquat Jūzō had to change himself. You should understand that feeling."

With that, Obito strode forward, disappearing into the rainy night.

---

A Storm Over Amegakure

At the same time, in Amegakure, the Land of Rain…

Pain (Tendō Yahiko) stood atop a towering structure in Amegakure, letting the cold rain wash over him. Below, the steel jungle of the village stretched out, its dim lights flickering against the oppressive gloom.

The rhythmic sound of raindrops striking metal filled the air, making Konan frown slightly. To her, the land itself seemed to be crying.

She sensed approaching footsteps and turned to see Pain gazing at her, his Rinnegan eyes unreadable.

"Is the village facing financial issues again?" Pain asked. "The organization's bounty payments won't come in until next month."

Konan shook her head. "After years of development, Amegakure has finally become self-sufficient. We no longer need to rely on Akatsuki's funds."

A rare, fleeting trace of satisfaction crossed Pain's face.

He and Konan had once been war orphans, struggling to survive by stealing food. Despite those hardships, the villagers of Amegakure had shown them small acts of kindness. Now, as leaders, they had a duty to protect those same people.

Pain's expression shifted as he recalled something. "Konan… What have we learned about Uchiha Itachi?"

Konan's voice was calm but serious. "According to Zetsu's intelligence, the Uchiha clan was not completely wiped out by Itachi. A significant number of Uchiha escaped Konoha and are now active in the Land of Fire."

Pain narrowed his eyes. "Could this be Konoha's ploy? Did they send Itachi as a spy to infiltrate Akatsuki?"

After a brief pause, he shook his head. "Unlikely. The tension between Konoha and the Uchiha was well known. It makes no sense for them to orchestrate an entire massacre just to plant a spy. Such an elaborate deception would be unnecessary."

Konan's expression hardened. "Recently, Ōnoki of Iwagakure contacted Akatsuki. He wants us to launch an attack on the Konoha border."

Pain remained still, considering the implications. "Akatsuki has not yet begun gathering the Tailed Beasts. As of now, we are merely a mercenary force. Konoha has no reason to treat us as a major threat."

His eyes darkened. "I'm more inclined to believe this is Madara's work."

Konan took a step closer, lowering her voice. "Should we tell Itachi the truth? We could turn him against Madara and have him work for us instead."

Pain shook his head, his voice brimming with quiet confidence. "There's no need. Whether it's Madara or the Five Great Nations, they are all insignificant before the power of the Rinnegan. We only need to wait until our plan begins."

Konan watched him with concern.

Ever since Yahiko's death, Nagato had suppressed his true self, taking on Yahiko's ideals of peace while executing Madara's vision of destruction. He had become an unyielding force, moving forward without hesitation—yet the friend she once knew was slipping away.

---

Naruto and the Book of Seals

Late into the night, Naruto Uzumaki once again unsealed the Scroll of Forbidden Jutsu, his fingers carefully working through the intricate seals.

Undoing the scroll's protective barriers was difficult, but Naruto had long since developed patience. In some ways, breaking seals had become his way of unwinding.

Hours later, he finally cracked a portion of the seal, revealing a single forbidden technique.

As Naruto read the description, his expression darkened. "Damn it… just my luck."

The jutsu was called Fushi Tensei (Living Corpse Reincarnation), one of the many forbidden techniques developed by the Second Hokage, but made infamous by Orochimaru.

The technique was brutally straightforward—it allowed the user to divide their soul into equal portions and transfer it into another body, granting a twisted form of immortality. Orochimaru had used this technique countless times to extend his lifespan, making him nearly impossible to kill.

However, its drawbacks were severe. Fragmenting the soul drastically reduced resistance to genjutsu, meaning even a standard Sharingan illusion could pose a significant threat to Orochimaru—let alone techniques like Tsukuyomi or Izanami.

Naruto frowned. He also suspected that Orochimaru's inability to harness Senjutsu was linked to the unnatural state of his soul after repeatedly using this technique.

For Naruto, Fushi Tensei was utterly useless. He had no interest in such an unnatural method of survival.

Feeling drained, he re-sealed the scroll and retreated into his mindscape. There, he found Minato Namikaze, his father's lingering chakra, waiting for him.

"Dad, you were Hokage. You should know how to break the seals in the Forbidden Scroll, right?"

Minato hesitated. "I knew them back in my time, but the Third Hokage may have altered the techniques over the years."

Then, as if eager to impress Naruto, he grinned. "But I do know several jutsu from the scroll. If you want, I can teach you."

Naruto's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Like what?"

Minato scratched his head sheepishly before answering. "Well… there's the Flying Thunder God technique… or the Reaper Death Seal."

Naruto's face instantly fell.

Both were undeniably powerful techniques—yet one required near-perfect chakra control, while the other guaranteed death.

"Man… your jutsu choices suck."

Minato chuckled. "They worked for me."

Naruto groaned, already regretting asking.

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