Naruto: Born Gifted in Konoha

The Land of Rain, a nation caught in the squeeze between three rival powers, would have already vanished from the map of the Shinobi World if not for its crucial role as a buffer.

Its very purpose is to serve as a cushion—preventing these three factions from engaging in direct conflict with one another.

These factions are Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha Hidden Leaf Village.

There are many reasons why small nations continue to exist, but their primary function is to act as shock absorbers between greater powers, preventing tensions from erupting into open war.

Of course, once hostility between major nations reaches an irreversible level, the effectiveness of those smaller states caught in the middle disappears entirely.

At that point, they serve only one function—to become battlegrounds for warring superpowers!

Such was the fate of the Land of Rain. It had once fallen into this exact role as a battlefield, and without the presence of Hanzo—a warrior whose strength bordered on demi-god status—this war-torn nation would long ago have been erased from existence in the Shinobi World.

...

The name "Land of Rain" is more than just a name. As a country constantly drenched in rainfall, it experiences rain two out of every three days, while the remaining day often remains shrouded in misty drizzle.

Once regarded as half man, half deity, Hanzo has gradually lost his absolute control over the Land of Rain, or more precisely, over Amegakure Village.

In recent years, an organization known as [Akatsuki] emerged within the borders of the Land of Rain.

Its leader was a young man previously unknown named Yahiko.

In a short time, Yahiko sparked a "revolution"—a war pitting youthful new forces against conservative old guards.

Of course, back then, the young Yahiko was no match for the sly and cunning Hanzo.

Joining forces with Danzo, Hanzo carried out a purge against this rebel faction until it vanished from his sight.

Even the group's leader, Yahiko, fell victim to Hanzo's schemes.

It was during that operation that Hanzo laid eyes upon the legendary [Rinnegan], leaving him with an indelible impression. Fortunately, he managed to escape alive.

After the purge ended, Yahiko—the Akatsuki's leader—was eliminated through dishonorable means orchestrated by Hanzo.

From that moment, the Land of Rain seemed once again dominated solely by Hanzo's voice.

Hanzo returned to his era of authoritarian rule. But good times didn't last long—the Akatsuki hadn't truly perished. Though it had gone completely underground in the Land of Rain, its roots continued to grow in the shadows.

Although Hanzo, hailed as the "semi-deity," saved the Land of Rain amidst chaos and conflict, many believed it would mark their nation's turning point.

But the outcome disappointed everyone—he failed to lead the Land of Rain toward glory and victory.

Instead came compromises and peace talks—these were the steps taken after Hanzo became the nation's savior.

While these measures were rational and well-suited to the Land of Rain's situation at the time, the younger generation did not see them as wise choices.

Born and raised during the age of turmoil, many youths harbored grand ambitions.

[To reverse the Land of Rain's position in the Shinobi World!]

This lofty yet unrealistic goal took deep root in the hearts of many.

These young people, though disappointed in Hanzo, had no real plan—they had ideas, but nothing solid or clear to follow through.

That was until the emergence of Akatsuki! Everything changed from that point on.

Yahiko, a surprisingly young man with strong ideals, attempted to build peace through communication between people.

Hope is always beautiful. He believed Hanzo would accept his ideology.

But he never realized that while Hanzo appeared close to him on the surface, secretly he had already made contact with Konoha's Danzo.

Hanzo believed that Yahiko's ideals were impractical for the current state of the Land of Rain, and putting them into practice would bring instability back to the nation.

To eliminate this destabilizing factor, Hanzo accepted Danzo's proposal and launched a campaign of attacks against Yahiko.

In the end, Hanzo achieved exactly what he wanted.

Yahiko died.

The Land of Rain once again returned to tranquility, and Amegakure Village returned completely under Hanzo's control.

The process didn't matter—Hanzo cared only about maintaining true peace within the Land of Rain. No matter what methods were required, even if they were dirty and shameful, he would employ them all.

Yahiko's death, however, led to Nagato's growth.

With the Rinnegan, Nagato gained limitless potential.

When Yahiko died before his very eyes, the shock enabled Nagato to activate the Rinnegan's power and force Hanzo into retreat.

And Yahiko's death also marked Nagato's true transformation—or more precisely, his descent into darkness—as he shifted from being timid and weak to someone far more dangerous.

Yahiko died, yet the organization Akatsuki seemed to vanish beneath Hanzo's influence.

Yet Nagato never abandoned his dream of bringing peace to the entire Shinobi World; in fact, Yahiko's death strengthened his resolve further.

Only through pain will peace be born.

This was the deeper understanding Nagato gained after Yahiko's passing.

Yahiko's death drove Akatsuki's work underground, giving Nagato more time to master the Rinnegan.

...

Recently, however, Akatsuki resurged mightily once again!

Under Nagato's leadership, Akatsuki began systematically dismantling every foundation of Hanzo's power with unstoppable momentum.

Now, the final showdown between Akatsuki and Hanzo has begun.

Their earlier defeat hadn't broken their spirit.

Instead, Hanzo's repeated attacks only intensified their sense of mission and strengthened their revolutionary spirit.

Under the new leader Nagato, Akatsuki quietly gathered sufficient strength in secret and initiated this so-called "revolution" against Hanzo.

To those young members who willingly joined the organization, their actions were a way to pull the Land of Rain back from the brink of destruction.

For Nagato, this revolution marked the first step toward peace—and simultaneously, the first step toward avenging Yahiko.

...

This was a valley—an open, wide valley.

History always repeated itself eerily—Yahiko's death had occurred not far from here.

This time, the situation reversed, and the story unfolded differently.

Previously, it had been Yahiko and Nagato forced into desperation by Hanzo; this time, it was Hanzo who found himself cornered by Nagato and Konan.

In a vast valley, corpses lay scattered everywhere—ninja from the Land of Rain, members of the Akatsuki, their broken and shattered bodies strewn about like torn sacks.

This was to be the final battle between Hanzo and Nagato, the decisive clash that would shape the fate of Amegakure and the entire Land of Rain.

Hanzo—the once semi-divine warrior who, after Hashirama Senju, stood alone as the only man bold enough to include "god" in his title.

Nagato—the possessor of the legendary [Rinnegan], a man determined to bring peace to the entire Shinobi World.

This should have been an epic duel. But the gap between them was simply too wide.

The Hanzo of today was no longer the one called "God," just as Nagato was no longer the timid boy who once stood behind Yahiko.

The aging Hanzo had seen his strength sharply decline. Though still formidable, he could no longer match Nagato, who was steadily rising toward his peak.

At this moment, Hanzo had already been dragged across the ground like dirt.

Standing atop his Boss Summon, Hanzo looked toward Nagato in the distance.

Though his movements were now somewhat limited, Nagato could still move freely enough for basic actions—he was not yet the crippled man of later years, entirely dependent on machines.

His inability to move freely stemmed from the immense physical strain caused by the [Rinnegan]. While granting immense power, it also drained Nagato's life force and shortened his lifespan.

The emaciated Nagato of later years was a grim testament to what came from overusing the [Rinnegan].

"Hanzo," Nagato declared, standing dozens of meters away, his voice cutting clearly through the air and reaching the defeated ears of Hanzo. "The dark clouds that loomed over the Land of Rain are finally beginning to disperse. Tell me—is there anything you wish to say?"

Beside Nagato, Yahiko stood upright, his eyes glowing eerily with intricate patterns weaving across them.

Mysterious patterns wove intricate lines across Yahiko's eyes—an unmistakable sign of their divine power.

Seeing Yahiko, long thought dead, standing before him again—and possessing those divine eyes—Hanzo even felt the calmest depths of his heart now churned with violent waves.

"You have triumphed! The future of the Land of Rain is now yours to command!"

Hanzo cast a glance at his weakened summon, blood dripping slowly from the gaps in his breathing apparatus.

He was at the end of his strength. Though he still had techniques capable of felling an enemy at a terrible cost to himself, under the gaze of those eyes…

Hanzo knew better than anyone—it would only be a futile waste.

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