Naruto : Infinite Buff!

The rain fell relentlessly, each drop striking the ground like a hammer, drowning the world. Amatsu walked ahead, his figure barely visible through the rain. His dark hair clung to his face, droplets of water running down his skin, mixing with the blood that still lingered from the battle. His steps were steady, purposeful, but there was a cold detachment in his movements, as if the chaos around him was nothing more than a backdrop to his thoughts. Behind him, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato stood in silence, watching his back grow smaller and smaller with each passing moment.

The sound of the rain was deafening, filling the void between them. Yahiko's fists clenched at his sides, his body trembling—not from the cold, but from the turmoil raging inside him. Finally, he broke the silence, his voice trembling but resolute.

"Amatsu!" he called out, his words cutting through the storm. "Wait!"

Amatsu didn't stop. His figure continued to move forward, each step carrying him further away from them. Yahiko gritted his teeth, his frustration boiling over. "Amatsu, damn it! Stop walking away!"

At last, Amatsu halted. His figure stood motionless, blurred by the rain, his back still turned to them. Yahiko took a deep breath, his voice steadying as he spoke again. "You saved us. Without you, we'd be dead. I know that. But if we keep following you… if we keep relying on you… we'll never become strong."

Amatsu didn't respond. The rain continued to pour, the sound of it filling the silence. Yahiko's voice grew firmer, louder, as he pushed forward. "You're stronger than all of us combined, Amatsu. But strength isn't just about survival. I'm starting to see that now. Strength is about achieving something bigger than yourself. And if we follow you, we'll never find that."

Konan's voice broke in, soft but filled with worry. "What will we do without him, Yahiko? Where will we go?" Her amber eyes shifted between Yahiko and Amatsu, her heart torn between the two. "We've survived this long because of him. Without Amatsu, how will we…?"

Yahiko turned to her, his expression resolute. "We'll survive. We always have. But we can't stay in his shadow forever." He looked back at Amatsu, his voice steady. "I overheard rumors, Konan. Three Konoha shinobi fought Hanzo the Salamander and vanished without a trace. No bodies were ever found. If they're still alive, they're strong. Strong enough to face someone like Hanzo. We should find them. Maybe they'll train us."

Konan's eyes widened, her voice uncertain. "And if they're dead? What then?"

"Then at least we tried," Yahiko said firmly. "Look at Amatsu. He trains endlessly, never knowing what's ahead, but he keeps moving forward. We have to do the same. We can't let him leave us behind. We need to become stronger, no matter what it takes."

Nagato, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward. His Rinnegan eyes glinted faintly in the dim light of the storm. "Yahiko's right," he said quietly. "Amatsu walks his own path. We can't follow him anymore, not like this. But we can't let him be the only one who grows stronger. If we want to survive in this world… if we want to change it… we have to find our own way."

Yahiko turned back to Amatsu, who still stood motionless, the rain pouring over him. "Amatsu!" he shouted, his voice raw with emotion. "One day, we'll meet again. By then, I'll be strong. I'll prove to you that peace and my goals aren't just dreams! When that time comes, let's reform our group. Let's stand together again!"

For a moment, there was only the sound of the storm. Amatsu stood still, his head slightly bowed, his face hidden from view. Slowly, he turned his head, his dark eyes meeting Yahiko's through the curtain of rain. His expression was cold, detached, but for the briefest moment, something flickered within them—something almost human.

"Survive," he said quietly, his voice barely audible over the rain. "Be alive."

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Yahiko clenched his fists, his body trembling as tears mixed with the rain streaming down his face. Konan and Nagato exchanged a glance, their hearts heavy with the weight of what had just been said. For the first time, Amatsu had shown them a glimpse of something beyond his cold exterior. It was fleeting, but it was enough.

Amatsu turned away, his figure disappearing into the storm. The rain swallowed him, his dark silhouette fading into the distance until there was nothing left but the sound of water striking the ground.

Yahiko's voice broke the silence once more, softer now. "He's gone."

Konan wiped the rain from her face, her expression troubled. "What do we do now?"

"We follow the rumors," Yahiko said firmly. "We find those shinobi. We train, we grow stronger, and then… we take back this village."

Nagato nodded, his Rinnegan eyes glinting with determination. "We'll survive. No matter what it takes."

---

The battlefield stretched before them, littered with the bodies of fallen shinobi. The trio moved cautiously through the wreckage, their eyes scanning the ground for supplies. Amatsu's parting words echoed in their minds: "Take what you need. Survive by any means."

Yahiko knelt beside a corpse, stripping it of kunai and a battered scroll. His hands trembled slightly as he worked, his face pale but resolute. Konan moved silently, her delicate hands pulling a pouch of shuriken from a lifeless shinobi's belt. Nagato stood nearby, his gaze distant as he gathered a bloodstained map from the battlefield.

The sight of the bodies, their lifeless eyes staring up at the stormy sky, filled them with dread. But they pushed forward, their resolve outweighing their fear. Survival demanded it.

The sound of explosions suddenly ripped through the air, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Yahiko's head snapped up, his eyes widening. "We need to move! Now!"

Kunai whistled past them, embedding themselves in the ground with deadly precision. The trio broke into a sprint, their footsteps splashing through the mud as more explosions rocked the battlefield. They didn't look back, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they ran.

In the distance, Amatsu walked alone, his figure shrouded by the rain. His steps were slower now, his body heavy. The poison from the chain wounds coursed through his veins, its effects growing stronger with each passing moment. His vision blurred, the edges of the world fading into darkness. He stumbled, his hand reaching out to steady himself against a crumbling wall.

His breaths were shallow, his body trembling as the poison continued to spread. The rain poured over him, washing the blood and grime from his skin. He staggered forward, his legs barely able to carry him. Finally, his strength gave out, and he collapsed onto the wet ground.

---

[Buff Detected: Poison Immunity ]

- Effect: +10% Poison Immunities (Permanent).

---

The system's cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind, faint and distant. But Amatsu didn't hear it. His consciousness slipped away, his body lying motionless in the pouring rain. The storm raged on, unrelenting, as his figure faded into the shadows of Amegakure.

Far in the distance, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato disappeared into the night, their silhouettes swallowed by the rain. The world around them was cruel and unforgiving, but they carried with them the weight of their dreams, their fears, and their determination. Whether their paths would cross again… only time would tell.

The rain continued to fall, endless and unyielding, as if mourning the broken souls it had witnessed.