Naruto: Reborn as Yagura Karatachi

Amegakure, inside the Akatsuki base.

The envoy sent by Hanzo of the Salamander had come with peaceful intentions.

He informed Yahiko and the Akatsuki that Hanzo wished to entrust the organization—known for its ideals of peace—with the role of peace ambassadors between the Land of Rain and the neighboring great nations of Fire, Earth, and Wind.

The envoy added, "Should Akatsuki be willing to accept Lord Hanzo's invitation, please arrive by tomorrow. Lord Hanzo will personally meet with you for negotiations."

Yahiko responded seriously, "Understood. Please inform Lord Hanzo that I have received his message."

The envoy nodded respectfully and left.

For a moment, everyone in Akatsuki—including Yahiko and Nagato—was stunned by the overwhelming news.

Not only had Hanzo chosen not to move against them, but he even wanted Akatsuki to serve as emissaries of peace between the Land of Rain and the Three Great Nations?

"Nagato, I'm not dreaming, am I?" Yahiko whispered.

His lifelong dream was finally within reach.

Nagato's heart swelled with joy and pride for his friend.

"Of course not, Yahiko."

"This is amazing!" cried Member Akatsuki, rushing up and tackling Yahiko with a hug.

"Your dream—our dream—is about to come true!"

"Negotiating peace with the Three Great Nations? Let's gooo!"

"With Amegakure's support, we can help others openly from now on!"

The other Akatsuki members swarmed Yahiko in excitement, their celebration turning into a full-on playful scuffle.

"Hey, hey! Stop pulling my hair!" Yahiko laughed, struggling to escape the tangle of limbs.

Breathing hard but smiling blissfully, he looked around at the friends who had thrown themselves into Akatsuki, heart and soul, in pursuit of the same ideals.

After all the hardships, sacrifices, and long stretches without reward, it finally felt like the dawn of a new era for Akatsuki.

Nagato looked at Yahiko and said, "See? Everyone's willing to follow your ideals. You don't need to rely on power to lead."

"Nagato..." Yahiko smiled and gripped his friend's outstretched hand tightly.

"You're right. We didn't make a mistake."

"I've decided. I'll accept Lord Hanzo's invitation. This could be a major turning point for Akatsuki."

Once everyone had calmed down, Yahiko announced,

"Tomorrow, Nagato and I will go to the meeting."

Member Akatsuki looked surprised. "Huh? Are you sure? Let's all go together!"

But Yahiko just waved him off with a laugh.

"No need for a big group. We don't want to scare Lord Hanzo."

Caught up in the excitement, no one thought to argue. "He's right."

"Too bad Konan isn't here," someone muttered.

Thinking of Jiraiya's team currently being short-handed, Yahiko felt a pang of regret.

"I wish she could be here to hear the good news right away."

Nagato said, "We can write her a letter later."

"Yeah!"

Yahiko raised his hand high.

"Anyway! Today marks a huge step forward for Akatsuki! Tonight, forget the missions! Let's celebrate properly!"

"Yeahhh!!" the members cheered.

...

They splurged a hefty sum from the organization's funds to buy tables full of meat, wine, and dishes.

With spirits high, the Akatsuki members drank late into the night, getting so drunk that by the early morning hours, they lay scattered around the main hall in various ridiculous poses.

Nagato, who had only had a couple of small drinks, remained mostly sober.

There were too many people to carry back one by one, and since everyone was trained as shinobi anyway, he figured it was fine to just let them sleep it off where they were.

The sky was still dark.

Nagato glanced over at Yahiko, who was dozing lightly against the wall. Yahiko hadn't drunk much either—he would definitely wake up on time for their meeting with Hanzo.

Stepping outside the hideout, Nagato leaned against the railing on the second floor walkway to get some fresh air.

"Nagato."

A sudden voice behind him made every hair on Nagato's body stand on end.

He whirled around instantly to see a masked man with only one eye showing. The man's presence alone made Nagato's skin crawl.

"You're—!"

It was him again!

He had appeared behind Nagato without making a sound—and Nagato hadn't sensed a thing.

If the man had attacked just now, Nagato might already be dead.

Obito spoke, trying once more to lure Nagato to his side.

"The world is about to change. Leave that naive fool Yahiko behind, and come work with me."

This wasn't the first time Obito had approached him.

But as long as Yahiko was around, Nagato had remained steadfast in his belief in Yahiko's ideals.

Now, however, Hanzo and Danzo's plan was already in motion.

Once Yahiko was dead, Nagato would lose his spiritual anchor. Controlling him afterward would be far easier.

Honestly, a fool like Yahiko was destined to meet a tragic end in such a cruel world.

Obito continued, "If you keep following someone like Yahiko, you're all going to—"

"To what?!" Nagato snapped.

"Yahiko's talk of peace through negotiation is just a fantasy," Obito said coldly. "Even if you understand other people's pain, they'll never understand yours. The world won't allow it. Reality is cruel. You, who possess the Rinnegan, should know this better than anyone."

"No matter what you say, I believe in Yahiko's dream!" Nagato's voice was unwavering.

Even with death looming, his conviction didn't waver an inch.

Obito fell silent for a moment.

Well, it didn't matter. Soon enough, Nagato would see the truth of the world for himself.

"If one does not experience pain, can they ever truly see the reality of this world?"

Obito took a step toward Nagato.

Playing tricks on purpose, his body phased right through Nagato. "Even with the Rinnegan, in this regard, you're still just a mere mortal, Nagato."

As his form was sucked back into the Kamui space, his final words echoed in Nagato's ears.

"Very well. Then let pain be your guide... Use those eyes to witness the true nature of this world."

...

After what felt like an eternity.

When he woke up, Nagato found himself alone. Yahiko soon appeared, having searched for him.

"There you are, Nagato."

Seeing the stunned look on Nagato's face, Yahiko waved a hand in front of his eyes.

"What's wrong? Something happen?"

That man... What did he mean?

One thing was clear: whoever he was, he seemed to oppose Yahiko's existence outright.

Nagato shook his head.

"No... It's nothing."

"You sure?"

Yahiko didn't press him further. He just smiled and said,

"Get ready to move out. We shouldn't keep Lord Hanzō waiting."

Nagato's mind kept replaying Obito's words.

Was that man trying to warn them of danger?

Nagato stared at Yahiko's infectious smile for a long moment, then nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go."

...

Meanwhile, elsewhere—

Jiraiya received a letter carried by a toad.

It was a message from Orochimaru. Or rather, it had been written by Konan, one of his former students. The handwriting in the first half was unmistakably hers.

After Konan's plea for help, the latter part of the letter came from none other than the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.

The contents were grim: Hanzō and Danzō were planning to attack the Akatsuki. Worse, Danzō had discovered Nagato's possession of the Rinnegan.

The situation forced Jiraiya to put aside his search for his missing comrade Orochimaru.

At the time, he happened to be near the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.

Paying closer attention, he quickly noticed Konoha's Root operatives secretly converging toward Amegakure.

The situation was rapidly deteriorating.

Though his three students had long since graduated from his tutelage, upon receiving this plea from Konan herself, Jiraiya wasted no time. He immediately set out for the Land of Rain.

By the time morning passed—

Yahiko and Nagato found themselves surrounded by both Amegakure shinobi and Root agents from Konoha.

The excitement they'd felt on the way here now plummeted into despair.

Yahiko clicked his tongue in frustration and roared up toward the cliffs where Hanzō stood overlooking them.

"What is the meaning of this, Lord Hanzō?!"

Foolish brats... They actually came, and brought only one companion.

Hanzō narrowed his eyes and issued a cold order: "Attack!"

The Ame-nin obeyed instantly, rushing in from all sides!

"Dammit!"

Drawing his blade, Yahiko plunged into the oncoming tide of enemies.

Elsewhere, atop a deserted ridge, Obito and White Zetsu emerged from the shadows.

Before coming here, they had slaughtered the Akatsuki reinforcements who'd rushed to aid Yahiko and Nagato.

No one would be interrupting now.

White Zetsu cackled theatrically. "It's starting! Whoa, there's so many!"

"Shut up."

Obito stared coldly at the battlefield.

"Good. Witness reality. Abandon your foolish dreams. Awaken your Rinnegan, Nagato."

Despite the fierce battle, only the Amegakure shinobi engaged. The Root members hung back, even subtly retreating from the front lines.

Thanks to Danzō's cowardice and self-serving tactics, Yahiko and Nagato remained alive for the moment.

Amid the chaos, Nagato fought back savagely, overwhelming and killing several Ame-nin.

Individually, the Ame-nin were weak.

But their numbers stretched to the horizon.

"Despicable bastards!"

Yahiko was faring far worse. Struggling to parry attacks coming from every direction, he was quickly being worn down.

As the battle dragged on, the two of them found themselves back-to-back.

Faced with the reality that he might die here—and drag Nagato down with him—Yahiko's heart sank.

"I'm sorry, Nagato... This is my fault."

He wasn't the bridge to peace after all.

He was just a fragile pillar, and his collapse was dragging the true bridge down with him.

"Don't say that, Yahiko!"

Nagato caught sight of an Ame-nin sneaking in from Yahiko's blind spot.

Wind Release: Violent Palm!

With a roar, Nagato unleashed a massive wind blast, blowing back the enemy lines and giving them precious breathing room.

"I've always believed in you!" Nagato shouted. "Konan believes in you! Everyone in Akatsuki believes in you—our leader, Yahiko!"

Crash!

The ground beneath their feet exploded as two monstrous black tendrils burst out, seizing Yahiko and Nagato by the neck!

The sudden attack stunned even the surrounding Ame-nin.

The tendrils yanked the two back, dragging them out of the encirclement.

Rough though it was, the rescue worked. Yahiko coughed violently, struggling for air.

"Kuh—! cough cough!"

Nagato was in no better shape, but when he saw who had grabbed them, hope flickered in his eyes.

"Kakuzu-san!"

Kakuzu's cold gaze swept over the two, and he didn't bother hiding his scorn.

"You two... are complete idiots."

If the Akatsuki members hadn't informed him, they'd already be dust by now.

Gidōmaru, from the supporting forces, clapped Yahiko on the back to help him breathe.

"You alright, Boss?"

Embarrassed, Yahiko averted his gaze from Gidōmaru's worried face.

"...I'm fine."

Though he had suffered several injuries during the battle, none were fatal.

Grateful, Yahiko looked at both Kakuzu and Gidōmaru.

"Thank you, Gidōmaru, Kakuzu-san."

Gidōmaru had been jolted awake from his drunken stupor by a ninja mouse delivering urgent intel—reports of suspicious Root movements near the Fire Country's border.

He immediately set off, splitting from the others to bring Kakuzu for backup.

"Good thing I got here in time!" Gidōmaru said proudly. "These legs of mine aren't just for show!"

Whoosh!

Hanzō suddenly appeared in a blur, using his Body Flicker Technique to arrive before them.

Facing an enemy—and the real Hanzō no less—Yahiko and the others immediately went on alert.

However, Hanzō's gaze locked solely onto Kakuzu.

"You must be the reinforcement hired by Kirigakure... the rogue ninja of Takigakure, Kakuzu."

Retracting the black threads into his body, Kakuzu said coldly,

"Since the time of the First Hokage, you are the strongest opponent I've met, Hanzō the Salamander."

Kakuzu gave a warning glance to Yahiko and the others. "Leave. I'll handle him."

The chakra released by two Kage-level shinobi was overwhelming, leaving Yahiko and the others deeply shaken.

Compared to this, their earlier fights with Kakuzu were child's play.

Gidōmaru immediately dropped any thought of staying behind to help.

"No way, we're totally outmatched."

Nagato grabbed Yahiko.

"Retreat. We'll only get in his way."

"...I'm sorry, Kakuzu-san."

Gritting their teeth, Yahiko led Nagato and Gidōmaru in retreat.

Almost as soon as they left, Kakuzu and Hanzō's battle erupted with terrifying intensity!

Seeing Yahiko trying to flee, Hanzō immediately summoned his giant venomous salamander, a beast on par with the great toads of Mount Myōboku.

Three black monster-like entities erupted from Kakuzu's back, each housing a different elemental heart—fire, wind, and lightning—to assist his assault.

He kept two hearts—earth and water—for himself to maintain his personal combat ability and survivability.

The battle between these two titans created a deadly vacuum zone where no one dared step.

Both rain shinobi and Root members avoided the battlefield.

Meanwhile, elite Root operatives quickly caught up to Yahiko's group and surrounded them once again.

This time, the enemy's pressure was far more intense than that of the common Ame-nin.

Even Nagato found himself struggling in battle, while Yahiko and Gidōmaru could barely defend themselves.

"This isn't good. If this keeps up—"

Nagato unleashed a wide-area Wind Release attack to temporarily push back their assailants while frantically searching for a solution.

Kakuzu was tied up fighting Hanzō.

There was no way Kakuzu could come to their rescue any time soon.

And Kirigakure wouldn't have stationed backup permanently in Amegakure either.

The only hope left was the rest of Akatsuki.

Yahiko's thinking matched Nagato's almost perfectly.

"Gidōmaru! Where's everyone else?!"

Gidōmaru, sealing the enemy's movements with Lime-Style ninjutsu, shouted back,

"No idea! We split up after leaving the base!"

Based on the timeline...

If Gidōmaru had managed to reach Kakuzu for help—

The others should have arrived by now.

Best-case scenario, they had been delayed by enemy forces.

Worst case...

They were probably already dead.

But Yahiko and Gidōmaru soon had no time to worry about their comrades.

Under relentless assault from elite Root members, they were barely holding on.

"Yahiko—!"

Nagato caught a horrifying sight.

Blood spurted from Yahiko's mouth, and his vision blurred.

A Konoha shinobi had driven a kunai straight through his heart.

"RAAAH!!"

Nagato raised a hand, unleashing a massive Repulsive Force that blasted away all incoming attacks and scattered the enemies around them!

He sprinted forward in a blur, catching the collapsing Yahiko in his arms.

Yahiko's eyes were rapidly losing their light.

Root operatives immediately seized upon Nagato's momentary loss of fighting spirit and charged again!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!!"

A massive fireball descended from the sky, cutting off the attackers!

"Who?!"

"Glad you asked!"

A mane of white hair flipped dramatically as the rescuer landed.

Spreading his fingers wide and grinning boldly, he roared:

"The invincible legend of the Sannin! The white-haired toad sage! Jiraiya has arrived!"

----------------

Pls Drop some Power Stones

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