Naruto : Rise From The Rain

The forces of Amegakure were primarily deployed in two locations:

First, the northern border, where they guarded against Iwagakure of the Land of Earth, with Amegakure's leader, Hanzo, personally overseeing the front.

Second, the southeastern border, positioned to counter Kusagakure and to form a pincer against the main forces of Konoha's northern battlefield.

The troops stationed in the northeastern part of the Land of Rain, near the tri-border area, were ostensibly assisting Konoha ninjas in defending against enemies. However, their true mission was to monitor the battlefield's developments closely.

As Yahiko departed this region, his emotions were complicated.

Kyoso had explained that Hanzo's decision to relocate them was out of care, aiming to keep them away from Konoha's schemes and plots.

Schemes and plots... Even between allies, such suspicions lingered. Yahiko wondered how mistrust between people could ever be truly eradicated.

The leader of the southeastern border garrison was a senior Ame-nin named Kurozuna. Upon meeting Yahiko and his companions, he said, "Don't worry, you're on our home turf now. On this battlefield, there are only allies and enemies. You can fight for the Land of Rain without hesitation."

It seemed he was well aware of the Konoha camp's situation.

Turning to Konan, Kurozuna added, "The battlefield is also a great opportunity to make a name for yourself."

In the days that followed, Yahiko and his team quickly adapted to their new surroundings. Unlike the northeastern battlefield, this area experienced frequent clashes with Kusagakure. Battles erupted often, and tensions ran high.

Iwa-nin had not committed significant forces to this front, allowing Ame-nin to maintain an advantage against Kusagakure. However, whenever Kusagakure's defenses began to crumble, Iwa-nin would immediately send reinforcements to reclaim lost territory.

Asahi noticed that the prolonged war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth had stretched Iwagakure thin.

The war had already dragged on for too long, and if it continued, Iwagakure's position would grow increasingly precarious. Despite Kusagakure's alliance with Iwa, the smaller village was not a reliable ally.

On the other hand, under Hanzo's leadership, Amegakure was far from an ordinary minor ninja village. Its formidable strength forced Onoki to allocate forces to counter Amegakure specifically.

Without a decisive large-scale battle to determine the war's trajectory, Iwagakure seemed destined for a slow decline—unless they managed to secure new allies.

The eastern regions of the Land of Grass bordered smaller countries like the Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Frost, and the Land of Fields. However, these nations were vassals of the Land of Fire and were unlikely to assist Iwagakure. Convincing them to defect was even more implausible.

Yahiko's team became active on this battlefield. Kurozuna frequently assigned them missions, and the battlefield indeed proved to be a place where one could gain recognition. Konan's unique jutsu and immense strength quickly earned her fame in the region.

Kyusuke, the ever-talkative one, constantly bragged about Konan's prowess in the camp, becoming her self-proclaimed number-one fan.

"The Angel of Dawn." (Akatsuki mean Dawn or Daybreak,)

The title spread rapidly among both Ame-nin and Kusa-nin.

Konan found it somewhat embarrassing. Whenever someone called her that in the camp, she would pretend not to hear.

Yahiko teased her, saying, "So many people strive for fame and fail, yet you dislike it when you achieve it?"

After all, they had once witnessed Hanzo bestowing the title of "Legendary Sannin" upon the Konoha trio. Yahiko considered having a personal title to be an honor.

For instance, the name "Yellow Flash."

Across the battlefield, whether among Kusa-nin or Iwa-nin, the mere mention of this name instilled fear.

The enemy had even issued special orders: if encountering the Yellow Flash during a mission, one could abandon the mission and retreat without facing any consequences.

Such was the terror Minato Namikaze inspired—a single individual whose power could sway entire battles.

Using her ability to fly, Konan had successfully mapped out the positions of the enemy's front-line outposts.

However, Kurozuna refrained from taking immediate action after receiving this intelligence, maintaining the usual stalemate on the battlefield.

Yahiko found this disappointing. He suspected Hanzo wished to avoid disrupting the balance too quickly.

Indeed, Hanzo's strategy was to let Konoha and Iwagakure continue their fight. The longer their conflict dragged on, the more room Amegakure had to maneuver.

In the current situation, Yahiko wouldn't even be surprised if Hanzo secretly orchestrated something to harm their allies ;Konoha, should Konoha gain the upper hand.

One day, Asahi noticed Yahiko receiving a letter.

It was from Nagato.

Yahiko directly handed the letter to Asahi for him to read. The contents were rather mundane, mostly about Nagato accompanying Genma on various missions. Genma had taught him many things, although some of them were not in line with Nagato's beliefs.

Nagato expressed a strong desire to join Yahiko and Konan, but Hanzo had consistently denied the request.

The letter also mentioned that Nagato hoped Yahiko would talk to Hanzo and convince him to let Nagato join the battlefield.

"Hanzo has his own plans. Nagato might be an important piece in his strategy," Asahi said to Yahiko.

"What do you think Hanzo plans to do?" Yahiko asked.

Asahi thought for a moment and replied, "It's hard to say, but someone in his position likely wants nothing more than to make the Land of Rain stronger. As for Nagato, he can stay with Genma for now. If Hanzo brings him to the battlefield, it would unsettle him."

Yahiko nodded lightly and then wrote a reply to Nagato, reassuring him.

The plan that Akatsuki was about to implement had not yet come to fruition, and they would have to wait for the right moment.

The true enemy, when they eventually set their sights on the Land of Grass, would be one person: Hanzo.

Before they broke ties with him, they could not afford to arouse Hanzo's suspicions.

Northern Front of the Land of Rain

Hanzo was reading the letter Yahiko had written to Nagato. The letter had not yet reached Nagato's hands.

"Akatsuki is becoming very active on the battlefield. Konan, the one by Yahiko's side, is already quite well-known," one of the Ame-nin said in front of Hanzo.

"Isn't that a good thing? We also have rising stars in the Land of Rain," Hanzo replied indifferently. "Since this is the Great Ninja War, it would be dull if only the Five Great Nations were the ones dominating the stage."

The Ame-nin continued, "However, Nagato, who has been with Lord Genma for so long, still adheres to Yahiko's ideology."

Hanzo remained calm and said, "You're too impatient. I've already said that Yahiko is our comrade in Amegakure. Don't make them out to be our enemies. In fact, he might be the one who will eventually succeed me."

One of the Ame-nin asked, "Lord, you have such high hopes for him?"

Hanzo fell silent for a moment, contemplating. Indeed, he hoped Yahiko would find a way to succeed, but the key was that Yahiko must truly be loyal to him.

"The premise is that he must truly be loyal to me," Hanzo concluded.