Naruto : Rise From The Rain

After returning to the Konoha camp, the surviving Rain Ninjas gathered together. Originally, there were 500 people in their group, but now only a few dozen remained, and many of them were injured.

The leader of the group had died in battle, and Yahiko was doing his best to comfort the troops, becoming the leader of the remaining group.

It wasn't long before Konoha invited them for a meeting.

Inside the main tent, the top brass of Konoha were gathered, including Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, Shikaku Nara, Fugaku Uchiha, and others.

When Yahiko and his team entered, many of the eyes in the room turned toward them, each expression different.

Yahiko remained calm, showing none of the emotional turmoil that others had expected.

Some eyes lingered on Konan, whose strength on the battlefield earlier had earned the respect of everyone present.

Jiraiya was the first to speak: "Yahiko, your Rain Ninjas have made great sacrifices, and Konoha will remember your contributions."

Yahiko smiled faintly: "We are just doing what any ally should do. Everything we do is for peace."

His words fell into silence in the tent.

Jiraiya pondered for a moment before speaking again: "The Rain Ninjas can rest here in the camp. We will provide the best medical ninjas. The upcoming battles with the enemy may be even more dangerous, and your team may not need to participate."

Yahiko nodded: "Thank you, Lord Jiraiya."

Everyone in the room was aware of the relationship between Yahiko and Jiraiya, so no one spoke out of turn.

Afterward, the meeting turned to formal matters, discussing the upcoming war strategies and plans.

By the time the meeting concluded and everyone dispersed, Yahiko and his team walked out of the tent. Konan said with disappointment, "Didn't Jiraiya-sensei have anything to say to us?"

She had learned everything from Asahi and was still hoping for some explanation from Jiraiya.

"He is a Konoha ninja, the leader of the frontlines," Yahiko replied calmly.

"We should head back."

The Rain Ninjas, now only a few dozen strong, were unlikely to be needed in the upcoming war. The relationship between the Rain and Konoha was uncertain, and no one could predict what would happen next.

Instead of following Jiraiya's suggestion to rest at Konoha, they set out immediately for the Rain Country, gathering under Yahiko's call.

On their way back to the southeast camp of the Rain Country, they learned that a recent battle had occurred, and the army was regrouping.

Kurozuna frowned and said, "You didn't receive the information, did you?"

"What information?" Yahiko asked.

"The northeast border defense has fallen. The enemy has entered our Rain Country! Lord Hanzo is currently organizing a counterattack... Damn Konoha! They stabbed us in the back!" Kurozuna eyes burned with intense hatred as he spoke.

Despite having anticipated this, Yahiko's breath still caught in his chest upon hearing the news.

"What about Lord Kyoso?" he asked.

Kurozuna fell silent for a moment before answering, "There has been no news of him. He may already..."

The camp was preparing to move north. The Rain Ninjas' urgent task was to drive the enemy out of their country. This force was crucial. Since Konoha had already pushed things to the limit, the Rain Ninjas also planned to abandon this battlefield.

The situation in the Rain Country was in chaos. The enemy, who had once been outside the border, was now inside, breaking through the defenses. The entire Rain Country had become unsafe, and if they didn't act quickly, they might end up like the Grass Country.

Kurozuna went to command the troops to retreat, and Yahiko couldn't help but ask Asahi, "Is there any way to save the Rain Country now?"

Asahi thought for a moment before replying, "Hanzo should have already taken the best measures. If we can drive the enemy out, it will be a close call. But if Iwa Ninja can take Rain Country, they will gain a huge advantage in the upcoming war with Konoha. They might not let this heaven-sent opportunity slip away."

A "heaven-sent opportunity"... Yahiko clenched his fists, his mind flashing with the image of Jiraiya-sensei. He closed his eyes in pain.

Asahi continued, "Konoha will use this opportunity to take a breath and avoid engaging with the Iwa Ninjas, knowing we will resist them to the death. For a while, our Rain Country will become the main battlefield."

Yahiko asked, "What should we do next? Should we head back to the battlefield?"

His mind was in turmoil, unable to think clearly about the next steps.

Asahi sighed, "Our strength can't change the future situation. We can only see what Hanzo will do."

The Rain Village is about to face off directly against the Iwa Ninjas, but the chances of victory are uncertain…

Asahi himself couldn't predict the outcome. After all, Hanzo was a ruthless warlord in the past. But recalling the recent battle and the strength of the Iwa Ninjas, Asahi began to worry for the Rain Ninjas.

And Iwa Village still has two Tailed Beasts!

Once those beasts are deployed on the battlefield, the Rain Ninjas will have no chance of stopping them.

When he first read the original work, he never thought much of the Tailed Beasts. In the world of Naruto, it seemed like any famous and powerful ninja could easily defeat a Tailed Beast. However, only by facing them head-on on the battlefield could one truly understand their terrifying power.

In the northern camp of the Rain Country.

Nagato, along with Konan, had arrived there. During this time, Nagato had been following Genma's side, carrying out various tasks with him.

Nagato had wanted to join Yahiko and Konan, but the letter Yahiko sent told him not to rush. They would meet again soon.

"Nagato, Lord Hanzo is waiting for you," Genma said as he came out of the tent.

"Understood," Nagato replied.

Inside the meeting tent, only Hanzo was present. Though his face was completely covered by a breathing mask, Nagato could still sense the heavy, gloomy aura he emanated.

"Lord Hanzo," Nagato greeted, bowing.

Hanzo's gaze shifted from the table to Nagato. In a hoarse voice, he spoke, "Nagato..."

In the reports Genma frequently sent back about Nagato, it was said that Nagato's overall strength was at the Jonin level, with tremendous potential.

A young Jonin like him, even among the five great ninja villages, would have an unlimited future. But to Hanzo, it was still not enough—Konan seemed to be far more capable.

"You killed dozens of Iwa Ninjas by yourself, right?" Hanzo asked.

Nagato paused. He remembered the incident clearly. When Iwa Ninjas were causing trouble inside the Rain Country, Akatsuki had been asked by the nearby villagers to negotiate with them. But the Iwa Ninjas attacked immediately. In that critical situation, Nagato had unleashed the power of the Rinnegan after seeing Yahiko injured.

"That was the power of the Rinnegan, wasn't it?" Hanzo asked again.

Nagato hesitated before slowly nodding.

"Can you control it now?" Hanzo asked further.

"...Back then, I also used that power unconsciously," Nagato replied. He felt immense resistance to the Rinnegan's power. Each time it exploded, he lost control and his consciousness. He feared that this power would eventually hurt those around him.

But then Hanzo suddenly said, "Nagato, the Rain Country needs this power of yours."

"Konoha betrayed us. Jiraiya abandoned our defenses, allowing the Iwa Ninjas to enter our borders. Now, we're facing the risk of losing our country at any moment."

Nagato's eyes widened. "What are you saying? Jiraiya-sensei…"

Hanzo's voice grew colder. "He may have been your former teacher, but in the end, he is from Konoha. They are not on our side. Konoha now wants us to face the Iwa Ninjas head-on. Their plot has succeeded because we must defend our homeland!"

Nagato stood frozen in place, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. Having followed Genma and carried out tasks for so long, he was not up-to-date with the situation on the battlefield. But hearing this, the first thought that came to his mind was, "This can't be true. Jiraiya-sensei would never do this!"

Hanzo continued, "I'm not afraid of the Iwa Ninjas. I'm well aware of Ohnoki's tactics. They are already exhausted from the long wars. But they have two Tailed Beasts at their disposal. These Tailed Beasts wreaked havoc in Konoha's battle yesterday. If they use them against us, our situation will be extremely dangerous."

"Back then, Uchiha Madara tamed the Nine-Tails using his Sharingan. Nagato, the Rain Country needs your power. You need to stand up and protect your country."

Nagato was lost in thought for a long time before asking, "Does Yahiko know about this?"

Hanzo replied, "Yahiko was part of that battle. He's probably just as disappointed with Jiraiya as you are. Konoha has always been untrustworthy. In this world, the only people we can trust are those close to us."

The threat of the Tailed Beasts far surpasses the number of ninjas.

Now that the northeast defense line of the Rain Country has fallen, Iwa Ninjas can bring the Tailed Beasts into our land at any time. Even just one would be enough to overwhelm us.

Nagato was silent for a moment before asking, "Can I meet with Yahiko?"

Hanzo gazed at him quietly, considering his request. After a while, he nodded. "I'll have them brought to you."

In the eastern part of the Rain Country, Kurozuna set up a temporary camp and dispatched several reconnaissance teams.

Konan, known for her excellent reconnaissance skills, was also assigned to this task. They needed to quickly gather information about the Iwa Ninjas' positions in the Rain Country.

It was only after Yahiko received Hanzo's summon that he rushed to the northern camp without delay.

"Asahi, why do you think Hanzo wants to meet with us?" Yahiko asked.

"It's probably related to the Iwa Ninjas. Hanzo originally had great ambitions for this war. He might be willing to do anything to achieve his goal."