Naruto : Rise From The Rain

When Yahiko and the Akatsuki members arrived at the northern camp in the Land of Rain, they finally met with Nagato.

"Yahiko! Konan!"

Nagato, seeing the two after a long time, couldn't hide the smile on his face. Yahiko laughed heartily, stepping forward to embrace him. Konan also showed a soft expression. They had all been through a lot recently, and every battle on the battlefield was a close brush with death. Even though they hadn't been apart for long, the joy of their reunion stirred emotions within them.

"How have you two been?" Nagato asked.

Yahiko sighed, "We're alright. We've survived by luck on the battlefield, but we've lost quite a few comrades along the way."

There were hardly any Akatsuki members left from their original group, and this pained Yahiko's heart. After regaining his composure, he smiled and added, "Konan has gained quite a reputation now. She's known across the four nations."

Konan modestly responded, "It's just that my ninjutsu is a bit special. It's not that impressive."

After some pleasantries, Asahi and Kyusuke joined the conversation and exchanged greetings.

Kyusuke enthusiastically put his arm around Nagato's shoulder. They were familiar with each other, and though not as close as Yahiko and Nagato, their relationship was still strong.

"Why did Lord Hanzō call us here?" Yahiko asked Nagato.

Nagato glanced around, ensuring they were among their own, then spoke slowly. "Lord Hanzō... wants me to use the power of the Rinnegan to fight against the Tailed Beasts."

"What?" Yahiko and Konan were immediately shocked. They had just witnessed the power of the Tailed Beasts on the battlefield. Both felt that it was beyond human ability to fight them. To send Nagato to face the Tailed Beasts felt like a death sentence!

Yahiko raised an eyebrow. "No way!"

Nagato hesitated. "Lord Hanzō said that if we don't have a way to deal with the Tailed Beasts, we will definitely lose in the upcoming war with the Hidden Stone Village. If that happens, the Land of Rain..."

Yahiko furrowed his brows. He had expected the Land of Rain's situation to be dire, but those were Tailed Beasts!

His mind flashed back to the two massive beasts he had seen not long ago—monstrous creatures that could annihilate countless ninja with a single Tailed Beast Ball. Nothing like shuriken or ninjutsu could hurt them. Konoha had only been able to hold them off because of powerful warriors like Minato and Jiraiya. Even then, the damage caused by the two beasts had been horrifying.

Konan spoke with concern, "Nagato, the power of the Tailed Beasts is far beyond that of ninjas. You can't stop them."

Nagato fell silent at her words, remaining quiet for a long while before responding, "Then what should we do about the Land of Rain?"

What to do about the Land of Rain...

The question felt like a vice tightening around Yahiko's chest. His expression changed, and after a long breath, he said, "We need to reconsider this. Besides, Nagato, you're not yet skilled enough to control this power. You can't gamble with it like this."

Yahiko had seen the power of Nagato's Rinnegan firsthand. It was undoubtedly strong, but also uncontrollable. Moreover, even that power couldn't compare to the Tailed Beasts. One Tailed Beast Ball could shatter a mountain!

Yahiko looked over at Asahi, who remained silent. With no other choice, he sighed, "I'll go speak to Lord Hanzō."

He then walked off to meet Hanzō.

Asahi and the others stayed behind, their moods heavy. As people of the Land of Rain, none of them wanted to see their country destroyed. The Land of Rain had already suffered enough hardships, and they had all personally experienced it.

At this moment, Konan asked Asahi, "Do you have any solutions?"

Asahi shook his head slightly. "The Hidden Stone Ninja are too strong, and the Tailed Beasts' power is beyond us. We can't control it. Our power is too small compared to theirs. No matter what we try, the gap between us is insurmountable."

Konan's eyes flickered briefly, and she fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.

After a few minutes, Yahiko emerged, his face solemn.

Everyone looked at him, and Yahiko said, "Let's head to the camp. We've been traveling for a while, and we should rest."

Genma had prepared the tents for them to rest.

Yahiko, Konan, Asahi, and Kyusuke gathered in the same tent to discuss the next steps.

"I can give it a try," Nagato said. Though Yahiko hadn't spoken about his meeting with Hanzō, they could all tell from Yahiko's expression what had transpired.

He knew how much Yahiko valued the Land of Rain, and immediately smiled, saying, "Now, there doesn't seem to be a better solution. For the Land of Rain, for our ideals, I'm willing to do it."

Yahiko sighed, "But do you know how to use this power?"

Nagato hesitated for a moment before nodding, "I can clearly feel its presence. It's just that I've always been resisting... afraid of it. But if I wish, I can use it. Lord Hanzō said that Uchiha Madara tamed the Nine-Tails using his Sharingan. Since the Sharingan can do that, I believe the Rinnegan should be able to as well."

"Uchiha Madara..." Yahiko murmured the name, suddenly recalling something, and then looked up sharply.

"Uchiha Madara!"

Nagato was stunned upon hearing that, and then realized something.

There had been a mysterious man wearing a mask who had approached them before, claiming to be Uchiha Madara. He had even offered to guide Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan.

If this person truly was Uchiha Madara, could they ask him for methods to counter the Tailed Beasts?

But the problem was that the mysterious man always sought them out first, and Nagato didn't know how to track him down.

This thought could only be put aside for now. Yahiko still felt this idea was too risky. He wanted to save the Land of Rain, but he couldn't accept anything happening to Nagato. Nagato was the core of his future plans and ideals.

After a long discussion in the tent, the group still didn't come up with an effective plan. As evening approached, Genma came to inform them that Hanzō wanted Konan to carry out a reconnaissance mission.

Konan had no choice but to leave on the assignment.

That night, Yahiko, unable to sleep, sought out Asahi.

"Do you think it's a feasible plan to have Nagato face the Tailed Beasts?" Yahiko asked, his inner turmoil already evident.

Asahi knew Yahiko's feelings for the Land of Rain and thought for a moment before answering, "No."

Yahiko was stunned for a moment before asking, "You also think Nagato can't fight the Tailed Beasts?"

At that point, his heart was in turmoil, and whatever Asahi's opinion was would provide him some guidance. Whether Asahi agreed or disagreed, Yahiko felt he could find a reason to persuade himself either way.

But Asahi shook his head gently and said, "No, I think the Rinnegan might be able to counter the Tailed Beasts. Since it's the power of the Sage of Six Paths, its strength must be beyond what we can imagine. The reason I'm saying it's not a good solution is for a different reason."

Yahiko swallowed hard and stared at him.

Asahi spoke calmly, "If Nagato defeats the Tailed Beasts, Hanzō will take advantage of this and grow more powerful. This will all become his stepping stone. With the power to rival the Tailed Beasts, Hanzō will have the potential to dominate the ninja world. At that point, neither Konoha nor Iwagakure will be able to stop him. Who will be left standing in the end is uncertain."

"And when that happens, Hanzō will have complete control over Nagato. Whatever we want to do will become nearly impossible."

If Hanzō wins the war, he would certainly seek to expand. While the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire might not be easy targets, the Land of Grass would undoubtedly fall under Hanzō's control.

"So, what you're saying is..." Yahiko asked, his voice tinged with impatience, "What will happen to the Land of Rain?"

Asahi answered, "If Iwagakure completely conquers the Land of Rain, they will essentially control the northern part of the Land of Fire. Konoha won't just sit back and let that happen. Despite breaking the alliance, they will ultimately help us drive the Iwa ninja back when the time comes."

Konoha, again, Konoha...

Yahiko clenched his fist, his face contorting in frustration.

Even if Konoha comes to help, what will the Land of Rain look like by then? The tragic state of the Land of Grass had already shown him the truth.

These great nations never truly cared about the survival of smaller countries like theirs!

"Yahiko, we have no better choice," Asahi said.

"Without sacrifice, nothing can be gained. It's a necessary cost. We can only blame our enemies for being so ruthless and powerful."

Yahiko slumped into a seat nearby, one hand pressed to his forehead.

He remained silent for a long time before forcing a bitter smile. "Asahi, sometimes I really admire your indifference... You're someone who can achieve great things."

He spoke those words, but inside, he was in unbearable pain. Could he really allow Iwagakure to ravage the Land of Rain? Such a decision wasn't something easily made.

"I am the one who will help you, Yahiko, achieve great things. Didn't we say from the beginning? This path will not be smooth; as we move forward, we will lose many things. But as long as our goal remains unwavering, we will definitely reach the destination."

"Destination..."

Yahiko was lost in thought, looking up at the ceiling of the tent before turning his gaze back to Asahi, who remained calm and composed.

Yahiko exhaled deeply, "What will become of the Land of Rain?"

"The Land of Rain used to be in worse shape than the current Land of Grass, Yahiko," Asahi said. "But this is not our fault. We are on the path to saving it."

Konan returned after being away for a day and night, looking exhausted. She hadn't pinpointed the exact location of the Iwa ninja base, but it was clear the enemy had taken precautions once they learned of the Rain ninja who could fly. Nevertheless, Konan had found many of their reconnaissance teams and passed on the intel, allowing the Rain ninjas to roughly estimate the enemy's base location.

She also visited the northeastern border, which had been completely occupied by the enemy, who had established numerous watchtowers. With their backs against the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass, it would be difficult for the Rain to reclaim it.

The Iwa ninja camp was likely positioned in the northern part of the Land of Rain.

Hanzō immediately ordered the forces to relocate and increase the village's defenses.

Before the large forces moved out, Asahi spoke to Yahiko. "Yahiko, the Iwa ninja are likely to take action in the next few days. The Land of Rain will become the main battlefield, and the attention of both the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire will be drawn here."

"Are you suggesting we leave the Land of Rain during this time?" Yahiko asked, still remembering Asahi's earlier remarks about targeting the Land of Grass.

Asahi shook his head. "Hanzō will not allow Nagato to leave. If we make any moves, he will become suspicious."

"Then what should we do?"

"The Iwa ninja are too powerful right now, with two Tailed Beasts at their disposal. In the end, Konoha may not gain much from this war," Asahi noted, recalling the events of the Third Great Ninja War. Despite the war's end, Konoha had not emerged victorious. It was only because the Land of Sand had allied with them that Iwagakure realized they couldn't continue the war without a clear chance of winning, which led to peace talks.

Without the Sand's alliance this time, and with Iwagakure likely noticing the movement of forces away from the front lines, the war would only continue if Konoha did not intervene. The situation was not favorable for the Land of Rain.

"The war will need to end quickly, and to do that, we need to weaken Iwagakure's forces. If the Land of Grass were to withdraw from the war, it would be a massive blow to Iwagakure and significantly shift the balance in our favor, and that of Konoha."

"The Land of Grass..." Yahiko muttered, deep in thought. He then asked, "Do you have a plan?"

"Yahiko, you can request a mission from Hanzō to infiltrate the Land of Grass. Originally, the Land of Grass joined the Iwagakure alliance to end the war quickly. They won't want to be used as pawns by these great nations. This is our chance."

Yahiko's mind raced, immediately understanding Asahi's strategy. He nodded, impressed by Asahi's wisdom. "Alright."

The shift of the primary battlefield from the Land of Grass to the Land of Rain would undoubtedly be a huge advantage for the Land of Grass, and they would likely be pleased to see the change.

The goal now was to convince the leaders of the Land of Grass and help them break free from Iwagakure's control.

Yahiko went to meet with Hanzō. Not long after, he returned with a furrowed brow.

"Hanzō approved the plan," Yahiko said.

Asahi, noticing his expression, asked, "What's wrong?"

He had an inkling of what might have happened. With the current situation, Hanzō urgently needed Nagato's power, and the only way to unlock that power was through Yahiko. Hanzō likely wouldn't let them leave.

Sure enough, Yahiko explained, "But Hanzō doesn't intend to let us go. He says he'll send someone else instead."

Asahi sighed. "It seems he's still deeply suspicious of us."

The more critical the situation became, the more suspicious Hanzō grew. As the leader of the Land of Rain, he had no escape route like Yahiko did. He had no choice but to ensure the stability of the country.

Yahiko, however, suddenly smiled. "But I've decided to take this mission. Hanzō didn't say anything about not sending someone from Akatsuki."

Asahi was taken aback, looking at him in surprise.

"Asahi, you'll be in charge of this mission. Konan can go with you, and you can select the remaining team members from Akatsuki."