Naruto : Rise From The Rain

Everything the Akatsuki did in the Land of Rain was under Hanzo's watch, making it difficult for them to achieve much. If they left the Land of Rain, they would be free from these constraints.

Konan had originally wanted to stay by Yahiko and Nagato's side, but Yahiko insisted that their next task was too important. Asahi also needed assistance. Understanding the weight of the situation, Konan reluctantly agreed.

The Rain Ninja forces had already started to move, and Yahiko and Nagato left the northern camp with Hanzo. Meanwhile, Asahi and Konan took Kyusuke to help them escape from the forces.

"Should we go back to the base first?" Kyusuke asked.

Asahi glanced at the few people beside him. When Yahiko had gone to the battlefield earlier, he had taken nearly all of Akatsuki's old members, leaving only a few behind.

"Yes," Asahi replied.

The camp was not far from Akatsuki's base, and since the Land of Rain wasn't that large, they quickly made their way back. Upon arrival, Daibutsu greeted them with a warm smile.

"You're back!" he said.

"Kyusuke-senpai!" Tobi ran over in surprise, arms open, seemingly wanting to give Kyusuke a big hug.

With a look of disdain, Kyusuke pushed him away.

"Where are Yahiko and Nagato?, and…" Daibutsu asked as he glanced at Asahi's companions.

Konan's eyes darkened. "Yahiko and Nagato went to the front lines. As for the others..."

"They died in battle," Asahi said simply.

Daibutsu's smile froze, his pupils shrinking. Yahiko had originally taken out over twenty people, and they were all dead...

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, and everyone fell silent.

At that moment, Asahi spoke again. "Daibutsu, inform everyone that we have a mission."

Daibutsu gathered all the members in the base. There were more people than Asahi had expected. Daibutsu explained, "A number of people have joined us during this time. I've carefully assessed them, and their abilities are up to par."

During their time on the battlefield, Konan had gained quite a reputation, especially within the Land of Rain, where many people now recognized her as "Angel of Dawn". This had drawn quite a few new recruits to Akatsuki, mostly rogue ninjas with notable skills.

Currently, the total number of Akatsuki members present was about twenty, forming a formidable armed force. Asahi's gaze swept over them, lingering just a second longer on Tobi.

"Where are we going next?" Daibutsu asked.

"The Land of Grass," Asahi replied.

"The Land of Grass?" The members exchanged confused glances. They were unsure of the task at hand.

Asahi, however, was already considering how to infiltrate the Land of Grass with such a large group. If it had been just him and Konan, they could have flown over, but with twenty people, the Land of Grass on high alert, it would be too large of a target.

Asahi asked Konan, "Can you create a large flying vehicle using paper techniques?"

Konan looked surprised. After thinking for a moment, she replied, "It should be possible, but I've never tried it before."

She had used paper wings to fly herself, sometimes carrying one person at most, but creating a flying vehicle that could carry a large number of people would require considerable chakra. Paper was light, so it wasn't difficult to control it to fly, but lifting so many people was a different challenge.

Asahi realized that creating a flying vehicle with paper could also serve as a way to transport troops in the future, giving them air superiority.

"Let's head to the eastern border first," Asahi said.

The group, now ready, immediately set off toward the Land of Grass in the east. Along the way, Asahi approached Konan and said, "The eastern border is under strict martial law. If we want to infiltrate, it won't be easy. If we can cross from the air, it'll be much easier. I can help you."

Konan nodded, "Alright."

Upon reaching the border, the group stopped. Beyond this point, they could encounter enemies. Konan immediately used her ninjutsu to summon countless white paper pieces, which gathered on the ground and connected to form a large area. The paper fluttered beneath their feet, creating the illusion of walking through a white flower field.

Konan stepped forward first, and the white paper pieces slowly rose into the air, gently lifting her up.

"Konan-senpai is amazing!" Tobi exclaimed, eyes wide in admiration.

The others, seeing this, were equally amazed. They were all new recruits who had only heard rumors about Konan. This was the first time they had seen her abilities in person, and they were stunned. Flying was still something many people could only dream of.

"Come up," Konan said.

Kyusuke was the first to leap onto the floating paper. Konan carefully sensed the chakra required to lift one person, then glanced at the others.

Lifting herself with paper and using it as wings was one thing; lifting others into the air was another challenge entirely. If it was just her, it might be a bit difficult.

One by one, the others jumped onto the white "flying carpet." Asahi was the last one. After he stepped on, more white paper pieces appeared, gathering beneath their feet. No one thought it strange, assuming it was simply part of Konan's jutsu.

At this moment, Konan felt much lighter. She looked at Asahi, thinking that his control of Paper Jutsu might not be weaker than hers.

With the combined effort of Asahi and Konan, they swiftly ascended into the sky. Everything on the ground quickly shrank in their view, and the sound of the wind grew louder.

Tobi, overly excited, shouted, "We're flying! We're flying! We've lifted off!"

Seeing him flailing his arms in excitement, Kyusuke immediately punched him on the head. "Quiet down! Don't move around! You'll disturb Konan's jutsu."

Tobi immediately quieted down.

They soared high above the ground, quickly crossing into the Land of Grass. Along the way, they saw several enemy outposts, but the density of them had clearly decreased compared to before.

After the upheaval in the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass had adjusted its strategy, focusing entirely on resisting Konoha.

Once they crossed the enemy's defensive line, Konan gently landed on the ground. Having flown for a long time, her chakra was running low, so the group switched to traveling on land, continuing deeper into the Land of Grass.

"Do you have a plan?" Konan asked Asahi.

"Let's head to the Capital city of the Land of Grass," Asahi replied.

"The Capital city?" Konan was a bit surprised. They were here to deal with ninja-related issues, so why go to the Capital city?

The Land of Grass was unique. It was a ninja nation, meaning most of its armed forces were composed of ninjas. Unlike the Land of Fire, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Earth, where ninjas were auxiliary forces, the Land of Grass was a larger "ninja village."

However, the Land of Grass had no unified government. Before the war broke out, there had been two factions: the Grass Faction and the Flower Faction, representing the hawk and dove factions.

In such a national environment, the so-called Daimyo had no real power and was only a wealthy local lord. Even so, the Daimyo still held some influence within the Grass Hidden Village.

Seeing the destruction on the Land of Grass reminded many older Rain ninjas of the Second Great Ninja War. It seemed that the Land of Rain had never known lasting peace; perhaps that was simply their fate as small villages.

In this world, for a nation to grow strong, it must have a ninja force. And once there are ninjas, it's impossible to avoid war when it breaks out.

Under the rule of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, everything they did was about surviving in the cracks.

Outside the tent where Hanzo was resting in the temporary camp, ninjas stood guard, creating a ten-meter perimeter around the tent. All of them wore breathing masks. The reason for this precaution was that their leader's mask had been damaged in the previous battle, and it needed to be replaced.

Inside the tent, Hanzo had just replaced his damaged respirator and was coughing violently. The intense battle had temporarily left him unwell, and it took a while for him to recover.

"I'm getting old," he rasped, his voice hoarse. "To be forced into such a state by a younger generation."

Genma, stood by his side said, "Lord Hanzo, you're still in your prime. The Third Tsuchikage and the Third Hokage are still active in the war. How can you say you're old?"

He had followed Hanzo for many years and had witnessed all of Hanzo's feats. To him, Hanzo was like a god

Hanzo sat down but said, "Next time I encounter Ohnoki on the battlefield, I'll surely die at his hands."

Genma was startled. "Lord Hanzo!"

Hanzo shook his head lightly, then continued, "The guy we saw today, his name is Kitsuchi, right? Ohnoki's son... what an extraordinary junior. He actually wants to kill me to make a name for himself in the ninja world."

Genma spoke in a low voice, "He's just an arrogant fool. People like him are no match for Lord Hanzo."

Hanzo snorted softly. In his younger days, he had fought against powerful figures like Ohnoki and Sarutobi Hiruzen in wars. He had always seen such people as rivals.

He suddenly seemed lost in thought and said slowly, "Konoha and Iwagakure always have these outstanding successors. We in Amegakure simply can't compare."

Genma fell silent.

The Kitsuchi from Iwagakure would definitely be a top-tier ninja in Amegakure, second only to Hanzo.

"What a pity... If I had met Nagato sooner," Hanzo murmured.

Genma couldn't help but ask, "Lord Hanzo, do you really intend to entrust the future of Amegakure to Akatsuki?"

Hanzo paused for a moment before replying, "They're too young. They haven't stumbled enough yet, and Yahiko doesn't agree with my ideals. If I entrust Amegakure to them now, there will be no future for the Land of Rain. The current situation won't give Yahiko and the others much time. They can only be seen as a backup, a rather poor one."

"For the Land of Rain to have a way out, this war must continue. Right now, Konoha and Iwagakure are fighting, Sunagakure and Kirigakure are at war, and sooner or later, Kumogakure will rejoin the fight. The only way forward for the Land of Rain is to keep fighting, and keep fighting, so we could keep the ninja world in a constant state of chaos. Only then can the Land of Rain find a new path in this chaos."

After finishing, Hanzo coughed violently again.

Genma remained silent for a while, then muttered, "Chaos is the ladder."

Hanzo said, "Yes... but how much further can I go in this chaos? Maybe one day I'll die at the hands of a young ninja. The Kitsuchi we met today, or perhaps Konoha's 'Yellow Flash.' The new Kazekage and Raikage are also young people. Heh, it seems the ninja world is as exciting as it once was... Maybe I've been out of touch with the times for too long..."

His secret technique was unique—his entire body was filled with toxins, and just by breathing, he could release poisonous gas that paralyzed those nearby. This was why he always wore a breathing mask. However, with age, he began to feel the burden on his body more and more.

In his youth, he had the strength to dominate the ninja world, but it couldn't resist the erosion of time.

The tent fell into a deep silence.

Hanzo closed his eyes and calmly spoke, "Iwagakure won't drag this out with us. We might see their Jinchuriki in the next battle. Go call Nagato... call Yahiko over."