As previously described, the Land of Rain is geologically wedged between the three Great Nations of Fire, Earth, and Wind. It is a vital transport hub and, consequently, a perpetual theater of war.
Combined with the presence of Hanzo of the Salamander—a "Demi-god" who constantly sought to make waves in the shinobi world—the nation suffered unimaginable devastation during the Second and Third Ninja Wars.
Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato were orphans born from the wreckage of the Second Great Ninja War. While such orphans were countless in the Land of Rain, those who survived the chaos were few. In that sense, the three were lucky.
As children, they witnessed the clash between the young Sannin and Hanzo, and by a twist of fate, they became the disciples of Jiraiya.
Deeply moved by the fact that ninjas like himself were responsible for creating such orphans, Jiraiya stayed behind for three years to teach them until they could protect themselves.
When Jiraiya saw Nagato's eyes, he became convinced the boy was the "Child of Prophecy" foretold by the Great Toad Sage. He entrusted them with a dream: to change the shinobi world and find a path to true peace.
The three disciples did not disappoint him. Growing up through the transition between wars, they founded the Akatsuki. Under Yahiko's leadership, they practiced a philosophy of non-violent resistance and organized mediation.
They helped many, attracting ninjas who hated war and yearned for peace. Even their mentor, Jiraiya, occasionally heard rumors of their noble deeds.
Among them, Nagato was undoubtedly the strongest due to his Uzumaki lineage and the Rinnegan. However, the heart and leader of this era's Akatsuki was Yahiko. The Akatsuki under Yahiko was a far cry from the criminal organization it would eventually become; they were true pacifists.
Hagoromo didn't know the intricacies of their current development. With his shallow knowledge of the Naruto plot, he simply saw a gathering of future endgame bosses. His first instinct had been the thought of "finishing them here."
But his inability to gauge the current power of the Rinnegan made him wary. In this situation, his four-man squad needed to prioritize a clean escape. He didn't regret investigating—he rarely regretted his choices—but he knew the stakes had changed.
Pakura, meanwhile, still viewed the Akatsuki as more Rain leeches. She didn't realize the three-way skirmish had become a four-way entanglement. Nor did she realize that Konan's earlier intervention had actually saved her life from Hagoromo's clones.
To Pakura, the Leaf brat was troublesome, but he seemed to be retreating. She decided to clear out the "Rain rabble" before dealing with Hagoromo again. She underestimated them; while Konan and Nagato's combined paper-and-wind jutsu was flashy, it didn't look like a high-tier offensive.
She charged the Akatsuki just as she had the ordinary Rain ninjas.
Hagoromo, happy to let her take the heat, became a spectator. He used the opportunity to observe Nagato while signaling the Split-Hiding Dog to move the injured members further into the shadows.
Pakura's target was Yahiko. Without a second thought, she released her signature move:
Scorch Style: Extremely Steaming Murder!
The Akatsuki was a young organization without the vast intelligence network of the Leaf. Yahiko didn't recognize Pakura or her specific Bloodline Limit. He treated the incoming orange-white orbs as standard Fire Style.
He wove his signs quickly: Water Style: Wild Water Wave.
A torrent of water surged toward the flames. Normally, the fire should have been extinguished instantly. Instead, the water was vaporized in a hiss of steam, and the Scorch orbs continued their flight toward his chest.
Yahiko prepared a second defense, but Nagato moved first.
Nagato didn't speak. He blurred forward, stepping directly in front of Yahiko. No seals. No jutsu names. No physical movement. There wasn't even a perceptible surge of chakra.
Nagato simply stood there, as if intending to block the lethal heat with his bare chest.
Pakura's eyes widened in shock. Her jutsu didn't hit him; it vanished. It ceased to exist the moment it touched the space in front of Nagato.
The movement caused Nagato's red bangs to shift. The firelight from the burning trees caught the gap in his hair, illuminating those strange, ripple-patterned eyes.
Meeting that emotionless gaze for just a second, Pakura—for reasons she couldn't explain—stopped her charge dead in her tracks.
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