I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Nagato and the Land of Rain

A few days later, at an Akatsuki meeting in Amegakure.

Pain, the leader of Akatsuki, announced two critical matters. First, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki had failed in their assigned missions. Second, Orochimaru had attempted to ambush Itachi but was ultimately unsuccessful and had defected from the organization.

Few members were concerned about the first issue—after all, their mission involved a minor, war-torn nation. However, Orochimaru's betrayal immediately stirred discussions among Akatsuki's ranks.

As one of the legendary Sannin from Konohagakure, Orochimaru's actions were no trivial matter. His target, Itachi Uchiha, was a rogue Konoha shinobi as well, and many suspected that Orochimaru coveted his Sharingan for his own experiments.

At that moment, the masked newcomer, Tobi, raised his hand and commented in a deliberately naive tone:

"First, our investigation in Kirigakure failed. Now Orochimaru has turned against us. It's strange how all of these setbacks seem connected to Itachi, don't you think?"

Hearing this, both Itachi and Kisame turned their gaze toward Tobi. The masked man quickly retracted his head and waved his hands.

"Ah! I didn't mean to tease you, Itachi-senpai, Kisame-senpai. I was just pointing out something odd, that's all!"

Pain ignored Tobi's antics and spoke in his usual calm, imposing voice.

"Orochimaru has broken Akatsuki's laws. His betrayal cannot go unpunished. Who among you will deal with him?"

Sasori of the Red Sand stood up without hesitation.

"Leave Orochimaru to me," he said. "I have unfinished business with him."

Pain scanned the room, his expression unreadable. The real concern wasn't just the betrayal itself, but the dwindling number of Akatsuki members. With Orochimaru gone, the organization couldn't even form five full teams. This posed a major problem for their long-term goal of capturing the Tailed Beasts.

After the Meeting

Later, Tobi met with Pain and Konan in private. Under Konan's cold, scrutinizing gaze, he brought up the issue of their shrinking roster. As the hidden orchestrator of the Moon's Eye Plan, Tobi was more invested in Akatsuki's progress than even its ostensible leader.

"With our current strength, we might be able to overwhelm one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages," Tobi mused, "but facing multiple enemies at once? That's another story."

After some discussion, the three decided to monitor recent rogue shinobi activity across the major villages in search of potential recruits.

Once Tobi left, Konan and Pain exchanged glances, their eyes full of distrust toward their so-called ally.

"Obito's recent moves have all ended in failure," Konan muttered. "He pushed Gato to provoke Uzushiogakure, but that backfired. And now we have Uzushio as an unnecessary enemy."

After a moment of silence, she asked, "Nagato, what should we do next?"

Pain, or rather Nagato, replied firmly.

"You will accompany the masked man and handle recruitment. Meanwhile, I will personally hunt down Orochimaru."

Konan frowned. "Nagato, you're leaving the village?"

"What's the matter? Worried about Amegakure's safety?" Nagato asked. "Foreign shinobi wouldn't dare set foot in this land easily. This is the domain of Hanzo the Salamander's slayer—none would be foolish enough to challenge me."

Konan shook her head. "I'm worried about you. Your body… if the masked man decides to turn on you, what then?"

Pain's expression remained blank, but his tone softened.

"I am a god. Even the Sharingan cannot rival the Rinnegan. Besides, I'm not completely immobile—just limited."

"Orochimaru betrayed Akatsuki. If he isn't punished, others might follow his example."

Konan sighed but ultimately conceded. To her, Nagato wasn't an omnipotent god but the same boy who once needed protection in their trio alongside Yahiko.

---

Leaving the Land of Rain

Summoning his Six Paths of Pain, Nagato departed Amegakure. As he traversed the muddy roads of the Rain Country, he cast a lingering look at the industrial skyline of his home.

This was the first time he had left since consolidating control over Amegakure. His mission—to eliminate Orochimaru.

The Land of Rain was where he was born, where his parents died at the hands of Konoha's shinobi, and where he had lost Yahiko. Despite his ambitions extending to the entire shinobi world, he could not deny his attachment to this land. Its endless downpour felt oddly comforting.

After some time, he arrived at a small village.

Spotting his difficulty walking, the villagers kindly invited him to rest for the night, offering to escort him to town when the rain eased. Though he initially refused, their hospitality warmed him, stirring old memories.

When he, Yahiko, and Konan were orphans, they survived by stealing from villagers—people they once saw as enemies. But as he matured, he realized the villagers had often turned a blind eye, allowing them to take food rather than letting them starve.

Later, he repaid this debt by eliminating Hanzo, liberating the Land of Rain from tyranny, and providing stability.

That evening, the villagers brought him mushroom soup and bread. As he ate, he casually inquired about their lives.

"How are things here? Any trouble from rogue shinobi?" he asked.

A villager shook his head. "Thanks to the god of Amegakure, we've had no trouble from bandits or mercenaries. We can even eat our fill. But…"

Nagato's eyes narrowed. "Speak freely."

The man hesitated before responding.

"Life is stable, but taxes have increased. And many are unhappy with the lockdown policy. The Rain Country is too small—without trade, we struggle to get what we need."

Nagato frowned. "You have peace. Would you rather return to the days of constant war?"

"Of course not," the villager admitted. "But people don't just want to survive; they want to live. Things are better, but…" He sighed. "Even you, when you arrived, some suspected you were a foreign spy."

Nagato fell silent.

He had left Amegakure for a single mission, yet he was already confronted with a deeper issue—one he had no immediate solution for. Despite possessing godlike power, he had only received three years of formal education under Jiraiya. He was no ruler, no strategist.

Perhaps Konan would know how to handle this, he thought. She had managed Amegakure well; she would know what to do.

His role, however, was simpler.

The god of Amegakure had one duty: to ensure peace.

Not just for the Rain Country, but for the entire world.

---

Meanwhile—Orochimaru's Next Move

Wandering through the Land of Fire, Orochimaru continued gathering subordinates, searching for the perfect place to establish his own shinobi village.

His criteria were simple:

1. The country must lack an existing hidden village.

2. It must be conveniently located yet discreet.

Two places caught his attention: the Land of Rice Fields (Tani no Kuni) and the Land of Waves (Nami no Kuni).

Rice Fields lay to the north, bordering Fire, Grass, and Earth. It was well-positioned but had a minor ninja village—one that would need "restructuring."

The Land of Waves, on the other hand, lacked any shinobi presence. Its true ruler wasn't a daimyo but Gato, a corrupt businessman. Removing him would grant Orochimaru full control.

However, Konoha had its eyes on the region. Danzo Shimura had shown interest, and despite their past dealings, Orochimaru knew that if their goals clashed, Danzo would not hesitate to eliminate him.

Then, Orochimaru stumbled upon an interesting piece of black market information.

Uzushiogakure had taken control of the Land of Waves.

Orochimaru smiled.

"Well, now… this just got interesting."

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