Naruto Birdcage

Outside the Village of Amegakure.

Rain fell from the sky, unusually cold for this winter season.

Makoto stood clad in a raincoat, flanked on either side by Hakumen and Kakashi.

The gate guards of Amegakure, upon learning that the visitors were from Konoha, quickly went to report the news.

Before long, an orange-haired young man personally came to the gate to greet them.

"So, guests from Konoha," Yahiko said with a hearty smile.

He remembered Hakumen from their previous correspondence; it was this man who had delivered Konoha's initial letter.

Yahiko then turned his gaze to Makoto, the leader of the trio.

Though surprised by their youth, his warm smile remained.

"How should I address you, sir?"

The actions of Maruboshi Kosuke and Might Duy had completely changed Yahiko's perception of Konoha ninja.

Even facing three young individuals, he dared not underestimate them.

Makoto said, "Mr. Yahiko, do you remember the person who corresponded with you?"

Yahiko was slightly surprised.

Wasn't it the Hokage who had written to him?

At this moment, Hakumen spoke up, "This is Hyuga Makoto, the assistant to our Hokage and the head of the Hyuga clan."

Yahiko didn't press further. "So it's Lord Makoto. Please, let's continue our conversation inside the village."

Accompanying Yahiko was a tall, elegant woman with short bluish-purple hair tied into a bun, adorned with a paper flower.

Yahiko introduced her as Konan, but unfortunately, Makoto had no interest in appreciating her beauty at the moment.

As they entered Amegakure together, Makoto's gaze constantly took in the surroundings of the village.

Tall towers stood everywhere, interspersed with massive drainage pipes.

The residential areas were also built atop the high towers, likely due to the country's perpetually rainy climate and the risk of flooding.

On the way, Makoto asked, "Mr. Yahiko, how has it been since you assumed leadership of Amegakure?"

Yahiko chuckled lightly at the question.

"I'm hardly in charge of Amegakure. There are still many senior figures in the village who are far more respected than I am. By seniority, it's definitely not my turn to lead."

Makoto narrowed his eyes slightly.

It was clear that Yahiko already understood the purpose of their visit.

Makoto spoke directly: "So, do those people also have a force like Akatsuki under them?"

Yahiko replied, "Please don't misunderstand, Lord Makoto. Akatsuki doesn't belong to me alone, nor does it belong to any single person. Every member of Akatsuki has come together because we share the same ideals. We are all like-minded individuals, and I merely serve as the temporary leader."

His words were eloquent, easily convincing anyone who heard them.

Yahiko led Makoto to a residence.

It wasn't particularly lavish—in fact, Amegakure didn't seem to have any luxurious houses at all.

At the door, Makoto removed his raincoat, and finally, he saw a red-haired man.

He appeared somewhat frail, with red hair that covered most of his face.

However, the peculiar eye visible through the strands immediately drew attention.

Now, the three great dojutsu bloodlines of the ninja world were gathered in one place.

"This is Nagato," Yahiko introduced.

Makoto calmly observed Nagato and suddenly spoke, "Rinnegan."

This statement startled both Hakumen and Kakashi.

They had suspected it when they first saw him, but they hadn't dared to confirm it.

Yahiko's eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing.

Something like the Rinnegan couldn't be concealed, and although Yahiko hadn't publicly announced it, everyone in Amegakure knew that Nagato possessed such eyes.

Makoto continued, "Mr. Nagato is from the Uzumaki clan."

Nagato replied flatly, "I'm a citizen of the Land of Rain."

Makoto countered, "That hair color doesn't lie. The Uzumaki clan still has members in Konoha. If you're interested, Mr. Nagato, you're welcome to visit Konoha and reconnect with your kin."

Nagato directly refused, "I'm not interested."

This response caused Hakumen, standing behind Makoto, to frown slightly. His gaze toward Nagato was filled with displeasure.

How rude, Hakumen thought. Konoha had clearly helped them before!

Yahiko burst out laughing to diffuse the tension, explaining that Nagato's temperament was just like that but assured Makoto there was no ill intent behind it.

Yahiko invited Makoto to sit in the living room, while Konan busied herself pouring tea for the group.

Makoto slowly took out a letter.

"Mr. Nagato, Ms. Konan, Mr. Yahiko, this is a letter from Master Jiraiya. He asked me to deliver his greetings to you."

The three were visibly taken aback upon hearing this.

Yahiko quickly took the letter, but after holding it for a moment, he hesitated, remaining silent and not opening it.

"Yahiko?" Konan couldn't help but softly remind him.

She truly missed Jiraiya-sensei, and so did Nagato, judging by his expression.

Yahiko remained silent, clearly conflicted.

He could guess the general content of the letter.

He didn't want Akatsuki or Amegakure to get involved in the conflicts of the ninja world, especially against one of the Five Great Nations.

But Jiraiya, to them, was like a father.

Makoto sipped his tea quietly, watching their reactions without saying a word.

After a long moment of hesitation, Yahiko finally opened the letter.

The familiar handwriting stirred emotions within the three.

The letter expressed Jiraiya's pride in seeing how far they had come and his hope that they would stay true to the path they had chosen.

The letter was written in a familiar tone throughout, bringing a smile to the faces of Konan and Nagato.

Yahiko, however, felt an even heavier weight in his heart.

The letter from Jiraiya-sensei contained not a single request, nor did it mention the war between Konoha and Kumogakure.

Yet, Yahiko could easily imagine Jiraiya-sensei in the heat of battle, fighting with his life on the line.

Sensei...

He took a deep breath, folded the letter carefully, returned it to the envelope, and handed it to Konan beside him.

"How is Jiraiya-sensei?" Yahiko asked.

"He's doing well, though he sustained some minor injuries."

"..."

At that, Konan and Nagato finally realized what was implied.

Their expressions grew heavy with concern.

After a long silence, Yahiko finally spoke slowly:

"Jiraiya-sensei has done so much for the three of us, and Konoha has also provided great assistance to the Akatsuki. Now, our mentor is in danger, and a neighboring ally is under threat. We cannot stand idly by!"

Makoto calmly responded, "Doesn't this go against the Akatsuki's principles?"

Yahiko replied faintly, "Our actions this time are also aimed at stopping the war and striving for peace in the ninja world. For Amegakure to establish its place and grow in the ninja world, we cannot remain isolated. If we sit back and allow Kumogakure to invade Konoha today, it's only a matter of time before Amegakure suffers the same fate."

The reasoning sounded lofty and righteous.

Makoto immediately praised, "Mr. Yahiko, your righteousness is truly admirable."

After further discussing the upcoming plans with Yahiko, Makoto left Amegakure with Kakashi and Hakumen.

On the way back, Hakumen couldn't help but bring up the Rinnegan and commented on how rude Nagato had been.

Meanwhile, Makoto's thoughts were elsewhere.

If Madara and Black Zetsu's plan were to fail, how would Black Zetsu handle this Rinnegan wielder?

Would he personally intervene and attempt to manipulate him?

That thought didn't linger in his mind for long.

His current priority was the ongoing war.

After leaving the Land of Rain, Makoto didn't return to Kikyo Mountain immediately.

Instead, he conducted a thorough investigation within the Land of Fire, searching for signs of Kumo Ninja.

With White Zetsu's help, Makoto quickly located the Kumo Ninja's encampment.

They had audaciously set up camp in an open plain, without even bothering to erect any protective barriers—likely confident in their strength.

The camp housed only about 4,000 people.

The information from White Zetsu caused Makoto's heart to sink instantly.

"Return to Kikyo Mountain! Hurry back to Kikyo Mountain!"

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