With a Zanpakutō at the Start,I Built the Strongest Hidden Mist Villag

Land of Waterfalls.

Situated between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, surrounded by four nations, the Land of Waterfalls is a country of cascading torrents. Its terrain of massive waterfalls acts as a natural fortress, with one great fall concealing the Hidden Waterfall Village—Takigakure.

As the war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth intensified, small countries like this fought to minimize their presence—doing all they could to preserve their military strength amid the chaos between the great powers.

Yet, within this very nation, a renowned ninja, amidst the flames of war between the Land of Fire and Earth, repeatedly navigated the conflict, accepting various bounty missions and accumulating vast sums of money.

And today, having just completed a mission and earned hundreds of thousands of Ryo, he found himself targeted by a mysterious group.

"Shinra Tensei."

A thunderous shockwave tore through the valley. The ground cracked open, stone and debris flew into the air as the earth trembled violently.

From the swirling cloud of dust, a man with spiky orange hair and numerous black piercings emerged—clad in a black cloak patterned with red clouds.

"Kakuzu, the immortal shinobi who once fought the First Hokage and took Takigakure's secret treasure."

With strange, ripple-patterned violet eyes—Rinnegan—the man looked down from the sky at the shattered valley below. His voice was calm, devoid of emotion.

"I am Pain. We're here to bring you into Akatsuki."

"Kgh!"

A mass of black tendrils surged out from under the rubble, pushing aside shattered rock. Earth Grudge Fear slowly pulled Kakuzu's body together on the ground as he looked up in shock at the floating figure.

The power this man had shown far surpassed his expectations.

He hadn't even sensed a chakra fluctuation, yet in a single instant, the waterfall valley he was in had been effortlessly flattened.

Such terrifying power, in all his long years of experience, only those relics from the Warring States Period, along with large summoning beasts and Tailed Beasts, could achieve.

And yet this Pain had done it so casually.

"Akatsuki, huh…"

Kakuzu's murky green eyes locked onto Pain. Using the cover of smoke and rubble, he quietly had part of his Earth Grudge Fear slip away with his hearts, even as he responded, "I remember I used to hate you guys for stealing my contracts."

"Don't bother running."

The Earth Grudge Fear attempting to flee within the dust was instantly pierced. A figure clad in a black robe with red clouds slowly floated out.

Dark Iron Sand swirled around his body, and the one that had pierced the Earth Grudge Fear was none other than an Iron Sand blade!

The moment Kakuzu saw the face, his expression twisted in alarm.

"Magnet Release? Wait… the Third Kazekage?!"

"No… that's not right. That appearance—it's a Human Puppet?!"

"As expected of someone who survived from the Warring States Period. Your insight is quite interesting."

From behind the trees, a red-haired young man stepped out, slender and cold-eyed. Fine chakra threads extended from him, connecting to the puppet in the sky.

Kakuzu's gaze sharpened.

"Sasori of the Red Sand, the strongest puppeteer in Sunagakure, and Chiyo's grandson. So it's true—you really did assassinate the Third Kazekage and turned him into a human puppet. No wonder you were labeled an S-rank rogue ninja."

"Accurately speaking, it's Sasori of the Red Sand, of the Gyoku ring of Akatsuki," the red-haired boy stated indifferently. "If you join, you will also receive your own title."

"And what if I refuse?"

Pain's emotionless voice rang out: "The will of God cannot be defied. Whether you agree or not—you will join Akatsuki. Under divine power, there is no room for resistance."

God?

What arrogance.

Even Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama never claimed to be gods. Even Hanzō of the Salamander, who led Amegakure to independence from Iron, Wind, and Fire, and was worshipped by his people as a deity, only called himself a demigod.

Kakuzu stared hard at Pain, focusing on his eyes.

Those purple rings.

As someone who had survived since the Warring States Period—a living fossil of the shinobi world, and a gold-tier assassin in the underworld—Kakuzu knew exactly what those eyes meant.

"…Rinnegan. The eyes of the Sage of Six Paths."

"You're correct."

Pain's tone didn't change.

"Akatsuki is a special organization that gathers S-rank rogue ninja—because only shinobi like you have truly seen the darkness of the villages, the truth of the world."

"As long as you join Akatsuki, I will become your shield, protecting you from the pursuit of the ninja villages, and I will lead you to bring true peace to the ninja world!"

"…"

Kakuzu, nearly seventy, had no patience for childish ideology.

But two facts were clear:

Sasori of the Red Sand, the prodigy puppeteer who possessed the Third Kazekage as a Human Puppet, was very difficult to deal with.

And this Pain, wielder of the Rinnegan and self-proclaimed god, was a force he couldn't hope to defeat.

Only one option remained.

"…Fine. I'll join."

Kakuzu, straightforward as ever, withdrew his Earth Grudge Fear. Three hearts returned to his body. Only the Earth-natured heart in his upper left chest had been destroyed by the Iron Sand. The mask was gone, leaving behind only eerie black tendrils.

Sasori snorted softly and retrieved the Third Kazekage. Pain lowered his hand and pulled out three items—a ring, a thin scroll, and the black cloak of Akatsuki. He tossed them to Kakuzu.

"You've made the right choice, Kakuzu. From now on, you are 'Hoku'—the Big Dipper of Akatsuki."

"That ring marks you as a full member. The scroll contains several techniques you'll need to master. The cloak is standard. The rest… you'll understand after traveling with us."

"Any bounty missions on hand?" Kakuzu muttered, toying with the ring inscribed with 北 (North).

"We're gathering new comrades."

Pain turned and left. Sasori gave Kakuzu a glance, then followed.

"Comrades… huh."

Kakuzu's eyes gleamed. So the next ones they found would all be top-tier missing-nin?

He slipped the ring onto his finger, donned the cloak, and caught up.

Meanwhile.

In a tree hollow formed by a Paper Ninjutsu secret technique, a dozen miles away.

Nagato, frail and thin, let out a slow breath. As he pushed his wheelchair forward, he maintained his control over Pain from afar.

"Yahiko… you will always be the leader of Akatsuki."

"Nagato, stop blaming yourself. What happened back then—it wasn't your fault!"

By his side, Konan, her signature paper flower tucked into her hair, placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

But Nagato shook his head slightly.

"No… Yuki Yoru was right. This world is filthy, soaked in darkness. We can't entrust the choice of peace to others. It has to be held firmly in our own hands."

"Back then, we were naive. That version of Akatsuki—our version—believed in ideals that the world couldn't accept. And for that, we paid a terrible price… a lesson written in blood."

Though his voice was soft, Nagato's tone was unwavering. His pale Rinnegan eyes glowed faintly, as if they could see through everything.

"Only through overwhelming power can the shinobi world find peace. Only when these nations—when those consumed by ambition—taste fear and pain, will they understand the true value of peace."

"And I, with the Rinnegan, will be the god to deliver that revelation."

He looked ahead, his resolve unshaken.

"Let's go, Konan. We need more allies—shinobi who've known pain, and seen the world's darkness with their own eyes."

…

At the same time, in Kirigakure…

Inside the Mizukage's conference chamber, Yoru stood among elders and clan leaders.

"Alright then, let's proceed with the plan to establish a port shipping route from the Land of Water to inland nations like the Land of Fire, Land of Earth, and Land of Wind."

"Fourth Mizukage, the construction of the port is absolutely fine, but this shipping route... your proposed route needs to pass through the Land of Waves. That's a chaotic country with no ninja village, where large numbers of mobsters and rogue ninja gather. The government is unstable, and if we casually send large quantities of goods through there, I fear..."

"Wouldn't that be for the best?"

Yoru spread his hands, addressing the elders before him. "Although the Land of Water has currently confirmed its opening, we lack an external access port city."

"The more prosperous island cities in the Land of Water are in deep-sea areas, and those closer to the mainland are surrounded by reefs, often plagued by treacherous natural disasters like tidal waves. But the Land of Waves is different."

"It's a country close to inland nations like the Land of Fire, Land of Iron, and Land of Lightning, and it lacks a stable government or ninja organization... I'm sure you all understand what I mean."

"Understood!"

The Kaguya Clan leader showed an excited expression, winked at Yoru, and clenched his fist. "Please rest assured, Fourth Mizukage, we will perfectly complete your mission!"

Yoru's mouth twitched slightly. However, entrusting this mission to the violent Kaguya Clan was indeed the best choice. Perhaps these guys might even give him an unexpected surprise.

"Of course, the Land of Waves is secondary. Since we've already decided to vigorously expand commerce, we need to pay close attention to the construction of large ports, the development of sturdy ships, and the regulation of goods. Especially with regards to goods, we absolutely cannot allow unqualified, contaminated aquatic products to be sent to the dinner table..."

A pure white figure appeared outside the meeting room. Yoru's gaze shifted slightly, and he waved his hand. "This meeting concludes here. If any of you elders have further ideas, please write them down and send them to me. Through collective wisdom, Kirigakure can develop even better."

"The Mizukage-sama speaks wisely."

"Thank you for your hard work, Mizukage-sama."

"Then, this old man will take his leave."

The meeting ended, and the elders and elite Jonin dispersed. The Kaguya Clan members were particularly excited, having found a good job from just one meeting. They wondered how much extra money they could earn from this mission.

After the others gradually left, Yuki Akira approached Yoru and placed a scroll on his desk.

"Fourth-sama, this is from the Third Hokage."

"Finally here, huh?"

Yoru took the scroll and immediately opened it.

A moment later, a cold sneer appeared on Yoru's face. "He really is an old fox."

"What's wrong?" Yuki Akira asked, curious.

"This is a hidden clause from the Kage Summit held in the Land of Iron last time. To secure a truce with us, Hiruzen Sarutobi will provide us with the detailed locations of ninja clan teams on the Iwagakure battlefield. This scroll contains information on the ninja clan teams currently on the Iwagakure front lines, sent as a request for aid from an ally."

"A Gekko Clan, an Inuzuka Clan, an Aburame Clan, two Hyuga Clan... On the surface, it seems very sincere, if I didn't know their front-line battle situation."

Yoru snorted, picking up several intelligence reports from a stack of files on his left.

"As Konoha's counterattack progressed, the battle lines have gradually been pushed back, and several squads, led by Konoha's elite ninja, have even penetrated deep into the Iwagakure army's territory."

"But Iwagakure isn't to be trifled with either. Many Konoha ninja squads have been surrounded and trapped deep within Iwagakure territory. Among them is a Konoha squad of twenty to thirty people surrounded by Iwagakure."

"If we intervene, we'll have to break through the Iwa forces to even reach them. And that's not the worst part. The most valuable targets—the Hyūga—are almost certainly from the branch family."

"Wait, they can do that?!" Akira looked stunned.

"You might not know, but after Ao acquired that Byakugan, the Hyuga Clan already ordered all Main Branch members to be prohibited from entering the battlefield. Any Hyuga Clan members currently active on the front lines are basically from the Branch Family!"

Yoru snorted lightly, perfectly aware of Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions.

The allure of the Byakugan is undeniable, especially for Kirigakure, who had already tasted the benefits of the Byakugan, understanding its value even more.

By using ninja clan teams that were already doomed, Konoha intends for Kirigakure to attract Iwagakure's attention. Even if Kirigakure succeeded, with a simple activation of the Caged Bird Seal, the living Hyuga would become dead Hyuga, and all their efforts would be for naught.

"So, do we back off?" Akira asked in a low voice. "If we already know there's no gain, shouldn't we avoid clashing with Iwagakure?"

"No, of course we'll go."

Yoru shook his head. The reason he agreed with Hiruzen Sarutobi to exchange genuine Kekkei Genkai for such intelligence was twofold: first, he genuinely wanted to plunder more Kekkei Genkai from Konoha, and second, it was to have a justification to intervene in the war between the Land of Fire and Earth.

Whether it was a Byakugan or not, it wasn't important at all. Even a dead Byakugan under the Caged Bird Seal didn't matter. Just getting some flesh and blood for research was enough.

What he truly cared about was the Iwagakure battlefield, which was currently like a meat grinder!

Fresh souls of those who had just died on the battlefield would undoubtedly possess extremely strong fear and anger. Individuals with such extreme self-emotions were far better than inert spirits pulled back from the Pure Land using mediums and great effort.

Whether for soul experimentation or for creating a Concentrated Spirit Zone, such souls better met his criteria!

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin