In the Land of Rain, within a pavilion deep in a forest, five figures stood facing each other.
"You said Lord Orochimaru sent you?"
There was no doubt that Nagato had never met Obito before, so he didn't know who Obito was.
But that didn't matter. Obito was here to deliver Orochimaru's orders.
Since Yahiko and his companions were now Orochimaru's subordinates, it made sense for Obito to claim he was passing along instructions from Orochimaru.
The three of them—Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan—were momentarily confused by how this stranger knew their names. But upon hearing Orochimaru's name, they grew slightly less suspicious.
They had never seen these two men before.
"Yes, you'll understand after looking at this."
Obito's deep voice echoed faintly. As he spoke, he handed over a sealed letter.
Yahiko took it cautiously, his doubt easing as he saw the unique seal of Otogakure on the letter.
The content was simple: it instructed them to replace Hanzo as the leader of Amegakure.
After the recent battle, it was clear that their conflict with Hanzo was irreconcilable.
Whether Yahiko chose to retreat from Amegakure to promote their ideals of peace elsewhere or to stay and continue their efforts, the Akatsuki would face constant suppression and attacks from Hanzo.
The only viable solution was to replace Hanzo.
Should they abandon Amegakure, leaving the members of the Akatsuki to fend for themselves? Or should they stay and address the root of the issue by overthrowing Hanzo?
This was a serious decision.
Once again, Orochimaru had left the choice to Yahiko.
Yahiko stared silently at the letter in his hand. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Did Lord Orochimaru know this would happen?"
Though Yahiko and the others greatly trusted Orochimaru and saw him as their idol, they couldn't help but feel uncomfortable if Orochimaru had foreseen this situation.
"No," Obito replied calmly, fully aware that he couldn't undermine Orochimaru. "Today's events are just one of many possible outcomes."
"In other words, the path you're on is the one you've chosen for yourselves."
"Is that so…" Yahiko took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I understand. Let's go, Nagato, Konan."
From the moment Yahiko had allowed Nagato to fight back, he knew retreat was no longer an option.
Staying meant continued conflict with Hanzo and inevitable bloodshed.
Leaving would result in Hanzo's forces slaughtering the hundreds of Akatsuki members who remained loyal to them.
For the sake of the Akatsuki and to fulfill Orochimaru's mission, there was only one solution: Hanzo had to be removed.
Given the current strength of the Akatsuki, killing Hanzo and replacing him would be far too easy.
---
A few days later, under Obito's guidance, Yahiko and the others arrived at Hanzo's mansion in Amegakure.
Six orange-haired figures stood in the shadows of the residence.
They possessed unique abilities and overwhelming power, effortlessly breaking through the mansion's defenses.
This marked the true beginning of the Akatsuki.
But unlike the events of Orochimaru's memories, Nagato was not crippled, and Yahiko was still alive.
After eliminating Hanzo with the Akatsuki's support, they officially took control of the Rain Country and ruled it under the ideals of peace.
Yahiko became the leader of Amegakure on the surface, Konan was seen as its guardian angel, and Nagato served as Yahiko's shadow.
However, because Yahiko had survived, Nagato did not fully descend into darkness.
As a result, Hanzo's family and loyalists were spared.
---
But sparing them proved to be a mistake.
Not long after, Hanzo's remnants staged a coup, causing widespread casualties.
Only then did Yahiko realize the naivety of his earlier ideals.
War bred hatred.
Mercy would not be repaid in kind.
Guided by Obito, Yahiko and the others finally resolved to carry out a large-scale purge of Hanzo's family and followers.
Rain Tiger at Will Technique
A unique jutsu tied to Nagato's Rinnegan, this technique made it far too easy to locate Hanzo's remnants.
With its help, the Rain Country was completely brought under the Akatsuki's control.
---
It took a year.
A year after overthrowing Hanzo, they began to use the technology provided by Orochimaru to rapidly develop Amegakure.
---
Konoha Village, Senju Clan Residence.
Tsunade, who was drinking alone, frowned as a small snake slithered into her home.
Recognizing it as one of Orochimaru's summons, she calmly watched as it spit out a small scroll before disappearing into the shadows.
She quickly picked up the scroll.
After reading its contents, Tsunade's expression changed. She dismissed the ANBU guards stationed outside her house and took a deep breath to compose herself.
Moments later, a shadow appeared before her.
Without hesitation, she rushed forward.
"Husband…"
"Hehe, it's becoming more troublesome to see you these days, my dear Hokage."
Orochimaru caught Tsunade in his arms, smiling faintly.
"What nonsense are you saying? Come, sit down and drink with me. I've been so bored drinking alone!"
Orochimaru didn't refuse. He sat across from her and poured himself a drink.
"Why are you alone? Isn't Mikoto here?" he asked curiously.
After giving birth to her daughter and finishing her recovery period, Mikoto had returned to Konoha.
Although Orochimaru had wanted her to remain in Otogakure, he ultimately decided to send her back to help Tsunade, who needed support.
With Tsunade as Hokage, it wasn't difficult to arrange a suitable identity for his daughter to live in Konoha.
Hearing Orochimaru's question, Tsunade waved her hand dismissively.
"She goes home to your daughter every evening, of course!"
"Really, her daughter is already three years old, yet you're still neglecting me," Tsunade teased while pouring him another drink.
"Three years have passed already?" Orochimaru sighed softly. "But didn't you say you were too busy as Hokage to have children?"
"Hm? That's true… Maybe I should just find time to resign?"
Her words were bold, but Orochimaru was used to them. This wasn't the first time she had brought it up.
"Resign? It's not time for that yet," Orochimaru replied calmly.
"Not time? What are you waiting for?" Tsunade pressed, then added, "By the way, why did you return to Konoha this time? Surely not just to see me?"
"I was just about to tell you," Orochimaru said, sipping his drink. "I may be starting a war soon. I'll need your cooperation."
"…What? A war?"
***
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