The Land of Rain, named for its perpetual rainfall, is a nation whose borders intersect with the Land of Wind, Land of Fire, and Land of Earth. As a result, the Land of Rain has often been the primary battleground for conflicts between Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure.
Even during times of peace, skirmishes along the borders of these three nations within the Land of Rain have never ceased.
The shadow of war has always loomed over the Land of Rain, and coupled with its harsh natural environment, life here is far more brutal than in other small nations.
Yet, on this barren land, a figure once stood at the pinnacle of the Ninja World… the leader of Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander, known as the 'Demigod of the Ninja World.'
During the Second Ninja World War, Hanzo single-handedly fought against the young Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade, and after his overwhelming victory, he mockingly bestowed upon them the title of the 'Sannin of Konoha'.
However, after Hanzo was defeated in Amegakure's war against both Konoha and Sunagakure, he gradually faded from the Ninja World's view and has since disappeared without a trace.
The Five Great Nations have sent numerous agents to Amegakure to gather intelligence, but every time an operative entered the village's territory, they would vanish without a trace, unable to relay any information. Over time, as Amegakure showed no signs of aggression, the Five Great Nations put Hanzo's affairs out of their minds.
Amegakure has since become a completely closed-off state. No one knows that the village has long since changed leaders, and Hanzo quietly perished on some unremarkable night.
In Amegakure, atop a tall tower.
Two figures clad in black cloaks with red clouds stood silently in the rain, unshielded, gazing through the rain-soaked haze at the misty village below.
One of them had short orange hair, though his appearance was rather peculiar, with black rods piercing his face and a pair of purple, ripple-patterned eyes.
Beside him stood a woman with delicate features, her hair styled in a bun, with a light blue paper flower pinned to the right side of her head.
"This nation is about to weep again."
"This nation has never stopped weeping."
Though Pain's words were filled with lament, his voice remained flat, and his expression stayed cold. Konan, too, remained calm, as she had long grown accustomed to such sentiments.
"Still no news of Orochimaru and Kakuzu?"
Not long ago, he had suddenly lost the ability to sense the rings on Orochimaru and Kakuzu. Attempts to contact them also had yielded no response.
Konan shook her head and said, "Zetsu has already checked the Land of Rivers. The entire Yugakure has been reduced to rubble, with no clues left behind. He suspects it was the work of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"The technique used to destroy the Yugakure resembles the explosion that occurred in Konoha."
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? He might become the greatest obstacle to our plans."
Though Pain's words were complimentary, his tone remained indifferent. He felt no pressure from this revelation.
After all, a god fears no one.
"Sasori's side... Hm?"
Pain was about to inquire about Sasori's mission progress, as given Sasori's strength, the mission had taken far too long. But he suddenly sensed two individuals entering Amegakure.
It was Sasori and Kisame, though their conditions seemed off.
"What is it, Nagato?" Konan asked.
"Sasori and Kisame have returned. Bring them to see me."
---
In a cold, dimly lit space, several bonfires burned quietly.
Pain, Konan, Hoshigaki Kisame, and Sasori gathered here.
Kisame had a shark-like face, complexion, and sharp teeth, with deep blue hair and golden pupils. Though his wounds had been treated, he still appeared somewhat weakened.
Sasori, on the other hand, looked completely different. No longer in the form of a hunched old man, he now appeared as a handsome red-haired youth. His Hiruko puppet had been shattered and temporarily stored in a sealing scroll.
"What happened in Kirigakure?"
Standing on the high platform, Pain questioned the two. After all, he knew the current Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, should still have been under the control of 'Uchiha Madara's' Genjutsu. Moreover, Sasori had only gone to retrieve someone.
Kisame didn't speak, merely staring at Pain with his lifeless eyes… or more accurately, at the eerie eyes of the Sage of Six Paths.
'Eyes like these, and the existence of Uchiha Madara, might truly be able to create a real world.'
"The Fourth Mizukage lost control. Kisame and I were discovered as we left and were ambushed by Kirigakure's forces."
Sasori spoke expressionlessly, his entire body having been transformed into a puppet, leaving him unable to show any emotion.
'The Yondaime Mizukage lost control?'
Konan's brow furrowed, and Pain also pondered the implications.
"I need a batch of materials. I lost many puppets during this mission and need to replenish and repair them."
Seeing Pain and Konan lost in thought, Sasori interrupted. This mission had been a significant loss for him. The power of a perfect Jinchuriki was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
"Understood. Compile a list of the materials you need, and Konan will arrange for them."
Pain didn't hesitate and agreed directly. After all, the organization would cover the losses incurred during the mission.
Pain then turned to Kisame, who had been staring at him, and tossed a ring engraved with the character for 'South' toward him.
"This is the symbol of an organization member. Sasori can explain how to use it."
Kisame caught the ring and examined it, noticing that the material was unique, unlike anything he had seen before.
"Do you have any other requests?"
Kisame stored the ring away and thought for a moment before saying: "The rain in the Land of Rain is too much. For now, I'd like a slightly warmer and drier place to stay."
Hearing this request, Pain couldn't help but give Kisame a second look. The answer surprised him.
"Someone will arrange that for you. From now on, you two will be partners. Take some time to rest and recover. We'll assign you new tasks later."
After the brief meeting, Kisame and Sasori left.
In the dimly lit space, only Pain and Konan remained.
"The Yondaime Mizukage suddenly losing control... it seems something went wrong on Uchiha Madara's end."
Konan's tone carried a hint of surprise. Not long ago, the masked man who called himself Uchiha Madara had said he was going to recruit a talented member from Konoha, but since then, he had completely disappeared.
'It seemed that even if he wasn't dead, he was likely severely injured.'
Although she disliked the masked man who called himself Uchiha Madara, his strange abilities were undeniably powerful. She didn't expect that...
"Nagato, this matter might also be related to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki." Konan couldn't help but remind Pain.
Pain's expression remained calm. He had only been slightly surprised at first but didn't dwell on the matter.
He had absolute confidence in himself.
"There's no need to worry."
"Any power, in the face of a god, is insignificant."