Within the heart of Hidden Rain Village, the clouds hung low and heavy, pressing down on the battered rooftops.

The rain fell in endless silver threads, weaving a curtain between heaven and earth.

Water streamed down Konan's indigo hair, trailing along her cheek before disappearing into the folds of her cloak. Her voice, though soft, carried weight.

"For some time now, we have been attempting to make contact with the Five Great Shinobi Nations."

Her amber eyes did not waver. "Our Akatsuki has discovered that a planetary body is approaching the Ninja World. If we fail to act, the entire continent will face a calamity without precedent."

Her tone darkened. "Only through a united Ninja World can we even hope to survive."

She lowered her gaze slightly, and in that small motion there was something rare — a flicker of helplessness. "To alert the nations, we even seeded intelligence into the black market. If even one informant caught wind of it, we hoped it might stir their leaders into faster preparation."

Her lips tightened. "But the result… apart from Konoha, the other villages barely reacted."

She looked through the rain toward Jiraiya, who stood several paces away, his figure blurred behind the downpour.

"They dismissed the warning. Complacent. Content. Entirely without a sense of crisis."

Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Konoha's hands are not entirely clean in this."

Before Jiraiya could respond, Nagato's voice emerged from the rain — low, even, and utterly steady.

"Even Konoha is not as rational as you imagine."

He stepped forward slightly, the ripples spreading from his sandals on the wet stone.

"All their preparations are designed for two groups — the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, and Konoha's own shinobi elite."

"Every significant underground shelter, every major store of supplies, every reinforced defense — concentrated entirely in Konoha Village and the Daimyō's estate."

He let the statement linger before continuing. "What of the rest of the Land of Fire? Tens of millions live beyond those two centers."

His voice sharpened by a fraction.

"And outside them? Only crude air-raid tunnels. No medicine. No food. No proper reinforcement. When the planet falls, those people will be the first to die."

Konan's voice dropped low, almost drowned by the hiss of rain. "They haven't even sent out public warnings. The villages moves… unbearably slow because of their silly rules."

Jiraiya's brow furrowed. For a man who had always carried quiet pride in Konoha, the words struck deep. He searched for an argument — some way to soften their critique — but found none.

Nagato was not wrong.

From his own knowledge, the reports matched the truth.

Konoha had indeed invested heavily in subterranean facilities, but the priority zones were clear: the village itself and the Daimyō's stronghold.

The borderlands, the outlying towns — left with almost nothing.

"I'm not here to accuse," Nagato said at last, his gaze unblinking.

"I'm here to state the reality. We've long understood that the foundation of the shinobi system is built on uneven distribution of resources. If we are to survive, you must fight that, Jiraiya-sensei — not protect it."

The rain intensified, pattering harder against the stone.

"When disaster comes, the strong will hide in their fortified shelters, supplied for a hundred days. The rest — even if they know in advance — will stand in the open, waiting for death to fall from the sky."

Tendo Pain stepped forward, each footfall deliberate. His voice, though controlled, carried an undercurrent of something almost human. "We do not wish to destroy this world. Understand that, Jiraiya."

The Sannin lowered his head, letting the water drip from his hair. It ran down his lined face, mixing with the deep weariness in his expression.

He knew — these were the same two children who once looked to him for guidance.

Now they stood before him as leaders, their words cutting straight to the rotting core of the world.

"So…" His voice was quiet, almost lost to the rain. "You mean for Akatsuki to lead the Ninja World."

Nagato didn't speak immediately. He simply held Jiraiya's gaze, then gave a single, deliberate nod.

The rain never paused. It fell and fell, as if it meant to drown the silence.

The steady drum of rain filled the silence—until the sound of footsteps cut through it.Measured. Deliberate. Each step echoed against the rain-slick flagstones.

From the heavy curtain of falling water, a lone figure emerged.

Kakashi.

His uncovered eye swept across the scene, calm yet piercing."However…" His voice was steady, but edged with something that carried farther than the rain. "To my knowledge, there's a masked man in your organization—calls himself Uchiha Madara. He's made no secret of his intent. He's spoken of bringing 'true pain' to the world… and of destruction being Akatsuki's final goal."

The words struck like sudden thunder.

Nagato's eyes narrowed. Konan's lips tightened just slightly—but her pupils sharpened like blades.

"Kakashi?"

Jiraiya turned sharply, water dripping from his hair. "Why are you here?"

Kakashi didn't answer immediately. He stopped a few paces short of Jiraiya, his posture still, his voice clipped."Jiraiya-sama, Uchiha Sasuke has vanished. The Third suspects the Akatsuki's involvement."

The air between them thickened instantly. The slow, tense rhythm of the conversation shattered in an instant.

"So," Kakashi said, "return Sasuke now."

He didn't raise his voice, but his words landed like a blade point-first."Otherwise, don't expect Konoha to see sincerity from you."

He let that sink in for a moment, then pressed on."If you truly want Akatsuki to guide the world, you should understand limits. Especially where Uchiha Itachi is concerned."

Kakashi's tone was casual, but every syllable was placed with intent."His Mangekyō is failing—bloodline degeneration. Sasuke is his only brother. His only… solution. Now that Sasuke has been taken, the question writes itself—"

He tilted his head slightly, as if studying their reactions."—was this a step in someone's plan to give Itachi new eyes… to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō?"

The rain's hiss filled the pause.

Konan's voice finally broke it. "We did not take Sasuke. His disappearance is not tied to Akatsuki orders."

"There is one man who claimed the name 'Uchiha Madara'… a temporary ally at best. His motives were never clear to us. Now… he acts beyond our influence."

Kakashi's gaze didn't soften."Then tell me—are you leaders of the Akatsuki… or are you just the pawns?"

It was a clean strike. Even Nagato's composure wavered for half a breath. Konan's eyes flicked sideways toward him.

"If you expect to lead the shinobi world, prove it," Kakashi continued. "Prove you're not an organization that can be steered by one man's mask and lies."

High above, hidden among the steel beams, Black Zetsu watched intently.

Was Kakashi lying? Was Obito truly behind Sasuke's disappearance? And if so… why?To bait Itachi? To test him?

Konan's voice cut through. "Nagato—contact Uchiha Itachi."

Nagato hesitated. Then, slowly, he raised his hand. The ring on his finger pulsed faintly. In an instant, the connection bridged across distance.

"Suzaku," Nagato's steady voice carried, "we have visitors from Konoha."

A beat of silence.

"They claim Sasuke has been taken… by the Masked Man calling himself Uchiha Madara."

There was no mistaking the sharp intake of breath on the other end.

Uchiha Itachi: "…?!"