Land of Rain.
Amegakure.
A nation that seems cursed by heaven itself, where it rains endlessly. But once, even this weeping land had its moment of glory.
During the Second Great Ninja War, Hanzō of the Salamander—hailed as a "Demigod" and one of the strongest shinobi of his time—led Amegakure to display unparalleled might.
He boldly provoked the Land of Iron, Konohagakure, and Sunagakure—actions that should've been suicidal for a small nation. But Hanzō defied all odds, using nothing but his own power and unyielding will to reshape the battlefield.
Though Amegakure eventually fell to the overwhelming forces of Konoha and Suna, Hanzō's individual might transformed the country from a battered doormat into a recognized sixth major power—just behind the Five Great Nations.
Amegakure was no longer a toy for the great nations to trample upon, and Hanzo at that time proved a crucial point: the weak don't solely have the path of clinging to the strong.
But... that was a long time ago.
The "Demigod" who once challenged nations became a man drowning in paranoia and greed.
That fierce warrior who once faced three nations with unwavering confidence was gone—replaced by a reclusive miser obsessed with his own security.
He hired countless bodyguards, surrounding himself with layers of protection, acting like someone with persecution delusions, constantly fearing that everything he possessed would be overthrown or destroyed.
Centralization and control!
However, this unease didn't dissipate with such measures; instead, it intensified. The former Demigod, consumed by power, grew increasingly deranged!
The chaotic wars outside and the oppressive tyranny within.
This immense pressure gave birth to numerous resistance organizations within Amegakure.
While most of these organizations were crushed by Hanzo upon emergence, a few managed to escape and rapidly develop.
And among them, one organization rose above the rest:
The Akatsuki.
At first, no one believed in their so-called mission of "peace." Their idealism seemed laughable.
But the world watched as they began to act—not just speak.
And when you genuinely act, someone will always notice. Someone will always follow.
In a land full of despair, Akatsuki became the faint glimmer of dawn in endless night. However faint that light was, it gave the hopeless something to believe in—something to cling to.
"Ten million ryō! That's ten million!"
"The Land of Iron is truly generous. I heard Konoha's reparations to Kirigakure were only eighty million ryo. Those samurai in the Land of Iron truly have deep pockets."
Under the drizzling rain, Yahiko and Nagato, having just returned to Amegakure, were resting in a cave. Yahiko held several scrolls, beaming with pride.
The other Akatsuki members were grinning ear to ear. Ten million ryo was enough to cover the organization's expenses for several years.
"It concerns the Land of Iron's prestige, after all."
"But speaking of which, that guy, Yuki Yoru, really became the Fourth Mizukage! He must be less than fifteen years old, right? Has there ever been an Kage so young in shinobi history?"
"Probably not. Kage are usually old men or middle-aged guys..."
"He's a total freak of nature. By the way, you hear the news on the way back? Konoha and Kirigakure aren't letting word of the summit spread too far. Land of Iron's dreams of turning it into some tourist hotspot are basically dead."
"Haha, kinda feel bad for them—huh?"
Yahiko's laughter cut off. His gaze turned sharp as he stared toward the cave entrance.
A figure cloaked in a white, twisted substance stood at the mouth of the cave, slowly walking in.
"Hey, who the hell are you?"
The Akatsuki members instantly tensed. With so much cash in hand, they weren't about to let anyone suspicious near.
Even Yahiko's voice dropped cold: "If you're here for shelter, at least state your name first."
"…Uchiha Madara."
Obito stepped into the light, removing his cloak to reveal his iconic orange spiral mask.
The moment the name left his lips, everyone stiffened.
They'd just returned from guarding the Kage Summit. That name—Uchiha Madara—was not one to be dropped lightly.
"Did you just say… Madara?" Yahiko's tone turned mocking. "Are you out of your mind? Madara's been dead for decades. You some kind of lunatic?"
But Obito didn't flinch. His gaze stayed fixed on Nagato—more specifically, on the pair of ripple-patterned Rinnegan in his eyes.
"I am Madara. Whether you believe it or not, it changes nothing. And my purpose in coming here is simple: it is for those Sage's eyes."
As expected, he's after Nagato's eyes!
Yahiko's expression hardened, and he coldly said, "We don't know what you're talking about, nor do we care about your purpose. Now, please leave."
"You sure about that?"
Obito glanced briefly at Yahiko, then locked eyes with Nagato again.
"You've seen this world, haven't you? A world filled with war, mistrust, cruelty, and hate. The Land of Rain has been trampled by the Great Nations, consumed by power and vengeance."
"Is any of it fair? No. But that's reality. No one asks your opinion. The strong take, and the weak suffer."
"And the only one who can end that cycle… is you, Nagato. The one who inherited the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. You're the only one with the power to change this world."
Obito's words were similar to what Yuki Yoru had said in the tavern – finding peace through power.
No, compared to Yuki Yoru, this guy was more extreme and less reliable. This guy was clearly here for Nagato's eyes!
Yahiko scoffed. "We've heard all this before. We don't need you, or your twisted version of peace. Let's go, everyone."
"…Very well." Obito's tone didn't shift. "It's hard to trust a masked stranger. That's understandable. But perhaps a token of sincerity will help."
"You're still talking?"
Yahiko didn't bother listening, already walking past him with the others. But Obito's next words made them freeze in place.
"Even if that token… is information about your friend, Konan?"
"What did you just say?"
Yahiko's eyes flashed with killing intent. The entire cave went still.
"How do you know about Konan? What did you do to her?!"
To ensure the Akatsuki's better development, Yahiko took Nagato and half of the Akatsuki members outside, taking on missions to earn money while spreading seeds of peace.
Konan, one of the Akatsuki's three leaders, remained stationed in their "headquarters" in Amegakure, serving as the most reliable rear for the Akatsuki members.
Undoubtedly, that angelic-like female leader held an irreplaceable position in the hearts of the Akatsuki members. And now, this guy was trying to use their "angel" to carry out some scheme...
"Don't look at me like that, Akatsuki. I'm here to gain your friendship, not your enmity, so I'm willing to show you my sincerity."
Obito's low voice resounded from beneath his mask: "While you were absent from Amegakure, Hanzo colluded with outside forces and attacked your organization."
"That's impossible! Lord Hanzo has shown us a friendly and peaceful attitude! He supports us! How could he attack us?!"
Yahiko roared, absolutely refusing to believe his words.
Although the current Hanzo was truly subpar, everything he had done to lead Amegakure still made him the most special person in the hearts of countless Amegakure citizens.
Their rebellion was for better survival, and the person they were rebelling against wasn't Hanzo, but this suffering, war-torn world!
If they could gain the acknowledgement of the former Demigod through their rebellion, or even awaken the Demigod with their ideals, that would be an unparalleled honor!
"Whether you believe it or not is up to you. If you don't, go see your base for yourselves."
Obito said calmly, "How can one sleep soundly with another snoring beside their bed? The rise of your Akatsuki has threatened Hanzo's rule, so he naturally won't let you be."
"According to my intelligence, your base has been completely destroyed, all your members perished in poison gas, and your 'angel' has been captured by Hanzo."
"If I'm not mistaken, once you fully enter the core area of Amegakure, you should receive an invitation for negotiations from Hanzo's loyal Ame-nin."
"This can't be..."
Yahiko continued to murmur "impossible," then suddenly, he spun around and plunged into the rain.
"Yahiko!"
"Leader!"
The Akatsuki members rushed to follow. But as Nagato passed by Obito, he suddenly heard the latter whisper, "This world is lost in darkness, Nagato. You don't have to believe me now. But one day, you'll understand."
"I'll be waiting for you here every day. Whenever you change your mind, my door will always be open for you, Nagato!"
Nagato paused for a moment, then also disappeared into the rain.
Watching the gradually fading figures of the Akatsuki members, White Zetsu slowly emerged from the ground, having witnessed everything.
"I never thought things would turn out this way. It seems it won't take much effort to guide Nagato over."
"All thanks to Hanzo. Has the identity of his helper been confirmed?"
"It was Danzo who gave the order while the Third Hokage was negotiating in the Land of Iron. He and Hanzo had already been in contact. As part of the deal, Danzo would help him eliminate the Akatsuki, and Hanzo would help Konoha relieve pressure on the Iwa front."
"Also, the person executing this mission is Uchiha Shisui. He brought many people with him, all from the Uchiha clan."
"Shisui, huh..."
Obito's mind recalled Madara's voice. His Sharingan's three tomoe slowly rotated in his eyes as he murmured, "According to Madara's prediction, he should have also awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan."
"Do you want to use his eye to fill the void in your left eye?"
"Yes, the Sharingan must be properly aligned to unleash its full power. Until I can reclaim my eye from Yuki Yoru, taking Shisui's eye is a good alternative."
"However, I don't know what his Mangekyo's unique ability is."
When an Uchiha clan member loses someone precious or feels deeply pained by their failures, special chakra surges within their brain, acting on the optic nerves and causing their eyes to change. This is the "eye that reflects the heart."
That special chakra, when triggered by intense emotions, gives rise to different abilities within the Mangekyō Sharingan — and that's where the name 'Mangekyō' comes from.
In his own case, it was because he saw the person he loved most killed by the teacher he respected. He couldn't believe what he saw, even developing the desire to escape this world. It was this profound shock and desire to escape that led to the birth of Kamui!
"I wonder what you lost to awaken your Mangekyo, Shisui..."
Obito murmured, the scarlet three-tomoe behind his spiral mask slowly rotating.
But it didn't matter.
Regardless of why or what Mangekyo Sharingan ability it formed, he would get that eye
Through the meticulous guidance of Uchiha Madara in the genjutsu realm,
Obito was no longer the dead last he was when he graduated from the Konoha Academy.
Now, he was the living Uchiha Madara, who had mastered the five basic Nature Transformations, Yin-Yang Release, Wood Release, and the Sharingan, comprehended countless legends and secrets, and inherited the title of the "Shura of the Shinobi World."!
The true Uchiha Madara!