Actually, ever since Shin delivered his speech at the tavern, the conflict between Akatsuki and Hanzō has already been semi-public.
Over the following two months, the friction between the two sides intensified, escalating to the point where covert skirmishes and confrontations took place almost weekly. In one such clash, a young Akatsuki member approached Shin.
"Why do we hold back? We grow stronger each day!"
Shin merely smiled, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. "The ninja world is like a pot about to boil. We just need to wait for it to overflow."
The only reason he has not launched a full-scale offensive is because he has been waiting for the right moment. Reports filtered in daily, each more dire than the last, painting a picture of growing chaos across the nations.
He waited for the nearby major villages to be too preoccupied to meddle with the Land of Rain. Fortunately, the wait didn't last too long.
In mid-March, Iwa mobilized over ten thousand ninjas, sacrificing countless lives to take down the Third Raikage, reputed to wield both the strongest spear and the strongest shield. When this news broke, it stunned the entire ninja world.
Two Akatsuki scouts burst into Shin's planning room, their clothes still wet from traveling through the rain.
"Kumo moves as one!" the first scout reported breathlessly.
The second added, "They say the Fourth Raikage is leading from the frontlines!"
Despite the Third Hokage promoting himself as the strongest Hokage over the years, the leaders of all the major villages knew the truth: among this generation of the Five Kage, the Third Raikage was the strongest. This strength was what allowed Kumo to repeatedly challenge Konoha, seeking to claim the title of the top ninja village.
Yet today, the strongest had fallen.
Unexpectedly to Iwa, though expected by most in the ninja world, Kumo did not waver or retreat at all because of their Kage's death. Instead, they immediately conducted an unprecedented mobilization of the entire village, sending a massive number of new-generation ninjas to the front line.
The brash warriors of the Land of Lightning seemed oblivious to the notion of stability and paid no mind to whether the rushed transition of leadership would throw their village into chaos.
The newly appointed Fourth Raikage, A, didn't even consider returning to the village for his inauguration. Clad in his ceremonial robes on the front lines, he launched a retaliatory campaign on the spot.
The entire northern region of the ninja world plunged into turmoil. The intensity of the ninja world war escalated even further.
Meanwhile, Kiri began making moves, frequently harassing the coastlines of the Lands of Fire and Wind.
"Their raids are becoming bolder," one of Shin's advisors noted, pointing to marked locations on the map. "The Kiri ninja strike without warning, then vanish into the sea."
It was obvious to all that it was only a matter of time before Kiri formally entered the war—and that time would not be far off.
When this news reached the Land of Rain, Shin put his map onto the table. His advisors jumped at the sudden noise.
"Here, here, and here," Shin's finger stabbed at different points on the map. "These are Hanzō's weak points."
"But his elite guard—" an advisor started.
"Will be scattered thin across these positions," Shin cut him off. "They can't defend everything at once." The moment I've been waiting for.
At this moment, there were less than a hundred days until the fateful death calculated for him by the Fate System.
But he was no longer willing to wait. He would put an end to fate's countdown himself.
On this day, as Shin once again gathered all the Akatsuki members together, the heavens were uncooperative, with rain pouring down from above.
In the downpour, everyone stood with their heads slightly lowered.
"Is this really the time?"
"We've grown stronger, but Hanzō..."
"Look at Shin's eyes—he knows something we don't."
After everyone assembled, Shin turned to face them and began his final pre-battle speech.
"These past days, you must have all felt the approach of war. You've heard rumors, heard the people in the north calling us traitors, claiming that by opposing Hanzō, we're betraying the Land of Rain."
"But is that true? Is it really us, the Akatsuki, who have betrayed the Land of Rain? We all know that five years ago, the Konoha invaded this land."
"Back then, you, me—all of us who are ninjas of the Land of Rain fought bravely in resistance. But what did that man do when we were on the verge of victory?"
The crowd stirred, their faces darkening with old memories.
"That man who claimed to be our leader ended the war and acknowledged our enemies. He bestowed the title of Sannin upon Konoha's three rising stars. In doing so, he raised his fame, prestige, and power to new heights, and the entire ninja world remembered his name as the Salamander."
"But what about us? What about the Land of Rain? Who remembers our suffering?! Who, in truth, has betrayed this nation? Betrayed the land under our feet?"
The rain seemed to fall harder with each word, as if emphasizing his points. Murmurs of agreement turned to shouts of anger among the gathered ninjas.
The next moment, Shin spread his arms wide, as if to embrace a new future in the rainstorm.
"Today, we will correct the mistakes of the past and reclaim everything that belongs to us. For that, we need a new leader. A great person with the courage to face the Salamander and eliminate all enemies."
"He has already arrived! He is here before you! And he will lead the people of the Land of Rain to victory!"
At that moment, the solemn atmosphere shattered, and everyone erupted in cheers and shouts. Their voices were louder than the storm itself.
Just then, Sanda quickly appeared behind Shin, planting a staff into the ground with one hand, from which a black flag with red clouds unfurled. The wet fabric snapped in the wind, the red clouds seeming to move in the rain like living things.
This was a flag that Shin had designed himself, based on the Akatsuki's black-cloaked, red-clouded robes from the original story. The imagery of clouds and rain aptly represented the Land of Rain, while red symbolized blood.
"Perhaps our words today will one day be forgotten, but our struggle will be carved into this land, never to fade! If I fall in battle, let my corpse be wrapped in the Akatsuki flag! Victory in this battle is ours!"
Shin clenched his right fist and pounded it on his left chest two times, stopped, and did it again in the same rhythm. The sound echoed like a war drum through the rain.
"Can you hear it? This is the sound of freedom. This is the drum of revolution!"
In the next moment, every Akatsuki member beneath the stormy sky mirrored his action, pounding their fists on their chests and shouting at the top of their lungs—
"This is the drum of revolution!"
"This is the drum of revolution!"
"This is the drum of revolution!"
At that moment, the White Zetsu lurking in the shadows to record events with his mechanical device was completely stunned, repeating anxiously, "Rinnegan host, emotional surge! Rinnegan host, emotional surge! Exceeding expectations! Exceeding expectations!"
Unfortunately, neither Black Zetsu nor Tobi was there at the moment. Black Zetsu was too arrogant, believing that he could manipulate everything from behind the scenes, controlling the entire ninja world, oblivious to the fact that someone was overthrowing his plans right under his nose.
They wanted to drive the Rinnegan host into darkness and despair. Yet Shin shattered the script, dragging Nagato along as they broke free from the chains of destiny, forging their own path.
At that very moment, Hanzō was still leisurely admiring women arranging flowers in his luxurious mansion in Ame. Steam rose from his tea cup as he watched the elegant display, utterly unaware of the storm about to break over his head.
Danzō was still sneakily crossing the border, infiltrating the Land of Rain with his loyal followers from Root. They moved like shadows through the rain, confident in their stealth, blind to the trap they were walking into.
And Black Zetsu was still smugly directing the White Zetsu disguised as an Ame ninja to stir up trouble in secret.
No one expected that on this ordinary rainy day, all members of Akatsuki would mobilize.
They launched an all-out assault, and the first to bear the brunt were the few temporary bases that Root had just established in the Land of Rain.
At this time, these Root advance troops had not even seen their Danzō before they were ambushed by Akatsuki. The rain masked their approach until the very last moment, when it was already too late.
Simultaneously, several other Root bases were under fierce attack. The coordinated strikes left no time for proper communication between the bases, each forced to face their attackers alone.
One of the Root members tried to use the reputation of the major shinobi villages to intimidate his opponents. They'll back down when they realize who we are, he thought.
"Stop! Do you know who we are? We've been invited by Hanzō the Salamander; we're from Konoha—"
But his only response was a barrage of shuriken and kunai with explosive tags.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
His eyes widened behind his mask as he realized his mistake. They're not stopping—they're not even hesitating!
Boom! Boom!
Within seconds, the overly proud Root ninja was struck down on the spot. His body crumpled in the mud, blood mixing with rain.
An Akatsuki member spat on his corpse and said with scorn, hatred burning in his eyes, "We're here for you! Pay for the war from five years ago!"
Soon, the leading jonin of this Root base realized there was no luck left for today. The rain pounded harder as explosions lit up the dark sky, illuminating the faces of his attackers through the downpour.
He quickly ordered, "Send a message to Danzō-sama with the summoning beast! That organization called Akatsuki is out of control! They are a threat!"
Even now, they continued to blame Akatsuki and saw them as a threat without any reflection on their own invasive actions.
This way of thinking truly mirrored Danzō's ideology.
After relaying the message, the jonin immediately began organizing the base's defenses. We still have the advantage of fortified positions, he assured himself.
Though he was a bit surprised, he wasn't panicking just yet.
"Fall back and defend inside the base!"
"Hold out; once Danzō-sama receives our message, he will send reinforcements!"
The underground passages would give them the advantage they needed—or so he thought.
As he issued these orders, he didn't forget to motivate his subordinates.
"These shinobi hardly know any ninjutsu. Retreat into the base, use the underground structures for defense, and avoid close combat with them!" He gestured toward the entrance, already seeing several of his men moving to defensive positions.
An adjutant voiced his concern, "There are a lot of them this time; should we consider retreat?"
The jonin scoffed. These peasants think they can challenge Konoha's elite?
"Are you suggesting we can't even handle the shinobi from a small place like the Land of Rain? We just need to hold out until Danzō-sama arrives. He won't abandon us! It's Konoha against Ame; the advantage is ours!"
The adjutant remained uneasy, wiping rain from his mask, "Can we really win?"
Another explosion rocked the base, closer this time, sending vibrations through the underground structure.
But the Root jonin's gaze was resolute. "We will win!" They're just rats from a backwater village. We'll crush them like we always have.
Yet, in the very next moment, the Akatsuki ninjas, whom he had dismissed as small fry, were already standing at the entrance to Root's underground base. Their hands moved in perfect sync to form seals.
"Earth Style: Rock Breaker!"
The ground rumbled and cracked, growing louder and more terrifying as it went. Rock shattered, the earth trembled, and beams and supports began to break.
Someone shouted, "The base is collapsing!" Chunks of ceiling began to rain down.
The Root shinobi hiding underground scattered like startled birds, fleeing from the base. This is impossible—how do they know such advanced techniques?
But waiting for them outside was another squad of Akatsuki members. They stood in formation, their hands already moving through seals as their quarry came out into the rain.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The night lit up as ten massive fireballs roared to life. The heat was so intense that puddles on the ground began to boil, adding to the rising steam.
These techniques were newly acquired spoils from recent battles, while others had come from transactions with the Uchiha clan. Over the past month, these ninjutsu had been taught to Akatsuki members, complemented by the five-element mastery of their mentor, Kakuzu.
The results of their training were now on full display.
Akatsuki had shed their reputation as impoverished, small-nation shinobi; their skills now rivaled those of the major villages.
"Ahhh!"
Bodies fell, some still burning despite the rain, as survivors scrambled for cover. They fought back as best they could, their hands flying through desperate seals:
"Water Style: Water Wall!" A barrier of water rose up, but the coordinated fireballs smashed through it like it was paper.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
"Earth Style: Mud Wall"
Yet, Akatsuki's assault was more efficient, well-coordinated, and seamlessly integrated.
"Earth Style: Mobile Core!"
The Akatsuki members who had used Earth Style continued their hand signs, launching a fresh wave of attacks to fully collapse the Root's underground base.
A huge amount of supplies, ninja tools, and several Root members who didn't escape in time were buried underground. Screams cut off abruptly as the earth claimed its victims, the sound of collapsing tunnels drowning out everything else.
The Root jonin's face darkened as he watched his base disappear into the ground.
The reality before him showed that his earlier order to defend within the base was utterly wrong. His perfect defense had become a perfect tomb.
Who could have thought that a group of shinobi from a small, remote country could possess such a high level of ninjutsu proficiency?
How could this be possible?
And yet, his horror was far from over. Through the steam and rain, he watched as a new threat emerged.
The Akatsuki members who had used Earth Style in the previous rounds rose to their feet and drew their swords in unison.
Due to the influence of Shin, straight-edged swords had become the most popular weapons in Akatsuki. They stood with drawn swords as rain poured over their faces and drenched their blades.
Yet nothing could quench the fire in their hearts.
These young Akatsuki members, facing the shinobi of the First Ninja Village, had no fear and no hesitation.
Their companions in the rear had stopped the large-scale fire assault and switched to precise, single-target techniques to cover them.
"Lightning Style: Thunderclap Arrow!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
The leader of the Akatsuki contingent raised his sword high as rain streamed down his face. "For a better tomorrow!"
In response, every sword-wielding member called out in unison, "For a better tomorrow!"
And then, without a second's hesitation, they charged at the remaining Root shinobi. Their small force of ten seemed as imposing as a grand army.
The Root jonin, dodging the distant attacks while frantically throwing every weapon at his disposal, was no longer the composed figure he had been. Kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags flew from his hands in desperate succession, only to be deflected by precise sword strikes or dodged.
Now, he was truly panicked. "How did it come to this?" He shouted as he barely parried a sword strike, only to leap back from another.
The coordinated assault left no room for counterattack.
Was this really the Ame that Konoha had once casually trampled during the last ninja war? What had transformed these people so completely?
He couldn't begin to understand. Their intelligence had failed them completely, leaving them blind to this evolution.
He could only assume that those dangerous figures highlighted in the intelligence reports were among the ranks.
When Root finally crumbled and nearly every member was wiped out, the jonin himself was captured and brought before Akatsuki.
His mask was cracked, his uniform torn and burned, blood mixing with rain as he knelt in the mud. Around him lay the bodies of his subordinates, their white masks stained red.
He stubbornly demanded, glaring up through his broken mask, "Where is Shin?"
The leading Akatsuki member glanced at him dismissively, rain dripping from his sword's tip. "He isn't here; you're not worthy of meeting him."
The Root jonin's eyes widened. "Then who are you? Nagato? Yahiko? You can't be Konan—you're not a woman! Who are you?"
He listed every prominent Akatsuki figure mentioned in the intelligence reports, searching for some explanation for his defeat.
But his captor merely shook his head calmly and replied, cleaning his blade, "My name is Kazuya."
The Root jonin's eyes widened, his breath ragged. He never expected, nor could he accept, that the one who so easily crushed Root's entire force was a relatively unknown figure from Akatsuki.
Since when had Akatsuki changed so drastically from the intelligence reports that they now seemed like complete strangers?
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How to Survive as an Uchiha is out!
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