Author: Hello readers, how are you? I hope so, well, this chapter called intermission is a kind of pause in the story, and continues on other subjects that were not aborted, it is not something 100% focused, but it tells what happens in the world. There may also be surprises in the middle of these intervals. The intermissions are also short, which is between 1000~2000 words, sometimes it can go over but it is rare.
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The months passed, and Ryu, now a leader of unparalleled power, became a legend whose name echoed throughout the ninja world. Under his command, the Land of Rain was transformed from a conflict-ravaged nation into a thriving and advanced empire. He orchestrated a series of strategic agreements and alliances with the Daimyos of other nations to solidify his power and expand Akatsuki's influence. What seemed like simple exchanges of resources and technology was, in reality, a meticulously woven web of manipulation. Akatsuki, under his leadership, had become a force that defied the status quo and instilled fear in every corner of the world.
Ryu had come to understand that true strength did not come solely from skills and abilities but from the capacity to manipulate resources and power plays on a grand scale. He used the Daimyos as pawns, offering them wealth, access to technology, and promises of stability in exchange for their loyalty and resources. The Daimyos, in turn, despised the villages and their leaders, concerned only with maintaining their thrones and power. Ryu gave them the means to do just that, and they did not hesitate to accept.
Meanwhile, the villages and their Kages, despite their attempts to oppose Akatsuki's rise, found themselves powerless. Their threats, no matter how intimidating they tried to make them, held no real weight against Ryu's might. He was a titan, untouchable and unstoppable. His abilities were amplified by the union of his Rinnegan and the Sage Power of the Snake, a fusion that granted him the golden form of the Rinnegan permanently and a deeper connection to senjutsu chakra. The process of adapting to this new level of power required four months of intense training and meditation, but the result was an almost divine combat form, where he could move, attack, and react with speed and precision that bordered on the impossible.
Ryu also knew that to become even more feared, he needed to master combat and destruction techniques that only the greatest ninjas could utilize. This drove him to obsessively perfect S-Rank jutsus. He studied with an insane determination, testing and refining each technique until it reached its ultimate form. The Raikiri, which became an extension of his right hand, could now channel electrical energy powerful enough to cut through the toughest challenges. The Wind Style: Rasenshuriken, with its capability for massive destruction, was enhanced to be launched with devastating force, causing damage at a cellular level. The Kirin, a technique harnessing natural lightning for a swift and cataclysmic attack, became the latest addition to his arsenal.
The early days of training were grueling, but Ryu's resolve knew no bounds. He spent endless hours practicing, repeating the movements. While he had already mastered the theoretical aspects, the practical application took much longer. Day after day, he trained until each technique became an extension of his very being. When he finally performed these jutsus flawlessly, Ryu knew he had transcended the level of ordinary ninjas. He had become a true god of war, a figure whose achievements would be remembered for generations, and whose name would strike terror into the hearts of his enemies.
Although these jutsus were not developed in the current era, Ryu possessed the knowledge to recreate them. The Raikiri was an advanced form of the Chidori. The Rasenshuriken was the complete version of the Rasengan, a technique anyone could learn with sufficient training. By incorporating wind-nature transformation, the Rasenshuriken could be produced after extensive practice. The Kirin posed a greater challenge, as it required harnessing natural lightning and bending it to one's will. However, living in a country of constant rain, Ryu had the advantage of perpetually charged storm clouds. With these conditions in his favor, he dedicated himself to daily training and successfully mastered the Kirin.
But it wasn't just physical and technical training that transformed Ryu. He used his time to sharpen his intellect and strategic knowledge. He analyzed every move on the global chessboard, anticipating everyone and everything. Every village, every Kage, every alliance, and rival were studied and understood in a way no other ninja could even dream of. He knew that, at some point, war would come. But when it did, Ryu would already be the greatest predator in the history of the ninja world, and the others would be nothing more than his prey.
Ryu understood that true power was not confined to the battlefield but also extended to political and psychological control. Determined to consolidate his influence absolutely, he implemented a strategy that left the Daimyos — those who controlled the wealth and armies of their nations — under his total dominance. This approach was not based solely on alliances but on a blend of fear, manipulation, and force.
To ensure compliance with his agreements, Ryu established one non-negotiable condition: no ninja from any nation could set foot in the Rain Country's territory without prior permission or notice. If this rule were violated, the ninja in question would be immediately detained and held in custody until Ryu himself decided their fate. He made it clear that any attempt at rescue or military intervention would be met with relentless retaliation.
To strengthen his position, Ryu made calculated demonstrations of his power. He placed several nobles—potential successors to the Daimyos—under devastating genjutsus, showing them visions of ruin, despair, and death, revealing exactly what would happen if they dared to challenge his authority. Furthermore, he gathered incriminating information through espionage, exposing the darkest and most shameful secrets of these leaders. The threat was simple: any resistance would lead to the destruction of their reputations and legacies, along with the loss of control over their domains.
The Daimyos, accustomed to being untouchable, found themselves facing a force they could not combat. The threat of losing their privileges and wealth, combined with the visceral fear Ryu instilled, was enough to compel them to yield without question. They not only accepted the conditions imposed but also began acting with extreme caution, ensuring no ninja from their villages approached the Land of Rain without prior authorization.
Ryu went further, using his influence to manipulate political successions. He ensured that if a Daimyo were removed from power—whether by death or deposition—their immediate successor would already be under his control. This way, even changes in political power would not pose a threat to his authority.
With this, Ryu not only isolated the Land of Rain from external interventions but also established a network of influence that extended throughout the ninja world. His figure as the leader of Ame and the Akatsuki became not only feared but unavoidable.
Meanwhile, in Kumo, the atmosphere was similarly calm, but with an undercurrent of constant vigilance. The Raikage, A, had taken drastic measures to ensure the safety of his brother, Killer Bee, the Jinchuuriki of Gyuki, the Eight-Tails. Bee was forbidden from leaving the village under any circumstances. The loss of Yugito Nii, Jinchuuriki of Matatabi, was still a fresh wound, and the account of the lone survivor from the attack only heightened the precautions. The ninja had described the ambush in detail, leaving A on edge: the swiftness and precision of the attack, the isolation of the chosen location, and the unsettling fact that Yugito had felt strange pains before the assault, as if Matatabi had been trying to warn her.
This information prompted Kumo to reinforce its defenses and issue a clear warning to all villages: never leave a Jinchuuriki alone with the leader of the Akatsuki. The surviving ninja reported that the man with the golden Rinnegan seemed to need only direct contact with the Jinchuuriki to begin the Bijuu extraction process. This revelation put leaders on high alert.
Suna and Iwa, on the other hand, were the most alarmed nations. Suna had already lost Shukaku, and the devastation caused by its loss was still felt both politically and emotionally. The village's vulnerability was evident, and the Kazekage was reinforcing all borders, fearing a second attack. In Iwa, the situation was equally tense, but with an additional complication: two Jinchuurikis resided in the same village. The proximity to the Land of Rain made the situation even more dangerous. Knowing that the Akatsuki operated in such close territory, the threat was constant.
Kiri, the Hidden Mist Village, was descending into a dark and blood-soaked era. Under the leadership of the current Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, the village was undergoing a brutal transformation. It marked the beginning of the infamous Blood Mist era, a period defined by a philosophy of rampant violence and paranoia that would shape Kiri's reputation for generations.
The Mizukage, known for his strength and skill as the Jinchuuriki of Isobu, the Three-Tails, had become increasingly unstable. His decrees were tyrannical, and his authoritarian regime divided the village. Brutality became the new norm, with the Chunin Exams transformed into deadly battlegrounds where only the survivors were deemed worthy. This was not only a test of skill but also of will, mercilessly weeding out the weak.
However, few knew the hidden truth behind Yagura's madness. He no longer possessed his Bijuu. In a move solely aimed at expanding the organization, he found and captured it — the beginning of Akatsuki's rise. Ryu had captured Isobu months earlier without raising any alarms in other countries. No one noticed. Isobu was Ryu's first target, as the Three-Tails was also the most challenging to locate if it chose to sink into the ocean and remain hidden. The vastness and pressure of the water would have made tracking it nearly impossible for Ryu. Yagura was left with only residual traces left by Isobu in the sea. The shinobi of Kiri had collected these remnants and infused them into Yagura's body, creating a pseudo-Jinchuuriki.
With Obito using a genjutsu on the Kage, Yagura's erratic behavior was born, and Kiri fell into bloodshed. The village crumbled under his rule, as his policies of fear and violence fractured trust between shinobi and civilians alike. The internal chaos of Kiri was as devastating as the external assaults orchestrated by the Akatsuki on other nations. The Land of Water, naturally isolated, became fertile ground for paranoia and betrayal — a grim reflection of the manipulated leader's mental state.
Meanwhile, the other Kages had already speculated about what had happened to Isobu. The absence of the Three-Tails for months was an enigma that intrigued the other nations. Few suspected that the Akatsuki had already made its move, leaving Kiri vulnerable while preparing the next step in its meticulous plan. However, everything changed with Yagura's rise to power; in a way, his emergence with the remnants of Isobu in his body came at a fortuitous time.
The Bloody Mist was a harbinger of even darker times. For Kiri, the worst was yet to come. The combination of an unstable leader, a divided village, and the loss of Isobu created a perfect storm, leaving the Mist as an easy target for both external and internal forces. All of this was part of the political and strategic chess game Ryu had initiated, moving his pieces ruthlessly and methodically while the ninja world watched, unaware they were already trapped in his game.