Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

Land of Rain.

Amegakure.

Every hidden village has its own unique architectural style. The design and construction often reflect the surrounding environment.

The buildings in Amegakure are primarily made of steel, with some stone structures. These buildings are typically tall, resembling towering mountains.

Large and small pipes climb along the buildings, a feature necessitated by the Land of Rain's unique environment. For at least two-thirds of the year, this nation is drenched in rain.

Rain is the most common sight in this country.

As a result, Amegakure's sewer system is exceptionally advanced, efficiently channeling rainfall through drainage pipes to other areas.

At the center of Amegakure stands a tower-like structure that serves as the village's landmark. It is significantly taller than the surrounding buildings, making it stand out prominently.

Whenever the villagers or shinobi of Amegakure pass by this structure, they instinctively pause—some filled with awe, others subdued into silence out of fear.

This building is akin to the Hokage Tower in Konoha, serving as the political hub of Amegakure. It is also the residence of the man hailed as a demigod, Hanzo of the Salamander.

"Please hand over your weapons temporarily."

At the base of the tower, amidst the steel jungle, a rain shinobi wearing an Amegakure Anbu mask addressed Yahiko and his group of visitors.

"Don't push your luck! Our cooperation with Amegakure is supposed to be equal!" one member of the Akatsuki, standing next to Yahiko, protested indignantly.

From the moment they entered Amegakure, they had been under constant surveillance. Hanzo had kept them waiting for a long time before agreeing to meet. And now, this demand felt like yet another show of dominance.

"Apologies, I am merely following orders. Please do not make this difficult for us," the Anbu ninja replied coldly, unfazed by the Akatsuki member's frustration.

"Hand over your ninja tool pouches."

Yahiko waved his hand and was the first to take off the slightly worn pouch on his waist, which he had taken from an Iwagakure ninja. He handed it over without hesitation.

"Leader!" one of the Akatsuki members behind him called out in frustration.

"Just hand them over. We are guests here," Yahiko said, shaking his head. His main priority was to reach a cooperation agreement with Hanzo and avoid causing any unnecessary trouble.

He was well aware of the disdain and indifference the Amegakure ninja showed toward them. But so what? Akatsuki's growth had always been accompanied by cold stares and distrust.

When they first started recruiting members, not many people took their organization seriously.

In the ninja world, such disdain was a common chain of hierarchy. The five great nations looked down on all other ninja villages. Ninja villages from the great nations looked down on smaller nations and their villages.

Small ninja villages, mired in struggle and hardship, looked down on unorganized groups, rogue ninja, and wandering mercenaries without formal ranks.

Beneath all of these were the lowest rung of the chain: bandits, outlaws, and ordinary people who had lost their homes and were left to wander.

As a village that had once stood against both Konoha and Sunagakure, Amegakure's sense of pride and arrogance was far stronger than that of other small ninja villages.

After all, as long as the demi-god Hanzo remained alive, Amegakure would always have a place in the ninja world.

Seeing Yahiko's decision to avoid conflict, Kakuzu, standing in the group, shook his head slightly.

As an old hand in the ninja world, Kakuzu hadn't held high positions of power and didn't always align with the thoughts of those in command. Still, with his many years of survival, his experiences and the people he had encountered gave him his own perspective.

Knowing when to step back on someone else's turf—was that normal?

Absolutely.

But what about when one had the strength to stand their ground?

Since Akatsuki entered Amegakure, the village's actions had been nothing but a constant effort to probe and gather intelligence about them.

With Amegakure's repeated tests, Yahiko's seemingly peaceful retreat could easily be seen as weakness and fear by the Amegakure shinobi.

Once this impression took root, the so-called equal cooperation naturally ceased to exist. 

What Amegakure likely had in mind afterward was breaking apart the Akatsuki and absorbing it, bringing the business of the Healing Tags under the village's control.

As for whether Yahiko could outwit those in Amegakure, looking at his youthful eyes full of innocence and ideals, Kakuzu shook his head once more.

If this kid didn't get completely drained by Amegakure, leaving him even a few scraps of bones to chew on would already be Hanzo showing mercy.

But what did this have to do with him?

Kakuzu had no interest in reminding or teaching Yahiko what to do. From his time observing Yahiko, Kakuzu had come to understand that the boy was driven entirely by passion. 

He wasn't just single-minded—he was utterly clueless when it came to schemes and manipulation.

Advice and guidance wouldn't change Yahiko's mindset.

So Kakuzu didn't bother wasting his breath on Yahiko. After all, the mission given to him by Kagetsu was to protect that girl called Konan, calculate the accounts for the Healing Tags, and ensure the safety of the resources and funds.

Whether Yahiko and the Akatsuki got played, and how badly they were played, was none of his concern. That was for Kagetsu and Konoha to worry about.

The group entered a grand steel building. After being stopped again, only Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan—being the leaders—were allowed into Hanzo's office.

"Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, residents of the Land of Rain, backed by Konoha—have you betrayed the Land of Rain?"

A slightly aged voice echoed in the ears of the three.

Following the sound, they saw a middle-aged man with a gas mask, a strong build, and sharp eyes sitting behind a desk. He stared at them with a piercing gaze.

Feeling as if his eyes were like blades, sending warning signals throughout their bodies, Yahiko and his companions took a deep breath. They confirmed that the imposing man before them was Hanzo of the Salamander, revered as a god in Amegakure.

What shocked them even more was how easily he exposed the secret connection between Akatsuki and Konoha.

Remembering their teacher's parting words, "Hide it for as long as you can," Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan exchanged glances. They could see the disappointment and panic in each other's eyes.

"We haven't betrayed the Land of Rain! We only want it to become better!" Yahiko stepped forward, meeting Hanzo's sharp gaze. He lifted his eyes to meet the fierce yet weathered man sitting in front of him.

"An ambitious statement!" Hanzō sneered coldly.

"We are not ambitious!" Yahiko corrected Hanzō once again, his tone firm.

"Not ambitious? Then you're just naive brats, huh? Naïve people can't survive in this ninja world," Hanzō replied, his voice dripping with disdain.

"I know about your Akatsuki organization. I know you've taken in many wandering ninja and even some Rain ninjas not under Amegakure's jurisdiction.

You claim to strive for peace amidst the chaos of war, running back and forth for this so-called peace. But why do you do it?"

"Why?" Yahiko was briefly stunned by the question but responded without hesitation, "Why should there be war? Look at this country—war only brings loss and pain..."

"Such noble words?" Hanzō interrupted Yahiko, his expression unreadable. It seemed to carry a mix of disappointment and resignation.

For a man like Hanzō, who had fought through half a lifetime in the ninja world, Yahiko's idealistic pursuit of peace seemed far too naive. So naive that he didn't even feel like listening further.

****

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