Amegakure — The Village Where the Sun Never Rises
Rain fell endlessly over the black canals and steel towers. Inside Akatsuki's headquarters, Nagato sat in his mechanical chair while Haruto leaned lazily against the wall.
Their identical red hair made their shared lineage obvious, but the mood between them was heavy.
Nagato's Rinnegan eyes glimmered faintly.
"It's been difficult to keep control of Akatsuki… Madara is interfering more and more."
Haruto sighed, bored. "I don't have much to do anyway. It's dull."
Nagato tilted his head. "Why not train?"
"Train? For what?" Haruto's lips curled into a smirk. "There's nothing left for me to learn."
Nagato blinked, momentarily speechless. "So… no technique in the world is worth your time?"
Haruto shook his head once.
"…Then you're telling me you're already as strong as Madara."
"Never fought him," Haruto muttered. "So I don't know."
The room fell silent but for the pounding of rain.
Nagato eventually spoke again. "Then… at least attend Akatsuki meetings."
Haruto chuckled. "Think the Hokage would allow that? I'd rather be a mercenary and cut down whoever I please."
Nagato smirked faintly, but his shoulders sagged. "We're struggling. With no missions, we're running low on food."
Haruto raised a finger. "I'll help—on one condition."
Nagato nodded.
"Tell the others Kazuto is away on an S-rank mission, sending funds to us."
"…Fine. I promise."
Haruto tossed him a storage scroll. "Open it."
Nagato channeled chakra, and his eyes widened. Gold and ryō beyond measure filled the scroll's space.
"This… This would sustain Akatsuki for ten years!"
Haruto waved dismissively. "Don't mention it. Now… what's going on with Madara?"
Nagato's face hardened. "He approached me days ago. He wants me to destroy the Leaf Village myself."
Haruto frowned. In the original timeline, Pain should have confronted Jiraiya first… then attacked the Leaf after Tobi's persuasion. But now, the chain of events was twisted.
"He also wants me to accelerate the hunt for the Tailed Beasts," Nagato admitted.
Haruto's eyes narrowed. That confirmed it—the Fourth Shinobi War would begin sooner than expected.
"Delay him as long as you can," Haruto ordered.
Nagato nodded. Haruto placed a palm over his eyes. Nagato stiffened, but then relaxed as Haruto withdrew his hand.
"There. No one can take your eyes unless you allow it."
"…I understand," Nagato whispered. "I'm glad I can trust you."
Haruto's expression darkened. "I'll be leaving."
"So soon?"
"I have preparations to make."
Purple ripples gleamed in his eyes as his body vanished into nothing.
Nagato looked at the place haruto was enviously "His abilties...are so cool."
Thud!
Nagato turned—Madara sat casually at the window.
"Too late again, hm?" the masked man chuckled.
Nagato's Rinnegan widened.
"Someone here is being very cautious of me. Don't you think, Nagato?"
Madara strolled forward, his presence alone enough to freeze Nagato in place. Passing him, he whispered with cold amusement:
"You know who it is, don't you? The one wary of me…"
Nagato clenched his fists.
"You should be glad I still treat you as human," Madara sneered. His Sharingan flared—Nagato's body froze as space warped.
In the next instant, Nagato stood inside Kamui's dimension.
"—Nagato!" Konan's voice.
His eyes darted—Konan was pinned to the ground by massive black stakes, her body trapped within a sealing jutsu.
"Please! Let him live!" she cried, struggling as blood dripped from a shallow cut on her neck which madara made.
Madara—Obito—glanced back. "A graze… next time it will be deeper."
"and our nagato wouldn't want that would he?"
Nagato's eyes burned with fury as madara walked and stood right beside him
"Then do as I say." his eyes cold and devoid of any emotions...
---
A month later— Konoha, Hokage's Office
Rain was far away. Here, sunlight filtered through wide windows.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, Naruto, and Haruto stood in the office.
"It's done," Tsunade said, closing a scroll. Silence lingered until Jiraiya broke it with a smile.
"Good news. Naruto's mastered Sage Mode."
Naruto puffed his chest. "Heheh! What'd you expect from me? I'm a prodigy!"
Haruto smirked. "What'd you expect from my little brother?"
Tsunade nodded with rare approval. "Well done, Naruto." Her eyes flicked to Haruto. "And you? What's troubling you?"
Haruto's expression darkened. "Madara has ordered Nagato to attack Konoha personally."
The room froze.
"Do you have countermeasures?" Tsunade asked.
"…To be honest," Haruto admitted, "if Madara himself comes, can we even fight back?"
Silence thickened.
"I told Nagato to delay his plans. We may have a month."
Jiraiya's face tightened. "Then war is near."
"Not just a war between villages," Haruto said. "A world war. Madara's endgame—the Eye of the Moon Plan."
The conversation stretched on until Naruto and Jiraiya were dismissed, leaving Haruto and Tsunade.
Haruto's voice softened. "I need a favor."
Tsunade arched a brow, resting a hand on her chest. "What kind of favor? Don't tell me you're crazy enough to—"
"What?" Haruto blinked.
"I'm the same age as your grandmother, fool!"
"…Huh?"
"Youngsters these days—"
Haruto deadpanned. "The favor isn't that. Honestly, what are you reading lately?"
Tsunade flushed faintly. "Tch. Then what is it?"
"Itachi Uchiha," Haruto said flatly.
Tsunade froze—the name hung like a curse in the room. The man who had massacred the Uchiha clan, crippling half the village's strength…and a hero who resolved the conflict with the Uchiha....Itachi uchiha
"…Itachi?" she whispered.