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While the ninja world seemed calm on the surface, a lone figure stood on a towering peak, looking down at the Land of Rain with a twisted expression.
"Nagato, you're up here staring at the Land of Rain again? Do you really hate that guy so much?" Black Zetsu and White Zetsu popped their heads out of the ground like pitcher plants, grinning as they addressed the Path of Pain standing there.
"I told you—call me Pain!" Nagato's voice was sharp, his face tight with rage. "That guy had the strength to unite the Land of Rain, but he refused. Because of that, Yahiko died. And if that wasn't enough, after Yahiko's death, he had the nerve to crown himself leader of the Land of Rain. That bastard!" Nagato's words dripped with hatred as he ground his teeth.
"Heh… but you can't deny he fulfilled at least part of Yahiko's dream. The Land of Rain is peaceful now. The people are living decent lives, even happy ones," Zetsu chuckled slyly.
"Shut up!" Nagato snapped. "I'll carry out Yahiko's true will myself. As for Hayato—if not for him, Yahiko would still be alive. I swear I'll kill him!" Just the mention of Hayato's name made Nagato's eyes blaze with fury and bottomless hatred.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it! But if you're serious about taking him down… well, looks like a chance just showed up." Zetsu let out his strange, grating laugh.
"A chance? What kind of chance?" Nagato's eyes gleamed.
"The Third Kazekage—he's been killed."
Nagato's expression shifted, curiosity flashing across his face. "The Third Kazekage? Who killed him?"
"A Sand shinobi named Sasori," Zetsu answered with an evil grin. "He assassinated the Kazekage in secret and defected from the Hidden Sand Village. The best part is—nobody knows the Kazekage's dead. The Sand ninja think he's just missing. Heh… all we have to do is give them a little push, make them think it was the Land of Rain, that it was Hayato's doing."
"…I see. Then let's go meet this Sasori."
Not long after, the Hidden Sand declared war on the Land of Rain and its village. They demanded the Rain hand over their missing Kazekage—or they'd crush the village no matter the cost.
When Hayato got the news, he froze for a moment. If his memory was right, the Kazekage's death had been the spark that ignited the Third Great Ninja War. Normally, the Sand would've turned their sights on the Leaf… but now, they were targeting the Land of Rain instead.
Hayato frowned slightly. Something about this reeked of manipulation. He knew the truth: the one who killed the Kazekage was Sasori, a man who would later join Akatsuki. Connecting the dots, Hayato's eyes narrowed. "Nagato… this has your fingerprints all over it. Next time I see you, you're dead."
Hayato was convinced Sasori had killed the Kazekage under Akatsuki orders, with Nagato pulling the strings. What he didn't know was that Sasori wasn't with Akatsuki yet—he'd acted on his own. But it was true that Nagato had twisted the situation to make the Sand believe the Rain was behind it. So, in a way, Hayato wasn't entirely wrong.
"Brother Hayato, what do we do now? We don't even know what happened to the Kazekage, so how can they expect us to hand him over?" Konan pouted, cheeks puffed in frustration.
"It's fine," Hayato said with an easy smile. "If the Sand want war, then we'll give them war. The Land of Rain isn't what it used to be. The Hidden Sand is just one village—we can handle them." His words were calm, but in his heart, he'd already marked Nagato as the true enemy.
"Yeah, exactly! It's just the Sand. The Land of Rain is strong now—way stronger than before. We've got nothing to fear." Konan nodded hard, a bright smile spreading across her face.
Just as the Hidden Rain was about to clash with the Sand Village, the Rock ninja suddenly jumped into the picture.
Years ago, Iwa had taken a crushing defeat at the hands of Hayato. After several years of rebuilding, they'd recovered a fair bit. After all, the Land of Earth was still one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations—or rather, now it was probably fair to say Six. Even if Konoha, Suna, Kumo, and Kiri weren't willing to admit it, the Rain's reputation as the "sixth great village" was getting louder and harder to ignore.
And the reason that title even existed? Because Hayto had beaten Iwa so badly the first time around. That humiliation was the foundation of Rain's rising status, and the Rock ninja hated both Rain and Hayato for it with every bone in their bodies.
They'd wanted revenge for years, but after their loss they were in no condition to strike back. Even Ōnoki himself wasn't confident he could kill Hayato. So they swallowed their pride and waited. But now that Sunagakure was openly preparing to attack the Rain, Iwa immediately stepped out, eager to ally with them and strike together against Hayato and the Land of Rain.
For the Sand, it was an easy decision. They'd once been forced into retreat by Hayato alone, and even Iwa had been made to surrender. His power was undeniable. If Iwa wanted to join forces, of course they'd welcome it.
When word reached Hayato that Iwa and Suna were planning to form an alliance against the Rain, his eyes flashed cold. He already had little patience for Suna's warmongering, but his hatred for Iwa ran even deeper.
"Brother Hayato, what should we do?" Konan asked, her brow furrowed. "If Iwa jumps in now, we'll be facing two villages at once."
"I'm afraid it won't just be two," Hayato said with a slow shake of his head.
"Huh?" Konan froze for a second.
"I wouldn't be surprised if another joins in before long." His lips curled into a cold smile.
"Konoha? But why? We don't have any grudge against them…" Konan asked in shock.
"Maybe not, but don't forget," Hayato said quietly, "I'm considered a rogue from Konoha myself."
"....."