According to the scroll Shinnō had surrendered, the creature known as the Zero-Tails was actually a lifeform composed entirely of dark chakra, discovered by Sky Village long ago. It had been given the name "Void." Despite its ominous title, the Zero-Tails held no connection whatsoever to the Tailed Beasts.
When Sky Village first uncovered this entity, it had already been sealed away. At the time, the village had no plans to release such malevolent energy. However, everything changed during the last Great Ninja War.
After Sky Village was destroyed by Konohagakure, the surviving shinobi, consumed by vengeance, infiltrated Konoha and stole a sealing technique used to control the Tailed Beasts. With it, they broke the seal on the Zero-Tails and forcibly bent it to their will.
But even after gaining control of the Zero-Tails, Sky Village soon realized that its power alone was insufficient. It could not hope to stand against the combined might of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, let alone match the strength of the Nine-Tails in their pursuit of vengeance against Konoha.
So their ambitions shifted. They began eyeing the other Tailed Beasts. If the Zero-Tails could consume the malicious chakra of other Tailed Beasts, perhaps its strength would multiply enough to pose a real threat.
Sadly for them, they were crushed before their plan could ever begin.
For Rasa, a monster like the Zero-Tails was barely a threat. Moreover, he had already sent the Covert Tactical Unit ahead of time to thoroughly scout and gather intelligence on Sky Village's secrets.
And now, as Rasa absorbed the writhing, loach-like energy of the Zero-Tails into his body, his focus unshaken, changes were quietly brewing far to the northeast, in Amegakure.
---
Land of Rain, Amegakure.
Ever since Yahiko and the others had returned from their visit to Sunagakure, tensions within the Akatsuki began to emerge, not from any external enemy, but from within their own ranks.
Naively, Yahiko had shared everything that had happened in Sunagakure with his comrades, believing they would support his ideals. But soon after, something occurred that neither Yahiko nor his two companions had anticipated.
He had assumed everyone would resonate with his dream, to reject war and pursue peace. But when he revealed that the Kazekage of Sunagakure had actually encouraged the Akatsuki to overthrow Amegakure's current leader, Hanzō the Salamander, and take over the village, their reactions shocked him.
Rather than expressing concern or hesitation, the others had responded with barely restrained excitement. They immediately encouraged Yahiko to act, to overthrow Hanzō and take control of Amegakure for themselves.
Yahiko couldn't understand it. Their eagerness unnerved him, filling him with a sense of estrangement.
It was Daibutsu, his trusted friend, who finally spoke the hard truth.
"This is the reality of the world, Yahiko. Not everyone is like you. The beautiful future you envision might exist one day, but for most people, what they can gain now matters far more."
And that was the heart of the matter. Yahiko's dream of peace, of a world free from conflict, was simply too far away for many of the Akatsuki members to see.
In contrast, the idea of toppling Hanzō and ruling Amegakure offered immediate rewards. If they succeeded, they would no longer be nameless wanderers scraping by. They could become officials, respected leaders of a shinobi village, and finally be recognized for their contributions.
They were tired, tired of being invisible, of constantly living in the shadows, struggling just to eat, always fighting to survive.
At that moment, Yahiko felt completely lost.
He no longer knew what path to choose.
What he didn't yet realize was that their plans, their rebellion, had already been discovered. Somewhere in the depths of Amegakure, news of the Akatsuki's intentions had begun to spread.
---
Land of Rain, Amegakure.
Since the end of the Second Great Ninja War a decade ago, Hanzō the Salamander, once hailed as a demigod among shinobi, had become a man hollowed out by paranoia and the relentless grip of power. After draining all of Amegakure's resources only to suffer defeat, the once-revered legend had aged into a ruler consumed solely by his desire to hold onto control.
Naturally, Hanzō was well aware of the Akatsuki's existence, but he had chosen not to act against them for two reasons.
First, up until recently, the Akatsuki hadn't posed a significant threat to his authority. Second, their activities had actually been beneficial in some ways, helping him stabilize internal unrest and serving as a visible deterrent to the influence of the major hidden villages.
But over the past month, things had shifted. The Akatsuki had begun to make Hanzō feel genuinely threatened.
The reason was both obvious and dangerous: the Akatsuki had formed a working relationship with Sunagakure of the Land of Wind. Though the Akatsuki had carefully limited the partnership to mutual interests, refusing to formally pledge allegiance or accept any official alliance, the implications were clear. For Hanzō, this move was a warning sign. The Akatsuki was beginning to encroach upon the boundaries of his rule over Amegakure.
It was at this critical moment that he received a message from Danzō of Konohagakure.
In the letter, Danzō subtly but repeatedly emphasized how dangerous the Akatsuki had become. He offered assistance, and his Root division could cooperate with Hanzō to eliminate the organization entirely.
Hanzō, however, was no naïve warlord.
He had no illusions that Danzō's offer stemmed from any goodwill toward Amegakure. It was plainly an attempt to further his own agenda. As he sneered at the blatant manipulation and considered what hidden trap Danzō might be planning, a new piece of information arrived, this time from inside the Akatsuki itself.
Despite being labeled a secret organization, the Akatsuki was far from impenetrable. Its members came from all walks of life, with different loyalties and motivations. Secrets were hard to keep in such an environment, especially secrets this significant.
The information was explosive.
Hanzō learned that it was none other than the Kazekage of Sunagakure who had personally suggested to Yahiko, the leader of the Akatsuki, that he overthrow Hanzō and take over Amegakure. Even more concerning was that many within the Akatsuki had responded with enthusiastic support for the idea.
That was the final straw.
Hanzō now understood he could no longer remain passive.
He would join forces with Danzō of Konoha. Together, they would crush the Akatsuki before it could act.
And the strategy they devised was disarmingly simple...
---
Land of Rain, Amegakure.
Within the dim, echoing cave that served as the Akatsuki's hidden base, tension hung thick in the air. Internal friction had been growing ever since Yahiko's return from Sunagakure. Just as that unrest threatened to boil over, the sudden arrival of a shinobi from Konohagakure's Anbu broke the atmosphere.
Despite their caution, Yahiko and the others agreed to hear him out.
"A shinobi from Konoha... why are you here?"
The lead Anbu, face concealed behind his mask, stepped forward and respectfully presented a scroll with both hands.
"I've come under direct orders from the Hokage-sama to deliver a message to the members of the Akatsuki."
"The Hokage!?"
The entire group reacted with visible surprise. They had a rather favorable impression of Konoha's Fourth Hokage. Both he and Yahiko's group were students of Jiraiya, which created a unique bond between them, almost like siblings under the same master.
Konan accepted the scroll carefully, scanning it in detail before handing it over to Yahiko. As Yahiko read through its contents, his expression shifted from curiosity to astonishment, prompting concerned glances from both Konan and Nagato.
The Anbu, noticing their confusion, took the initiative to explain.
"You may have already heard that our Fourth Hokage intends to convene a Five Kage Summit in hopes of putting a definitive end to the ongoing war in the shinobi world. But bringing all five Kage together is no simple task. Therefore, Hokage-sama hopes to use Amegakure's unique position to propose peace initiatives to the Lands of Wind and Earth. Geographically, the Land of Rain lies at the crossroads of three great nations. Because of this, both the Wind and Earth countries are likely to take its proposals very seriously."
For a moment, Yahiko was stirred by the idea. It resonated deeply with his ideals. But his instincts didn't dull, he remained cautious and clear-headed.
"This kind of matter should be brought to Hanzō the Salamander. He's still the recognized leader of Amegakure..."
But the Anbu, clearly expecting this response, answered smoothly.
"Naturally, we've already approached Hanzō-sama. However, the Akatsuki has grown into a power that can't be ignored. If your influence were combined with Hanzō's regime, it would lend unparalleled credibility to Amegakure's voice at the summit."