When Hoshiyomi finished his mission in Kirigakure, a major event finally unfolded in the Land of Rain.
With Tobi running back and forth as intermediary, the two sides — Hanzō of the Salamander and the Akatsuki — finally made contact. They decided to hold final peace talks concerning the Land of Rain in a certain valley.
Upon hearing this news, the members of Akatsuki were overjoyed, believing their efforts had finally borne fruit. Little did they know, this was merely the beginning of a tragedy.
The rain over the Land of Rain continued to drizzle down, as if it would never end.
Walking at the front of the group, Nagato looked up at the gloomy sky and murmured, "This rain... it's as heavy as it was the day that little one died. It feels like it's never stopped since then."
Just then, Yahiko beside him suddenly threw an arm around Nagato's neck and said cheerfully: "Just wait and see. The day the rain stops isn't far off."
Seeing Yahiko's smile beside him, Nagato also showed a faint smile.
"With you here, the rain in the Land of Rain will definitely stop!"
Konan, walking next to them, then spoke softly,
"We're almost at the meeting place we agreed on with Hanzō. Shouldn't we check the area carefully? What if there's an ambush…?"
But Yahiko interrupted her,
"No way. Hanzō called for peace talks — that means he doesn't want the war to continue either. In that case, he definitely wouldn't ambush us. If he still cares about this country, he wouldn't do something like that."
Unfortunately, Yahiko had barely finished speaking when screams suddenly rang out from the rear of their group.
Hearing the cries from behind, the faces of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan instantly went pale. They hurriedly turned around — only to see countless Amegakure shinobi bursting out of the forest they had just passed through.
Kunai, senbon, and shuriken rained down like a storm. In the blink of an eye, more than half of Akatsuki's members had been killed or wounded.
Seeing the situation, Nagato quickly tried to organize a defense, but the enemy's sudden appearance had completely caught them off guard.
They had brought only a small number of shinobi to show their sincerity, and now their formation was thrown into chaos by the surprise attack. No matter how hard Nagato tried to regroup them, it was useless.
Within just a few short minutes, all those who had been chatting and laughing moments ago were slaughtered under the blades of the Amegakure shinob. Only Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato survived.
Yahiko, his face pale, looked at all this and cried out in sorrow:
"Hanzō! Why are you doing this? Didn't we agree to hold peace talks? How could you? Do you really plan to just watch this country suffer under oppression?"
Hanzo only sneered. Though his power had waned since he'd fallen from his former glory, he was still an old and skilled Kage-level shinobi with a clear advantage over the three youths.
In a single Body Flicker, Hanzo's figure suddenly appeared. He kicked Yahiko away and, with lightning speed, seized Konan.
By the time Nagato realized what had happened, Hanzo had already used a Body Flicker Technique to return to the distant high slope.
Hanzo had clearly prepared thoroughly, immediately dousing Konan in a layer of oil. With this sticky oil poured over her, Konan's adept Paper Release was completely neutralized, allowing Hanzo to easily bind her.
Pressing down on the struggling Konan, Hanzo sneered coldly at Yahiko and Nagato below: "You naive fools, and you dared to think you could overthrow me."
Yahiko screamed at the top of his lungs, "We never wanted that. We just want to save our country!"
Hanzo ignored him. "Save this country? With the likes of you? Yahiko, as the leader of your little organization, you will die here today."
As he spoke, Hanzō drew a kunai and pressed it against Konan's throat.
"Don't try any tricks. Move even an inch, and your friend loses her life."
Then, as if struck by an amusing thought, he threw another kunai — which landed right in front of Nagato — and said:
"You there — the red-haired one. Take this kunai and kill Yahiko.
If you do it, I'll spare you and this woman's lives."
Nagato trembled when he heard Hanzo's words.
He looked up at Konan, bound and helpless, then turned to Yahiko.
His heart twisted painfully — on one side was Yahiko, the man he revered as an older brother; on the other, Konan and himself.
What was he supposed to do?
Konan, restrained by Hanzo, screamed desperately:
"Nagato! Don't worry about me! Take Yahiko and run! As long as you live, the Akatsuki still has a future!"
But Yahiko spoke next, voice calm yet resolute:
"Nagato, kill me. Take Konan and go!"
Nagato stared blankly at them both, utterly lost, unable to decide.
Then Hanzo's furious voice thundered across the valley:
"Still not moving?! If you don't pick up that kunai, all three of you will die!"
Seeing the kunai already drawing a shallow cut across Konan's neck, Nagato panicked.
Without thinking, his trembling hands reached down and lifted the weapon.
He clutched it tightly, whispering in anguish:
"Konan… Yahiko… what should I do…?"
There was no answer.
Nagato, seeking some kind of sign, slowly turned — and in that instant, Yahiko lunged forward, impaling himself upon the kunai in Nagato's hands.
"Y–Yahiko…"
Nagato stared blankly at the blade buried in Yahiko's chest. His mind went completely blank.
Then Yahiko's weakening voice reached his ears:
"You and Konan… no matter what happens, you must live on.
Don't forget what Jiraiya-sensei said — you are the savior of this world.
Your words… might one day—"
Before he could finish, his strength gave out completely.
His body went limp and collapsed into the puddles below, sending ripples through the rainwater.
Hanzo looked on with cruel satisfaction.
"Perfect. What a fine performance,"
he sneered, and waved his hand.
"Kill them."
The Amegakure shinobi beside him obeyed immediately, hurling their weapons toward the grieving pair.
But at that very moment, Nagato raised his head.
His eyes — the Rinnegan — glowed with an eerie light, radiating waves of power.
A terrifying surge of chakra burst from within him.
As a storm of shuriken rained down, Nagato leapt high into the air and landed atop the high slop. With a roar, he swung his leg in a fierce roundhouse kick toward Hanzō.
Startled by Nagato's sudden outburst, Hanzō instinctively released Konan and used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat.
Though Hanzō's power had waned, his hand seal speed remained razor-sharp. Even as he moved, his fingers flashed through a rapid series of seals:
"Fire Release: Exploding Flame Formation!"
With Hanzo's hand seals, the ground beneath Nagato and Konan's feet rapidly turned into sheets of explosive tags. The explosive tags continuously flew up, entangling Nagato's legs.
Nagato only had time to push Konan away before being completely engulfed by the Exploding Flame Formation.
Following Hanzō's final seal, a loud BOOM echoed as Nagato's legs were completely swallowed by flames...
At the moment he was engulfed by the flames, only one final thought remained in Nagato's mind:
People can never understand each other. This world... has never had any hope!