Land of Rain, Amegakure.
After Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan founded the Akatsuki in the Land of Rain, they devoted themselves to creating peace without relying on extreme violence. That ideal quickly attracted a large number of ninjas and civilians to their cause.
The Akatsuki expanded at an astonishing pace and soon became well known, even in Konoha.
Naturally, that rising influence drew the attention of Hanzo, the ruler of Amegakure.
Hanzo valued talented young ninjas, especially those born in the Land of Rain.
But he was also suspicious by nature.
And once someone threatened his authority, he would not hesitate to wipe them out.
Under the manipulation of Black Zetsu and Obito, Hanzo's trusted subordinate, the Kamada, fed him false reports, claiming that Akatsuki intended to overthrow the Hidden Rain Village.
That was enough to awaken Hanzo's killing intent.
At Kamada's suggestion, Hanzo invited Yahiko, leader of Akatsuki, to a meeting under the banner of "negotiating peace with the three great nations of Fire, Wind, and Earth."
Yahiko, who sincerely dreamed of bringing peace to the world, accepted without hesitation.
To him, it looked like hope.
The three young leaders of Akatsuki, along with several subordinates, set out to meet the man they respected as the demigod of the ninja world.
What they did not know was that Hanzo had already prepared traps and hidden forces throughout the meeting site, waiting for them to walk into the slaughterhouse.
Hanzo himself felt conflicted.
These young people seemed sincere, almost painfully so.
Were they really qualified to threaten his rule?
Even so, he chose to believe the warnings of Kamada and prepared to destroy Akatsuki completely, leaving no chance for an accident.
So when the hopeful Akatsuki members arrived to meet the demigod who had long protected the Land of Rain, Hanzo struck first.
He moved without warning and seized Konan.
Then he used her as a hostage and coldly ordered Nagato to kill Yahiko with his own hands.
He was forcing them to destroy each other.
In the shadows, Obito and Black Zetsu watched the scene unfold with great interest.
If nothing unexpected happened, then Nagato's descent into darkness today was all but guaranteed.
If Obito had not possessed a body that was half White Zetsu, making it impossible for him to bear a Rinnegan that could not be deactivated, then even he would have wanted that power for himself.
Among all possible candidates, Madara had chosen Nagato because he was an Uzumaki, with a strong body that could barely withstand the burden of the Rinnegan.
Even then, Nagato could only just support its chakra consumption.
That was why Madara had sealed away most of the Rinnegan's true abilities, leaving only the Six Paths power available to Nagato.
First, Nagato's body and strength were not enough to support the eye's more advanced powers.
Second, in Madara's eyes, Nagato was only a tool and not worthy of using them.
Even so, the Six Paths power alone was enough to suppress nearly every ninja in the world.
··
Hidden in the dark, Obito watched Yahiko and Nagato's friendship being dragged onto the execution block, with Konan at the center of the choice.
The scene felt strangely familiar.
It reminded him of the moment Rin had been captured by Iwa shinobi.
Back then, Kakashi had insisted on completing the mission, while Obito had wanted to save Rin no matter what, and the two of them had clashed over it.
That same battle had ended with half his body crushed beneath a boulder, and with him entrusting one of his eyes to Kakashi.
The more Obito thought about it, the darker his expression became.
He still hated Kakashi for Rin's death.
He still wanted to create a world where Rin existed.
Now he wanted to see what Yahiko and Nagato would choose.
Would they hurt their companion for Konan's sake?
Still, watching the drama was only a secondary task today.
His true duty was to ensure that Nagato and the Rinnegan survived, especially if Hanzo pushed things too far and Nagato could not explode with enough power to protect himself.
That was why he and Black Zetsu had remained hidden nearby from the start.
When they saw Yahiko choose to throw himself toward Nagato's kunai, both of them understood immediately.
Nagato's fall into darkness was already half complete.
Hanzo, meanwhile, watched Yahiko's attempted suicide with cold indifference.
In his eyes, he was nothing more than a naive little brat.
Konan and Nagato both widened their eyes in despair, watching Yahiko move toward death.
They wanted to stop him.
But they were powerless.
Then something unexpected happened.
A man in a black cloak suddenly appeared between Yahiko and Nagato.
He grabbed Yahiko with one hand like he was picking up a kitten and tossed him aside.
This mysterious figure wore only a cloak, his chest and abdominal muscles exposed. His style was completely unlike the clothing of the ninja world.
"Before I take my payment, let me save these two first!"
Then he grinned shamelessly.
"Ah, my damn conscience. I really do believe in fairness and justice. From now on, please call me the kind Death God!!"
Brook spoke while looking at Nagato, whose Rinnegan remained hidden beneath his long red hair.
In the next instant, he vanished and reappeared beside Hanzo and Konan, then unleashed a powerful kick toward Hanzo that shattered him on the spot.
Only for Hanzo's body to turn into a pool of water.
It was a Water Clone.
What a cautious old bastard.
Still, Brook had already achieved what he wanted.
He scooped Konan into his arms and used Flying Thunder God to return to Nagato's side.
The entire exchange had taken no more than one or two seconds.
In that blink of time, the mysterious man had saved both Yahiko, who was ready to die, and Konan, who had been taken hostage.
The destruction of Akatsuki was averted in an instant.
Even Obito and Black Zetsu hidden in the shadows failed to react in time.
Black Zetsu's expression turned grim at once.
Nagato's Rinnegan absolutely could not be lost.
"Obito," Black Zetsu said tensely, "be ready to take Nagato away at any time!"
His eyes rapidly analyzed the origin of this sudden intruder.
"So fast," Obito said solemnly. "It feels exactly like Flying Thunder God."
Even with the Sharingan, he had failed to track the mysterious man's movement.
The sensation was too familiar.
He had felt it many times before, from his own teacher, Minato Namikaze.
"What?!"
Black Zetsu became even more alert.
Even Kamui had difficulty dealing with Flying Thunder God.
It seemed today's plan might actually run into a serious accident.
"Um… thank you for saving me," Konan said softly, face slightly red. "But could you put me down first?"
She was still being carried in Brook's arms in a princess hold, her hands gripping his shoulders.
She could clearly feel the strength in his body.
In the ninja world, it was rare to see a man with such a balanced, well built physique.
This mysterious and powerful stranger did not even seem to wear the most basic ninja equipment, no pouch, no armor, nothing.
Was he really not afraid of hidden weapons or ninjutsu?
Yahiko and Nagato looked at the mysterious man who had just saved Konan, their eyes full of gratitude and shock.
-------------
But in the very next second, the mysterious man's words left all three of them frozen.
"Rescue completed. Now it's time to collect my reward."
"For saving two people, I'll take both of your eyes."
Brook gently set Konan down and looked at the red haired Uzumaki Nagato.
The moment those words fell, Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan all retreated several steps, their expressions turning sharp with vigilance.
So he was not a friend at all.
He was another enemy after the Rinnegan.
Hidden in the dark, Obito and Black Zetsu both went tense.
As expected, this bastard had come for the Rinnegan.
Obito immediately activated his phasing ability and vanished on the spot.
"You want Nagato's eyes?"
Yahiko stared at this so called savior with a guarded expression.
He knew how important Nagato's Rinnegan was. It carried the power to change the world.
There was no way he would let Nagato lose it.
Konan also bit down hard.
The little favor she had just felt toward this mysterious man vanished instantly.
For Nagato and Yahiko's sake, she would fight him to the end.
Brook did not care at all about the alert look on the faces of the three little Akatsuki founders.
His attention had already shifted to Obito, who had just disappeared nearby.
Brook had not expected the Flying Thunder God formula Minato left on Obito to still be traceable even through this change of possession.
This time, Obito was truly in trouble.
Seeing the three of them still standing in front of him as if they meant to resist, Hanzo of the Salamander reappeared and led Amegakure's ninja to surround both Brook and the Akatsuki group.
"Nagato, if you think those eyes matter more than the lives of these two, then I can let Hanzo take them right now."
Brook spoke calmly, as if he were discussing the weather.
"I can wait until Hanzo kills you and then take the Rinnegan from your corpse."
"Or I can kill you now and take them myself."
He smiled.
"But I'm a kind person. If you hand me the eyes right now, I'll transplant another pair for you immediately, ensure the safety of all three of you, and even kill Hanzo for you."
"Think carefully."
Brook did not even bother glancing at the Rain ninja surrounding him.
He simply continued sensing Obito's location, preventing that bastard from using Kamui to snatch Nagato away.
"Oh, right."
Brook casually added another blow.
"I forgot to tell you, those Rinnegan eyes were never yours to begin with."
"Someone transplanted them into you and used your Uzumaki vitality to nourish them."
That revelation hit Nagato and Yahiko just as hard as the threat.
Their willingness to die wavered.
With Brook's help, Nagato would lose the Rinnegan.
Without Brook's help, they might all be wiped out, and the Rinnegan would still be taken from Nagato's corpse in the end.
It was a no win situation.
"How can this be…?"
Not only Yahiko was stunned.
Even Nagato himself could not believe that the Rinnegan might not even belong to him.
"Hurry up and choose. Time waits for no one. Hanzo is closing in."
Brook's tone remained indifferent, but his soul pressure had already blanketed Nagato to prevent Obito from snatching him away.
"Then… I can give you my eyes," Nagato said at last, voice heavy with pain. "But you have to let the three of us become your disciples. Teach us stronger ninjutsu. Protect us and the Akatsuki."
Facing Hanzo, the unknown owner of the Rinnegan, and all the dangers gathering around them, Nagato could only painfully abandon the eyes.
But he still managed to force out a bargaining chip.
Whether it was Hanzo of the Salamander or the unknown figure who originally owned the Rinnegan, they were both enemies he could not possibly handle.
So he needed a stronger protector.
"Nagato!!" Yahiko and Konan both cried out.
The price he was paying for them was far too heavy.
"We can't die here," Nagato said with a strained smile as he looked at his two childhood companions. "We still have to create world peace."
"Very good."
Brook laughed.
"I agree."
"Next, you can choose a pair of eyes from among these Rain ninja as your new eyes."
As he spoke, a green glow emerged in Brook's hand.
It was the Palm Sage Technique, one of the basic medical ninjutsu.
Even someone like Rin Nohara could learn this A rank technique, and it was enough to transplant Obito's Sharingan into Kakashi's socket on a battlefield.
Now that Brook had both Hashirama's bloodline and Kushina's lineage in his body, once he began practicing it, mastering it was hardly difficult.
"I want Hanzo's eyes!"
Hatred flashed through Nagato's expression.
Right now, he hated Hanzo of the Salamander more than anyone.
If Hanzo had not betrayed Akatsuki, they would never have fallen into this trap.
"No problem."
Brook grinned.
"Then I'll collect my reward first."
To prevent any accident, he directly removed Nagato's Rinnegan on the spot.
That instantly cut off the possibility of Obito stealing Nagato away, and also prevented Nagato from making any desperate move with the Rinnegan itself.
The moment Brook took Nagato's eyes, Black Zetsu and Obito both lost it.
If the Rinnegan was gone, then the Moon Eye Plan was finished before it even began.
Obito appeared instantly and lunged for the Rinnegan in Brook's hand.
But a massive burst of soul pressure blasted him away, forcing him to cough blood and retreat back into his phasing state.
The sudden appearance of another mysterious figure made Hanzo of the Salamander go numb.
Why were so many monsters showing up today over a small organization like Akatsuki?
"Give those eyes back!!"
Obito cursed from within his hollow state, glaring at Brook with fear and fury.
This bastard had actually predicted his sudden attack.
After seeing Obito appear, Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan began to believe Brook's words even more.
Nagato's Rinnegan might truly never have been his.
It was only a cultivated tool.
"Yohoho. They're mine now."
In front of everyone, Brook dug out his own eyes and directly transplanted Madara's Rinnegan into his own sockets.
With the glowing green Palm Sage Technique in his hands, the injuries healed quickly, and Brook opened his sight again.
At once, he felt the Rinnegan continuously drawing on the chakra in his body.
Fortunately, he carried both Hashirama's and Kushina's bloodlines.
Otherwise, he would likely end up just as Nagato had, drained into a living skeleton.
"No! You can't do this!!"
Obito roared in madness.
Black Zetsu, hidden in the shadows, was equally furious.
Had the plan failed again?
Brook casually tossed his original eyes toward Nagato.
"You can borrow those for now."
"You can watch Hanzo die first, then transplant his eyes later."
At that point, Brook finally lifted the newly obtained Rinnegan and looked toward the enraged Obito, as well as Hanzo, whose expression had already turned stiff with fear.
"Who exactly are you?" Hanzo asked, cold sweat already running down his back as he felt the pressure from Brook's new eyes. "As long as you leave Amegakure, I can let this go. I can even release Akatsuki."
At the same time, Hanzo summoned his giant poisonous salamander, Ibuse, and stared at the invaders in deep caution.
Those eyes were terrifying.
.....
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