Naruto: Konoha's Traitor

The Time Has Come

Nagato and Yahiko had barely escaped into a cave.

Konan's hands trembled as she wrapped scorched bandages around Nagato's legs. Her eyes were bloodshot, and silent tears fell onto the damp floor.

Nagato's legs were hideously burned—ruined from forcibly summoning and controlling the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. His body was skeletal, drained of chakra, and now emaciated beyond recognition.

He sat in silence, staring blankly into the cave's darkness. His Rinnegan eyes, a gift from Madara Uchiha through Obito, were filled with unconcealed grief.

Everything had collapsed in the blink of an eye.

Hanzō of the Salamander—once a symbol of power and, for a brief time, a supposed ally—had betrayed them. Alongside Danzō Shimura of Konoha's Root division, he orchestrated a trap that led to the massacre of the original Akatsuki members.

Yahiko, the dreamer and their leader, had been forced to choose: his life or Konan's. In the end, Yahiko impaled himself on Nagato's kunai... smiling through the pain.

Now, even Yahiko's body was gone, stolen by the chaos.

Konan knelt beside Nagato, her tears mixing with rainwater that had trickled into the cave. Her mind was blank. Their path forward, once so full of purpose, now felt insurmountable.

Then Nagato's voice rasped through the darkness, hoarse and hollow:

"Don't cry, Konan. We... we have to continue. Yahiko's dream can't die here. I will become a god. Only a god can bring true peace to this cursed world."

He slowly turned his gaze to her. "People who haven't suffered don't understand pain. But pain... pain can teach. It can unite. If the world knows true suffering, perhaps then... peace will be more than a dream."

He coughed violently, blood flecking his lips. "I've felt pain beyond human limits. I no longer move with the body of a man. I'll move the world... as a god."

Konan choked back her sobs. Her eyes, once soft with kindness, now burned with conviction and sorrow.

"Then I'll follow you, Nagato," she said softly. "I'll be your wings, your eyes... your hands. Whatever you become, I will stay by your side."

Nagato gave a small nod, silent gratitude in his expression.

"Akatsuki isn't dead," he said. "Yahiko gave everything to create it. His dream won't be in vain. My body is finished... so I'll create new ones. I'll use the Rinnegan to animate six corpses—each will be an extension of me."

He paused. "But first... I'll need bodies. Find me suitable corpses, Konan. And when I rise again as Pain... I will kill Hanzō, take Amegakure, and reshape this world."

Konan stood, her sorrow forged into silent resolve. "I'll begin the search. I won't fail."

They had lost everything—except purpose.

---

Meanwhile, in Konoha...

After Danzō and Chi Yu returned from the Land of Rain, the Hokage's personal ANBU operatives immediately summoned them to the Hokage's Office.

Inside, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood before his desk, the smoke from his pipe curling toward the ceiling. His expression was unreadable.

"Danzō," Hiruzen said, his tone restrained but firm, "where did you take the Root operatives?"

Danzō stood calmly, unbothered by the tension. "I simply took preemptive action against a rising threat—an organization in Amegakure."

Hiruzen's fist slammed down. "An organization in the Land of Rain? You believe an unknown group in a minor village threatens Konoha?"

Danzō's tone remained flat. "Better to eliminate a potential threat than regret hesitation. This is Root's purpose—to act where sentiment makes you falter."

Hiruzen's glare sharpened. "You've overstepped, Danzō. Amegakure is wedged between Iwagakure, Konohagakure, and Sunagakure. Sending a force there without authorization risks provoking all three nations. We've already lost too much in this war."

"The current balance is fragile. Even Sunagakure is faltering. Iwagakure is on its last legs. A single misstep could reignite all-out war."

Danzō's lip curled into a smirk. "A misstep? Hiruzen, the only mistake is stopping now. Konoha's momentum is finally shifting. If we push harder, we can emerge victorious—and rebuild with their resources, not ours."

Hiruzen sighed deeply, puffing on his pipe again. His weariness showed.

"You think continued war will help us recover? Our shinobi forces are dwindling. Our academy cannot keep up with the casualties. Even victory will leave us hollow."

Danzō narrowed his visible eye. "Then we must win big enough that it doesn't matter. Do you truly believe the other villages are preparing peace talks? Don't be naïve. If we show weakness, they'll descend on us like wolves."

Silence followed. Hiruzen weighed Danzō's brutal logic against his own hopes for peace. There was truth in what Danzō said—but at what cost?

Hiruzen finally changed the subject. "Enough of this... Chi Yu, you were in the Land of Hot Water. Why did you return?"

Chi Yu bowed respectfully. "I received orders directly from Lord Danzō. He summoned me back to Konoha."

Danzō stepped forward. "I've taken Chi Yu under Root. He is now my subordinate. And I've already informed him of the situation regarding the Uchiha."

Hiruzen's brow furrowed. "The Uchiha?"

Danzō's tone turned cold. "The time has come, Hiruzen. We cannot allow the Uchiha to continue unchecked. Their arrogance must be broken."

Hiruzen remained silent. He had long struggled to balance the village's stability with the growing tension surrounding the Uchiha clan.

"What do you plan to do?" he asked quietly.

Danzō's answer was immediate—and chilling.

"Kirigakure is already striking out wildly. We'll use that. Send Chi Yu to the Land of Waves. Assign a detachment of Uchiha shinobi under his command. Let them engage Kirigakure there."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "You mean to use them as pawns."

Danzō did not deny it. "They will fight... and fall. And in doing so, they'll fulfill their duty to Konoha. Chi Yu has experience leading Uchiha. He'll know how to manage them."

Hiruzen said nothing. The smoke from his pipe curled between them, dense and heavy with unspoken meaning.

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