After accepting the mission assigned by the Seventh Hokage, Minato Namikaze, Sakumo Hatake slowly walked out of the Hokage Building.
The glow of the setting sun fell across Konoha's streets, stretching his shadow long behind him.
Sakumo Hatake frowned slightly as a thought crossed his mind.
'Should I tell Arisu about this?'
'Otherwise, he might look for me and not be able to find me.'
With that thought, Sakumo changed direction and headed toward Arisu's residence.
Before long, the low-key yet imposing mansion appeared before him.
Just as Sakumo raised his hand to knock on the door, cheerful laughter suddenly came from inside.
It was Ino and Wanzhao's voices. The laughter of a young boy and girl mixed together.
"Uh... how is he exactly like his father..."
Sakumo's hand froze in midair, and his expression became a little awkward.
"Ahem...", Sakumo coughed lightly, but the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"Forget it. Better not disturb them."
"Arisu's son is really mature for his age. He got together with the Yamanaka family's girl so quickly... Sigh... My son Kakashi still doesn't even have a girlfriend..."
Sakumo sighed.
Whenever he thought about his own son, his expression became a little complicated.
Every day, Kakashi either stayed at home or buried himself in those dirty books, hardly ever going out.
When he did go out, it was only to fool around with that tight-suited Might Guy.
No wonder people kept saying there was something going on between Might Guy and Kakashi.
If Sakumo had not repeatedly pushed him, Kakashi probably would not even have agreed to become a teacher.
Sakumo silently sighed, turned around, and left the entrance of Arisu's residence without disturbing the laughter inside.
He returned home, briefly said goodbye to his wife, and prepared to leave.
There was reluctance in his wife's eyes, but she understood a ninja's duty and said nothing more. She simply straightened his collar and told him to be careful on the road.
"Take care. Come back soon."
Sakumo nodded in agreement, took one last look at the familiar doorway, then turned and strode out of Konoha.
With a mission on his shoulders, he could not delay for long.
After two days of nonstop travel, Sakumo entered the Land of Rain and arrived outside Amegakure.
The moment he approached the village, it was as if an invisible hand had torn open the sky, and a torrential downpour suddenly began.
Cold rain hammered against his straw hat, creating a dense pattering sound.
"Need to find a place... It really does rain all year round."
Wearing a rain cloak, Sakumo looked up at the gray sky. The corner of his mouth moved slightly, but there was little reaction in his heart.
He had fought on this land during both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars. He had long since gotten used to Amegakure's awful weather.
"That's not right! Is the rain only falling in one area?"
Sakumo frowned slightly, unsure whether it was an illusion or not.
He felt that the rain seemed to cover only Amegakure.
"Localized rain..."
Sakumo formed hand seals with both hands, and his figure blended into the rain like a ghost as he silently infiltrated the village.
The inside of Amegakure was much better than he remembered.
The streets could not be called prosperous, but they were no longer as desolate and ruined as they had once been.
The somewhat lively commercial street looked a little bleak in the rain, but at least it had some signs of life.
"When did Hanzo of the Salamander manage the village this well? Wasn't he always focused on military expansion?"
A trace of doubt arose in Sakumo's mind.
He casually walked up to a grilled fish stall, tossed over a few silver coins, bought a hot grilled fish skewer, and chatted casually with the stall owner while eating.
"Oh right, how's Hanzo of the Salamander doing these days?"
The moment Sakumo casually mentioned the name "Hanzo of the Salamander," the atmosphere instantly froze.
The stall owner's expression changed drastically. The passersby nearby also cast wary and cold looks at him, as if he had not spoken a name, but a forbidden phrase.
Sakumo immediately sensed that something was wrong and smiled.
"Sorry for the disturbance."
After speaking, Sakumo quickly left the stall and disappeared into the rain.
As he walked, Sakumo noticed that every shop had a white paper angel hanging in front of its entrance.
The angels trembled slightly in the rain, as if silently watching everything.
Sakumo asked a child about them.
The child said they represented Lady Angel and the True God.
"Heh... Besides the Sage of Six Paths, there are other gods?"
Sakumo laughed dismissively.
It was probably another arrogant person calling himself a god.
Hanzo of the Salamander had once called himself a demigod.
Sakumo observed his surroundings. Although the commercial street still existed, the human presence here was frighteningly weak.
The pedestrians kept their heads down and hurried along. Almost nobody spoke. The entire street was filled with a gloomy and strange atmosphere.
"The people here... don't seem to like talking."
Sakumo frowned slightly as his guard quietly rose.
———
At the same time, atop the central tower of Amegakure, the Deva Path of Pain stood by the window, his Rinnegan calmly looking into the distant curtain of rain.
"Konan, there's an intruder. It seems to be Konoha's White Fang, one of Konoha's 'Two Lights.' I've seen this chakra during the Great Ninja War."
The Deva Path spoke without any change in tone.
From the darkness behind him, Konan slowly appeared. A few strands of her light blue hair had been dampened by the rain.
"Understood. I'll find him."
Konan was about to use her Paper Style.
At that moment, a low, hoarse voice, like metal scraping against metal, sounded from the corner.
"Wait! Sakumo Hatake?!"
Hiruko's tail swayed slightly. Sasori of the Red Sand was hidden inside it, his voice suppressing intense killing intent.
The Deva Path turned his head slightly.
"That's right. If I remember correctly, this man killed your parents."
A crazed bloodthirsty light flashed through Sasori's eyes.
"You don't need to interfere! I'll kill Konoha's White Fang myself!"
Konan said coldly, "Your strength probably isn't enough."
"Heh, you're underestimating me."
"My newly developed Hiruko is exactly suited to dealing with people who use swordsmanship like him. As long as he's poisoned... Hmph! My poison even killed the Third Kazekage!", Sasori laughed darkly.
Konan wanted to persuade him further, but the Deva Path had already given silent approval.
"Go."
Sasori said nothing more. Controlling Hiruko, he instantly broke through the window and vanished into the endless rain.
After Sasori left, Konan frowned slightly.
"One of Konoha's Two Lights is very strong. Sasori probably can't handle him.", Konan spoke, a trace of concern in her voice.
The Deva Path slowly withdrew his gaze. As he dispelled the Rain Tiger at Will Technique, he calmly said, "It's fine. I've already activated the Animal Path, Preta Path, and Human Path. If that isn't enough, I'll act personally."
"I didn't expect Minato Namikaze to send Konoha's White Fang... That's quite a move.", Konan looked at the endless rain outside the window and spoke slowly.
"It's fine. Once someone enters Amegakure, it's our home ground."
"Nearly all of Akatsuki's members are here. Even if Konoha's Two Lights and the Hokage came together, they would still be defeated here.", The Deva Path said calmly.
Unlike the original story, Nagato had already gathered nearly all of Akatsuki's core members in Amegakure as a precaution.
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