Chapter 43: The Path of Change in the Hidden Rain
The Vision
"Twilight Hermit Order."
Konan murmured those words, feeling a strange power ripple through the depths of her heart.
In a trance-like state, she felt herself falling into boundless darkness. Deep within the thick black mist, she glimpsed a majestic skeletal cathedral looming before her.
Inside the bone-white structure stood rows of pitch-black stone pillars, embedded with the bones of countless creatures. At the highest platform in the cathedral's deepest chamber stood a massive white bone cross, and bound to it was an indescribable, colossal figure of light and shadow that seemed to hold up the heavens themselves.
The instant she instinctively looked directly at that figure...
WHOOSH!
Countless alien thoughts surged like a raging torrent, forcefully flooding her consciousness.
Konan clutched her throbbing, splitting head and screamed in agony. She felt as if her very personality was being brutally torn into millions of fragments by the crushing impact of those mental waves.
Each torn fragment seemed to possess its own will—whispering, screaming, and howling in her ears with different voices, all at once.
"No... no more..."
Konan's eyes became vacant and unfocused, her mind going blank like a broken puppet's.
Just then, 'Adam' suddenly intervened.
As she endured unbearable pain and torment from the assault of countless thoughts and fractured personalities, a figure shrouded in radiant light descended like an angel from above.
The six-winged angel, enveloped in pure luminescence, gently placed a warm hand upon her head.
Gradually, all the chaotic sounds faded into silence.
Under that warm light, Konan felt profound comfort wash over her—like an infant cradled safely in its mother's arms.
A moment later, having regained her composure, Konan opened her eyes to see Adam standing before her.
Those eyes—still as clear and pure as a newborn's, with a faint golden radiance—filled her with immense peace and tranquility.
The Truth Revealed
"What... what was that?"
Fear still lingered in Konan's expression. She remained deeply shaken by what she'd just witnessed.
Whether it was the towering Cathedral of Bones, the enormous shadow bound to the skeletal cross, or even the 'angel' that appeared at the end—everything far exceeded the worldview she'd constructed throughout her entire life.
So this is the true nature of the shinobi world...
Before now, she'd been like a pet living in a fishbowl, never truly understanding these greater truths.
But now... she'd finally glimpsed a sliver of what lay beyond.
"I apologize—that was my oversight."
Uchiha Kazuki spoke gently, his tone carrying genuine concern. "I forgot to warn you: from now on, do not speak that name aloud without my permission."
In truth, he'd done it deliberately.
People always respect power more than virtue. Sometimes, relying solely on words proves far less effective than demonstrating one's true strength.
Of course, he couldn't actually simulate a god's genuine aura, much less summon the 'Ancient Sun God'—so that entire scene had been an elaborate illusion.
However, while fake, it was essentially constructed from fragments of the 'Ancient Sun God' itself—specifically, the Corrupted Words.
The Corrupted Words—the blasphemous voice of the true Creator—forced him to sincerely acknowledge: This ability is incredibly useful!
"Excuse me... can you tell me something?"
Konan hesitated, but ultimately couldn't suppress the question burning in her mind. "What exactly was that thing?"
"You may call Him... the Creator."
Uchiha Kazuki's tone remained perfectly calm and measured. "He is the creator of all things—an omniscient and omnipotent deity. The source of all greatness, the Alpha and Omega, the God above all gods, the Ruler of the Vast Astral Realm, the supreme being we worship, and the very reason the 'Twilight Hermit Order' was founded in the first place."
"But... wasn't it the Sage of Six Paths who created everything?"
Konan looked confused. This was completely different from the 'mythology' she'd grown up believing.
"Mythology is nothing more than stories passed down and distorted by later generations, loosely based on fragments of truth."
Uchiha Kazuki shook his head with a knowing smile. "Just like the Sage of Six Paths you think you know—if the original, unaltered story were revealed to you, it might only disappoint you deeply."
Konan wanted to ask more questions, but he raised his hand to stop her.
"It cannot be spoken. It cannot be asked."
It wasn't that he wanted to be deliberately mysterious—he simply didn't want to continue down that particular conversational path.
After all, while he possessed the 'Fate Marionette' and felt confident he could block detection from both the Sage of Six Paths and the Great Toad Sage, this Beyonder item wasn't particularly high-level. Saying a little was fine, but if he kept discussing them directly, whether he'd eventually be discovered was another matter entirely.
The Parting
"I understand, Mr. Adam."
Konan immediately grasped his meaning and fell silent, keeping the secrets locked away.
"Our encounter ends here for now."
Uchiha Kazuki slowly rose to his feet, picking up the black tome as he scrutinized her with those pale golden eyes. "I hope that when we meet again, I will see your true resolve made manifest."
"Wait, Mr. Adam!"
Seeing him prepare to leave, Konan felt sudden panic rise in her chest. "Please—how can I contact you? And how exactly can I change my fate? What do you need me to do?"
"I don't need you to do anything—at least, not yet."
Uchiha Kazuki glanced up at the sky, his words carrying deeper meaning. "And you don't need to contact me either. As for how to change your fate... I've already told you the answer."
With that, he stepped forward into the rain.
Perhaps by sheer coincidence, the sky cleared at precisely that moment. The rain stopped, the storm clouds dispersed, and a single ray of golden sunlight broke through, illuminating his silhouette and making him appear like a deity walking among mortals.
"The Lord has spoken: When He awakens from His deathless slumber—"
"The kingdom He envisioned shall descend upon this world. The future He proclaimed shall inevitably become reality."
The prophetic words faded into the distance as 'Adam' seemingly vanished without a trace.
Konan's Resolve
"The answer..."
Konan lowered her head, clutching her clothes so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her eyes blazed with newfound determination.
"The Hidden Rain needs change. The Akatsuki needs change too!"
"Nagato... I need you."
Konan, returning from her mysterious journey, sat beside Nagato's sickbed. Those were her first words upon arrival.
Though he didn't know what Konan had experienced during her absence, Nagato—who'd always considered her his precious sister—didn't hesitate for even a moment. He didn't even ask why. He simply nodded in immediate agreement.
"Okay. Tell me what you need."
"I want to purge the organization from within."
Konan's tone was as cold as a block of ice, her eyes flashing with an iron will that hadn't been there before.
"What did you just say?"
Nagato blinked in disbelief, certain he must have misheard.
"I said—we need to conduct an internal purge of the organization."
Konan repeated herself clearly, her gaze locked firmly on his. "Yahiko is dead, but his will lives on. I intend to inherit his dream and create a world without oppression. Nagato... will you help me?"
Looking at the young woman before him, Nagato suddenly felt a profound sense of unfamiliarity.
The girl who used to be so quiet and reserved—who'd always relied on both him and Yahiko for guidance—was now telling him about inheriting Yahiko's will and reshaping their world.
"Can you tell me why, Konan?"
Nagato's expression was complicated, filled with mixed emotions.
The Black Flame
"If fate truly decrees that we will all die—"
Konan's eyes seemed to burn with dark fire. "—then at least before that happens, I will use every ounce of my strength to destroy it!"
At that moment, Nagato thought he saw a burning black flame flickering in Konan's pupils.
That black flame was eerily cold and razor-sharp.
But... this was good.
At least this version of Konan gave him hope—made him feel like they could actually do something.
"I understand, Konan."
Nagato slowly sat upright, supporting himself on the edge of the bed with the same trust he'd always placed in both his closest friends. "I'll help you—even if it means going against fate itself. Even if it means standing against the entire world."
"Thank you, Nagato."
Konan felt warmth flood her heart as she gripped his thin, bony hand tightly.
"So... what exactly do you plan to do?"
Nagato coughed twice, his voice still weak but his attention fully focused.
"Consolidate the Akatsuki's power base and seize control of the Hidden Rain Village."
Konan laid out the plan she'd already carefully formulated in her mind.
"What if some members refuse to cooperate?"
Nagato hesitated before asking the difficult question.
He understood the current situation within their organization all too well.
After Yahiko's death, many members had already left. And among those who remained, several were clearly plotting to seize power for themselves.
These people were practically founding members—veterans from the organization's very inception.
The Path Forward
"It's simple."
Konan's tone remained perfectly calm and collected, betraying no emotion whatsoever.
"Those who refuse to obey... we kill them. Those who obey... we keep them."
The shinobi world wasn't that complicated, after all.
The strong made the rules. The weak followed them.
That was simply how things worked—and how they'd always worked.
[End of Chapter 43]
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