Chapter 11: A Fist Against Fate
As Liumu and Jiraiya approached the border of the Land of Rain, watching the endless grey sky finally begin to clear, Liumu's mind raced, frantically calculating the current timeline.
Jiraiya at this time should be around 23 or 24 years old. That meant Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were already close to seventeen or eighteen.
By now, under Yahiko's leadership, the first iteration of the Akatsuki organization had already achieved remarkable results, operating right under Hanzō's nose in the Land of Rain.
If Liumu's calculations were correct…
Suddenly, Liumu stopped in his tracks, standing motionless on a thick tree branch, his eyes distant and clouded.
Jiraiya turned back, a look of curiosity on his face. "What's wrong?"
Liumu heard the question but didn't know how to answer. Because according to his reckoning, Yahiko's trio was about to have their fateful meeting with Hanzō.
And when that time came, Hanzō would use Konan as a hostage, threatening her life to force Yahiko into a corner, ultimately leading to Yahiko's death.
And Nagato, driven to despair by the loss of his closest friend, would unleash the true power of the Rinnegan, summon the Gedo Statue, and descend into the era of the later, darker Akatsuki.
Seeing the uncharacteristic seriousness on Liumu's usually carefree face, Jiraiya sighed deeply. He bit his right thumb, and in a puff of smoke, summoned a small, light-blue toad, which he handed to Liumu.
"This is Toad Wu. If you encounter any trouble, send him to find me."
Hearing this, Liumu's eyes trembled slightly. Watching Jiraiya's lone, retreating back, a guess began to form in his heart. Perhaps Jiraiya already had some inkling of the storm gathering over his other disciples.
Yahiko's death wasn't marked with a specific date in the original story, only shown as a tragic memory. If Liumu wanted to know the exact timing, he needed information from someone with intimate knowledge of the Land of Rain's current affairs.
...
...
Five Days Later.
In a small settlement within the Land of Rain, Liumu, his face now covered by a black cloth, delivered a swift chop to the neck of the man before him, knocking him unconscious.
As the ever-present rain and mist began to thicken around him, Liumu pushed off lightly with his toes and vanished from the spot.
'Danzo… it's you again!'
Liumu stood atop a rain-slicked roof, his gaze icy. A bone-chilling aura emanated from him.
According to the information he'd just extracted, Hanzō had left this area with a force several days ago.
In his memory, as the strategic junction between the Lands of Fire, Wind, and Earth, the Land of Rain's position was critical. Danzo, fearing that a unified and growing Rain Country could threaten the future balance of power, had conspired with Hanzō to ambush Akatsuki on their way to peace talks.
At this stage, the Akatsuki organization was still young and weak, possessing no means to fight back against a master of Hanzō's caliber.
Moreover, this single incident would lead to both Yahiko's death and the eventual downfall of the "Demigod" himself.
And the mastermind behind it all, Danzo, would retreat from the shadows without leaving a trace.
"Wait for me," Liumu muttered, his voice a low vow swallowed by the rain. "Don't you dare die before I get there… my brother I haven't even met yet."
...
...
...
BOOM!
On a rain-lashed mountain peak, a violent explosion echoed through the entire canyon. Thick smoke and shattered stone flew in all directions.
Before a group of people clad in black robes adorned with red clouds, as the smoke ahead slowly dissipated, the massive, shadowy form of a giant salamander gradually became visible.
Perched upon it, Hanzō, wearing his signature breathing apparatus, held Konan by the throat with one hand, looking down at the figures below with an expression of utter disdain.
"Let Konan go! If you have the guts, come at me!"
The blond Yahiko gripped a shuriken tightly, his face contorted with pain and fury as he glared at the man who had once been his idol.
"If you wish to save her," Hanzō's voice, filtered through his mask, was cold and metallic, "then kill yourself with the shuriken held by that red-haired boy beside you."
Akatsuki's growing influence was a thorn in Hanzō's side. Seeing Yahiko, their leader, actually turn toward the red-haired boy after hearing his words, a cruel smile slowly spread beneath Hanzō's mask.
"No! DON'T!"
Seeing this, the red-haired Nagato stumbled back a step, hurriedly hiding the shuriken in his hand behind his back.
"Yahiko, don't listen to him! You are Akatsuki's leader, its heart! You can't just throw your life away like this!"
Nagato's voice was a ragged, almost feral roar. The veins on his forehead stood out grotesquely.
"But…"
Faced with Nagato's desperation, Yahiko's face suddenly softened into a warm, gentle smile. The sight of it momentarily stunned Nagato, draining the color from his already pale face.
"If I can't even protect you and Konan," Yahiko said, his voice calm, "then how can we possibly hope to create the peaceful world we dream of?"
In that instant, Yahiko's feet moved. Before Nagato could react, he lunged forward, his hand shooting out to seize the shuriken from Nagato's grasp, aiming its point directly at his own chest.
But at that very moment, a hidden weapon, fast as lightning, shot through the air.
Clang!
A sharp metallic ring echoed. Yahiko's shuriken was knocked from his hand, skittering several meters away across the wet stone.
"Whew! That was close, way too close!"
"Who is that?!"
Hanzō, who had been on the verge of success, stiffened. A boy's voice, tinged with relief, had come from right beside his giant salamander.
Yahiko was stunned. Nagato finally snapped out of his daze, turning to look at the half-grown boy who now stood at the feet of the giant salamander. Everyone present was struck with shock.
"A… a child?"
The sudden appearance of a five-year-old boy on such a deadly stage was utterly bewildering. But before their confusion could settle, they saw the boy's legs coil like springs.
In the next heartbeat, his body shot toward Hanzō like a cannonball. His right fist, pulled back to his waist, seemed to gather the very air around it.
[Serious Series: Serious Punch.]
BOOM!
CRUNCH.
The breathing mask shattered. Hanzō's eyes rolled back, showing only white. A fine red mist erupted from his back, scattering across the salamander's mottled skin.
Liumu didn't pause. He was already a blur, arcing through the air toward the falling Konan. He caught her around the waist mid-descent and landed softly, cradling her.
"Konan!"
"Konan!"
...
A chorus of exclamations followed as Nagato, Yahiko, and the other Akatsuki members rushed over, quickly surrounding the unconscious girl.
Fortunately, Konan had merely been choked unconscious. After a few gasping breaths, color slowly returned to her cheeks.
"Watch out!"
Someone in the crowd shouted a warning. Behind Liumu, the masterless giant salamander opened its maw and unleashed a thick, billowing cloud of black mist.
"Poison! Get back!"
The salamander's toxin originated from its poison sacs. Its venom could kill on contact with blood. Inhaling such a concentrated cloud would mean certain, agonizing death.
Liumu was closest to the beast. The burst of poisonous mist had already enveloped him, cutting off all avenues of escape.
Seeing the boy who had just saved their companion about to be consumed, Yahiko, who had retreated hastily, cried out in anguish.
Just as everyone had abandoned hope, an impatient voice suddenly rang out from the heart of the toxic cloud.
"Tch. My bad. I was so focused on your master, I forgot about you."
[Normal Punch.]
BOOM!
Another explosion of crimson mist. Then, Liumu's figure strolled casually out of the dissipating poison cloud. Strange, shimmering flames seemed to flicker across his body for a moment. Everyone watched, dumbfounded, as the last remnants of the salamander's poisonous mist were drawn into the boy's form and vanished without a trace.
(End of Chapter)
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