Tonight, Sunagakure was destined to know no peace. The sand had no chance to be swept away, windowsills shook apart, and some were swallowed by the sudden eruption of fire, never to see the sun rise again.
A white giant bird shrieked above the skies as Deidara rained down bombs.
The moment the first explosion rang out, the last one was not far behind.
…
Deep within the mountains, inside the pitch-black depths of a hollowed-out massif.
It was as if some unfathomable force had carved out this vast chamber. Towering stone pillars loomed high, standing in a formation above an abyss of unknown depth.
Suddenly, the air rippled at the chamber's center. A formless presence flickered into existence atop the foremost pillar, a silhouette wreathed in shifting, iridescent hues.
The ring-shaped ripples of the Rinnegan seem to contain unlimited powers. The current leader of Akatsuki, Pain, is standing on the stone pillar.
Pain quietly stared at the dark cave where no light could penetrate, waiting for something.
A concealed spatial fluctuation pulsed through the chamber in a manner imperceptible to ordinary Ninja, bouncing back moments later in response.
Soon, the air around two more pillars began to distort, and two additional phantom figures emerged… like Pain, existing in a state of spectral projection.
It's Itachi and Kisame.
"Leader, what's the occasion? I was just about to cash in a bounty." As soon as he appeared, Kisame said loudly.
Pain looked at the two of them and said in an indifferent voice, "I have a mission. Put aside whatever you're doing."
A mission meant business. And when Pain got serious, defying him was never a wise choice. Kisame toned down his grin slightly, while Itachi, meeting Pain's Rinnegan gaze, simply asked, "What's the mission?"
Summoning them like this had to mean it was something urgent.
"Sasori and Deidara have successfully captured Ichibi's Jinchuriki." Pain's voice carried no trace of emotion, as though he were simply announcing the capture of a mere rabbit during a hunt, "Apart from preparing for the Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals, you two will assist in holding off any pursuing forces… buy them some time."
"Assist in holding the pursuing forces off?" Kisame frowned slightly, "They're in the Land of Wind, right? That's quite far from where we are."
"It's no problem. I will use the Shapeshifting Technique to temporarily transfer your consciousness into suitable vessels."
After hearing this, Kisame bared his sharp teeth in a grin, "Well, that's convenient… just a shame I won't get to enjoy the fight properly."
As always, Itachi remained composed and simply nodded, "Understood."
To ensure clarity, Pain briefly explained some key points regarding the Shapeshifting Technique. Once the arrangements were set, the conversation was about to conclude, and Itachi and Kisame prepared to deactivate their projections.
"Wait." Pain suddenly spoke, "There is one more thing."
Their movements halted. Pain turned his gaze toward Itachi, "Zetsu has brought back some interesting intel... Before the Ichibi was captured, Sasori traveled to the Land of Wind to rendezvous with Deidara. During that time, Zetsu spotted a certain someone… Raiden Hattori."
Like a stone dropped into a still lake, the name stirred many thoughts.
Kisame's eyes widened in shock, "No way. That guy showed up again?"
He still vividly remembered the past events. After going through so much trouble to help cover Logan's escape from Konoha's encirclement, they had returned only to find him missing… what a mess that had been.
"Raiden Hattori?" Itachi was also momentarily taken aback. His usually unshaken composure wavered for a split second, and he instinctively looked toward Pain. However, the overwhelming presence of the Rinnegan bore down on him like a fleeting storm.
Itachi's expression remained unchanged, displaying an Oscar-worthy display of calm, with just a hint of equally Oscar-worthy surprise.
Pain couldn't discern anything unusual. When Itachi heard the news, his eyes merely flickered for a moment, but as soon as he sensed Pain's scrutiny, he expertly masked his reaction once more.
Uchiha Itachi… one of the few members Pain had yet to fully decipher.
"That's right, Raiden Hattori has reappeared after going missing for so long." Pain confirmed, "Zetsu had already reported vague sightings earlier. He first appeared in a small town in the Land of Grass. However, his exact circumstances remain unclear."
"What do you think, Itachi?"
Itachi pondered briefly before replying, "Capture and interrogate him."
Concise, logical, and straight to the point… his answer so thoroughly aligned with Akatsuki's core objectives that it left Pain momentarily speechless, as if his next words had just been preempted.
"..."
Although, in his expectations, there should have been a bit of 'beating first, asking questions later'.
"Alright," Pain finally forced out a single word. "Just as I anticipated. You two may go now."
Itachi and Kisame exchanged a glance before their astral projection slowly faded away.
…
At the same time, Konoha Village.
The crisis that had occurred in Sunagakure appeared on the desk of the Fifth Hokage, and Tsunade looked solemn.
"Tsunade-sama, this..." Shizune, standing beside her, looked worriedly at her master, "Not long ago, when Jiraiya-sama returned from training with Naruto, he also brought warnings about the organization known as 'Akatsuki..."
Tsunade nodded, and crossed her arms with a frown. As one of the Legendary Sannin, her presence exuded a natural air of authority, "I didn't expect them to act this quickly, nor did I expect their strength to be this dangerous. To attack Sunagakure and defeat Gaara so swiftly and decisively… We really underestimated them."
After saying that, she waved her hand and said, "We cannot ignore Sunagakure's plea for help. We will immediately dispatch a team to the Land of Wind to rescue the Fifth Kazekage!"
"Understood!"
An enemy lurking in the shadows was the most terrifying kind. And when it finally revealed itself, displaying a level of power and efficiency that shook the Five Great Ninja Villages, the leaders had no choice but to take them seriously.
As Sunagakure's ally, Konoha's immediate response was inevitable. Tsunade exercised her authority as Hokage, the council convened, and a swift agreement was reached. Orders were passed down, setting Konoha's forces into motion.
Within the village, the streets remained lively and bustling as always.
Naruto was napping at home when the news reached him. The moment Sakura finished explaining, he was wide awake.
"What?! Gaara was kidnapped?"
"Yes." Sakura noted Naruto's shifting expression and offered a reassuring smile. "Don't panic just yet, Naruto. Let's regroup with Kakashi-sensei first and get a clearer understanding of the situation."
Team 7 was assigned the mission to aid the Land of Wind, which was completely in line with Naruto's ideals. Having just returned from his training, he wasted no time in gathering his gear.
To Naruto, Gaara was more than just another Ninja, he was a friend. They had bonded during the Chunin Exams, connected by their shared experience as Jinchuriki. Their similarities ran deep, and Naruto's mind was now fixated on his distant comrade.
Lately, he had been feeling down because of the news surrounding Logan. But now was not the time to dwell on that. His spirit reignited, burning with determination, filling him with an urgent sense of purpose.
While a select group of Ninja bustled around the village preparing for deployment, to most of Konoha's residents, it was nothing more than a ripple in the vast river of everyday life… something unnoticed and unimportant.
The streets remained lively under the bright afternoon sun.
Mothers haggled over groceries, the early evening cast a golden glow, and taverns had already opened for business. Life was stressful, and middle-aged men with complaints to vent were more than willing to spend their money, keeping the bars busy.
High above, perched atop Konoha's towering walls, a girl dangled her legs, gazing down at the vibrant scenery below… a sight she would never tire of.
A gentle breeze played with her black hair, casting the shadows of her lashes against her face in perfect arcs. Resting her chin on her hand, Mai looked as delicate as a porcelain doll.
She had been on leave recently, with nothing much to do.
"I wonder what Hattori-nii is up to right now." Mai murmured, pulling her knees together, her slender legs swinging idly.
"Sigh." Whenever she recalled the hasty farewell in the small town, Mai felt regretful, "I should've told him to come visit me."
"Or I could've just gone to find him."
"… He'll come back, right?"
Just as Mai was lost in her thoughts, she suddenly caught sight of something in the corner of her vision.
A group of dark silhouettes was moving swiftly through the village.
At first, she paid them little mind, after all, Ninja Teams setting off on missions were a common sight, no matter the day. However, as the sunlight reflected off a flash of yellow hair, she vaguely recognized someone familiar.
"Oh, it's that… um, what was his name again? Uzumaki something?" Mai curled her lips and said, "Not interested."
And so, on this peaceful day in Konoha, the girl continued daydreaming about someone far away.
As Team 7 and Team Guy departed, they traveled day and night, racing toward their destination.