The heavy metal door of the private room closed, shutting out the oppressive presence of the Rinnegan.
Uehara Naraku leaned against the cold wall and let out a long breath. His back was soaked with cold sweat. Acting in front of Nagato, who possessed the legendary eyes of the Sage, was like dancing on the edge of a blade. One slip up, one moment of breaking character, and a Shinra Tensei would have turned him into paste.
But the risk was worth it.
He focused his mind and called up his status panel again.
[System Panel]
Host: Uehara Naraku
Chakra Amount: 13,500 (Standard Jonin Level / Uzumaki Bloodline Baseline)
Life Energy: 12,000 (Standard Jonin Level)
Natural Energy: 0
Traits:
• High Chakra Reserves (Passive): Your chakra capacity is vastly increased, granting you the stamina of the Uzumaki clan.
Uehara stared at the numbers. His chakra had jumped from a meager 350 to over 13,000. It was a monstrous increase.
"Standard Jonin level..." Uehara clenched his fist, feeling the surging energy in his body. "No, this is probably higher than most Jonin. Kakashi probably doesn't even have this much."
With this amount of chakra, he could spam his Destiny cards without worrying about exhaustion. The Blue Card's restoration effect combined with this massive pool meant he was effectively a perpetual motion machine.
"I still have 100 Gold Coins from the mission."
Uehara looked at the shop tab in his system. It had finally unlocked after he completed his first main mission.
The shop was filled with icons of items from League of Legends. Weapons, armor, consumables. However, most of them were greyed out, requiring thousands of coins.
Only the "Starter Items" and "Basic components" were affordable.
[Doran's Ring]: 400 Gold.
[Long Sword]: 350 Gold.
[Boots of Speed]: 300 Gold.
"Too expensive," Uehara frowned. "Inflation is hitting hard even in the system."
He scrolled down to the cheapest items.
[Faerie Charm]: Increases Chakra Regeneration by 25%. Price: 125 Gold.
[Rejuvenation Bead]: Increases Health Regeneration by 50%. Price: 150 Gold.
"I can't even afford a necklace," Uehara sighed. He looked at his balance: 200 Gold (100 from the first kill, 100 from meeting Pain).
Wait, he had 200 total.
He browsed carefully. He needed something that would help him survive the upcoming conflict. The stats gave him chakra, but his defense was still that of a twelve year old boy. If a kunai hit his throat, he would die just like anyone else.
Suddenly, his eyes stopped on a specific item.
[Cloth Armor] Price: 300 Gold.
Effect: Increases physical defense slightly.
"Still too short."
He kept scrolling until he found the consumables.
[Health Potion]: Restores health over time. Price: 50 Gold.
[Control Ward]: Reveals hidden units in an area. Price: 75 Gold.
"Useless for now."
Finally, he decided to save the coins. Buying a cheap consumable felt like a waste, and he wasn't far off from affording a permanent stat boosting item like Boots of Speed which would be crucial for survival.
Knock, knock.
A sharp rap on the door interrupted his shopping.
"Naraku."
It was Konan.
Uehara quickly closed the interface and opened the door. Konan stood there, fully equipped for battle. Her expression was grave.
"Teacher?"
"Get your gear," Konan said, her voice tight. "We are moving out."
"Is it a mission?" Uehara asked, grabbing his pouch.
"It is a meeting," Konan corrected him, though her tone suggested otherwise. "Hanzō of the Salamander has sent an envoy. He proposes a peace treaty. He wants to meet with Yahiko... I mean, the leadership... to discuss a cooperation agreement between his forces and the Akatsuki."
Uehara's eyes flashed.
It's here.
This was the turning point of history. The moment Hanzō, conspiring with Danzō of Konoha, would ambush the Akatsuki. In the original timeline, this event led to Yahiko's death and Nagato's descent into darkness.
But Yahiko was already dead in this timeline. Wait... no.
Uehara paused. He looked at Konan carefully.
If Yahiko was dead, Pain (Nagato) was already the leader. Why would Hanzō ask for a meeting now?
Unless...
"Teacher," Uehara asked cautiously. "Who is going to the meeting?"
"Nagato and myself," Konan replied. "And you. You will accompany us as part of the guard detail. It is a good opportunity for you to see high level diplomacy."
"Diplomacy..." Uehara repeated the word, tasting the irony.
[System Alert]
[Side Mission Triggered: The Ambush] Description: Hanzō has set a trap to eliminate the rising threat of the Akatsuki. He has allied with Shimura Danzō of Konohagakure.
Objective: Kill 10 enemy ninja during the ambush.
Reward: 150 Gold Coins.
[Main Mission Triggered: Rise of the Organization] Description: The Akatsuki is currently a localized rebel group. To become the terror of the ninja world, it requires a bloody debut.
Objective: Assist Nagato/Pain in killing Hanzō of the Salamander.
Reward: Skill: Wind Wall (Yasuo).
Uehara nearly choked.
Wind Wall?
That was one of the most broken defensive skills in the game. It could block all projectiles. In the Naruto world, where 90% of attacks were throwing weapons or projectile ninjutsu (Fireball, Water Dragon, etc.), Wind Wall was absolute defense.
He had to complete this mission.
"I understand," Uehara said, his face hardening into a mask of determination. "I will protect you, Teacher."
Konan looked at the small boy. She hesitated, wanting to tell him to stay behind where it was safe. But Nagato had ordered it. They needed to temper the boy in the fires of war if he was to be useful.
"Stay close to me," she said quietly. "If anything happens... run."
"I won't run," Uehara said. And he meant it. With the Destiny cards and his new chakra reserves, he was going to turn this ambush into a massacre.
"Let's go," Konan commanded.
They left the tower, stepping out into the eternal rain.
Outside the village, a large group of Akatsuki members had gathered. In the center was the Six Paths of Pain—specifically the Deva Path, using Yahiko's body.
Seeing "Yahiko" standing there, seemingly alive, Uehara understood. Hanzō thought he was meeting Yahiko. Nagato was using the Deva Path to keep up the illusion that the original leader was still alive.
The group moved out in silence, marching toward the designated meeting valley.
Uehara walked at the back, his hand brushing against the ninja pouch where his kunai lay. But his mind was focused on the cards spinning invisibly above his head.
The legendary Hanzō of the Salamander. A man who defeated the Sannin.
"A demigod of the old era," Uehara whispered to himself, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "And a perfect stepping stone for the new era."