After Sailing with the Pirate King, I Returned to Konoha - 188

Chapter 188: The Sky Clears Over the Land of Rain

Orochimaru's decision to strike against the jinchūriki at this specific moment was closely tied to Naruto.

Ever since parting ways at the Southern Secret Place, Orochimaru had been waiting for Naruto to bring back his clone.

With his vast intelligence, Orochimaru had anticipated that Naruto might break their contract. Yet he never believed his schemes could truly threaten someone of Naruto's caliber.

More than anything, it was a calculated gamble—nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Since defecting from Konoha, Orochimaru had orchestrated countless similar plots: recruiting rogue ninja, orchestrating mysterious incidents across the shinobi world, leaving chaos in his wake. The ninja world's most persistent plague, his shadow touched every major conflict.

In the original timeline, his protégé Kabuto had inherited this philosophy and continued manipulating events in his own twisted way.

So upon learning through underground agents that "Naruto Uzumaki had reappeared in the Land of Fire," Orochimaru knew the first stage of his plan had failed.

His gaze shifted confidently to the tightly bound One-Tail jinchūriki nearby.

No problem. He still had a plan.

***

What happened in Hidden Sand Village hadn't reached Naruto and his team. But they had no interest in such matters now. Ahead lay the Land of Rain.

"It's been many years since I was here. Looks like much has changed."

Jiraiya stood beside Naruto, gazing at the distant, cloud-covered country.

Years of constant rain and rugged terrain had forced the construction of extensive underground drainage systems—an advantage for infiltrators, if they'd planned to sneak in.

But Naruto and his group had no intention of sneaking in.

This had once been Salamander Hanzō's territory.

Jiraiya wondered whether Nagato and the others had any involvement in what happened to him. The thought stirred old memories—his "Sannin" title had been earned here, bestowed by Hanzō himself after their legendary battle.

That alone testified to the man's overwhelming power.

As the group prepared to enter the Land of Rain, Naruto suddenly looked upward.

"The raindrops... they're mixed with chakra."

Though faint, relying on Observation Haki combined with Sage Mode's sensitivity, Naruto keenly sensed something odd about the rain.

Karin and Sasuke tried but detected nothing.

"Oh—so they're using this trick too?"

Following Naruto's warning, Jiraiya focused his senses on the rain. He barely detected the faint chakra signature—it would've been easy to miss.

The clouds blanketing the Land of Rain were no natural phenomenon. They were a deliberate, man-made surveillance system.

Naruto shook his head. Now that he knew his enemy was truly among the Akatsuki, he had no interest in wasting time on countermeasures. He extended his hand toward the clouds.

A small black sphere condensed above his palm.

Sasuke and Jiraiya immediately recognized the familiar energy signature—the same technique Naruto had used to obliterate Angkor Fortress. But this time, senjutsu chakra swirled within it, amplifying its destructive power and range exponentially.

"Let's announce our arrival."

Naruto's voice carried a strange detachment. Perhaps it was Sage Mode's influence—he seemed colder, more distant than before.

Jiraiya, Sasuke, and Karin exchanged glances but said nothing. They attributed the change to the gravity of facing their enemy. Even Sasuke had stopped smiling, his expression grim.

The black sphere shot forward, rippling through the air like a stone disturbing still water. Space itself seemed to warp around it.

The attack wasn't slow, but given the distance to the clouds overhead, it would take several seconds to reach its target.

The raindrops created by the Rain Tiger Freedom Technique were absorbed and swallowed by the senjutsu Haki Ball without any feedback.

Yet no feedback was also feedback.

Inside the Akatsuki base, Nagato's eyes snapped open.

He sensed it immediately—a void in his surveillance network, a sensing black hole forming over the Land of Rain.

Before he could deploy the Six Paths of Pain, the attack had already reached the clouds.

Unlike the massive explosions he'd expected, when Naruto's Haki Ball detonated, everything around it collapsed inward toward the core. The sphere emitted an overwhelming attractive force—no, not mere attraction. It was devouring.

The Haki Ball consumed everything within reach: chakra, water vapor, even the air itself. Its volume expanded continuously until hairline fractures appeared across its surface.

Crack.

The sphere exploded—not with earth-shattering noise, but in eerie silence.

The shockwave blasted away nearly a third of the consumed clouds, carving a massive void in the sky. What remained of the Haki and senjutsu fusion hung overhead like a black moon—a vast, dark orb suspended against the heavens.

For the first time in living memory, the perpetually rainy Land of Rain cleared.

Sunlight poured through the gap. Citizens in the streets stopped mid-stride, staring upward in disbelief.

"What—"

"What is—"

Several ninja-clad figures tried to flee, voices cutting off mid-word.

These were native Rain ninja who'd joined Akatsuki after Nagato's faction defeated Salamander Hanzō. Though merely peripheral members, their duty was clear: report any emergency to Konan immediately.

They managed barely three steps before Conqueror's Haki slammed into them.

The crowd dropped like wheat before a scythe. The sound of bodies hitting pavement echoed through the empty streets.

Simultaneously, the Rain Tiger at Will Technique shattered.

Nagato turned to Konan, his voice hoarse. "They're here."

"So fast?"

Konan looked exhausted—Jiraiya's earlier assault had clearly taken its toll.

"Have the others arrived?"

She shook her head. "They came too quickly. The rest of the organization is still en route."

Deidara and Sasori were pursuing Orochimaru.

Itachi, Kisame, Hiruko, and several subordinates were all racing toward the Land of Rain.

Here at the base, the only ones available to fight besides Nagato were the combat-weak Zetsu and the unreliable "Uchiha Madara"—assuming anyone could even find him.

"I'll go. Konan, remain on standby."

Konan nodded.

The Six Paths of Pain had always been their trump card. But with enemies at their doorstep, there was no point in hiding. Let them witness a god's true wrath.

Nagato's jaw tightened, remembering how easily the Asura Path had been overwhelmed.