As previously described, the Land of Rain is geographically wedged between the three Great Nations—Fire, Earth, and Wind. It is a vital traffic artery, and consequently, a perpetual battlefield. Add to that a supreme leader like Sanshouuo no Hanzo, the "Demigod" who is always looking to stir up trouble on a global scale, and you can imagine the suffering this country has endured during the Great Wars.
Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato were orphans born from the Second Ninja World War. While such orphans were countless, those who survived the chaos were a tiny minority. In that sense, these three were lucky.
As children, they witnessed the clash between the young Sannin and Hanzo, and by a stroke of luck, became disciples of Jiraiya. Feeling guilty that ninjas like himself were the cause of such tragedies, Jiraiya spent three years teaching them until they could fend for themselves. But when he saw Nagato's eyes, his expectations shifted. He began to see Nagato as the Child of Prophecy who would bring change and peace to the world.
To date, the three disciples had not disappointed him. They founded Akatsuki, an organization dedicated to a "non-violent, non-cooperative" evolution toward peace. Their reputation grew, attracting many who hated war.
In this era, under Yahiko's leadership, Akatsuki truly were pacifists.
The Divine Nullification
Ui didn't care much for the nuances of their current political stance. To him, based on his knowledge of the "plot," these three were essentially a cluster of endgame bosses. His first instinct had been to take them out, but the uncertainty of the Rinnegan's current development made him hesitate.
Is it the right choice to back off? Ui rarely regretted his decisions. He enjoyed the unpredictability of the battlefield, but the Rinnegan was a different beast entirely.
Pakura, however, was operating on a massive misunderstanding. She still thought Akatsuki was just another wave of Rain Ninja reinforcements. She had no idea that Nagato had indirectly saved her life from Ui's lariat just moments ago.
Pakura decided to wipe out these "insurgents" before refocusing on Ui. She lunged forward, unleashing her signature move:
Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!
Yahiko, not recognizing the Bloodline Limit, treated it like standard Fire Style. He wove signs for a counter-attack:
Water Style: Wild Water Wave!
The water surged toward the orange orb. Usually, water douses fire. But to Yahiko's horror, his water didn't extinguish the flame; it was flash-evaporated instantly. The heat orb kept coming.
Before Yahiko could attempt a second jutsu, Nagato stepped in. He didn't speak. He didn't weave a sign. He just stood there.
Then, Pakura's expression shifted to one of exaggerated shock. Her jutsu simply vanished. It didn't explode or miss; it was erased from existence right in front of Nagato.
As the wind from the clash blew Nagato's red hair aside, the firelight caught his eyes—those strange, ripple-patterned purple orbs. Just one look from those emotionless eyes was enough to make an Elite Jonin like Pakura freeze in her tracks.