Chapter Text
Beyond Frost: Nagato’s Prisoner
The room he had been confined to was a truly grand space with intricately carved murals covering the walls, thick hand-knotted rugs imported from the Land of Wind, and an oversized four-poster bed with royal purple drapes and five-hundred thousand Ryo mattress. Crystal glasses with fine stoppered liquor decorated the cabinet, and leather-bound books stuffed the shelf at the foot of the bed. It was an opulent suite where everything was catered to taste, power, and wealth, filled with the signs of Rain’s success and multiculturalism.
Being blind, Yahiko could not appreciate much of it. Even if he could see, he likely would not have anyway. Though the room had a balcony that gazed out onto Amegakure, the view had been spoiled by two separate attacks and the half-repaired devastation of the city; even to a blind man, it served as a constant reminder of his rage.
House arrest was the most genial sort of confinement possible. He was not even forbidden to leave the suite, and with Sage Mode, it was trivial to navigate even better than a man with sight could. But everywhere he went, he was shadowed, and right now Yahiko had even less power to affect the Nation’s course than a Genin. At least, officially. No matter what Nagato had said, ninja could not turn away from him. They understood with the sharp clarity that only followers could that Yahiko was responsible for what the Nation had grown into, even more so than Nagato and Konan were.
Because where would they be without him? It was his vision that had kept them alive before they’d found Jiraiya; it was his drive that had convinced the Sannin to teach them; without him, Nagato would never have found the confidence to embrace the power of the Rinnegan and use it to change the world; without him, Konan would never have kept studying her paper jutsu to the point of becoming an S-Rank ninja. He had pushed his oldest and only friends higher and harder than anyone else, to the point that even when Hanzo had poisoned him and left his lungs filled with blood they had pushed on and deposed the Tyrant without him in that fateful final battle.
Now, he had been left behind once more. Last time, for an injury he had sustained; now, for an injury the Nation had sustained. He understood what had driven his loved ones to this drastic action, even if it was foolishness. Humans were complicated, but their motivations were often simple. Envy and fear, in Yahiko’s experience, were the root of all ambition. People came together out of fear of the other, of the unknown, and then they desired what others had. When they had been children, he had wanted nothing more than the imagined security enjoyed by the larger powers. Now, as an adult, his fear was that that security had never existed, and would have to be created from scratch.
So Nagato and Konan envied his decisiveness, and they feared his independence. Going behind their back had not been a mistake; it had kept Konoha entirely in the dark, and while the attack hadn’t succeeded entirely the Leaf was nonetheless crippled. Minato had underestimated Nagato, just like everyone except Yahiko ever had, and now Konoha’s strength was revealed to be a fragile tower of secrets and lies. Yes, Konoha was the strongest village… so long as the Hokage’s technique was a secret. So long as its Jinchuriki was intact. So long as everyone thought it was the strongest. The fact that Kushina hadn’t accompanied Minato to the assault certainly meant that she was dead or disabled; Kimimaro had sacrificed his life to further the revolution. It certainly explained Minato’s fury.
Yahiko leaned back in his armchair, continuing to fall deeper into thought and ignoring his guest as the ninja stood at attention, waiting on his next words. Nagato had made a mistake not killing Minato at that moment. They’d all known he was capable of it, but he’d chosen to follow Jiraiya’s lessons instead of pursuing the final victory. That wasn’t a failure, not really. Jiraiya’s lessons had brought them all together, and they were soothing to the heart and pleasing to the mind. To extend a hand in forgiveness, or to meet hate with love, those were the beautiful images that could unite nations and forge myths that would endure for millennia. They had granted the Sage immortality, and many other martyrs besides.
But martyrs were the foundations of legends; they didn’t win wars. And right now, Rain was engaged in the final war, the ultimate crucible to test its beliefs and its methods against a cruel existence that wanted it exterminated. For all the country’s history it had been this way, bombarded from every side, colonized, exploited, used as a battleground so as not to befoul the wealthy and fortunate parts of the world. With the country capped by the Nation’s might, that bile had spilled out into the rest of the continent.
What had the world given Rain beyond death and destruction? What protest could it offer when they were given back?
Nagato had to continue the war, and to finish it. Konan had to continue dealing with Cloud. Those two things were the absolute highest priority. For now, it did not matter if Konoha believed a cease-fire had been reached, so long as Nagato did not believe the same.
“And for that,” Yahiko said out loud, “we will have to be involved.”
“Lord First?” The Jonin that was meeting with him was named Azai, a loyal ninja that had defected from the Hidden Sand more than a decade ago. Yahiko did not trust him as much as Nagato and Konan, or the Akatsuki’s commanders, but with Kie and Kimimaro dead he was sufficient.
“I presume Nagato has continued to steer resources away from the Land of Fire,” Yahiko said, and he heard Azai nod.
“You’re correct, sir. Though he has not declared the Hidden Leaf a neutral party, most of his orders have recalled more Rain forces to the Nation, in addition to sending our forces in the Land of Frost reinforcements. They have been meeting with great success there. Though…” He paused, and Yahiko could feel his trepidation. “There has been some unsettling news.”
“Don’t delay,” Yahiko commanded, and Azai obeyed immediately. Even blind, his voice was confidence itself. For someone who desired dominion over the world, nothing less would suffice.
“Some of the reinforcements were not ours,” Azai admitted. “Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Namikaze have joined with Konan’s forces, accompanied by Jiraiya. They’ve assisted her in liberating Kushiro, and are now traveling east with the rest to destroy the Cloud forces massing at the coast-”
Some of the crystal in the room cracked: expensive liquor dribbled out and doubtlessly stained the exquisite carpets, and Azai fell silent. Yahiko had not meant to lose control like that, but he couldn’t let his subordinate know that. He fell deeper into the expression of power, letting his chakra rage and match his inner storm. The room groaned and shook as the aura of a sage assailed it, before Yahiko reigned his chakra in like a hungry beast and leaned forward, focusing his empty sockets on his guest.
“That is unfortunate,” he said shortly. “No doubt it’s a ploy by Konoha to distract Konan, or worse, to try and convince her to be rid of me completely.”
“I could not believe that Lady Konan could do such a thing,” Azai said, and Yahiko nodded.
“I do not either, but that doesn’t change that Jiraiya and the Leaf would make the attempt.” He made a show of consideration, even though he had already made up his mind. “Nagato must be happy with the news.”
“He is. He sees those ninja as a bridge to peace. The original plan to release them as ambassadors to Konoha is being reconsidered in light of their achievements in Frost.”
“He doesn’t understand Jiraiya-sensei’s true desires,” Yahiko said, his voice low. “Though they may be talented ninja, as they are they could be a poison to the Nation.”
“Do you believe they should be removed?” Azai said. Not stiffly, nor eagerly; the matter of fact question of a ninja who already knew of the means, and was simply looking for confirmation.
“No. That would be too obvious, and would drive Nagato and Konan further into pacifism,” Yahiko said, leaning back and breathing out. “They will have to be worked around. The important thing is that Nagato continues to prosecute the war. My time as his shepherd has passed; he has gained the power and independence to fully act on his own. My role as the First Vanguard has been completely superseded.”
“But he still needs your guidance,” Azai argued, and Yahiko laughed.
“He does not need my guidance; he needs to open his eyes to the truth,” he said. “Once Rain reigns, even if it is over ashes, we can dictate the course of history to our desire. To reach that point, anything is acceptable. The Tailed Beasts are powerful weapons, as is Cloud’s Cannon, but Nagato outstrips them both.” He closed his hand into a fist. “The push must be two-fold. Firstly, those who advise Nagato must continue to show him that he is essentially a god. If a cult must be fostered, so be it, though genuine fanaticism wouldn’t be desirable here. He must act unilaterally. His heart is just as vulnerable to injustice as mine: he must be counseled to listen to it, and to strike out and destroy evil wherever it appears. He has the power; he has the Hiraishin. There is nothing beyond him. Konan and I are now secondary to him. As the other villages have vested their power and trust in a sole Kage, so it must be for Nagato.”
He paused, taking a deep breath. “Secondly, the war must continue until the other villages are destroyed, physically and spiritually. There is no chance of Cloud surviving this conflict; Konan, Nagato, Kiri, or Konoha will surely destroy them eventually, together or apart. Suna will attempt to retrieve their Jinchuriki from us, stuck in old ways of thinking and chained to obsolete powers. That will give us the justification to obliterate them. The Hidden Stone and its Fence-Sitter will start to tremble at the imbalance and step in, and Nagato will flatten them too. That leaves the problem of Kiri and Konoha.”
He steepled his fingers as Azai continued to listen, captured by Yahiko’s gravity. “Kiri will be greatly weakened by the war in Frost: they may even wither away on their own, if things turn dramatically against them or Cloud fires their Cannon once more. This leaves our primary struggle with Konoha, as was fated from the beginning. Nagato will be tempted to let them survive, to allow them to grow once more into a competing power, and perhaps that would even be possible given the clans and Tailed Beasts they have at their disposal. He is strong, but not invincible. So the war could not be allowed to cool. The Hidden Leaf must not have time to recover. No matter what, the Nation must continue to hound them to the point of destruction.”
“That would not be possible with counseling alone. Nagato is unlikely to shift his approach solely based on the words of others, even if he trusts them.”
“Yes. The flame would need to be stoked.” Yahiko closed his eyes. “If necessary, further destruction could be unleashed on the Nation to rekindle them.”
Azai paused. “False attacks?”
“Well within our capabilities. And if Konoha protested, what could they prove? Nagato cannot question the dead, and the Leaf has shown time and time again they cannot control their own ninja. In the eyes of the world, such a thing would be eminently believable.”
“I see.” Azai considered, and accepted. “Is there anything else?”
“No. We will leave it here for now; if you stay longer, Nagato may suspect something.” Yahiko rose, heading towards the balcony. “Leave, and inform the others. If I have further considerations, I will contact you.”
Azai left without a word, and Yahiko strode out onto the balcony, sightlessly staring out over the country he and the people who were so close to him they may as well have been his heart and lungs had built. As he did, the first doubt of the day assailed him.
‘You became strong together. By doing this, you have destroyed yourself.’
Was this how Hanzo had felt, he wondered. Hidden away, living in fear of power beyond his comprehension and working through middlemen and patsies. No, of course not. He dismissed the thought for the ridiculous comparison it was. Hanzo had been a cruel tyrant who killed without a thought to cement his own power; Yahiko was surrendering all the true power he had. The fate of the world was in Nagato’s hands now, not his, and he was content with that. He had done everything he could to bring the quiet, shy boy with the power of a god to this point, and now only had to unleash him. Nagato had endured all of the Nation’s pain as his own; he would teach the rest of the nations and ninja of the world that pain, and in the face of that overwhelming agony they would be cowed into obedience or destroyed.
Once Nagato ruled the world, no one would ever have to suffer again.
It was a beautiful thought, but it didn’t stick in his mind as it should have. It felt hollow, insincere. For a moment, everything did. A harsh breeze blew in from the lake, rattling the balcony’s iron bars, and Yahiko shivered, though he wasn’t cold. For a split second, he thought he heard his name in the wind.
‘Unless you’re saved by a miracle-’
Jiraiya’s piercing dark eyes glared at him from beyond the veil of blindness, and Yahiko stormed back inside, slamming the door and staggering back to his chair. Even if the First Vanguard wasn’t needed anymore, that didn’t mean he had no role to play. He’d meditate. He’d plot. He’d find the way forward.
‘You’re going to die alone.’
