Chapter 182
Hydrangea was originally a kunoichi from Amegakure (Village Hidden in the Rain). As its name implied, the village was shrouded in perpetual rain—sunlight could only be seen on rare Sundays.
Geographically, Amegakure was far from advantageous. Situated at the junction of the Land of Earth, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Fire, it was often used as the primary battleground for war among the great nations.
If not for the reign of Hanzō the Salamander, Amegakure would have likely met the same fate as many small villages wiped out by conflict. However, Hanzō had not been seen for years. The outside world remained unaware of this absence; they only knew the village seemed embroiled in internal strife. What they didn't know was that Amegakure's leadership had long since changed—now under the control of Pain, the enigmatic leader of Akatsuki.
What Hydrangea didn't realize was that her home village had become the very stronghold of the Akatsuki organization.
—--
Pain remained seated motionless atop the colossal Buddha statue, eyes closed, as raindrops fell onto his expressionless face. Several black receivers pierced his skin, making his already eerie form appear more corpse-like and sinister.
Behind him, five figures with identical orange hair and clad in Akatsuki cloaks emerged from the shadows. One by one, they opened their eyes—Rinnegan—glowing with divine detachment and merciless judgment.
In the next instant, the six Paths of Pain vanished from atop the statue, their silhouettes flickering through the drizzle, heading straight for their target.
Meanwhile, in another location...
"Please exit the venue in an orderly manner and collect your prizes," Hyuga Neji instructed as he maintained order. The rankings were finalized, and the awards were ready to be distributed.
"Hyuga Hinata... this is your prize. Take it." Neji handed her a gleaming electromagnetic shield. He had come to realize that it was not Hinata or the branch family that were flawed—it was the Hyuga clan system and perhaps even the entire shinobi world.