Walking the Path of Pain

Hello my fanfictioners both new and old it's certainly been a while hasn't it?

Well I am proud to present to you my last story for fanfiction... afterwards I plan to merely update my other existing stories and if need be write sequels for them.

So I hope you enjoy this story as it focuses on two of my favourite characters.

I must apologize in advance as it has been a while since I last typed a chapter and as such my writing will be kind of rusty so just bear with me as I may update in the future just to fix any mistaked.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto/Shippuden. I do however own the story.


They say that your whole life flashes before your eyes when you die... I can't agree with that because I know that it's not true.

It just isn't possible for that to happen... when you are about to die... only the events that have changed you, shaped who you have become, those are the events that are worth reminiscing on in your final moments. I should know... that's what happened to me.


The first thing he was aware of was the rain. The feeling of cool droplets of water falling upon his face.

At that moment the feeling was divine.

His chest was on fire and he coughed up more blood than the last time. Looking away from the heavens he was just able to make them out, their figures darkened and blurred by the dusk and the blood dripping from his forehead into his eyes.

How did it ever come to this?

All he could see was the black and the red. The crimson clouds adorning the bodies of the nine individuals standing in front of him.

"Do you surrender? Just tell us where the jinchuriki is and we will allow you to live." One of the figures spoke. He could no longer tell one from the other, all he saw were the crimson clouds, clouds filled with the blood of hatred.

Gritting his teeth he looked down into the pool of blood at his feet. Staring back at him were his eyes, glowing and filled with their ever vibrant violet of the Rinnegan.

"It doesn't have to be this way Nagato... you don't need to continue to suffer for the sake of one of them."

That voice... he recognized that voice... from so long ago.

It was from a time filled with happier memories... and more painful ones.

He was losing blood fast, looking down Nagato saw the cause of his distress.

A long and thick black rod right through his central chest cavity.

It was a miracle he was still alive, the rod must have just missed his spine and vital organs.

It was with that realization in mind that he lost all of the strength in his legs and he fell to his knees.

He noticed a pair of feet not far from where he had fallen.

"No... I won't let you take her... I won't let her down again." He growled past the blood filling up his throat once more.

He felt a hand grasp a handful of his hair and yank back sharply, at best all he could do was groan in pain.

"You would fight for them? Die for them? Are you really so naive as to believe that anyone of them would do the same for you? Answer me!" The voice roared.

A punch to the face followed this statement, breaking Nagato's nose, adding another stream of blood to his face.

"I would hear your answer before you die! Speak!"

This is what it comes to... a pathetic ending to my pathetic life.

"Yes... yes I would die for them... I would die for her." Nagato whispered, closing his eyes feeling the rain for one last time.

How did it come to this?

And once more he faded into darkness.


It was raining again.

He hated the rain, hated it with all his heart and soul.

Looking up he was just able to make out the faded red paint on the soaked wood of the building in front of him.

THE ORIGAMI INN.

Konan

Shaking his head to clear his mind of past memories, he instead focused on the present.

An inn was perfect for his purposes. It would provide him with food and shelter while he waited out the storm.

With that thought in mind a small smile replaced the grimace he bore just moments ago.

It had been a long time since he had entered a place such as this one. It was not due to the fact that he couldn't enter but more to do with the fact that he often had no desire for it.

It was the smell if he was being quite honest with himself, the reek of vomit and stale alcohol constantly present in the air, hanging around like some new form of pestilence wanting to make itself known to the world.

It disgusted him to no end.

Taking a seat in the corner far from the hustle bustle of the rowdy customers who called the deeper interior of the inn their lair, he waited for someone to approach him ready to take his order.

The place was crowded that night, the clinking of glasses and the raucous laughter and senseless chatter of the others as they swapped stories of their days with one another.

Grimacing to himself he tugged at the front of his travelling cloak's hood as though the action would make him more invisible to the events surrounding him.

Then she appeared right in front of him. A behemoth of a woman who walked up to his table in the corner.

Looking at her from out of the corner of his eye he decided that she was most definitely unattractive as far as people go.

With flushed, swollen cheeks, dirty matted blonde hair and flabby lips reminiscent of a trout's his urge to gag intensified tenfold.

"What can I get for you honey?" She asked, beady black eyes staring at him as though he were some sort of bug she could burn away for fun with a magnifying scope.

Another waitress

Was what he wanted to say.

"Just water" He replied with just enough volume to ensure that she heard him.

A moment passed where the waitress stared at him incredulously before she shook her head, snorted and called out to the bar for a glass and pitcher of water.

Moments later his... water was placed in front of him. If the mudlike substance within the pitcher could be called that.

Deciding not to risk drinking it, he laid his head against the cool wood at his back, closed his eyes and proceeded to relax, though he remained mindful of what was going on around him.

After all an attack could come at any moment, especially when he was still so close to Hidden Rain.

This place was disgusting. He couldn't wait for the rain to let up so that he could escape out into the world once more.

It took three more hours for the rain to stop. Three hours in which he had to suffer through the agony of listening to numerous brawls and vomiting events. The moment the rain stopped he flew out of the tavern leaving only small change behind for his pitcher of water.

Sighing with relief he continued his path down the road.

It was several weeks later down this very road that his adventure truly began.


It began, as did most things in his life, with the rain. He had passed into the border of the Land of Hotsprings, one of the many lesser known nations that resided within the hidden countries. Two days had passed since and the rain had refused to let up much to his chagrin.

On the second day he entered a small town buzzing with activity. Children and adults alike were running around, their faces covered with white masks in the face of a smiling dragon. Red lanterns hung from the doorway of every shop and numerous stalls were being set up along the main road leading into town, the lights from the lanterns forming a pathway all of the way to the centre of town, their flames and stalls protected from the weather by numerous tarps.

Curious Nagato walked up to one of the stall vendors, a man in light blue overalls wearing another of those smiling dragon masks.

"Sorry could you tell me what is going on?"

The man chuckled merrily, grasping his sides as his body shook slightly from the action.

"You must be new in town my friend, welcome to the festival of the Laughing Dragon!"

"The festival... of the Laughing Dragon?" Nagato inquired cautiously.

"Why yes, today is the anniversery of our independence as a hidden nation, the day our first ninja, the Laughing Dragon himself defeated a demon and preserved our way of life, thus proving to the world that we deserved our independence." The vendor explained, his voice full of enthusiasm.

It was at that moment that Nagato saw that the merchandise for sale at the vendor's stall were of paintings and posters, each one depicting a shinobi in black and wearing a white dragon mask fighting some giant demonic figure wreathed in black smoke.

Nagato nodded politely, thanked the man and continued on his way down the road leading into and out of the town.

He had no interest in joining in on some meaningless festivities based on ridiculous folk tales.

"Excuse me sir? Forgive my rudeness but where is it you're going?" The vendor called out to him.

Turning Nagato frowned at the man.

Where am I going?

"I'm not quite sure yet... somewhere quiet and peaceful I hope." He replied more to himself than to the vendor.

The man tilted his head questioningly for a brief moment before shaking it clear.

"Pardon my offence but no-one is leaving the town tonight, the road has been cut off due to severe flooding, so unless you're in a rush I would suggest that you make your way to the inn and stay until the storm has passed."

The road is out? Just perfect.

"My thanks... where is the inn?" He asked, careful to avoid making eye contact.

"Follow this road until you reach the main gate, it's the third building on the left from there."

Nagato thanked him again and made his way to the designated location. The inn was exactly where the vendor had said it would be.

The Red Dragon Inn

It was without a doubt better than the last one.

Taking a deep breath he began to move forward and it was in that moment that his life changed forever.


Looking back on it now, he realized that if just one thing had changed, if he had been too slow to get to the inn, if he hadn't stayed to chat with the stall vendor, if he had decided to use chakra to get through the flooded roads... then he never would have met her.

It was now as he lay there on the muddied ground surrounded by a pool of his own blood that realized just how much one second in time could change everything.

If he could go back he wouldn't change anything... because that one second... was worth everything to him.


A great force slammed into his side knocking him off of his feet. He landed in a puddle, water soaking his clothing all the way through as a result save for the spot where he was covered by his recently acquired burden.

Opening his eyes the first thing he saw was mint-green hair shoved into his face. Moving past the mop of green he was met with the sight of narrowed honey-colour eyes glaring right at him.

Her eyes widened upon making contact with his own purple orbs.

Scrambling off of him quickly she began looking around on the ground for something. Curious all he could do was stare at this insane woman even as she scampered along the ground frantically like an animal on the prowl, cursing the whole time.

He could hear that she was whispering something along the lines of 'where is it?' but he couldn't be sure.

After all this was far too surreal to be real, perhaps he was dreaming?

As though sensing that he was staring at her, she stopped and straightened, turning to glare at him with orbs of golden honey. He became vaguely aware of the fact that she lacked any pupils.

She appeared to be wearing an orange clip, the same colour as her eyes, in order to keep her hair from falling in front of her eyes.

His eyes trailed down to take in the rest of her.

With her caramel skin, white clothing and fishnet armour made up the majority of her clothing with several patches of that same caramel skin revealing itself in several areas.

He then noticed the armband on her right bicep.

She's a shinobi, though I don't recognize the symbol maybe she's a local?

He was pulled out of his musings when his cheek suddenly felt like it was on fire.

Oh yes, that was definitely real.

"Hey idiot! Watch where you're going!" She yelled at him.

His eyes widened in shock even as she raised her hand to slap him again.

"She's over there! The thieving demon bitch went this way!"

The green haired shinobi glared at him, grabbing the collar of his cloak to pull him in close enough to notice that she smelled like fresh pine trees.

"This isn't over you got me? I'll deal with you later!"

The woman growled at the sound of angry voices approaching before turning around and running away, disappearing into one of the side alleys a few seconds later.

All he could do was stare at the spot where she had disappeared.

Who was that woman?


Well there you have it folks, the first chapter, the pilot episode to my last story.

I have seen no stories with this pairing so I thought that I would be the first.

Obviously it is an AU but this is fanfiction, technically every story is an AU... just of varying degrees.

You know standard procedure by now, just leave a review if you can please to let me know what you think.

Peace out for now

AraelDranoth