The Land of Rain bordered the Land of Fire, Land of Water, Land of Wind, and Land of Lightning.
As a buffer zone between the four great nations, it should have thrived commercially and economically.
However, this made it a prime battleground. Whenever war broke out, the Land of Rain became a battlefield.
If not for Hanzo of the Salamander, it would have been razed to the ground long ago.
But Hanzo's ambition brought trouble.
The Second Great Ninja War was instigated by Amegakure, aiming for territorial expansion, but they were defeated by Konoha, turning the Land of Rain into a major battleground.
"Kai, where are we going? There's nothing to see in Amegakure," Pakura said, frowning at the dilapidated ruins along the way.
For two days, she'd followed Kai, unable to reconcile the rumors about him—bloodthirsty, ruthless, domineering—with the person she knew.
The only truly ruthless thing she'd seen was him intimidating the two tailed beasts into giving him back rubs...
"Boss, I smell blood; it's strong," the Three-Tails said, emerging from its cloak.
"Hmph, turtle, when did you get a dog's nose?" the Four-Tails followed. Bickering seemed to be a daily ritual for the tailed beasts.
Initially, Pakura had kept her distance from the two unsealed tailed beasts. But she soon discovered they were utterly shameless in their attempts to please Kai.
"Boss, look at this banana! Perfect ripeness, aroma, and color! Still warm. Want to try it?"
"Boss, don't eat his! I saw that stinky monkey sleeping with it last night… and… you know…"
"Hey, turtle, what do you mean by 'you know'? You're explaining that today!"
Watching the two tailed beasts bicker like children, Pakura twitched and looked to the sky. As a Sunagakure hero, she'd participated in many tailed beast suppression missions.
The chaos, destruction, and loss of life during Shukaku's rampages were far removed from this scene.
Suddenly, Pakura bumped into Kai's back. The softness of his body sent a shiver down her spine.
"We're here?" Pakura blushed, realizing she'd been distracted.
Seeing the bodies scattered around the teahouse, her professional eye noted several details.
"Amegakure ninjas. Judging by the forehead protectors and clan emblems, they're Hanzo's men.
Clean neck wounds, no other injuries; single, precise strikes. The blood suggests they died about thirty minutes ago."
Kai patted her shoulder. "A Sunagakure hero. Your battlefield experience is impressive. But it seems we've stumbled upon something interesting."
"You know who did this?" Pakura asked, surprised. She'd noticed the injuries but couldn't identify the killer. Kai's immediate deduction spoke volumes about his experience and knowledge.
"Just a guess," Kai said with a gentle smile. "Who could it be?"
"Boss, let me… I'm good at tracking…"
"Save your 'dog nose' for later. Don't delay the Boss," the Four-Tails interrupted.
The tailed beasts started bickering again. Pakura sighed. This was the only relatively intact town within dozens of kilometers.
Several figures arrived, their leader, a girl with blue hair and a red cloud-patterned robe, looking somber.
"Konan, are you feeling melancholic again?" a slightly older man asked gently. "I heard the war between the five great nations has entered a ceasefire."
He whispered, "My father told me. Don't doubt it; he's the Daimyō of the Land of Rain."
"Really?" Konan's eyes lit up.
The man puffed out his chest. "Of course! Apparently, Konoha has a ninja who's threatening the entire shinobi world—Uchiha Kai…
But don't worry; I'm a top Amegakure jonin. I can take on two of those guys…"
Konan's expression changed. After separating in the Land of Hot Water, she'd returned to Amegakure, trying to find Kai, but Akatsuki was struggling to survive.
She and the Daimyō's son, Rō, weren't here for sightseeing; they were investigating recent assassinations.
These killings targeted only ninjas, sparing civilians. The Daimyō offered a bounty.
The assassin's brutality was chilling—each victim was decapitated. He was known as the Rain-soaked Head-Hunter.
"Konan-sama, it's raining again. There's a place ahead where we can rest," another Akatsuki member suggested.
Konan nodded, ignoring Rō's boasts. They headed towards a teahouse.
Perhaps because it was the only relatively intact building in the area, or maybe because of the rain, the teahouse was bustling.
Besides Konan's group, there were four unidentified wandering ninjas, a teenage boy with bandaged hands, and two figures in black robes.
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