Chapter 107: After the Rain
The resentful soul, the soul that yearns for freedom, the strong who save themselves, the saints who save others.
One year later, Konoha Year 49, Summer.
The continuous heavy rain of the Land of Rain had been drastically reformed by Amegakure, changing to a climate similar to the Land of Fire's rainy season. Specifically, the previous 300 days of rain a year had been reduced to around 100 days. Although the air was still humid, it was considerably milder compared to the previous climate, which could create inland lakes rivaling the depths of the deep sea.
After the Uchiha had completely integrated into Amegakure, a silver-haired young man and a well-developed, orange-haired young woman finally found the time to take a trip to the capital of the Land of Water to deliver funds to the dozens of orphans in the orphanage.
In their conversation with the matron, the two learned that during this time, besides them, another person had been continuously providing funds for the orphanage. But when they asked about this person's identity, the middle-aged woman sealed her lips, as if touching upon some taboo, shaking her head and hoping the two would not ask again.
Kakashi indicated that he understood, only asking one more question before they left.
"He's not from the Land of Water, is he?"
"A ninja from Konoha?"
Mei Terumi looked at Kakashi, wanting to press the topic and get a clear answer, but was stopped by the person beside her.
"Don't you find it strange? Why would a Konoha ninja provide aid to an orphanage in the capital of the Land of Water?"
"There's nothing strange about it. Let's go."
For the two of them, whose strength had grown rapidly and who were familiar with the local terrain, the Land of Water's defenses were practically non-existent.
On a side note, Kakashi had already completed the system's first main quest: Save 1000 people.
And he had completed it without even realizing it. He could only attribute it to the Uchiha clan being included in the count, as well as the people he had continuously saved over the past year.
His Ryumyaku chakra total had reached 28 K-points. At this level, as long as he wasn't acting as a stationary turret, spamming Lightning Release, it would be very difficult for him to run out of stamina.
The increase in chakra gave him more confidence in battle, and the tactical options available to him became more diverse. But compared to the few who stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world, there was still a gap. At the very least, within Amegakure itself, there were two people he could not be certain of defeating, not to mention the Five Great Nations with their even deeper foundations.
After a roundabout journey through three countries, they returned to the territory of the Land of Rain. Kakashi stepped into his own small house, took off the bamboo hat on his head and the Akatsuki robe from his body. He was greeted by a red-haired girl who ran out of the bedroom, holding a plate of freshly baked, cookie-like pastries, and held them up to him and Mei Terumi as if seeking praise.
"I calculated the time. I figured you two would be back soon, so I baked some cookies."
The slightly blushing Sara showed none of her former queenly demeanor; instead, she looked like a well-bred young lady who had never traveled far from home.
Since coming to the Land of Water, unfamiliar with everything around her, she had come to regard Mei Terumi and Kakashi as her last remaining family and home. While training to become stronger, she was also searching for her own remaining value. She had taken the initiative to handle the housework for their small house. Mei Terumi had not objected, only expressing some mild complaints that she was still living here.
After all, Sara had been assigned a house of her own.
Picking up a cookie, Kakashi sniffed it. It was slightly burnt. It was probably her first time baking cookies, and she hadn't mastered the heat and time. He took a bite. It was a little bitter, but it was nothing major. For a dessert novice, this was a very good result.
Kakashi's evaluation made Sara seem a little happy, but she was still very concerned about the opinion of her half-master, Mei Terumi.
Unable to refuse her kindness, the orange-haired girl gently picked up a cookie and put it in her mouth. She first frowned, then her expression relaxed.
"It's pretty good."
"Really?"
The two people she cared about most had given similar evaluations. Sara couldn't hide the smile on her face. She picked up a piece herself.
"It's actually okay. Don't spit it out."
The former queen of Rouran could only continue to chew. Soon, the bitterness disappeared, and the sweetness from inside the cookie burst forth, adding many points to this dessert.
"Good job."
"I'll keep working hard!"
On the table were neatly arranged specialty dishes, still steaming. It was clear that Sara had put a lot of heart into it. The three of them sat down and picked up their chopsticks. Except for Kakashi, the other two spoke in unison.
"Let's eat."
Being a novice at making desserts didn't mean the red-haired girl was a novice at cooking. After countless failures and attempts, she could also make a decent table of food. At the very least, she would never make low-level mistakes like mixing up sugar and salt.
"How's your training progressing?"
"The Water Dragon Bullet... I still haven't learned it."
"Did you forget the hand seal sequence?"
"You should have just learned Lightning Release from me. The seals for Water Release are long and tedious."
Mei Terumi raised her chopsticks and tapped the edge of Kakashi's bowl, protesting the discrimination she was receiving.
"Kakashi!"
"Mei, you started learning from a young age, so of course you can simplify the hand seals. But how long has she been learning? Don't you think it's a bit early to be teaching her the Water Dragon Bullet?"
"I'm full."
Putting down her chopsticks, the orange-haired girl did not leave, still sitting at the dining table, as if wanting to stare a hole into the side of this infuriating guy.
Seeing that the two girls were no longer eating, Kakashi also put down his chopsticks. This kind of situation had happened more than once or twice. There would always be some small things that caused unhappiness. He could see it; Sara was actually a bit of a schemer too.
Hmm, it might have something to do with me being too direct when I speak.
Girls probably need to be coaxed a little. Kakashi thought for a moment, then took the initiative to help Sara clear the bowls and chopsticks. When the latter entered the kitchen, he secretly stole a kiss on Mei Terumi's beautiful cheek.
Doing this was a little scummy, but the effect was always surprisingly good.
One of them went back to the bedroom, humming a meaningless tune, while the other, with a faint blush on her face, washed the dishes with Kakashi.
Having a fixed base, Kakashi could finally go on dangerous missions by himself, without having to drag the two girls around.
"Sara, while Mei and I were out for a few days, did anything happen?"
"The Tsuchikage is coming to the Land of Rain tomorrow."
"The Tsuchikage? What's he coming for?"
"It seems he's coming to sign a peace treaty."
"To sign a peace treaty, he's coming to the Land of Rain instead of having Yahiko go to the Land of Earth?"
This kind of abnormal event was usually accompanied by a conspiracy, or perhaps the Tsuchikage wanted to come and see for himself what the Land of Rain had developed into.
In any case, it wasn't a good thing.
Kakashi sensed the chakra reactions within Amegakure and decided to first respond to the situation by not changing his own plans. He would wait until he arrived to see what happened.
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