Chapter 171: The Heavily Guarded Rain Village
The noise in his ears suddenly disappeared.
The tightly closed door effectively cut off the room from the noisy singing and dancing outside. Aside from the slight sway caused by the ship's movement, it felt as if Ryosuke was the only person left in the world.
Sitting quietly in his single cabin, Ryosuke had placed a plain wooden box on the table beside him. From the material to its texture, and even the iron lock embedded into it, everything about the box looked utterly ordinary—nothing about it stood out.
Yet this unimpressive box had made him throw himself into the water without hesitation. At full speed, he dove in and pulled it from the depths.
"Even Devil Fruits have appeared..."
There was no key, but that didn't matter. For someone like Ryosuke, opening a simple iron lock didn't require conventional methods. He gave it a light flick.
Clang.
The lock dented as if struck by a hammer. The inner mechanism broke apart, no longer able to secure the box.
Ryosuke opened it.
Inside lay a strange fruit, marked with spiral patterns across its surface. It was a Devil Fruit.
This fruit came from Blueno's world, one of the many powers originating from the world of One Piece. A coincidence, perhaps. Though the pirates who had once possessed it weren't from the One Piece world, they somehow obtained this power when the worlds overlapped.
But in the end, these pirates were betrayed by their own caution.
To those unfamiliar with the sea's secrets, a Devil Fruit would simply appear bizarre, maybe even toxic. Of course they wouldn't eat it. Instead, they did what any ordinary person might do—they kept it, hoping to sell it to wealthy nobles with money to burn.
That caution cost them everything.
Had they eaten it, they would've gained extraordinary powers. Even an average person could gain terrifying abilities. Like Blueno, who could open doorways in space at will—a user of the Door-Door Fruit.
Yet every ability came with a price.
Users became vulnerable to sea water or a special mineral called seastone, both of which could suppress their powers and weaken their bodies. Some Devil Fruits even altered the user's personality and habits—animal-type fruits, for example, could imbue their users with beast-like instincts.
These side effects might seem minor but could become fatal in battle, where even the smallest weakness can mean death.
And Ryosuke didn't even know what type of fruit this was. He had no idea what changes it might bring to his body.
For someone already proficient in Yin-Yang Release and possessing powerful bloodline abilities, eating an unknown Devil Fruit would be like voluntarily putting shackles on himself.
It wasn't worth it.
He suppressed the temptation and carefully lifted the fruit into his hand. He didn't know its power. Perhaps it truly was Blueno's legacy—the Door-Door Fruit.
All Devil Fruits are unique. Unless the previous user dies, no duplicate can exist. If Blueno died in their world, his power might've taken fruit form here. Perhaps this was it.
But without an illustrated guide, he couldn't be sure.
He tried to analyze it.
Under the dim fluorescent glow, his gaze pierced through the fruit's surface, examining its internal structure. But there was nothing out of the ordinary. It looked like any other fruit. No obvious energy, no divine glow.
Still, there was a chance that the power hidden within it was simply beyond his current perception.
So far, no method existed to extract a fruit's power without actually consuming it.
As the thought faded, silence fell again.
Ryosuke just stared at the fruit.
Then, an idea.
He raised his other hand, palm glowing with dense light-blue chakra.
But just as he was about to cover the fruit with his chakra, he paused. A flicker of regret crossed his face.
Forget it.
He only had one fruit. It wasn't worth experimenting on it now. Better to return it to the clan. Someone else could eat it and bolster their strength.
Besides, he could observe the physical changes that person experienced after consumption. That way, he'd gain knowledge without risk.
Resolving himself, he put the fruit away. With a soft rustle, he pulled out an empty scroll and sealed the fruit within it.
This matter could wait.
Ryosuke had more pressing concerns.
"Tolerate..."
He stepped toward the door.
Before the man outside could knock, Ryosuke opened it.
He smiled politely at the boat owner, who stood there mid-gesture, clearly startled.
"We've arrived at the Land of Rain, haven't we?" Ryosuke asked gently.
...
The Land of Rain was a small to mid-sized country in the Shinobi World.
Its territory wasn't large—only several times the size of the Land of Waves.
After passing through a few scattered villages, the sound of falling rain intensified as Ryosuke approached the nation's center.
The climate here was perpetually soaked in drizzle. The air itself felt damp and heavy.
Even with an umbrella shielding him from the rain, Ryosuke had to circulate chakra through his body to keep himself dry. Without it, moisture would seep into his clothes, chilling his bones.
"Finally... it resembles a real country."
Before him stood tall towers and bustling streets. Ryosuke couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder.
These tower-shaped buildings were unique to the Rain Village—a solution born of unending rain. He hadn't seen this architecture in any other nation.
Though he'd lived in this world for ten years, he'd rarely traveled abroad. The Rain Village was only the third foreign land he had set foot in—the second that had impressed him.
Wandering through the town—which resembled a capital—Ryosuke took in the scene. Compared to the scattered border villages of the Land of Fire, which barely amounted to fenced settlements, this city was a symbol of structure and scale.
Here, he finally saw signs of prosperity and civilization—a town that mirrored the true heart of a nation.
Compared to the previous Land of Wave, which was just a small fishing village, the Land of Rain was only slightly larger in terms of territory. Not to mention the Land of Fire, one of the Five Great Nations—even the Land of Iron, classified as a small-to-medium nation, couldn't compare to it in size.
However, this didn't mean the Land of Rain was inferior to the Land of Iron in terms of national strength.
"Your Excellency..."
Stopping a hurried pedestrian at the side of the road, Ryosuke asked in a calm and courteous tone, "May I ask which company is the most well-known for ironware or ninja tools here in the Land of Rain?"
He had already disguised himself upon disembarking, concealing his identity as a ninja and continuing his act as an ordinary traveling merchant. Although the Land of Rain wasn't prosperous, merchants came and went frequently, so the locals didn't react strongly to his foreign appearance—though they did glance at him from time to time.
Still, Ryosuke was clearly a stranger, and in a nation brimming with ambition, he drew considerable attention.
Especially here, in the Hidden Rain Village—the heart of the Land of Rain—traces of hidden ninjas had already begun to emerge.
"I'm sorry, I don't know," the passerby replied. Despite his hurry, seeing Ryosuke's luxurious clothing, he didn't show any displeasure at being stopped. He simply answered and continued on his way.
Ryosuke didn't press further. He was actually relieved not to have to make up any more lies. That was also why he had chosen to approach someone who looked anxious—someone likely to keep things brief.
Still, he noticed the covert gazes in the shadows had yet to fade. Helpless, he continued his act as a merchant from the
Land of Iron, inquiring here and there about well-known ninja tool shops.
Only after Ryosuke had wandered through nearly half the town did those prying eyes gradually begin to withdraw.
"They're certainly vigilant. And quite strong, too."
Watching the retreating figures with amusement in his eyes, Ryosuke silently gave himself a score of ninety-nine for his performance.
Playing this kind of cat-and-mouse game among humans wasn't so bad.
From the moment he'd entered the town, more and more ninja had begun tailing him, secretly investigating his identity. These Rain Ninja were physically imposing, and judging by their chakra control, most of them were at least Chunin-level.
Since he didn't want to stir up trouble, Ryosuke played along with their surveillance, indulging them with a convincing performance.
But based on their abilities, it was clear—despite the Land of Rain impoverished appearance, its military strength far outstripped that of the Land of Iron.
And that strength didn't stem from the Akatsuki, the secretive organization currently pulling the strings. No—the foundation lay in the inherent power of Hidden Rain Village itself, which already surpassed the Land of Iron's samurai forces.
After all, in this world, ninja were the dominant profession.
The village's former leader, Hanzo of the Salamander, had even been renowned as a demigod.
"This is a country that's sacrificed comfort and prosperity to devote everything to military might."
With a sigh, Ryosuke could already guess why the country looked the way it did.
Perhaps, under Hanzo's rule, the country hadn't been so severe.
But now, it was controlled by the Akatsuki—an organization bent on waging war against the entire world. Their focus on military development had become absolute.
Still, none of this mattered to Ryosuke. He wasn't one to meddle in matters that didn't concern him. Unless it touched upon something he personally cared about, everything else was just a hassle.
After finding a restaurant to stay in temporarily, Ryosuke decided not to continue his journey just yet.
This was the final town before Hidden Rain Village. To leave here meant stepping fully into the Land Country's central territory.
Not far from the restaurant stood a massive, tightly shut iron gate. Passing through that gate and walking a short distance would bring one directly to Hidden Rain Village.
Unlike other countries, the Land of Rain had no daimyo or noble class. Rule was entirely in the hands of Hidden Rain Village's military organization.
Hidden Rain itself was located at the center of the country, surrounded by two relatively developed towns. These two towns also marked the furthest point outsiders were allowed to explore.
Before arriving here, Ryosuke had already gathered information about Hidden Rain Village.
The road leading past this town was strictly off-limits to anyone not affiliated with the village. Signs posted near the iron gate made that clear: no entry.
Merchants, travelers from other nations, even native citizens—no one was allowed near the village center, let alone inside.
There were many speculations in the ninja world about why this was so.
But Ryosuke knew the real reason: the Akatsuki's existence had to remain a secret.
As the headquarters of the Akatsuki, Hidden Rain Village not only housed the Outer Path Demonic Statue—stolen from the moon by Uchiha Madara—but was also a haven for numerous infamous S-class rogue ninja.
To conceal their identities and intentions, all information about their activities had to be tightly sealed until their so-called "peace plan" was complete.
This was why even Jiraiya, after years of investigation, had only managed to learn of Akatsuki's existence—never their location.
Ryosuke, however, knew the truth thanks to memories from his past life.
Still, strength or not, sneaking into the village unnoticed would be no easy feat.
Propping up the window with a bamboo rod, Ryosuke allowed his gaze to drift toward the iron gate in the distance, then beyond—into the central region.
His Byakugan couldn't penetrate directly into Hidden Rain Village from this distance, but it did allow him to observe up to the village's periphery—right up to the entrance.
While the village itself remained unseen, Ryosuke could still clearly detect most of the ninjas stationed along the road from the town to the outskirts of Hidden Rain.
But these guards weren't the most troublesome factor.
What truly concerned him was the rain itself.
As he neared Hidden Rain Village, the raindrops falling from above were no longer ordinary.
Within each droplet, Ryosuke could perceive a distinct trace of chakra.
While he found it hard to believe anyone in the ninja world possessed the sheer amount of chakra needed to sustain rainfall infused with chakra across an entire village for surveillance purposes...
Nothing was absolute.
And Ryosuke wasn't so arrogant as to assume he was all-knowing or all-powerful.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for Advanced Chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9