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"...Fine! Just like Brother Hayato said—if we find any Rock shinobi inside the Land of Rain, we kill them. No exceptions!"Konan bit down hard, nodding firmly, her resolve unshaken.
At the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth, three Rock shinobi were wandering around without a care, glancing at their surroundings.
"Man, things have changed so much here."
"Yeah, who would've thought that in just a few years, the Land of Rain would... well, actually improve."
"Right? Even those filthy peasants in this miserable country are eating fine grain now. What a waste!"
"But that just makes it easier for us. We can haul their food and resources back home without much effort."
"True enough, hahaha!"
"To us, the Land of Rain is nothing but a field of grass—cut it once, let it grow, then cut it again! Hahaha!"
They laughed loudly, completely carefree, not sparing a shred of respect for the Land of Rain or its shinobi. Why would they? They were from one of the great nations. Aside from Konoha, Suna, Kumo, and Kiri, every other ninja village barely even registered in their eyes.
"Secret Technique: Thousand Needles of Rain!"
A cold shout cut through the drizzle. Out of nowhere, the falling rain turned sharp, countless senbon blending perfectly with the water—almost invisible to the eye. The jutsu was executed so subtly that the Rock shinobi didn't even have time to react.
"Argh!"
"An ambush!"
"Damn it! Earth Style—agh!"
They never stood a chance. Careless, arrogant, and certain the Rain shinobi would never dare attack them here, the Rock shinobi were caught completely off guard. A single coordinated strike from several Rain ninja unleashed a wide-range, lethal jutsu that left the enemy with no way to escape.
Screams echoed as the Rock shinobi were skewered, collapsing into blood-soaked puddles. The crimson mixed with the rain, staining the ground red.
"So these are Rock ninja?"
"They're weak! I thought they were supposed to be tough!"
"They're not weak—we're the ones who've gotten stronger!"
"Exactly. We're stronger because our leader built the Sutra Hall. We've learned more jutsu, gained more experience, and that's why taking them down was this easy!"
"Our leader! Yes, it's all thanks to him—and to Lady Angel!"
Several Rain shinobi emerged from the rain, sneering at the corpses. But the moment they mentioned Hayato and Konan, their expressions shifted into fanatical devotion.
Schhk!
A poisoned blade shot up from the ground, stabbing through the sole of a Rock ninja's foot. He screamed, but the venom spread instantly, killing him within seconds.
"That's the third! I've already taken down three Rock shinobi. More kills mean more points. With enough points, I can finally learn that A-rank jutsu I've been eyeing!"
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
A massive surge of water roared forward, crashing into another Rock ninja. With a thunderous impact, he coughed up blood and fell to the ground. A wounded Rain shinobi staggered toward him, kunai in hand, grinning through the pain.
"Heh... looks like... looks like I win. Now die!"
The kunai came down hard.
All across the Land of Rain, the same scene kept playing out. Some Rock shinobi put up a fight, but most of the time, it ended with Rain shinobi standing victorious.
It didn't take long before the Rock ninja were almost completely wiped out within Rain's borders.
Bang!
Ōnoki, the short and wiry Third Tsuchikage, slammed his hand down on the table. His face twisted with rage, his voice nearly breaking with fury."How dare they! The Rain shinobi actually had the nerve to kill Iwa ninja inside our territory? Have they grown tired of living?!"
"Lord Tsuchikage," said Akatsuchi, towering in front of him with his head bowed. "Reports say eighty percent of our men in the Land of Rain have already been wiped out. What are your orders?"
"What else?!" Ōnoki snapped. "We make them hand over the killers! Akatsuchi, go to the Land of Rain and find their so-called leader. Tell him he'd better hand over every single culprit who laid a hand on our shinobi. And he'll compensate Iwagakure with a massive tribute of food and resources. Hmph! If he refuses, I'll make sure the Rain know exactly what it means to anger Iwagakure!" His cold laugh carried more threat than humor.
"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage!" Akatsuchi nodded heavily. His usually simple, honest-looking face was shadowed with killing intent.
"Leader, the Iwagakure envoy Akatsuchi has arrived."Black Rain, officially serving as Hayato's guard, knelt before him in report.
"Iwagakure envoy?" Hayato said lazily, flipping through the spoils taken off the Rock shinobi—scrolls containing their jutsu. "Didn't I already order that every last Rock shinobi in the Land of Rain be killed?"
"Wait!" Konan quickly stopped Black Rain, who was about to carry out Hayato's words as if they were divine law. "Brother Hayato, he's an envoy from Iwagakure. We can't just kill him outright, can we?" she asked, worry clear in her eyes.
"Konan," Hayato said, shaking his head, "what do you think an envoy from Iwagakure is here for?"
"Uh… to negotiate? To resolve the problem?" Konan frowned, answering honestly. She had been managing the Land of Rain for years, but when it came to dealing with a giant power like Iwagakure, she still revealed a trace of naïveté.
"Negotiation would be nice," Hayato said with a dry chuckle. "But their idea of 'resolving the problem' is something the Land of Rain can't possibly accept. Fine then. Come with me and you'll see for yourself." He decided Konan needed to witness these things firsthand.
Together they went to meet Akatsuchi, the envoy from Iwagakure. He was tall and broad, his build making him look slow and harmless at first glance. But at that moment, his chin was tilted high, and his supposedly simple face was twisted into an expression of pure arrogance.
"So you two are the leaders of the Land of Rain?" Akatsuchi snorted. "Hah! Just a couple of kids—and one of you is even a woman!" His gaze dripped with disdain as he looked down on Hayato and Konan.
Hayato, despite his obvious muscle from relentless training, still carried pale, refined features thanks to the Hulk's regenerative ability. In clothes that hid his build, he looked almost like some pampered pretty boy. And Konan? She was "just" a girl, which to Akatsuchi needed no further explanation.
"....."