While the great unification of the Land of Grass was proceeding in full swing, a young girl in a worn-out raincoat arrived at the Spark Sanctuary in the Land of Rain.
Under the dim sky, as rain poured down in sheets, she slowly lifted her head. A lock of brown hair slipped from her hood, and she tucked it back behind her ear.
Before her stood a tall tower. Through the heavy curtain of rain, she could vaguely make out the red brick wall surrounding it. A large searchlight at the top of the tower cut through the rain and mist, its thick beam sweeping back and forth across the open ground in front.
The bright light quickly found her, and the beam locked onto her position. The dazzling glare made her instinctively lower her head. But after a few seconds, she stubbornly raised it again, squinting her eyes to face the sliver of warmth, a faint smile gracing her lips.
Suddenly, with a soft thud, it sounded as if something heavy had landed beside her.
She opened her eyes to see a familiar face smiling at her. The searchlight shone from behind him, making it seem as if he had walked straight out of the light itself.
"Excuse me, are you here to join the sanctuary?" the ice clone asked with a smile, his tone devoid of any coldness.
He is... Kaito...
After a two-second pause, she hastily took a step back, her expression a perfect blend of surprise and fear. "Um, I heard you can get enough to eat here, so..."
"Yes, that's true. Follow me," the ice clone said, turning his head.
The tower had spotted them, and someone was already rushing over to investigate. It was a familiar face.
"Lord Kaito, you're back!" With a few leaps, Ke'er landed beside the ice clone, her eyes shining as she gave him a sweet smile.
"Yes, I'm back."
Knowing that the more he said, the more likely he was to slip up, the ice clone kept it brief. He pointed at the little girl and said, "You can go back. I'll take her from here."
"Okay! My sister and I will come visit you tomorrow!" Ke'er waved and then, with a series of running leaps, vanished back into the curtain of rain.
"My name is Kaito. I'm with the sanctuary." The ice clone turned back to the girl. "What's your name?"
"My name is Yaku," the girl replied softly.
"Yaku? A strange name. How about I call you Koyu?" The ice clone held out his hand to her. "Come on. There's a lot of water on the ground, it's hard to walk. I'll hold your hand. Don't be afraid. I'm one of the good guys, I promise."
"Mm." Nono Yakushi, under the alias "Yaku," nodded lightly and placed her small hand in the ice clone's.
It was as cold as water.
"Lord Kaito!"
Before he had even stepped through the main door, Shiori, dressed in a red dress, greeted him with a beaming smile, her delight obvious.
"Shiori, it's been a while. You seem to have gotten even more beautiful," the ice clone said with a smile.
"Don't be silly!" Shiori chided playfully, then naturally took his raincoat and hung it by the door. She glanced at Nono, who was standing at the entrance, and said gently, "Come in quickly, it's cold outside."
"Okay." Like a poor, stray puppy, Nono timidly stepped inside and, copying Shiori, took off her own raincoat, revealing a delicate face smudged with dirt.
"Give it to me." Shiori took the raincoat, hung it up as well, and then took Nono's small hand, leading her to the sofa in the living room.
The ice clone had already propped his feet up, lounging on his exclusive reclining chair. "Why are you the only one here?" he asked.
"I'm not alone. The lookout on duty is upstairs," Shiori said, pouring two cups of hot water and placing them in front of the ice clone and Nono.
"I meant Konan and Jiraiya and the others."
"Have you forgotten? It's a weekday. They're all at school."
"Oh, right. I did forget. Sorry." Realization dawned on the ice clone. Then, as if remembering something, he pointed at Nono, who was taking small sips of her hot water. "Her name is Koyu. She wants to join the sanctuary. You can register her."
"Alright."
Shiori picked up a notebook and a pen from the desk and sat down next to Nono. "Koyu, is it? Did you come here all by yourself?" she asked softly.
"Yes."
"Where are your parents?"
"..."
"...Do you remember the name of the village you used to live in?"
"..."
"It's okay if you don't remember. How old are you this year?"
"..."
Faced with Shiori's series of questions, Nono just shook her head woodenly. Seeing this, Shiori didn't press any further. Among the many people they had taken in, it was not uncommon for them to react this way, especially young children who could easily become withdrawn after experiencing a disaster.
At this thought, Shiori's heart filled with even more sympathy. She reached out and gently stroked Nono's head. "Koyu," she said softly, "the past is in the past. Here, you will find a new family and new friends. I promise you'll be happy."
"..." Nono looked at Shiori, managed a small smile, and slowly nodded.
Lying on his chair, the ice clone watched them quietly, a strange smile suddenly tugging at the corner of his lips.
Meanwhile, Kaito had not entered the Land of Rain. Instead, he had skirted the border of the Land of Fire and was making his way back to the Land of Rivers. Of course, he was no longer acting as Kaito, the leader of the sanctuary. He had made some changes, donning a wooden demon mask to disguise himself as a mysterious ninja. He also used his Aura to sense and avoid any Konoha ninja who happened to be nearby.
Two days later, Kaito successfully entered the Land of Rivers. Late at night, he found a suitable cave to stop and spend the night. After a short rest, with his energy mostly recovered, he closed his eyes and entered the rainbow-colored space within his body.
After having mastered all the Ice-type moves, he had decided to try his luck again these past few days with the plates that had previously failed him. The first, of course, was the Psychic Plate he had been longing for. However, after several days of effort, he still had no success. He could only give up in disappointment and choose his next target.
After scanning the remaining plates several times, Kaito finally stood before the Ghost-type Spooky Plate.
"Please, don't let me be a clown."
After praying to Arceus several times, he steeled himself and pressed his hands against the plate. A moment later, Kaito returned to the rainbow space, his expression extremely odd. "I actually... succeeded? Even if it's the not-so-useful 'Lick'."
This small move represented a historic breakthrough. His confidence in mastering the other types instantly skyrocketed, practically overflowing.
"Next time, I'm going for Dragon-type. Dragon Dance... hehe, my Dragon Dance..."
Filled with anticipation for the future, Kaito returned to reality. The instant he opened his eyes, he was nearly startled out of his skin by the blurry figure before him.
"A ghost?!"