Chapter 76 – Footsteps Toward Rain
The clouds were gathering overhead, thin at first, then slowly thickening as the group advanced along the dirt path that wound north of Konoha. The air felt cooler, the wind carried less of summer and more of distant storms. Gaius walked at the front, heavy armored steps steady and unhurried, while Diana moved beside him, cloak swaying gently with each stride. Behind them, Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi followed in a loose formation.
No one spoke at first. The forest stretched on both sides, and the road was quiet, only the sound of cicadas and distant leaves brushing against each other.
After a while, Diana looked toward the far sky, where darker clouds loomed on the horizon. Her voice was calm.
"Rain Village is still far ahead. If we keep walking like this, it'll take too long." She glanced at Gaius. "Why don't we run? We'll reach it faster."
Gaius nodded once, simple and silent, since he already agreed earlier before Naruto and the others arrived.
Diana then turned to Naruto and the others. "You can follow from the air if you need to. That white bird technique of yours."
Kakashi opened his mouth to agree, but Naruto stepped forward immediately, brows knitting. "No, I'm running too. I'm not gonna fly while you guys run."
Kakashi gave a quiet sigh and scratched the back of his head. Sakura and Sai exchanged a brief look, already knowing this was decided. Kakashi shrugged slightly. "Then we run."
Gaius lifted his warhammer with one hand and attached it onto the magnetic clasp on his armor's back. The golden weapon locked in place with a muted click. Diana loosened her shoulders, flexing slightly.
She looked at them. "We'll keep it straight. Don't fall behind."
She glanced at Gaius. He gave a nod.
Diana inhaled slowly and counted, "We run in three… two… one, go."
They moved.
Gaius shot forward like a boulder hurled from a catapult. His heavy armor should've slowed him, yet each step hammered the ground and launched him faster. The dirt cracked beneath his boots, pebbles scattering. Trees blurred past on either side.
Diana was right beside him. Her movements were light, her steps barely audible against the earth. Where Gaius cut through the path like a charging beast, Diana glided through it like flowing wind, her form steady, controlled, elegant even at high speed.
Naruto grinned and dashed forward after them. "Let's go!"
Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai followed, jumping through the branches above the road, trying to match the pace.
Within moments, the distance between them stretched. Gaius was already tearing through the forest trail at nearly one hundred and eighty miles per hour. Branches snapped against his armor when he couldn't avoid tight gaps. Small trees splintered, roots ripped from the soil. Yet none of it slowed him.
Kakashi glanced forward, his sharingan narrowing behind his forehead protector. "Unbelievable… something that large shouldn't be able to move that fast."
Naruto pumped his arms harder. "They're fast, but we're shinobi. We can do this!"
Sakura's breathing grew quicker, each inhale sharp in her chest. Sai stayed silent, but his eyes were sharp, always flicking forward and then to the others, calmly measuring their pace.
Minutes passed. Trees whipped by in streaks of green and brown. Branches snapped under their sandals as they leapt from trunk to trunk. Each landing sent a jolt through Sakura's legs. Every leap drained more chakra, every breath felt heavier. Naruto kept up, but sweat rolled down his cheek and his hair stuck to his forehead. Sakura felt her calves burn and her lungs tighten. Kakashi, even behind his mask, could already tell, this speed couldn't be sustained for long.
Finally, Sai exhaled softly, still running. "Should we just fly?"
Sakura nodded immediately, grateful someone finally said it out loud. Kakashi hesitated for a moment, watching Naruto stubbornly push himself forward, refusing to slow down, but he knew the risks. They couldn't afford to arrive at the Rain Village exhausted.
He nodded. "Do it."
While still in motion, Sai pulled a scroll from his pouch with practiced ease. His fingers quickly unrolled it as he dipped his brush in ink. The strokes were quick and precise despite the speed they were moving. Wings. A beak. Feathers. The ink shimmered, and with a ripple of chakra, it burst into a large white paper bird mid-air.
It let out a quiet cry, like paper rustling in the wind.
Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai leaped onto it without hesitation. Naruto paused only for a heartbeat, panting, before following them up. The bird's wings unfolded wide and with a powerful flap, it soared above the tree line, rising through the swaying canopy into open air.
Below them, Diana glanced back and saw the white bird lifting higher through the trees. "Looks like they couldn't keep up."
Gaius glanced but said nothing, his expression unchanged, his steps steady.
Diana looked ahead again, focused, then spoke simply while still running, "This isn't your fastest speed, right? Otherwise, I'll have to pass you."
For a moment, there was silence between them, only the rush of wind, the rhythmic pounding of armored boots against soil, and leaves tearing underfoot.
Then Gaius looked forward… and accelerated.
The earth shattered under his first step. Dirt and broken roots sprayed behind him as he launched himself forward. His form blurred, golden armor catching flashes of sunlight through the trees. Every stride carved into the soil, leaving deep craters in his wake as he barreled ahead with monstrous force. He broke past two hundred miles per hour in seconds.
Diana's eyebrows raised slightly. A small smirk tugged at her lips, then she leaned forward and matched him.
Their speed rose even more, two hundred and fifty miles per hour. Trees cracked like splinters when Gaius didn't bother to dodge them. The forest shook in his wake. Diana, light-footed and precise, wove between trunks as if dancing, leaping over boulders and roots, her hair streaming behind her in the wind. Gaius smashed straight through obstacles instead of avoiding them, every impact echoing like distant thunder.
High above, on the bird, Naruto and the others stared down, stunned.
Naruto leaned forward, jaw dropping. "They're insane…"
Kakashi's sharingan narrowed thoughtfully. "They truly doesn't have chakra. Just brute strength and speed."
Sakura swallowed, hand pressed over her racing heartbeat. "Diana too… she's keeping up with him."
Sai only watched quietly, analytical, his eyes tracking their movements, though hardly can keep up.
Below, the trees thinned and the landscape changed. The canopy broke apart, replaced by rocky ridges and patches of wet soil. The air grew damp and cool. Mist curled around the ground. Heavy gray clouds gathered thick above them, blocking the sun and casting a dim, muted light across the land.
The smell of rain drifted on the wind.
Gaius slowed, dirt and pebbles scattering beneath his boots as he came to a halt at the edge of a broad ridge. Diana followed, stopping moments later, barely winded, only a slight rise in her breathing.
Before them, the horizon was dark, rolling gray clouds pressed low against the sky, swallowing the sunset. Light drizzle drifted in the air, cold and thin. The Land of Rain was close.
Diana turned her head slightly and looked upward.
Far in the distance, a small white shape, faint against the gray sky, flew toward them.
"It's them," she said softly.
The bird descended. Naruto, Sai, Sakura, and Kakashi leapt down onto the damp ground. Naruto landed with a grin, still breathing hard.
"You guys are crazy fast!" he said, laughing slightly. "Even flying, we couldn't catch up! And you, big sis Diana, you're amazing!"
Diana just smiled lightly.
Kakashi didn't say much at first. His single eye scanned Gaius silently. The giant in golden armor stood as if he hadn't just sprinted for miles. No fatigue. No labored breathing.
Gaius finally spoke, voice deep. "Are we near the Rain Village?"
Kakashi looked up and saw that Gaius was looking at him so he replied.
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. This is the outer region of Amegakure, the Rain Village is not far ahead."
"Then we move," Gaius said simply.
Diana rolled her shoulders lightly, as if loosening them. "That run was just a warm-up anyway."
Sakura's thoughts were quieter, uneasy. Just a warm-up…?
Naruto didn't doubt it. He stepped forward. "Let's go then."
Kakashi looked at Sakura and Sai, both still tired, and gave a small nod. They followed.
The sky continued to darken, air growing colder as they walked.
Ahead, was Amegakure, the Village Hidden in Rain.
End of Chapter 76
P.S. Sorry for the late upload!I'm trying to widen the gap between the free chapters and the advance chapters on Patreon, so the schedule shifted a bit. On top of that, my days have been really packed lately, and I've been staying up late just to finish and prepare chapters for release.
Thank you all for waiting, and sorry again for the delay!
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