The Land of Rain was shattered—not just its cities, but also its wilderness.
Vast stretches of forests lay in ruins, and collapsed hills dotted the landscape, leaving almost no area untouched. The once-desolate mountains and woods were now riddled with traps. The war had inflicted severe damage on this nation.
"The Land of Rain... it's truly tragic," Uchiha Kin shook his head with a sigh. The four of them walked through the wasteland, spotting hidden traps with just a glance.
Aside from Hyuga Kiyoshi, the other three were far from weak. What might seem like clever traps to others were full of flaws in their eyes, making them easy to avoid. However, these traps were far less forgiving for the civilians of the Land of Rain.
After passing through a shattered hill, they arrived at a flat valley.
Kin glanced at a nearby rock, which had an oddly paper-like texture.
"Should we deal with them, sir?" Hyuga Kiyoshi asked. Someone was hiding there—though their concealment technique was so poor that even a ninja academy student could do better. To the four of them, it was as if no effort had been made to hide at all.
"Leave them be," Kin shook his head.
In the Land of Rain, concealment techniques worse than those of academy students inevitably reminded him of the trio trained by Jiraiya—Nagato's group. Those three were troublesome. Hidden in the shadows, Uchiha Madara kept a close watch on them, especially since his eyes had been entrusted to Nagato. And then there was the truly filial Black Zetsu.
Nagato was the product of two scheming old foxes.
"Let's get out of here quickly."
Now wasn't the time to get involved with them. Besides, he had no desire to run into Jiraiya, even though they were all disguised.
The four of them wore black trench coats and wide-brimmed hats, making them look rather peculiar.
In the next moment, their figures vanished simultaneously.
Inside the paper rock shell, Nagato's trio—who had been training under Jiraiya for nearly half a year—were indeed hiding.
"Are those weirdos gone yet?" Konan asked Yahiko, who was peering outside.
"I think so. They just... disappeared," Yahiko replied uncertainly, squinting through a small hole in the shell.
Nagato watched silently.
Suddenly, the paper rock shell was lifted, startling all three of them. They feared it might be the four mysterious figures from earlier.
"What's with those faces?" Jiraiya scratched his cheek awkwardly. Was he really that scary?
The trio let out a collective sigh of relief.
"You scared us, Jiraiya-sensei," Konan said, rolling her eyes.
Yahiko explained, "We just saw four weirdos."
"Weirdos, huh?" Jiraiya stroked his chin. Weirdos weren't exactly rare in the shinobi world.
"The Rain ninja will handle it. From now on, I'm putting you through hellish training," Jiraiya said sternly. Their pitiful concealment technique could be spotted by even a genin. With skills like these, surviving in the chaotic Land of Rain was impossible.
In this lawless nation, violence erupted at any moment, and danger often came from one's own people.
As for the so-called weirdos, this wasn't Konoha. Jiraiya had no intention of meddling.
The four of them left the wilderness behind.
After traversing mountains and dense forests for several days, they finally arrived at a remote marketplace. Just as they were about to enter, a gaunt man in tattered clothes blocked their path. His bloodshot eyes glared at them as he brandished a wooden club.
"Pay up. That's the rule if you want to enter."
Kin watched the man with amusement, noting how others in the distance looked at them with fear. Their attire made it easy to assume they were shinobi—yet only this one man dared to confront them.
"Kakuzu, pay up," Kin ordered. He wasn't here to cause trouble.
Kakuzu eyed the man. "How much? If it's too expensive, we'd rather not enter."
Kin shot Kakuzu an awkward look. Here they were, dressed like mysterious figures, and he was haggling?
"Same as the Land of Fire's rate. One ryo per person," the man stammered, though he stood his ground.
Kakuzu nodded in satisfaction and tossed four ryo coins at him. Only then did the man let them pass.
The marketplace was a pitiful sight. Supplies were scarce, and the streets were lined with ragged, emaciated people. As the four walked, all eyes followed them with a mix of fear and curiosity. Their attire stood out starkly against the poverty surrounding them.
"This place doesn't seem like it's under Rain ninja control," Hizure remarked. He had fought on the Rain front and knew that if Rain ninja were present, they'd provide food and maintain order. But here, there was no sign of such support.
"Keeping this place barely functioning is already an achievement," Kin commented.
Spotting a food stall ahead, Kin plopped down on a stool. Hizure stared at him in disbelief. Was he really going to eat here? What ninja in their right mind would consume food from an unknown source? Didn't he worry about poison?
But Kin didn't seem to care. What could Hizure do?
Hyuga Kiyoshi had already taken a seat, and even Kakuzu sat down. Before Kin could even speak, four bowls of ramen were placed before them by a middle-aged man.
The broth was clear, with barely any ingredients.
Kin looked up at the man in confusion. "Boss, we didn't order yet."
The man gave an awkward smile. "This is all we have. And these four bowls are on the house."
"We're not here to freeload," Kin said dryly. Did he look like someone who skipped out on bills?
The man rubbed his hands together nervously. "I'm happy to give them. I just... wanted to ask a few questions."
"Go ahead. No guarantees we'll know the answers," Kin said, wiping his nose. They were here to find Rain ninja, not answer questions.
"Are you all shinobi, sirs?" the man asked cautiously.
When they nodded, he hurriedly continued, "Have you seen a child? About seven or eight, skinny, bald, with a scar on his head?" He gestured as he spoke, his desperation plain.
"We got separated. If you know anything, please tell me. I'll do anything!"
Hizure sighed inwardly. In these conditions, the child was likely already dead.
But to his surprise—
"Oh," Kin said, as if recalling something. "I think I remember. A group of shinobi took him. Not sure which village, though."
"Thank you, sir! Thank you!" The man wept with gratitude.
Only Hizure gave Kin a strange look.
...
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(End of Chapter)