The rain fell in a continuous drizzle, tapping a dull, steady rhythm against the wooden lattice window of the izakaya.
Jiraiya, with a woman under each arm, seemed utterly immersed in his pleasures, his boisterous laughter mingling with the coquettish giggles of the hostesses. Yet, the corner of his eye remained fixed on the street outside, recently washed by blood and rain.
"My, that was terrifying," One of the heavily made-up hostesses beside him said, patting her chest and looking out the window at the dispersing crowd with lingering fear. "These things happen every few days. If ordinary folks like us get caught up in it, we'd die without even knowing why."
Another hostess looked curiously at Jiraiya's flamboyant, unkempt attire and his conspicuous white hair. "Sir... you're not from our village, are you? You're brave to come drinking at a time like this."
Jiraiya laughed heartily, took a swig of sake, his breath mixing with his uniquely robust aura. "Hahaha! I'm a traveling writer, touring various countries! I came specifically to Amegakure to gather material for my writing! The more chaotic the place, the more stories there are!"
He leaned in casually, lowering his voice. "By the way, I heard there's an organization in Amegakure called Akatsuki. Have you heard of it?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the smiles on the two hostesses' faces froze instantly, a clear flash of fear in their eyes.
They instinctively looked around, as if afraid some unseen entity might have heard.
"S-sir..." the first hostess spoke, her voice dropping to a whisper, almost drowned out by the rain. "Please, don't mention that name so casually... If the Ninja Lords hear it... it would mean death!"
"Yes," The other chimed in nervously. "There seemed to be such an organization before, quite active in the village. But a few years ago, they suddenly... went quiet. The higher-ups gave a strict order… no one is allowed to mention the word Akatsuki anymore. Those who disobey... well, let's just say no one dares to talk about it now. Please, don't ask anymore!"
Jiraiya's smile remained plastered on his face, but his heart sank.
'A gag order?'
'Gone silent?'
'It seemed something major had happened to Yahiko and the others a few years ago!'
He tried to probe a bit more, but the two hostesses knew little else, and their fear was too deeply ingrained. He couldn't get any more valuable information.
After a few more rounds of drinks, Jiraiya left a generous sum of money, excused himself to use the restroom, and staggered out of the increasingly noisy izakaya.
The moment he stepped into the cold, damp alley, the drunkenness vanished from his face, his eyes turning sharp and alert.
'The Akatsuki really did run into trouble, and it's likely connected to the Amegakure's leadership, probably Hanzo himself,' He thought. 'I need to catch someone for questioning, preferably one of Hanzo's direct Anbu. They'll know the details.'
He moved quickly through the curtain of rain, finding a secluded spot in an alley.
It was near a regular patrol route for Amegakure's Ninja and relatively hidden.
He formed hand signs and muttered, "Summoning Technique!"
A faint puff of smoke appeared, and a peculiarly shaped giant toad materialized on the spot.
"Thanks for the help, Mise Gama!" Jiraiya greeted it.
"The usual?" Mise Gama's shell rapidly morphed and expanded, transforming into what looked like a cozy ramen shop, blending cleverly with the surrounding buildings of Amegakure.
Steaming, illusory vapor rose from beneath the sign, and the enticing aroma of food filled the air.
Jiraiya ducked inside, disguising himself as a busy shop owner, quietly waiting for prey to take the bait.
What he needed was one or two isolated Amegakure's Ninja, perhaps those tempted by a good meal.
…
Meanwhile, at the top floor of a tall tower in the center of Amegakure, one that overlooked most of the village.
The Deva Path stood on the exterior roof, his Rinnegan gazing indifferently at the city perpetually shrouded in rain below. The minor dust stirred up by the distant rebellion and its suppression had long since been completely quelled by the rain.
Rokusho Aoi, wearing an Amegakure uniform and carrying a strange umbrella-sword on his back, appeared silently behind him, kneeling on one knee. "Pain-sama. Hanzo dispatched twelve Anbu. The rebels were five Chunin dissatisfied with the rule. They have been executed in the street."
Aoi, this former Konoha's Missing-Nin, had managed to establish himself in Amegakure by stealing the Second Hokage's Sword of the Thunder God and various Konoha's intelligence, even earning the privilege of an audience with Hanzo the Salamander.
However, he had long been won over by Nagato's power and joined the Akatsuki, becoming a nail driven into Hanzo's forces.
"Hanzo himself remains holed up in the deepest part of his fortress, not taking a single step outside," Aoi added, a trace of barely perceptible mockery in his tone.
The once-feared [Demigod] had now been utterly consumed by old age, paranoia, and fear of the Rinnegan's power, only daring to rely on iron-fisted suppression and layers of guards to maintain his crumbling rule.
"Continue surveillance," The Deva Path's voice was devoid of fluctuation. "Report any unusual movements immediately."
"Yes." Aoi bowed his head in acknowledgment, his figure fading away silently.
…
Elsewhere, Menma found a despondent Ajisai in a wet alley.
She walked alone in the rain, seemingly oblivious to the cold droplets beating down on her.
Her purple, curly hair was soaked, clinging to her cheeks and neck. Her distinctive training clothes were completely drenched, making her appear even smaller and more pitiful.
She kept her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly as if she were crying silently.
Menma, holding an oil-paper umbrella of unknown origin, walked silently to her side and tilted the umbrella over her, blocking the continuous rain.
Ajisai looked up blankly, rain and tears mingling on her pale face.
She looked at Menma, her lips quivering, her voice choked with sobs. "...Among them... there was Kenta... he was my friend from our wandering days... We wandered together, became Ninja together... He said he couldn't take it anymore, wanted to change things... joined an organization... But... but..."
She couldn't continue, overwhelmed by immense grief and helplessness.
She couldn't even retrieve her friend's body. Hanzo's Anbu circled nearby like vultures… anyone trying to approach would be mercilessly torn apart.
Menma looked at her silently.
He knew there were countless Amegakure's Ninja like this Kenta, filled with resentment towards Hanzo's rule. They formed small groups full of hope yet fragile as glass. Like moths to a flame, every feeble rebellion invited the most brutal suppression, ultimately becoming another stain of blood on the streets.
"Why..." Ajisai's voice broke in the rain. "Why is the world like this? For as long as I can remember, this country has been at war, people dying... conflict, poverty, hunger... it never stops... Is... is it like this in other countries too?"
Menma let out a soft sigh, a rare trace of pity flashing in his eyes.
He looked towards the hazy, oppressive outlines of buildings in the distant rain, his voice calm yet carrying a heavy, penetrating quality. "Other places? Hah, perhaps they appear more glamorous on the surface, but in essence, they are no different. The Five Great Nations, countless smaller countries, warring amongst themselves, cycles of hatred repeating endlessly without cease. Amegakure is merely a microcosm of the millennia of warfare that plague the entire Ninja World."
He lowered his head slightly, looking into Ajisai's confused eyes. "The only way to truly end all this is to completely destroy all existing nations and the Ninja Village System. Let the entire Ninja World have only one voice, one will, one powerful, unified nation. Only absolute unity can bring absolute order, and... the true peace you long for."
Ajisai stared blankly, listening. These words were too grand, too shocking for her.
Her limited understanding and inherently kind nature made it impossible for her to immediately comprehend, let alone accept, this brutal logic of seeking rebirth through destruction.
She only felt an immense fear and confusion instinctively.
Menma didn't delve deeper into the topic.
He raised his hand and pointed towards a ramen shop at the street corner ahead, its sign reading [Grand Opening Discount] and emitting a warm light.
"It's getting dark, and the rain is cold. Let's get something to eat first," his tone returned to normal. "What I said earlier, you can think about it slowly. If you grow tired of the rain and death here, and want to search for a different future... I can take you away."
Having said that, he pushed open the ramen shop's door and walked in first.
The wind chime under the eaves rang clearly.
Ajisai hesitated for a moment, wiped the rain and tears from her face, took a deep breath, and followed him inside.
Her heart was still heavy, but the hunger in her stomach and her curiosity about the boy propelled her forward.
Inside the ramen shop, Jiraiya, disguised as the proprietor in a chef's outfit, had initially thought his target had arrived and enthusiastically called out "Welcome!" only to see two teenagers enter, one of them a girl wearing an Amegakure's forehead protector. He was instantly disappointed.
But seeing Ajisai's obviously tear-stained face, filled with childishness and exhaustion, a pang of pity arose in him.
'Such a young child, already burdened with the identity of a Ninja, struggling in this quagmire of a village.'
Menma naturally walked up and sat at the counter, saying to Jiraiya, "Boss, two bowls of ramen."
His eyes swept over the simple menu on the wall, and he asked casually, "What do you recommend here?"
Jiraiya, grumbling internally about how two kids had disrupted his plan to catch a 'tongue', put on a businesslike smile. "Oh, oh, we have signature Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen, Fatty Beef Ramen, and Udon..."
His eyes shifted between Menma and the seated Ajisai, and he asked with a somewhat gossipy tone, "You two are... a young couple? Coming to eat ramen together so late?"
Ajisai's face instantly turned bright red, and she quickly waved her hands. "N-no! We're just... just..."
She didn't know how to define her relationship with this mysterious boy beside her.
Menma smiled and interjected, "We're friends."
Hearing this, Ajisai nodded vigorously in agreement.
"I see, friends are good!" Jiraiya laughed heartily, turned around, and pretended to busy himself in the back kitchen, while actually fumbling around for the instant ramen packs he'd brought from Konoha, complaining incessantly in his mind.
Soon, two steaming bowls of ramen were served.
Ajisai was starving. She picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, then frowned slightly and whispered to Menma, "This taste... seems like instant noodles... No wonder there are no other customers..."
Her voice was soft, but how could it escape Jiraiya's ears?
Jiraiya stumbled, almost falling, feeling extremely embarrassed inside.
Menma took a bite, then nodded, seeming thoughtful. "The taste is indeed average. However... I do get a somewhat familiar feeling from this broth."
"Oh?" Jiraiya immediately became interested, leaning over the counter curiously. "What did the customer taste? This shop's broth is a secret recipe!"
He tried to salvage a bit of honor.
Menma looked up, his clear blue eyes calmly meeting Jiraiya's. His gaze seemed to penetrate Jiraiya's clumsy disguise, making Jiraiya's heart inexplicably skip a beat. He vaguely felt there was an indescribable familiarity about this boy's face and eyes.
"It tastes a bit like the mass-produced instant ramen from Konoha," Menma stated flatly. "Boss, your 'secret recipe' wouldn't happen to be imported seasoning packets from Konoha, would it?"
Alarm bells rang loudly in Jiraiya's mind!
'This guy is definitely not ordinary!'
'How could a regular teenager identify the taste of Konoha instant ramen with one bite?'
'And pinpoint the origin so accurately?'
He forced himself to stay calm, laughing it off. "You must be joking, customer... Have you been to Konoha? You don't look like you're from Amegakure..."
He tried to turn the tables, probing the other's origins.
Menma ate his noodles unhurriedly, as if merely making conversation. "I'm a traveler who enjoys tasting local delicacies from various places. When it comes to ramen, I most highly recommend Ichiraku Ramen in Konoha. Their skill is truly unique."
Jiraiya grew even more suspicious and pressed further. "What other countries has the customer visited? Seen any characteristic ramen there? To be honest, I'm quite a food connoisseur myself!"
He tried to use the topic to extract more information.
Menma began listing them off one by one, like counting treasures: "The Land of Hot Water's ramen often uses high-temperature spring water to brew the broth, giving it a unique flavor, the Land of Lightning's ramen excels at using specialty ingredients from high mountains and valleys, offering a rugged, wild charm, the Land of Water, surrounded by sea, often uses seafood as the base for their ramen, exceptionally delicious, the Land of Earth's ramen is rather ordinary, nothing remarkable, the Land of Wind's ramen is quite distinctive, they add some spices unique to the oases and meats from desert animals, giving it a unique texture, finally, the Land of Stars..."
He paused, his tone seeming to carry a hint of barely detectable admiration. "The capital of the Land of Stars is exceptionally prosperous, gathering ingredients from all over. The ramen shops there serve a 'Full House' ramen, with various top-tier ingredients gathered in one bowl. The richness of its flavor layers is truly unparalleled."
Jiraiya grew more and more astonished as he listened.
This boy's knowledge of the customs and cultures of various countries, especially his insights into food, far exceeded Jiraiya's expectations.
Some of these countries were places even he hadn't investigated in detail.
"The customer has been to so many countries?" The two of them began conversing, remarking on the food and culture of various nations. The atmosphere unexpectedly became remarkably 'harmonious'.