Recently, Yahiko noticed a rather peculiar phenomenon that caught his attention.
In Amegakure, he kept spotting Rain ninjas wandering around with bruised and battered faces as if they'd been beaten up.
Of course, that wasn't the strangest part.
What was even stranger was that these ninjas didn't show any signs of resentment.
On the contrary, they all seemed quite happy.
Yahiko had once stopped one of these bruised Rain ninjas to ask, but the man hummed and hawed without ever revealing the exact reason for his injuries.
All Yahiko knew was that these weren't mission-related injuries.
As the leader of the Land of Rain, deeply committed to the principle of governing responsibly, Yahiko quietly took note of this abnormal phenomenon.
Could there be bullying among the ninjas?
This was Yahiko's suspicion.
After all, in the Land of Rain—a country where it rained more than 360 days out of 365—there were very few recreational activities to relieve stress.
Civilians typically worked in factories during the day and spent the rest of their time at home with their families.
Ninjas weren't much different; outside of missions, their only options for relaxation were brothels and izakayas.
Because of this, these two types of establishments had recently sprung up like mushrooms across the Land of Rain, even including host clubs specifically catering to female ninjas.
Of course, Yahiko had only heard about these places from his subordinates—he had never personally visited them.
First, he was too busy with work, and second, if he ever stepped foot in such an establishment, his corpse would likely be fished out of the ocean by fishermen the next day.
After all... even though they weren't officially married yet, Yahiko and Konan's relationship had long been established.
Given Konan's temperament, if Yahiko dared to enter such a place, she would absolutely make sure he regretted it.
In any case, when not on missions, most of the country's ninjas were in a state where they couldn't vent their pent-up stress, making bullying among ninjas a very real possibility!
Yahiko even suspected it might be organized bullying!
That due to their inability to release accumulated stress, they were systematically and deliberately targeting certain ninjas to vent their frustrations!
Observing the usually cheerful expressions of the Rain ninjas around him—despite their lack of recreational activities—Yahiko grew even more convinced of his theory.
It was possible that most Rain ninjas were participating in this bullying!
After much deliberation, Yahiko decided he could no longer ignore the issue.
He resolved to infiltrate the ranks of the Rain ninjas himself to uncover the truth and identify the ringleaders!
...
Using a transformation jutsu to disguise himself as an ordinary Rain ninja, Yahiko found a bullying scene in a corner of Amegakure after just twenty minutes of searching.
The victimized ninja remained silent, enduring the punches and kicks from three or five ninjas—none of which left any lasting injuries!
After watching for about five minutes, Yahiko, who couldn't stand it any longer, stepped forward.
But before he could speak up to stop it, a more experienced Rain ninja beside him beat him to it.
"Tch! This kid's luck is really something—another one just showed up. Hey, newbie, come and join in!"
"Huh?" Yahiko was taken aback.
A few minutes later, through careful probing, Yahiko finally uncovered the truth behind the so-called "bullying."
Upon learning the truth, he found it both amusing and exasperating.
This wasn't bullying—it was more like an unwritten rule among Rain ninja.
Whenever a Rain ninja got married or had a child, they would voluntarily step forward and let their fellow ninja beat them up.
After the beating, they'd accept a red envelope and that would be the end of it.
When the ones who did the beating later got married or had children, the same thing would happen to them.
Rather than bullying, it was more like a form of blessing among friends.
It was said that this tradition started years ago when a group of Rain ninja wanted to find a way to relieve their pent-up stress.
Over time, it evolved into an unspoken rule among Rain ninja.
Want happiness? First, take a beating from your friends!
Since it was a case of "the willing beating the willing," Yahiko ultimately didn't reveal his identity or intervene.
He just thought the ninja who got beaten looked annoyingly smug when he finally accepted the red envelope.
Of course, Yahiko couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.
—Even in this country, where rain seemed to fall endlessly in the hearts of its people, there were still smiles and friendships as bright as a sunny day hidden in the shadows.
"Back then, the seniors and friends I used to beat up far outnumbered the ones beating me now."
Hearing the beaten ninja's quiet reflection, Yahiko instantly understood what he meant—some of his friends and acquaintances were no longer around.
"And I still owe them a beating..."
At this, Yahiko fell silent for a moment before looking up at the ceaselessly raining sky.
He sighed inwardly, realizing that everyone in this country yearned for peace and simple happiness.
The weight of his responsibility felt heavier than ever.
Poof!
Dispelling his Transformation Technique, Yahiko left the surrounding ninja dumbfounded before uttering words that left them even more bewildered.
"Well then, mind if I join in?"
"...NANI?!" ×n
...
"Konan, believe it or not, this is why my wallet's empty! It's definitely not because I secretly went to those kinds of places—it was all spent on congratulatory gifts!"
Late at night, in their bedroom.
Facing Konan who was holding a whip, Yahiko was internally panicking but forced himself to stay calm.
"Yahiko, do you really think I'd buy such a ridiculous excuse? Just die already!"
As Konan advanced step by step, Yahiko completely lost his composure and desperately tried to explain.
"Wait, wait! It's the truth! I'm not lying! Aah—!"
...
By dawn, after finally calming the "queen" down, Yahiko stood alone by the window, gazing thoughtfully at the pitch-black world outside.
The familiar sound of rustling rain slowly drew his thoughts back to the three happiest and most carefree years of his life.
At the same time, he made up his mind to strive so that everyone in this country could have the chance to experience the simple yet fulfilling happiness he once had!
'Katsura-sensei please watch over me...'
...
The Land of Snow, Flower of the Wind City.
Outside the city, in the vast expanse of snowy wilderness, two rare ninja-world creatures known as snow cats—found only in the Land of Snow—were grooming each other's snow-white, damp fur.
Snow cats, feline creatures that resemble both cats and foxes, are extremely cold-resistant.
They primarily feed on fish and can hunt in icy waters like penguins.
Not far from the snow cats, three "snowmen" stood naturally...
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we are back to katsura bizzare adventure soon!