The rain never stops in Amegakure. It's as if the sky weeps for the sins we haven't yet committed. Every drop that falls on my skin reminds me that I'm still alive… and that, in this world, that's already a miracle.
Konan advances ahead of me, covered by her raincoat. Her papers unfold gently, like the wings of an origami angel. I wonder if she realizes how ironic that image is: an angel in the hell of rain.
"Are you sure we'll find information here?" she asks without turning around. "We don't need information, Konan. We need opportunities," I reply.
The "refugee camp" on the outskirts of the Land of Fire is nothing more than a cluster of dilapidated tents, erected on mud and hidden corpses. They say rogue ninjas take refuge here, deserters from villages seeking to escape the war. But I know Konoha sends disguised spies among them to map the Land of Rain's supply routes.
And if I want to survive Hanzo and Danzō, I need to learn their methods first.
We move through the shadows. I activate Earth Release: Earthquake Technique, sinking underground. Chakra vibrates in my hands as I advance through the mud. I feel footsteps above my head, muffled conversations, the crackle of a distant fire. "Too close to the limit," I think, controlling the flow of chakra. Jiraiya was right: Earth Mastery requires calm… and I'm no longer the calm Yahiko I once was.
I emerge from behind a rock, just enough to observe. Three armed men are arguing in front of a tent. The tallest wears a headband with the Konoha symbol crossed out. They're talking about routes, shipments, orders "from the Root Council." Bingo.
Konan approaches silently. "Should we eliminate them?" she asks. "Not yet. I need to know what they know."
From my backpack, I pull out a small sealed sphere: a prototype sensory seal I improvised using what I learned from Jiraiya's scrolls. I activate it and unleash Lightning Release: Great. The lightning bolt slices through the air with a sharp hiss, striking one of the men and knocking him down. The other two turn around in alarm, but before they can scream, Konan unfurls a fan of sharp papers. Silence returns.
We approach. One of the men is still breathing. His body trembles in the rain. "Who… who are you?" he stammers. "Just rain," I reply.
I look at Konan. She understands without words. If I want information, I must use methods that would have condemned me before. I take a deep breath. I don't have Nagato's Human Path yet, but I can use my chakra to stimulate his mind, forcing a response between life and death. I place my hand on his forehead. "Tell me… who do the Konoha spies in the Land of Rain serve?"
His body arches, his eyes turn white. "R… Root… Danzō's orders… contact Hanzo… exchange… weapons… and bodies…"
The rest are choked words. He falls lifeless. I stare at his body for a moment, as the rain washes the blood from his face. "Yahiko…" Konan whispers, her voice breaking. "Since when… since when did you become like this?"
I don't answer. Because the truth is, I don't know either. I only know that in this world, innocence is a luxury I can't afford.
As we move away from the camp, Konan walks in silence. Her paper wings dissolve one by one in the rain, until only a single flower remains in her hair. I gaze at the gray horizon. Thunder rumbles in the distance. And I think that, perhaps, this war will not be won with ideals… but with shadows.