The Land of Rain. A continuous drizzle hung over the land like a thin veil.
Chiya led the Uchiha group and slipped quietly into a small border town in the Land of Rain.
The streets of the town were nearly empty. Occasionally a few figures hurried past, each carrying a sense of suppressed heaviness about them.
"The gap between this place and the Land of Fire is truly enormous."
Fugaku murmured, his gaze sweeping across the dilapidated houses and muddy streets around them.
"The Land of Rain has been at war for years. The people here live in hardship."
Chiya gave a nod.
This war had lasted more than four years, with ninja from multiple nations fighting battles in and around Amegakure.
Countless ninja had died or been wounded, and the civilian casualties in the Land of Rain had been even heavier.
Under these circumstances, how could life be good here.
The group passed through the town. Chiya led them toward the location where Yahiko and the others had been before.
However, they had not gone far past the edge of the town when Chiya's Sharingan activated instantly, his gaze sweeping the surroundings like a blade.
"Ambush!"
Chiya shouted. Everyone immediately formed a defensive formation.
Dozens of Amegakure ninja burst out from the surrounding forest, weapons in hand glinting with cold light, killing intent thick in the air.
"You dare set foot in the Land of Rain. You are looking to die!"
An Amegakure ninja shouted harshly and launched the first attack.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Chiya formed seals rapidly with both hands and spat a scorching fireball from his mouth, instantly taking the lives of the three Amegakure ninja charging at the front.
At the same moment, Chiya's three-tomoe Sharingan flickered with an eerie light.
The tomoe in the Sharingan rotated slightly. Four Amegakure ninja directly ahead were instantly caught in a genjutsu, their movements becoming sluggish.
Chiya quickly threw kunai, hitting their vital points with precision. They collapsed and died.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style, Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
"Fire Style, Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
"..."
The Uchiha group was not to be outdone. Each one unleashed their own strongest jutsu and engaged the Amegakure ninja in fierce battle.
The scorching flames quickly overwhelmed the Amegakure ninja's jutsu.
Chiya swept his gaze across the fighters and fixed it on the ninja leading the enemy group.
That person had both hands overlapping, in the middle of forming seals.
The tomoe inside Chiya's Sharingan rotated slightly, copying the hand signs.
Then his own hands moved rapidly through the same seals.
"Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
"Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
Both of them unleashed the Water Style jutsu at almost the same moment. Around both Chiya and the Amegakure squad leader, masses of water rings gathered and condensed.
The water formed into water dragons and charged rapidly toward each other.
Chiya's dragon condensed faster and struck with greater force.
It instantly broke through the enemy's water dragon, turning into a great wave that swept the enemy leader and the ninja beside him off their feet in an instant.
Chiya raised his hand quickly and threw without looking back.
The kunai wrapped in explosive tags, guided by the precise perception of his Sharingan, landed right in the center of the group.
The explosion rang out. Severed limbs and broken bodies were scattered everywhere.
Under the assault of the Uchiha ninja, the first wave of Amegakure ninja was wiped out quickly.
"Hmph. Nothing but minor characters."
Fugaku was slightly out of breath, a trace of confidence on his face.
The words had barely left his mouth when a second wave of Amegakure ninja suddenly appeared and came charging in.
"Damn it. How can there be this many of these Amegakure people?"
Fugaku frowned.
Something stirred in Chiya's mind. He also felt something was off.
The image of Danzo flashed through his thoughts.
'Is that old dog trying to trip me up?'
'That should not be. He would not have recovered this fast. Right now he should still be dealing with the Root situation.'
'If not that old bastard, then who?'
Chiya quickly scanned the surroundings and spoke with sharp alertness.
"Everyone, be careful."
The group quickly adjusted their formation and engaged the second wave.
"Fire Style, Great Fire Annihilation!"
Chiya held nothing back.
Chakra gathered in his throat, and he breathed out a vast sheet of flame forward, spreading like a tide of seawater.
The range was enormous. It directly engulfed the majority of the Rain-nin.
Screams rang out one after another.
The scale of this Fire Style jutsu sent a chill through everyone present.
Chiya's genjutsu was also unleashed again. In a short span of time he easily repelled the second wave of nearly twenty Amegakure ninja.
The battle ended.
Chiya did not relax his guard because of this.
"Lord Clan Head, there seems to be nothing unusual in the area."
An Uchiha ninja swept the surroundings with his Sharingan and, after confirming nothing was out of the ordinary, said quietly.
'No. It is not that simple.'
Chiya shook his head without speaking.
These two waves of Amegakure ninja had appeared far too abruptly.
He had clearly used genjutsu to slip into the Land of Rain, masking their presence completely.
Ordinary ninja had no way of detecting his genjutsu.
His Sharingan kept rotating, as though searching for something.
"Head west first."
Chiya led the group through various detours. All the way through, they did not encounter another Amegakure ninja.
'Was I overthinking it?'
"Someone is ahead!"
Chiya's gaze sharpened.
His Sharingan caught something unusual.
At that moment, the sound of laughter came from the forest not far away.
"Uchiha Chiya. What brings you here?"
A familiar voice rang out.
The person stepped out from the shadows. A tall figure, a head of distinctive white hair, wooden sandals on his feet.
"It is, it is Lord Jiraiya!"
A young Uchiha recognized the person and lowered the kunai in his hand.
Everyone looked surprised.
No one had expected that in a place like Amegakure, they would run into the legendary Lord Jiraiya.
"On a mission. Came to check on them while I was at it."
Jiraiya looked at Chiya, a trace of surprise on his weathered face.
'This Uchiha Chiya actually cares about those three as well?'
"You mean Konan and the others? They are in the wooden cabin just up ahead having a meal. If you head over now, you should be in time to see them."
Chiya gave a nod, then glanced back at the Uchiha group.
"Wait here for me."
The moment Chiya finished speaking, he used the Body Flicker and went ahead.
Just as he reached the front of the cabin, he could already hear the voices of the three inside.
"The grilled fish today tastes really good. Konan, you have been training hard lately. Eat more."
"Lord Jiraiya has been gone so long and still has not come back. Yahiko, let us save some food for our teacher."
"..."
Listening to the voices coming from inside, a sense of ease spread across Chiya's face.
It seemed that after the war ended, those three were living a decent enough life.
Just then, the door inside opened. What came into view was a red-haired boy.
"Chiya-nii?"
It was Nagato who had come out.
When he saw Chiya standing outside, a flash of excitement crossed his eyes. He stepped quickly out of the cabin.
Konan heard "Chiya-nii" and her expression brightened immediately. Without a second thought she ran straight outside.
Seeing Chiya standing in front of her, Konan threw herself at him.
"Chiya-nii, you came to see us?"
Hearing the sobbing and excitement in Konan's voice.
"Yes. I had a mission. Came to see you while I was passing through."
The three of them had not changed much in appearance.
But compared to their frail frames from before, they had grown considerably more solid and sturdy.
"You three are doing well!"
Yahiko stood in place, scratched his head, and broke into a goofy grin.
Nagato lowered his head and said nothing, but the slight curve at the corner of his mouth made it clear his mood was excellent.
The atmosphere was warm and easy.
"What, are you not going to invite me in to sit?"
"Chiya-nii!"
Konan grabbed Chiya's hand and pulled him toward the cabin.
...
In the distant forest, raindrops fell with a steady patter.
A white-haired head silently rose from the earth, looking in the direction of the cabin.
After a long while, a murmur.
"Is this Uchiha Chiya truly suitable to become Lord Madara's successor?"