Land of Rain.
Dilapidated ravines, ruined buildings, skeletal remains reaching out as if for help...
Even though ten years had passed, the tragedies of those years could still be seen in the small details.
The Third Great Ninja War had left a deep impression on the minds of Yahiko, Rin, and even the three Uchiha Root Members with them. It was a nightmare woven from blood and hatred.
The five of them wore raincoats, the sound of their footsteps splashing rhythmically, both calm and noisy.
Suddenly, the three Uchiha Root Members stopped in their tracks, looking at the two figures looming in the curtain of rain, their gazes falling upon their black cloaks with red clouds.
"The Akatsuki!"
The atmosphere became heavy.
Yahiko stepped forward and said, as if in gratitude, "Everyone, I have reached my destination."
Upon hearing this, the three Uchiha Root Members took a step back.
Rin stared intently at the two figures looming in the curtain of rain.
Yahiko walked up, his figure becoming faint within the curtain of rain.
The curtain of rain didn't just block their vision, it also cut off the sound. Rin couldn't hear anything, she only saw that Yahiko's expression was very intense.
The Akatsuki man remained unmoved but the girl seemed somewhat unable to bear it and also helped to persuade him.
After ten odd minutes, Yahiko walked back with a complicated expression. He took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Rin and the three Uchiha Root Members.
"Tell Hiromi for me that I am very sad and desperate right now. I hope I can change their mistaken ideas."
"Yahiko..." Rin felt somewhat uneasy.
Yahiko smiled. The smile was painful to look at, yet it was also brilliant and beautiful. He turned around and stepped into the curtain of rain once more.
Rin watched his back, while the three Uchiha Root Members looked at the Kunai in his hand, their cold gazes becoming somewhat solemn.
The four of them watched his figure.
Then, in the silent curtain of rain, Yahiko's blurry figure clearly raised a blurry arm.
And then...
Yahiko collapsed weakly.
"Yahiko!!!"
Konan's scream pierced through the rain as she held Yahiko, weeping uncontrollably, seemingly begging him to come back.
Nagato seemed startled, showing a slight sign of backing away, but it also seemed like an illusion.
In this noisy yet silent rain, Rin went numb.
"Yahiko..."
She hadn't expected Yahiko to choose this path.
The three Uchiha Root Members turned around expressionlessly and left with Rin, who was in a daze.
...
After walking for a long time, the sunlight became bright. The wet raincoat could finally be taken off.
On the tree branch in front, the figure of the masked man appeared once again.
The moment Rin saw him, a different surge of ocular power fluctuated from her body.
Obito's pupils constricted sharply.
A familiar sound followed.
Zzzzt, zzzzt, zzzzt...
It was the sound of an Explosive Tag burning.
"No!!!"
He hadn't expected that this time, what Hiromi had set up was for her to commit suicide as soon as she saw him. He wanted to save Rin, but he saw her holding a Kunai, filled with killing intent directed solely at him.
It's happening again!
"Hiromi!!!"
Obito's eyes were nearly bursting with madness.
Boom!
—
Uchiha Clan Compound, Hiromi's home, basement.
Rin opened her eyes, her expression extremely complex. She looked to the side but didn't see the person she expected. For a moment, the unease in her heart intensified. She felt aggrieved and unwilling, and her eyes couldn't help but sting.
At that moment, a green fluorescence appeared, dispelling her aversion to this world and making her more lively.
The three Uchiha Root Members, as usual, followed behind Hiromi like puppets, walking up the stairs step by step.
Just like the previous two resurrections. But this time, she was the only one left in the basement.
"Where is Yahiko? Why didn't you resurrect him?" Rin ran up and blocked Hiromi's path, her eyes blurred with tears.
"Why should I resurrect him?" Hiromi stopped in his tracks, while the three Uchiha Root Members behind him didn't stop and continued walking forward.
At this moment, Rin only had eyes on Hiromi. She opened her mouth, tears falling uncontrollably, but she couldn't say a single word.
Hiromi took a step, intending to bypass her.
Then, Rin's voice, tinged with a hint of hatred, came through. "Then why did you resurrect me?"
"An experiment." Hiromi's voice was very calm.
"Ex...periment?"
"I resurrected Yahiko to conduct an experiment. As long as he reached his destination, regardless of success or failure, it was an experimental result."
Rin stared blankly at Hiromi, tears still on her face, as if she had been paused.
She had never known about this, Yahiko hadn't told her. Rin knew it wasn't that Yahiko intentionally hid it, but that there was no need to say it. He thought she wasn't Hiromi's experimental subject, but that Hiromi had only resurrected her so that he could successfully enter the Land of Rain.
She wiped her tears and looked at Hiromi with her fists clenched. "What is my experiment?"
Hiromi said, "Do what you want to do."
From Yahiko's choice, Hiromi could be certain: he definitely couldn't resurrect his unlucky parents at this time. Because he would soon be at odds with Konoha, and at that point, it was very likely he would become enemies with his parents.
Especially since resurrected people have much less fear of death. It's not just the resurrected, the same applies to those who know about them.
Could Nagato view Yahiko's death so indifferently? No, he might suspect that Hiromi would resurrect Yahiko again. Although Hiromi wouldn't, that didn't stop Nagato from thinking so.
As for Hiromi resurrecting Rin, he wanted to see what the attitude of strangers would be toward the appearance of a resurrected person, and what her attitude toward those strangers' attitudes would be.
Whether Rin was going to find Kakashi or the masked man to reveal the truth to her friends and seek comfort.
Or to inform everyone that Hiromi could resurrect others, making them hostile toward him.
Or perhaps live cautiously within Konoha, just scraping by.
Hiromi wouldn't stop any of it. Whether it was betrayal or just surviving, these were all experimental results.
Rin didn't think that far ahead. She repeated Hiromi's words. "Do what I want to do?"
"Yes, my people won't stop you."
Hiromi walked away, getting further and further from Rin.
After only ten seconds, Rin caught up again, spreading her arms and stubbornly blocking Hiromi.
"Resurrect Yahiko."
Hiromi was stunned for a moment.
Rin spoke again, "You said to let me do what I want to do."
Hiromi smiled and gave an 'mm' sound, seemingly unable to hold back his laughter as he chuckled and said, "It's for you to go do it, not for you to make a wish."
He took another step, bypassed Rin, and left. Rin was left standing there with her head down and fists clenched, filled with loneliness, as if she were the only person left in the entire world.
Her face was pale, and tears flowed incessantly, her expression showing some struggle.
Figures of several people flashed through her mind.
If she had any dreams, besides wanting to see Kakashi get married and have children, Obito resurrected, and her teacher and his wife resurrected, it was only to see Yahiko again.
If even Yahiko, someone useful to Hiromi, wasn't resurrected, then how could Hiromi possibly resurrect Obito or her teacher and his wife?
Her wavering will slowly began to grow firm, she saw a glimmer of hope in Hiromi.