Feeling a Little Melancholy

"Conquer the world? You really dare to say that. With your meager skills, you couldn't even handle one Rain Ninja, could you?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Just because it's not possible now doesn't mean it won't be possible in the future. If I can't do it alone, then I'll find like-minded partners and pool our strength to do it together. As long as we're united, I don't believe there's anything in this world that we can't do."

Yahiko was radiant, his eyes sparkling with confidence.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. Some people are truly destined for greatness. No wonder he is the man who will one day create the Akatsuki Organization. You can already see some of his potential for greatness. Compared to Nagato, who has the Rinnegan, Yahiko is the real strongman, the strongman in his heart.

The reason Yahiko died was probably because Zetsu and Obito judged that he was an uncontrollable person. In comparison, Nagato, who had a simpler and more timid personality, was easier to control.

Perhaps if we could find a way to save Yahiko's life, the future might be very different...

"Hey, what are you thinking about? Why do you look so serious?"

A slap landed on her shoulder, Katsuki awake. Looking at Yahiko's concerned expression, she smiled slightly, "I was wondering if you could actually take down a Rain Ninja."

"Ugh... you bastard." Yahiko's eyebrows furrowed. "Let's go back and have a one-on-one fight. I'll show you what I'm made of!"

"Really? Do you want me to give you a handicap?"

Katsuki maintained her calm smile, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.

Yahiko let out an angry roar of discontent, and the group laughed and joked as they headed back.

Once the four figures had completely disappeared into the rain, two white heads suddenly appeared on the blue stones by the river.

"Another little devil!"

"Yes, there's one more."

The white-headed creature on the left glanced sideways at its companion and said unhappily, "Hey, don't mimic me."

"Oh!" the white-headed man on the right responded, then added, "The new brat is also a member of the Uzumaki Clan. Won't that affect the plan?"

"That's possible! But... we just need to report these things; we don't need to worry about the specifics." The white-haired man on the left nodded first, then shook his head.

"Wasn't it said that the Uzumaki Clan was wiped out by the Mist Ninja? How come there are still survivors?" the one on the right asked.

"There are always a few who slip through the net, isn't Nagato them? Not all Uzumaki Clan are in Uzushio Village; quite a few are scattered elsewhere," the one on the left said in a deep voice. "However, this matter really needs to be reported quickly. If 'eyes' are affected, even the smallest problem is something we can't afford to deal with."

As they were talking, another string of white heads popped up on the bluestone, looking from a distance like a cluster of white mushrooms.

The Rinnegan is extremely valuable. To protect these treasures, hundreds of White Zetsu are lurking around Nagato. This massive force revolves around Nagato, with the White Zetsu bearing the responsibility of protection and reporting on everything that happens around Nagato.

The White Zetsu exchanged a few words, some went to report, and the rest continued to lurk nearby, monitoring the movements of the 'eye'.

"Konan, be careful."

Yahiko greeted him cautiously.

"Bring it on!"

Konan waved, Yahiko, Kunai in hand, charged forward. In the blink of an eye, the two were locked in a fierce battle in the rain.

The force of the punches disrupted the falling raindrops, and each kick sent a low whistling sound through the air. Neither of the sparring partners held back; both were fighting with all their might.

Jiraiya temporarily left to return to the military camp to participate in Konoha's battle against the Sand Village. However Yahiko and the others did not relax. Following Jiraiya's teachings, the three of them persisted in training every day, practicing Taijutsu and Ninjutsu diligently. Among them, Yahiko was the most diligent.

Yahiko's ambition gave him strong motivation, allowing him to move step by step toward his goal and keep striving.

In contrast, Nagato was not very proactive, and he and Konan revolved around Yahiko; Yahiko was the core of the trio.

"My health is severely compromised! I can only watch helplessly."

Sitting under the eaves, watching Yahiko and Konan practicing in the rain in the field, Katsuki sighed.

He didn't get involved. Even though he bickered with Yahiko all the way back, no one brought it up again after they got back. Given his current physical condition, he couldn't do any high-intensity training.

"Sizzle!!!"

The crackling sound was faint, Kunai silvery-white lightning arcs wrapped around the kunai, constantly shrinking inward. The chaotic lightning arcs were gradually restrained, as if being reined in and squeezed towards the blade. However, before the lightning could be contained within the blade, the steel Kunai withstand the powerful Lightning Release Chakra, and the blade twisted like a wavy line.

It's already ruined.

"Tch, useless trash. The artisans of the Land of Rain are utterly incompetent."

Katsuki frowned, the lightning on the Kunai instantly dissipated, and as he toyed with the twisted and unrecognizable Kunai, he could only sigh and miss his short sword.

Without comparison, there is no harm; with comparison, one can better appreciate how easy his short sword was to use, its symmetrical and beautiful shape, its comfortable weight, its sharp curve, its sturdy material, and its extremely high affinity for Chakra. Unfortunately, all of this vanished like smoke in the rolling lightning.

"Weapons, there are no suitable weapons..."

Katsuki tapped her head absently. Sure enough, material possessions weren't very reliable. A good weapon could indeed play a huge role, but the battlefield was ever-changing, with life and death hanging in the balance. Suddenly losing your weapon would definitely be a problem.

"But without the sword, wouldn't White Lightning Strike be useless?"

Many of the Ninjutsu taught by Sakumo require the use of ninja tools, and his most prized Instant Kill technique also requires weapons. Although one can kill with bare hands, it is not as efficient and quick as a single, fatal blow.

Rubbing her fingers together, Katsuki felt a little irritated. She wasn't afraid of the goal being out of reach; what she hated was not being able to define the goal.

Hito Hito no Mi, Fuinjutsu, Lightning Release Technique, Earth Release, Taijutsu —this is the foundation of Katsuki's abilities.

He has been trying to explore the power of the Hito Hito no Mi, but so far the power of the Hito Hito no Mi is only enough for self-defense, not offense. Although the Fuinjutsu is the Uzumaki Clan's trump card, you can tell from the name that it is difficult to use in conventional battles. Except for dealing with special targets like Tailed Beast, the Fuinjutsu is not very useful.

All that's left are Lightning Release and Earth Release, which, combined with Taijutsu, are his most frequently used methods now. According to Sakumo's assessment, they've gotten somewhat right, but they're still missing the essence.

"Does that mean I'm still far from good enough?"

With a heaving chest, Katsuki let out a long breath, looking somewhat melancholy.