Ever since they entered the Land of Rain, the weather had been overcast and drizzly for days.
Tsunade pulled her raincoat tighter around herself and, beneath her conical hat, glanced at the cloud-filled sky. Unable to resist complaining, she said, "It's been many years since I last came here, and the Land of Rain is still as unpleasant as ever. This damn rain never stops. I really don't know how the people here live."
"Lady Tsunade, do we really not need to stay hidden?"
Uchiha Sōgetsu put his Anbu mask back on, vigilantly watching their surroundings as he deliberately lowered his voice. "What if Hanzo of the Salamander discovers us? That could be..."
The reason they had come to the Land of Rain
was purely because the final sealing location marked on the Scroll was within its borders.
As ninjas from another country, entering Amegakure's territory was an extremely dangerous matter.
After all, Amegakure's leader at the time, Hanzo of the Salamander, had once overpowered the younger generation's Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.
If not for his concerns over the enormous gap between their Hidden Villages, those three might have all died here.
And Hanzo's bestowal of the title "Konoha's Legendary Sannin" had made them famous throughout the Shinobi World, following them for the rest of their lives.
"Hey, there's no need to hide." Tsunade waved dismissively and said carelessly, "Besides, hiding would be useless. From the moment we entered the Land of Rain, it was only a matter of time before Hanzo found us. Since that's the case, we might as well walk in openly. That way, an old man like him won't dare make a move so easily."
"Are you sure?"
Uchiha Sōgetsu was highly skeptical.
"What else?" Tsunade shot him a glance and sneered. "If Hanzo really had that much backbone, he wouldn't have let the three of us leave back then."
A trace of resentment could clearly be heard in her tone.
Perhaps realizing that her credibility was somewhat questionable with this Uchiha brat, she explained further, "Don't worry. There's no direct conflict between Konoha and Amegakure right now. Hanzo is a mature politician; he won't rashly start a war. Our openly appearing in the Land of Rain is actually the safest course of action."
Uchiha Sōgetsu frowned. "But if we stay out in the open, how are we supposed to avoid Hanzo's eyes and inspect the sealing location?"
"Why avoid him?"
Tsunade took out a milk candy, peeled off the wrapper, and handed it to Hikari beside her. "Here, have some candy. It'll warm you up."
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade!" Hikari accepted the milk candy with both hands and carefully put it into her mouth.
The sweet flavor seemed to seep into her heart, making her narrow her eyes in delight.
"We'll just tell Hanzo directly." Tsunade clapped her hands and scoffed. "So what if he knows? Even if we gave him ten times the courage, would he dare touch the seal? It's not that I'm looking down on Hanzo. Precisely because he's a mature politician and understands Amegakure's current situation, he'll be even less willing to offend us."
A mature politician... Uchiha Sōgetsu gave Tsunade an odd look, feeling that her words seemed to be mocking more than just Hanzo.
"There." Tsunade jerked her chin ahead. "Someone's come to welcome us."
As soon as she finished speaking, they could already see the people approaching from the other side. Wearing Amegakure forehead protectors, they respectfully came before them.
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Hanzo asked me to convey his greetings."
The lead ninja appeared respectful, but a deep hatred lay hidden in his eyes. Nervously, he asked, "To avoid diplomatic complications, could you say out loud what your purpose is in Amegakure?"
Though it was not wartime, one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin, a member of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, suddenly appearing in Amegakure was enough to set this small village on edge.
Not much time had passed since the Second Ninja World War, and they still clearly remembered the pressure of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
"We are carrying out an important mission under the Hokage's Order."
Tsunade completely ignored their hate-filled stares and said flatly, "It also concerns Amegakure. Have Hanzo come discuss it with me. You aren't qualified."
Whether in terms of strength or the foundation of the Hidden Village behind her, she had every right to say such words.
But to Amegakure's ninjas, this was undoubtedly an insult.
With every other word, she demanded that the leader of a nation's Hidden Village come personally, and their statuses were completely unequal!
"You!"
The lead ninja's face twisted, and the hatred in his eyes became obvious.
"Rather than waste time talking nonsense with me here, hurry back."
Tsunade stepped forward, folded her arms over her chest, and swept her oppressive gaze over the Rain Ninja one by one. "Don't blame me for not warning Hanzo in advance. We can choose not to complete this mission, but his days might not be so pleasant afterward."
Hearing her openly threatening tone, the Rain Ninja were uncertain what to make of it.
In the end, the lead Rain Ninja glared at them resentfully and said through gritted teeth, "You lot follow them. Don't act without permission. I'll go report to Lord Hanzo!"
"Brat, let's go."
Tsunade completely ignored the Rain Ninja beside them, treating them like air as she took Hikari's hand and said to him, "It's not often we get to visit Amegakure. We should have a good look around."
The remaining dozen or so Rain Ninja followed behind them like bodyguards, thoroughly aggrieved.
What could they do, even if they disliked it?
No matter how humiliated they felt, they could only endure.
Caught between two behemoths, even Hanzo, renowned as a master of Water Release, could only swallow his anger.
Just then, explosions suddenly rang out in the distance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Brilliant Hikari flared amid the enormous explosions, clearly visible through the curtain of rain.
"Someone's fighting!"
The Rain Ninja had barely finished speaking when a figure in a black robe charged toward them.
"Not good, it's those damned traitors!" One of the Rain Ninja instantly recognized the opposing ninja. "Akatsuki! They're from Akatsuki!"
The Akatsuki member branded a "traitor" had spiky orange hair and determined eyes. Gripping a kunai, he lowered his body and sprinted toward them.
Akatsuki?
Hearing this, Uchiha Sōgetsu, who had remained silent to maintain the Anbu's outward image, showed a trace of interest in his eyes.
Orange hair, spiky hair... this should be Yahiko, right?
That distinctive appearance let him recognize at once that this suddenly appearing ninja was Akatsuki's founder—Yahiko!
"Quick, stop him!"
Before the Rain Ninja could finish, Yahiko had already reached them.
Boom!
After only one exchange, the Rain Ninja was kicked flying by Yahiko.
The force was so great that the man spat out blood, his chest caving in. He clearly would not survive.
Ninjutsu: Senbon Shower! Another Rain Ninja seized the opportunity, forming dozens of senbon from water and sending them whistling toward Yahiko.
In midair, Yahiko formed hand seals. Ninjutsu: Water Wall!
The Land of Rain experienced rainfall year-round, providing enormous enhancement and convenience for Water Release ninjutsu. Thus, the Rain Ninja were all skilled in Water Release, and Yahiko was no exception.
A massive wall of water appeared out of thin air, blocking the incoming senbon.
"Konan!"
Yahiko called out quietly.
At the same time, paper cranes suddenly rose all around them, fluttering like butterflies.
The next moment, the paper cranes beat their wings and flew before the Rain Ninja.
Sizzle.
A flash of Hikari ignited fiercely.
"Not good, they're Explosive Tags!"
The Rain Ninja stared in terror, but it was already too late.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A chain of violent explosions directly engulfed them.
In only a few seconds, more than a dozen Rain Ninja were wiped out. Yahiko, the one responsible, then turned his gaze toward them.
"It's been a long time, Lady Tsunade."
Yahiko looked at Tsunade, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes. "Is my teacher Jiraiya doing well?"
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