Twenty-Seven: Impersonating Tsunade's Husband

The Land of Rain is so named because it rains in this country almost every single day.

Sometimes it is a light drizzle, other times a torrential downpour; dark clouds blanket the sky, and clear days are a rarity.

"The rain has only gotten heavier since we entered the Land of Rain. I wonder what it will be like once we actually step inside Amegakure."

Gazing at the silhouette of Amegakure as it gradually became clearer ahead, Tsunade sighed.

"It is the territory of the Demigod of the Rain, what did you expect?"

Sakuya looked up at the sky and frowned. "With rain this heavy, the power of my Fire Style will be reduced by half for no reason at all."

"It's not just that; my Earth Style will also lose its effectiveness in such a downpour," Tsunade added.

Heavy rain provides a massive water supply for Water Style users. Water can not only extinguish flames but also wash away earth. When the ninjas of Amegakure use their ninjutsu, the power is amplified by this torrential rain; even an ordinary C-rank jutsu can transform into a surging, violent wave, unleashing power far beyond its usual capacity.

This is the power of the elements.

However, the good news is that while Hanzo's mastery of Water Style is astonishing, his most threatening weapon—the poisonous mist of his Salamander—is not a Water Style technique and thus does not benefit from the rain. If it did, his strength would be even more terrifying.

"If only there were a ninjutsu that could clear the skies."

Sakuya adjusted the raincoat on his body and spoke.

"If we could temporarily clear the sky, we might be able to limit the Demigod's power to the greatest extent."

"Change the weather?"

Tsunade wore an expression of disbelief. "Isn't that something only a god could do?"

The power of a god? That might be an exaggeration.

Sakuya vaguely remembered a child named Yota from the original anime; his clan possessed a special power that allowed them to change the weather based on their emotions.

Crying brought rain, anger brought thunder, and happiness brought snow. Later, after he died, he was summoned by Yakushi Kabuto via Impure World Reincarnation, and because of his kind heart, he chose to end his own life.

Although he didn't know the principles behind their Kekkei Genkai, it was clear that this "divine" power, as Tsunade called it, was something ordinary ninjas could master.

It was just that he probably wouldn't be able to develop such a ninjutsu during this simulation. Sakuya was still only at the prototype stage with his self-developed high-level Fire Style, let alone a weather-clearing technique.

"Alright, let's put that aside for now. How are we getting in?"

Seeing that they were getting closer to Amegakure, Tsunade asked Sakuya.

"There are quite a few guards watching the outskirts of Amegakure; it won't be easy for us to sneak in."

"We'll do as Kato said before we came: you and I will pose as a married couple from the Land of Fields, here to purchase supplies."

Sakuya left a secret signal on a nearby tree as he spoke.

"P-pose as a married couple!?"

Hearing this, Tsunade's voice suddenly spiked in pitch.

"Wh-wh-why do we have to pose as a married couple? We could pose as siblings, or fellow villagers, or anything else! Why a married couple?"

Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, her face turning bright red, and she didn't even dare to look at Sakuya again.

"What did you just say? What do you mean 'why'? It's just to get inside; we just need to fool the guards at the gate."

Sakuya performed a few one-handed seals, using the Transformation Technique to change his face and body into those of a stranger. He then looked at Tsunade, only to see her still standing there stiffly, and urged her, "Don't delay the mission, hurry up."

"I... I know! Don't rush me!"

Tsunade stomped her foot in frustration and shame, then used the Transformation Technique.

"From now on, you have to call me husband, understand?"

Sakuya stared at her.

"...You hateful guy, you're getting a bargain."

Tsunade glared at Sakuya, biting her lip. A moment later, she shyly spat out the word "husband."

"Let's go, into Amegakure."

Seeing her cooperation, Sakuya nodded with satisfaction. "Take my hand."

"I know."

Tsunade pouted and reached out to grab Sakuya's left hand.

She missed, catching only his sleeve.

She had forgotten; his hand had been severed by that Tsuchigumo fellow while he was saving her.

At this thought, a pang of heartache welled up in Tsunade's chest.

She gripped his sleeve tightly and subconsciously moved a little closer to him.

The two walked up to the gates of Amegakure, and Sakuya pulled two travel permits from his robes and handed them to the guards.

"My lords, we are a married couple from the Land of Fields, here to purchase supplies. These are our permits; please have a look."

"Oh, oh... Merchants from the Land of Fields? You've had a long journey."

The Amegakure ninja took the travel permits, glanced at them, and then scanned the pair. As the gaze swept over her, Tsunade instinctively leaned closer to Sakuya. To the gatekeeper, this reaction merely suggested a pair of newlywed spouses who were still a bit shy, and he thought nothing more of it.

After confirming everything was in order, he returned the permits to Sakuya and nodded at them.

"Go on in. There's a festival in the village tomorrow night; you can go take a look then."

"Thank you, sir."

Sakuya nodded.

Ever since the Demigod Hanzo pushed for the Small Nations Alliance, merchants from various small nations had frequently come to Amegakure to conduct business. Amegakure was quite friendly—even welcoming—toward these merchants, as they helped foster the village's development.

Having passed the inspection safely, Sakuya and Tsunade entered the village together.

The two walked through the endless curtain of rain, passing pedestrians holding umbrellas from time to time.

They stopped in the middle of a plaza.

"Sakuya..."

Tsunade gripped the corner of Sakuya's sleeve, her voice low and trembling.

In the center of the plaza stood a pillar, and hanging from it were two corpses.

One of them bore a scar, and his features bore a slight resemblance to Tsunade's.

Shota.

The rogue ninja from the Land of Fang, the missing chunin.

In terms of lineage, he should have been Tsunade's uncle.

"Stay calm, Tsunade."

Sakuya whispered a word of comfort: "Don't do anything suspicious."

He could feel that there were many eyes around the plaza fixed intently on this area.

Hanging Shota's corpse here served two purposes: first, as a deterrent, and second, to attract the attention of any spies who might have infiltrated Amegakure.

"When we leave, I will find a way to take his body with us."

He nodded at Tsunade: "Trust me."

"...Mm."

Tsunade gave a soft response.

Sensing prying eyes shifting toward them, Tsunade instinctively leaned her head onto Sakuya's shoulder.

"Husband... shall we, shall we go take a look over there? It's my first time in Amegakure, after all; keep me company and show me around."

She said deliberately: "The rain scenery here is much prettier than back in our Land of Fields."

"Whatever you say, whatever you say."

Sakuya nodded with a faint smile.

Feeling the prying gazes dissipate, Tsunade let out a sigh of relief.

She exchanged a look with Sakuya, and they quietly slipped away from the plaza.