Kirigakure was shrouded in thin mist and water vapor that never dispersed all year round. The village was built against the mountains and beside the water; most buildings used dark stone and corrosion-resistant timber, with steep roofs to help drain rain. The air always carried the salty dampness of sea wind and a faint fishy smell. At the village center stood the Mizukage Building and the major administrative institutions, on the highest ground. Radiating outward were the residential districts of Kekkei Genkai clans such as the Kaguya Clan and the Yuki Clan. Nalong's residence was in a high-end residential area relatively close to the village core. It was a quiet, traditional Japanese-style compound with white walls and blue tiles, towering courtyard walls, a main house, side rooms, an independent training ground, and a small pond. The surroundings were serene.
That evening, after handling ANBU affairs, Nalong changed out of his uniform, put on a dark yukata, and walked back to his residence. The afterglow of the setting sun barely pierced the thin mist. Just as he reached the vermilion gate, he heard a childish yet earnest shout from inside the courtyard.
He pushed the gate open. In the center of the courtyard training ground, a tiny figure of about five was practicing basic taijutsu. It was Haku, a war orphan of the Yuki Clan. His parents had both died in the Third Shinobi World War. Though he came from a Kekkei Genkai clan, a branch-family orphan who had lost both parents lived a rather difficult life within the clan. A year ago, when Nalong happened upon the child, he was being bullied by other children in the clan, yet he gritted his teeth and did not cry. His eyes held a resilience far beyond his age, and he had even