Land of Rain's sky never smiles.
This is the only truth that Nagato has concluded after living for more than ten years.
In this country that has been soaked in continuous rain for so long, few people even remember what the sun looks like.
The ninjas of Amegakure barely maintained order under the rule of Hanzo the Salamander, but order does not mean food and clothing.
Civilians outside the village still live in leaky stilts, eating porridge that becomes thinner day by day, and their children step barefoot in the mud. Even a pair of straw sandals is a luxury item.
But today is different.
Land of Rain On the streets of the border town Willow River, two oxcarts were stuck in the mud, and the carts were filled with sacks carefully wrapped in oilcloth.
A young man with orange hair was standing next to the bullock cart, with his sleeves rolled up, revealing a pair of hands that had been soaked white by the rain, and he was struggling to carry a bag of rice off the cart.
His hair was soaked by the rain and became strands sticking to his forehead. The sweat on his face mixed with the rain and dripped down, but he didn't bother to wipe it.
"Yahiko! Take a break!"
A girl with short blue hair and a lipstick on her chin poked her head out from behind another bullock cart, holding two dough bags three times larger than her head.
"You haven't had a sip of water since morning! Do you want to exhaust yourself so that I can do all the work alone?"
"Konan, I'm fine."
Yahiko grinned, showing his white teeth.
"Master Hanzo is summoning us tomorrow. This is a great thing! We have to do more to show everyone that Akatsuki does what he says and is definitely not a liar who only shouts slogans!"
Konan rolled his eyes at him and threw the flour bag under a makeshift shed, his voice half covered by the sound of rain.
"I think you are just too excited. You stayed up late last night, practicing over and over again how to speak to Master Hanzo, which made Nagato and I unable to sleep."
"Did you even hear this?"
"The noise you made when you turned over was so loud that the dogs in the shed next door were barking."
Yahiko scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and was about to retort when a thin red-haired boy walked silently behind him, carrying a bag of rice in one hand and walking as steadily as a rutted bullock cart.
Nagato gently placed the rice bag under the shed, straightened up, wiped the rain from his forehead with his sleeve, and then turned to Yahiko.
"Yahiko, I think you are right. Mr. Hanzo is willing to listen to us, which means that he recognizes what we are doing. We must seize this opportunity."
Yahiko looked at Nagato's eyes that were half covered by long bangs. Rinnegan's eyes were still light purple, and the circles of lines looked particularly deep in the rain.
Yahiko knew that Nagato didn't like others staring into his eyes, so he just patted Nagato on the shoulder hard, making Nagato stagger.
"That's right! The three of us, plus these dozens of brothers who believe in us, will definitely make Land of Rain different!"
The "Xiao" organization was established less than half a year ago. At first, Yahiko was just distributing the rations he saved in the shanty towns outside Amegakure. Later, Konan joined, and then Nagato also came.
Three people, a tent, and a few bags of moldy rice were all Xiao's possessions.
But somehow, people joined them one after another - orphans who lost their parents, widows whose husbands died on the front line, veterans who were cleared by the Hanzo troops, and wandering ninjas who fled from other ninja villages.
Wearing Akatsuki cloak designed by Yahiko, they traveled between towns in Land of Rain, repairing bridges and roads, distributing food, mediating disputes, and taking in orphans.
No one provided them with funds. All the food was bought with the money Yahiko earned from doing tasks. The shortfall was made up by Konan taking a few kunoichi to pick wild vegetables and dig wild potatoes in the mountains.
Nagato is responsible for keeping accounts - he is the only one among the three who can calculate the accounts clearly.
They were extremely poor, but the Akatsuki cloak was worn cleanly and neatly washed by every member because it was their only dignity.
And today, this dignity is finally seen.
Three days ago, a Ninja Hawk wearing Hanzo Forehead Protector landed on the top of the tent in the Akatsuki temporary camp.
The signature is stamped with a vermillion seal of Hanzo.
Yahiko took the letter and read it twenty times, then rushed out of the tent and shouted to all the members who were eating.
"Hanzo Master wants to see us!"
No one finished the meal. Everyone threw away their bowls and gathered around to discuss. Some were so excited that they cried, some were so nervous that they were shaking, and some wanted to sew new robes on the spot.
They were so happy.
Because Hanzo the Salamander - the man who stands at the top of Shinobi World and is revered as a "demigod" - is actually willing to listen to a group of idiots.
"Everyone, work harder!"
Yahiko put the last bag of noodles on his shoulders and shouted to the dozens of members behind him, the sound carried far away in the rain.
"Have distributed the food to the Willow River today, put on clean robes tomorrow, and let's go see Master Hanzo! Let Master Hanzo see that we Akatsuki are not just show-offs!"
Dozens of figures wearing Akatsuki cloak responded in unison in the rain.
Their faces were blurred by the rain, but everyone's eyes were bright. That brightness was not illuminated by ninjutsu, but was ignited by something called "hope".
In the evening, the food distribution was completed.
More than two hundred families in the Willow River have all received their rations for the next half month. Several old people tremblingly held Yahiko's hands, with tears in their cloudy eyes.
Yahiko just smiled and scratched his head and said, "This is what we should do."
It was already dark when we returned to the temporary camp.
The camp is located in an abandoned shrine outside the town of the Willow River. There is a big hole in the roof, and rainwater leaks in, but at least there are a few walls that can block the wind.
Dozens of members sat around the fire in the middle of the shrine, warming their rain-soaked auspicious cloud robes, but there was no trace of fatigue on their faces, only uncontrollable excitement.
"We will meet the demigod tomorrow."
A young member rubbed his hands, his tone a bit dreamy.
"I have heard about Master Hanzo's reputation since I was a child, but I never expected to see him in person in this life."
"He is the strongest person in Shinobi World! I heard that he can defeat thousands of troops by himself!" Another member answered.
"If he is willing to meet with us, does it mean that he recognizes our ideas?"
"It must be! Otherwise, why would he summon him?"
"When we meet Mr. Hanzo, we will discuss our ideas - to establish food distribution stations throughout Land of Rain, to take in war orphans, and to build a trade road to Land of Fire..."
Discussions abounded, and Kakko shone on the young and excited faces, making their auspicious cloud robes look like burning clouds.