Rain Village's Elegy! Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan's Desperate Plight, the Turning Point of Fate

The clamor and shock on the training ground gradually subsided as the Divine Guard withdrew.

Kamizuki Yu spared only a fleeting thought for the sign-in prompt regarding "Belgrade."

A completely unfamiliar place name carried far less weight than another name in his heart.

Hidden Rain Village.

Those three children who should have bloomed into twisted flowers amid despair—Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.

Their talent, their will, if only they could receive proper guidance...

A faint curve touched Kamizuki Yu's lips. The Divine Guard needed more fresh blood, especially uncut gems with such immense potential.

Changing their fates while strengthening his own forces—killing two birds with one stone.

Besides, Hidden Rain Village, that place perpetually soaked in tears, seemed to conceal quite a few "surprises" worth seeing for himself.

The stirrings of [Sign-In Premonition] were not as intense as they had been for Belgrade, but they were still clear enough.

Hokage Office.

Minato Namikaze was dealing with a mountain of documents. In the aftermath of the Nine-Tails Attack, Hidden Leaf had much to rebuild, leaving him, the Hokage, with barely a moment of rest.

"Minato."

Kamizuki Yu entered directly without knocking.

Minato looked up, set down his pen, and gave him a gentle smile. "Yu, the Divine Guard's drill was a great success. It exceeded everyone's expectations."

"It's only an initial result. They still have a long way to go." Kamizuki Yu's tone was calm. "I'm preparing to go out for a while."

Minato's smile paused slightly. "Oh? Is there some urgent mission for the village? Or have you discovered something unusual?"

He knew very well that given Kamizuki Yu's current strength and position, he would not leave Hidden Leaf lightly unless it was something important.

"It's not urgent. Just a few personal thoughts." Kamizuki Yu walked to the window and looked out at Hidden Leaf's increasingly prosperous streets. "I plan to inspect the border regions of the Land of Fire and, while I'm at it, learn about the latest developments in the neighboring smaller countries."

The reason was perfectly reasonable and suited Hidden Leaf's current needs.

"Hidden Rain Village has seemed rather unsettled lately. Hanzo of the Salamander's rule appears to have left many people unable to breathe," he added, as if casually.

Minato pondered for a moment. "Hidden Rain Village... it truly is a troublesome place. Hanzo may be powerful, but his methods are far too ruthless. If this continues, internal turmoil is inevitable. Do you need me to assign people to assist you?"

"No need." Kamizuki Yu waved a hand. "It's more convenient for me to act alone. With you and Lord Third handling matters in the village, I'm at ease."

He was fiercely protective of his own, and Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan already fell under the category of "future family" in his mind. He did not want too many people involved, lest complications arise.

Minato rose, walked to Kamizuki Yu's side, and patted his shoulder. "Since you've made up your mind, I naturally trust your judgment. Be careful in all things. The ninja world is full of hidden currents these days."

He understood Kamizuki Yu's strength, but the necessary reminders still had to be given.

"Mm." Kamizuki Yu nodded. "Kakashi and the others will handle the Divine Guard's training. It won't be delayed."

"That's good." Minato sat back down and picked up his pen, then paused. "If you run into a difficult situation, contact me anytime."

"I will."

Leaving the Hokage Building, Kamizuki Yu did not linger for even a moment. After a few flashes, he had vanished beyond the edge of Hidden Leaf.

The Land of Rain, a country blanketed by rainfall all year round.

The endless curtain of rain was like the nation's inescapable sorrow, shrouding everything in dreary gray tones.

The air was damp and cold, carrying a faint smell of rust mingled with decay.

Kamizuki Yu walked along the muddy road. The hems of his dark blue robes were soaked by rain, yet he did not look the slightest bit bedraggled.

His senses had long since spread out, covering a vast area.

Although the intelligence network had been initially established, infiltrating a closed and xenophobic place like Hidden Rain Village was extremely difficult. Much information still required his personal confirmation.

The closer he came to Hidden Rain Village, the thicker the atmosphere of oppression and despair became.

Most of the civilians here wore numb, wary expressions, as though they had long grown accustomed to struggling through suffering.

"Hanzo of the Salamander..."

Kamizuki Yu silently repeated the name.

A man who, through his own strength alone, had made even the Five Great Nations wary of him. His power was beyond doubt, but his suspicion and cruelty had also planted countless seeds of disaster within this country.

For Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan to seek peace under the watchful eye of such a ruler was no different from a fool's dream.

Their ideals were destined to be crushed to pieces by reality.

Unless a greater power intervened.

Hidden Rain Village, a "city" made of countless cold steel towers, looked even more menacing beneath the rain.

Unlike other ninja villages, there was not the slightest trace of vitality here, only endless oppression.

Kamizuki Yu did not choose to enter through the main gate. That would undoubtedly draw unnecessary attention.

Like a ghost, he silently slipped into this forest of steel.

The village's ninjas and patrol squads were reasonably strong, but to him, they were no different from empty decorations.

He needed to find those three children.

Yahiko's passion and sense of justice, Nagato's Rinnegan potential, Konan's talent for Paper Release and her resilience.

None of it could be buried for nothing.

Kamizuki Yu stopped atop a tower, rainwater dripping from the tips of his hair.

The [Sign-In Premonition] became several times clearer the instant he entered Hidden Rain Village.

It seemed that more than one location was sending him a faint summons.

His gaze swept across the layers of pipes and buildings below as his powerful perception meticulously analyzed every trace of chakra flow.

Finding three young ninja who had yet to grow into their potential was no difficult task for Kamizuki Yu, who possessed a Sage Body and pure Uzumaki Bloodline.

Before long, his brows twitched slightly.

He found them.

In a relatively remote corner of the village, several not particularly strong yet unusually active chakra signatures caught his attention.

One of them carried the Uzumaki Clan's distinctive, immense vitality, though it was somewhat obscure and had not yet fully awakened.

It was Nagato.

Of the other two, one was filled with sharpness and defiance, while the other possessed a distinctive gentleness and delicacy.

Yahiko and Konan.

They seemed to be holding some sort of secret gathering, surrounded by several other equally young chakra signatures.

A group of youths carrying dreams in their hearts.

Kamizuki Yu vanished from where he stood.

He did not reveal himself immediately. Instead, he chose a concealed corner and quietly observed.

This was the entrance to an abandoned underground pipeline, cleverly disguised.

Simple warning seals had been set at the entrance. They were crude, yet clearly made with care.

"Yahiko, are we really going to continue? Lord Hanzo's spies are everywhere in the village. If we're discovered..."

A somewhat childish, worried voice came from within the pipeline.

"What are you afraid of? Are we supposed to live forever in this hellhole where we never see daylight?"

Yahiko's voice was full of youthful passion and anger.

"Hidden Rain Village needs to change! We must unite every force we can and make this country stop crying!"

"But Lord Hanzo..."

"Lord Hanzo has long been blinded by the glory of the past! He cannot see the village's suffering or hear the people's cries!" Konan's voice rang out, trembling slightly but incomparably resolute. "Yahiko is right. We cannot give up."

Nagato said nothing, but Kamizuki Yu could sense the fluctuations in his chakra—a complicated emotion, suppressed, yearning to agree yet full of misgivings.

A brief silence fell within the pipeline.

Kamizuki Yu lightly tapped his fingers against the cold, damp wall.

As expected, they were still too naive.

Before an absolute gap in strength, so-called ideals and passion were nothing more than fragile bubbles.

Hanzo of the Salamander would never tolerate the existence of any force that might threaten his rule, even one that was merely beginning to sprout.

[Ding! Detected the Akatsuki's original secret gathering site in the area ahead. It meets the sign-in conditions. Would you like to sign in?]

The system prompt sounded at just the right moment.

At the same time, another, even stronger [Sign-In Premonition] pointed toward the center of Hidden Rain Village, toward the tallest tower belonging to Hanzo of the Salamander.

Kamizuki Yu's gaze pierced through the curtain of rain toward that high tower.

The gears of fate had already begun to turn.

He needed a suitable moment—a moment that would make them truly understand despair, yet allow them to seize their final straw amid that despair.

Let's sign in first.

Having made his decision, he flashed forward and silently slipped into the abandoned pipeline.

He wanted to see with his own eyes what these children's earliest dreams looked like.