It Is Almost Over

The three of them donned their raincoats, crossed the border, and stepped into the territory of the Land of Rain.

It lived up to its name.

Kitahara Kaede remembered that the Land of Rain was plagued by constant downpours, but stepping into it personally was an entirely different experience.

The three raincoats snapped and rattled in the wind.

They pushed forward along a dirt road that had been plowed by artillery fire.

The trees on both sides were completely bare; they hadn't shed their leaves for autumn, but had been scorched by Fire Style.

Charred trunks stood in rows, driven into the mud.

After walking about two kilometers, the remains of the first village appeared by the roadside.

Most of the houses had collapsed.

There was a scent in the air—not the smell of scorched earth, but something else.

Kitahara Kaede recognized it; it was the signature scent of a battlefield.

Beside the ruins, three corpses lay in the mud.

They were not ninjas, but civilians.

An adult man, an adult woman, and a child sandwiched between them.

The man's hands were still locked in a position meant to shield the child's head.

The rain diluted the blood, turning it into a pale pink stream that flowed into the low-lying areas.

Tsunade's pace faltered for a beat.

She said nothing and kept walking.

After another stretch of road, two children were huddled in the middle of the path.

The older one was five or six, their hair matted into clumps and stuck to their face.

The younger one was three or four, curled up in the older one's arms, eyes staring blankly ahead.

Jiraiya stopped.

He fished half a ration bar from his pocket, crouched down, and held it out.

The older child recoiled violently, clutching the younger one tightly, their eyes filled with terror.

Jiraiya placed the ration on the ground, stood up, and took two steps back.

It took a long while before the older child tentatively reached out, grabbed it, and stuffed it into the younger one's mouth.

Jiraiya opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Tsunade never stopped walking, but Kitahara Kaede noticed her hands had clenched into fists.

Later, they passed another settlement that had been burned to a white wasteland.

There were no living souls, only scorched earth and scattered debris.

A charred doll lay crookedly at the base of a broken wall.

Tsunade did not speak again after that.

Kitahara Kaede did not try to start a conversation either.

When the sky darkened, the three of them turned into a mountain hollow.

The rock walls on either side could block most of the wind and rain, making it a passable place to rest.

"We'll stay here tonight."

Kitahara Kaede took off his pack, formed hand seals, and ignited the dry branches piled in the corner.

The humidity was too high; the flames struggled for a few moments before stabilizing.

Heat slowly spread, turning the rainwater on their bodies into a layer of white mist.

Jiraiya wrung out his raincoat, draped it over a rock, and scanned the surrounding terrain.

"I'll go scout the perimeter."

With that, he vanished into the curtain of rain.

Only two people remained in the hollow.

Tsunade sat down against the rock wall, knees pulled to her chest, chin resting on her arms.

The firelight reflected on her profile, the expression in her eyes obscured.

"I hate the rain."

She spoke suddenly, her voice low.

"It just keeps falling, and falling. You can't see anything."

Kitahara Kaede sat down beside her, their shoulders nearly touching.

"Then we'll live somewhere that doesn't rain in the future."

Tsunade turned her head to look at him.

The heaviness in her eyes dissipated slightly.

"Where? The Land of Wind? That place is full of sand; you can never get your hair clean. Whoever wants to go there can have it."

"Not the Land of Wind."

"Then where?"

Kitahara Kaede didn't answer.

Tsunade waited a few seconds, and when no answer came, she reached out and shoved his shoulder.

"I'm asking you a question."

"I'll tell you when I've decided."

"Same old story."

Tsunade huffed, her tone softening.

She rested her chin back on her arms, gazing out at the curtain of rain.

"Kaede."

"Yeah."

"After this war... will you really take me to see the sea?"

"I don't forget the things I've said."

Tsunade didn't respond.

They sat in silence for a while.

Her body leaned toward him.

Shoulder to shoulder, their body heat transferred through their damp clothes.

Kitahara Kaede didn't move.

The campfire crackled, sending up a spark that traced a short arc in the air before extinguishing.

Tsunade's breathing gradually became steady.

Leaning against him, she fell asleep.

Kitahara Kaede glanced down.

The brow that had been furrowed all day at the sight of corpses and orphans had finally smoothed out.

A stray lock of hair clung to her face, trembling slightly with her breath.

He raised his hand and brushed the hair aside.

His fingertips touched her skin; it was warm.

The movement was light, almost casual.

Once done, he pulled his hand back.

Kitahara Kaede stared at the fire.

The Land of Rain.

Hanzo.

Once this battle was over, it would be time for the simulation to end.

The ending had been set the moment he started.

But he had spent twenty years here.

From teaching a three-year-old girl how to roll dice in a pavilion, to entering the academy together, graduating together, and heading to the battlefield together...

Twenty years.

Kitahara Kaede looked down at the head resting on his shoulder.

He didn't let his thoughts go any further.

Amidst the sound of the rain, footsteps returned from the distance.

Jiraiya emerged from the rain, shook the water from his hair vigorously, and stomped the mud off his boots.

He walked into the hollow and saw the two of them leaning against each other.

His footsteps faltered for a moment.

Then he continued inside, found a dry rock on the other side of the fire, and sat down.

"No one around. It's safe."

He lowered his voice, speaking toward the fire.

Kitahara Kaede nodded.

Jiraiya crossed his arms and leaned against the rock wall, his gaze drifting toward Tsunade.

He pulled his gaze back and sat in silence for a long time.

Jiraiya lay down, turned his back to them, and pillowed his head on his arms.

Mumbling drifted over from the wall.

"...Fine, whatever..."

"...I'll write this into a book when I get back... I'll write about some bastard stealing everyone's goddess..."

"...Heh, I've even thought of the title..."

"...I'm tired, going to sleep..."

A few seconds later, the sound of snoring began.

Kitahara Kaede couldn't tell if he was truly asleep or just pretending.

The fire popped again, sending up another spark.

It glowed for an instant, then vanished.

When dawn broke, Jiraiya was the first to wake.

He stared at the two people huddled together across from him for several seconds.

Then he stood up silently and walked outside the hollow.

The sound of him yawning at the top of his lungs drifted in from the rain.

Tsunade was startled awake; she lifted her head, dazed, and realized she had been leaning on Kitahara Kaede's shoulder.

She froze for a second, her face flushing red.

She sprang away, pretending nothing had happened.

"Let's go."

She grabbed her raincoat, threw it on, and strode outside.

Kitahara Kaede stood up to follow.

Outside the hollow, the gray sky stretched on without end.

The three of them set off once more.

Jiraiya led the way, Tsunade took the middle, and Kitahara Kaede brought up the rear.