Hidden Leaf Year 48, Hidden Rain Village

Hidden Leaf Year 48, Hidden Rain Village

By the time Hyuga Yuto left the Land of Hot Water and crossed the entire Land of Fire, the New Year had already passed.

The air was still tinged with lingering festivity, and the heavy snow had gradually ceased. In the deserted forest, everything was tranquil and beautiful.

A timely snowfall promised a bountiful harvest. The year-end snow seemed to foretell a future of favorable weather and abundant crops.

Unfortunately, Hyuga Yuto knew that the Third Shinobi World War was brewing. The conflicts that had built up between nations were already irreconcilable, and a war that would sweep up everyone was about to erupt.

Hidden Leaf Year 48 marked the bloody beginning.

This time, he did not travel at top speed. Crossing the Land of Fire took him a full five days.

As he neared the border, with several small hills still between them, Hyuga Yuto could already sense that the air had become much more humid. Once he crossed the mountains and entered the Land of Rain, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

The climate in the world of Naruto was impossible to predict; meteorological knowledge from his previous life could not simply be applied here.

The Land of Rain lay at the heart of the continent. Other than to the southeast, it had no towering mountain ranges. By all logic, it should have been windy, sandy, dry, and stiflingly hot.

Yet in reality, the Land of Rain was overcast year-round. Its skies were always a heavy lead-gray, damp and bitterly cold. It was practically the rainy season all year long, making it unfit for human habitation.

Worse still, this wretched country lay between the three great powers of Fire, Wind, and Earth. Whenever a large-scale conflict broke out, the Land of Rain became the battlefield for the three great shinobi villages. The people suffered terribly, and few children could safely make it through their childhoods.

Hidden Rain Village struggled tenaciously within such cracks. Many of its shinobi were skilled in assassination and were often hired as killers. Its leader, Hanzo the Salamander, had even earned the title of "Demigod" through sheer martial prowess.

Yet that strength seemed to be of no use. The Land of Rain and Hidden Rain Village continued to suffer relentless devastation.

"The rain that never stops is the tears of those who have passed on"—that was how someone had once described it.

After entering Hidden Rain Village's territory, Hyuga Yuto changed his attire.

He did not use a Transformation Jutsu. He merely put on dark goggles to cover his pure white eyes, then removed his forehead protector and tied on a dark blue headband to conceal the Bird in a Cage curse mark.

At this time, Hidden Rain Village was still ruled by Hanzo the Salamander. While it was not as closed-off as it would become during Pain's era, it still did not welcome foreign shinobi. Covering the identifying marks of Hidden Leaf Village and the Hyuga Clan could only help.

In less than half a day, Hyuga Yuto arrived at Hidden Rain Village.

Beneath the lead-gray sky fell an unbroken curtain of rain. Below it stood towering, straight, menacing steel buildings that seemed to pierce the clouds. Countless metal pipes lay exposed like roaring giant serpents from myth, chimneys spewed steam, and cables crisscrossed the air. It possessed a strange punk-like beauty.

There are certainly a lot of people in the Naruto world who understand art. With that thought, Hyuga Yuto stepped into Hidden Rain Village.

For a village steeped in year-round warfare and the art of assassination, Hyuga Yuto's black robe and covered eyes were nothing unusual. No one paid him any special attention. The few pedestrians on the streets wore thick trench coats, their expressions mostly repressed as they hurried along. There was none of the relaxed, easygoing atmosphere of Hidden Leaf Village.

Hyuga Yuto did not wander around. He casually found a sheltered street corner and stood there silently, gazing calmly at the street while regulating his body as Tsunade had taught him.

He had come to Hidden Rain Village to kill.

Making quick money through the Bounty Station was far more efficient than taking village missions. Though it was highly dangerous without support or teammates, one successful job would let him establish another secret base.

Killing was nothing new to Hyuga Yuto. Though he was only thirteen, the number of people who had died by his hand could no longer be counted on fingers and toes.

But this was his first time coming to Hidden Rain Village to kill people from Hidden Rain Village.

Without support or teammates, he had no retreat and insufficient intelligence. He could not learn his target's real-time location, much less know the number of enemies or the ninjutsu they specialized in.

However, Hyuga Yuto knew that as long as he waited patiently, he would soon encounter his target.

His wait did not last long.

At a certain moment, the sound of raindrops striking the steel buildings became filled with a great deal of noise.

A large group of people was approaching.

"Stop the war! Stop the killing!"

"People need to communicate with one another!"

"Build a bridge of hope toward world peace!"

Hyuga Yuto looked up, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

Braving the cold rain, people carrying placards were marching down the street.

Most were dressed like civilians, their expressions impassioned as they shouted themselves hoarse. But a closer look revealed several people in standard black high-collared trench coats moving among them, their eyes alert. They were clearly protecting the marchers.

The young man from the Hyuga branch family folded his arms and studied those people with interest.

Every one of them belonged to Akatsuki!

The slogans of the march had also come from Yahiko, Akatsuki's current leader.

"Change the country. Build a bridge of hope toward world peace through communication between people."

This was the doctrine Yahiko had established during Akatsuki's early days.

Though naive, it was not laughable.

Yahiko's passionate vision filled those words. He inspired those around him with his fervor and influenced even more people through every word and action.

Although Akatsuki had begun as a mercenary organization, it already possessed a distinct spiritual character. Now, its influence in the Land of Rain was growing larger by the day, and people joined the marches every day.

The name Akatsuki had gradually begun appearing on the desks of meeting rooms across the major powers.

Likewise, many of its members had appeared on the Bounty Station's wanted lists!

Tilting his head, Hyuga Yuto stared at the marching crowd. He noticed that the Akatsuki shinobi were becoming increasingly tense. Looking carefully, he could see their fingertips already rubbing against their kunai, ready to spring into action at any moment.

The handsome branch family youth looked up and silently praised their professionalism. This intersection was rather narrow, with four high-rise buildings blocking it in. It was clearly an ideal place for an ambush.

BOOM!

Sure enough, at that very moment, a sudden change erupted.

Several bursts of fire exploded violently. The enormous shockwaves and flames swept back and vaporized the rain at the intersection, blowing every drop hundreds of meters away.

More than a dozen figures suddenly appeared, emerging from water or walls. Accompanied by shrill whistles through the air, they charged in unison toward a certain spot in the crowd.

"Water Release: Water Wall!"

The target let out a roar and rapidly formed hand seals. Chakra surged forth, forming a sturdy wall of water that protected both himself and the civilians.

"Escort the civilians out! They're after me!"

The target showed no fear whatsoever. Clearly, he had experienced such scenes many times before. He leaped out, wielding two gleaming white daggers, and charged at the ambushers.

This man was Hyuga Yuto's target on this trip: Akatsuki's current fourth-ranking member, Takeda Shigen!