The Plan Begins

One second, two seconds. He pushed himself, trying to endure a little longer. The veins across his body bulged abruptly like springs, bloodshot threads crisscrossing his eyes. He wanted to gasp for air, but feared waking the beauty beside him. He could only clench his fists frantically, digging his nails into his flesh to divert his attention.

Five minutes. That was the rule he had set for himself, and it was also the limit he could barely break through. He was afraid that if he could not endure it, he would suddenly suffer a mental breakdown.

Trembling, he slowly lifted Nan's slender arm, trying to pull out the hand she was hugging. Just as he was about to free it, Nan wrapped herself around him again. He nearly punched her this time, as the pain was gradually robbing him of his reason. But just as he was about to bring his fist down, it suddenly turned and struck his own face with a smack.

With a muffled groan, he temporarily regained his senses. Then he looked at Nan and, seeing no sign that she had woken up, finally relaxed. He repeated his previous actions, and this time, he finally succeeded.

Once free, he quickly ran out of the room and charged into the woods. Inside, Nan, having lost what she had been hugging, let out a heavy sigh.

Early that morning, stepping over the wet ground beneath a misty drizzle, an uninvited guest arrived before a building. At the entrance, someone dressed in a black bodysuit with a simple gray vest over it and a Rain Ninja Village forehead protector blocked his way.

"Go on, kid, stay away from here. This is not a place you should be."

"I came to request an audience with Lord Hanzo."

"An audience with Lord Hanzo? Plenty of people want to see Lord Hanzo. How could he possibly have time to meet every last one of them? Leave!" The ninja merely took the child for one of Hanzo's admirers and did not pay much attention to him.

"I have an urgent matter to discuss with Lord Hanzo."

"Hah? An urgent matter? What urgent matter could you possibly have that concerns Lord Hanzo? Enough already, stop causing trouble and get lost!" The man did not believe the child's nonsense either, assuming it was only an excuse to meet someone he admired.

"What if it concerns the survival of the Rain Ninja Village?"

"!!!" The boy's words startled the guard at the entrance. But then he thought, what could a child possibly know? Who knew where he had heard such nonsense? With Lord Hanzo protecting the Rain Ninja Village, how could anything happen?

Just as he lowered his head to scold the brat before him, he saw that the brat had already turned and left.

On his way home, Zhou Yang looked at his reflection in a puddle on the ground. Then he touched the dark circles beneath his eyes and muttered, "Am I turning into Gaara if this keeps up?"

That morning, Nan woke from her dream. Seeing the empty spot beside her, she could not help looking outside. He still hasn't come back?

Just as she was worrying herself sick, a familiar figure entered her sight.

Zhou Yang raised the assorted mushrooms in his hand and smiled. "Look what I found."

In this cold, damp environment where it rained all year round, fungi grew in abundance. Zhou Yang had picked plenty on his way home. This amount would probably be enough for one meal today.

After breakfast, Zhou Yang and Nan went into the village. With the money taken from the ninjas, they bought some things. Of course, Zhou Yang's main purpose was to buy food, while he gave all the remaining money to Nan.

Nan was thrilled. It was the first time she had ever held so much money in her hands. Yet she did not spend recklessly, still budgeting carefully as she had before. Seeing her like this, Zhou Yang did not know whether he should feel happy or sad.

In the end, after Zhou Yang insisted again and again, they bought her a complete new set of clothes from a clothing store. Amid the shopkeeper's delighted smile and Nan's pained expression, they completed their morning trip.

Back home, Nan sat on the floor and stared at the large and small bags of supplies, feeling as though none of it was real. Looking at the money in her hands, now reduced by more than half, she felt both happy and sad. Happy because they would not have to go hungry for a while, sad because it could only last for a short time. Then she looked toward Zhou Yang beside her. Especially with this big eater around. Her gaze made Zhou Yang's skin crawl.

Just then, Zhou Yang stood up, left behind the words, "Don't wait for me at noon," and quickly headed out.

Seeing Zhou Yang's condition, Nan thought he was having another episode and asked worriedly. Zhou Yang told her that he was only going to confirm something, something related to his plans for the future.

Although Nan did not quite understand, she was still worried and suggested going with him. Seeing her like that, Zhou Yang could not bear to refuse. In any case, it was only one errand, so they simply went out together. Before leaving, Nan deliberately found some things to block the entrance to their cave. They had not owned anything valuable before, so there had been no need to worry, but things were different now. They still needed to hide it.

Zhou Yang smiled at Nan's somewhat clumsy attempt at concealment. He had wanted to go over and fix it, only to realize that he did not have any better ideas himself, so he let it be.

After setting off, Zhou Yang led Nan straight ahead, directly to the outskirts of the Rain Ninja Village. Looking at the endless sea before them, Zhou Yang smiled. "That is my target." With that, he pointed at the seawater before them and, amid Nan's startled cry, jumped in.

In the blink of an eye, five minutes passed. Nan stood on the shore, worried out of her mind. She stared fixedly at the surface of the sea, hoping that his figure would burst out from beneath it, yet nothing appeared. Just as she was nearly consumed by despair, a head suddenly emerged from the water. But that was not all. He pulled out a huge crab, nearly half as tall as Zhou Yang. It did not react at all, and judging from its shattered shell, it was obvious who had done this.

"Zhou Yang, you scared me to death, do you know that? I... I thought... I thought you..."

Zhou Yang had originally wanted to show off his catch, but seeing Nan like this, how could he not realize that staying underwater for so long had worried his wife? He slapped himself, blaming himself for forgetting to tell her that all his abilities had improved, including his ability to hold his breath.

He hurried forward to comfort her and explain the reason. Nan was not someone who liked to sulk, and she only told him, "If something happens to you, I will be alone again. But I'm a little lazy. It took a lot for me to get used to having a family. If I go back to how things were before, without anyone, I don't know if I can keep going. So remember, don't make me lonely again!" Nan's words sounded somewhat willful, but she was conveying a message to Zhou Yang: if he died, she would very likely follow him.

Yes, Nan was that fierce a woman. Perhaps in the original story, the meaning of her survival had been to fulfill Yahiko's final wish, a wish that had continued through Nagato and then Naruto.

This wife is putting so much pressure on me. But isn't that exactly what gives me motivation? Zhou Yang thought.

Elsewhere, a young man knelt on one knee, reporting to the man seated in the place of honor before him. Just as he finished his report and prepared to leave, he suddenly added, "This morning, I met a very interesting boy. He said he wanted to see you and that it concerned the survival of the Rain Ninja Village. Isn't that interesting?"

The man seated in the place of honor waved his hand. After the ninja left, he murmured softly, "Something concerning the survival of the Rain Ninja Village, is it?"