Autumn Night Rain

When Kato Osamu returned to the seaside camp, the sea seemed even bluer, and the three little ones were lying or standing, idly contemplating life on the beach.

This somewhat inexplicable battlefield and the inexplicably 'disappeared' instructor might have given them a persistent feeling of having stumbled into a trap during this period.

"Looks like you're doing quite well..."

The sea breeze wasn't as gentle as they'd imagined, but it also carried Kato Osamu's abrupt voice, leaving the three of them stunned.

However, the joy in his eyes turned into a hint of resentment in just a moment.

Perhaps because Kato Osamu was usually a bit more serious, Iruka, who wanted to say something, didn't dare to speak easily, even though his eyes showed some dissatisfaction. Itachi Uchiha, on the other hand, remained as calm and collected as ever. Only Uzuki Yugao had a slightly dark face, her dissatisfaction written all over her face.

"Teacher Xu, do you know what day it is today?"

Kato Osamu simply chuckled and didn't reply. He hadn't yet figured out how to deal with these three 'disciples'...

"Today marks exactly one month since we arrived at the Mist Shinobi Battlefield!"

"It's also the day I see you for the second time, teacher!"

With a pout and a look of grievance, Uzuki Yugao rarely showed her little girl side, but now she was only about ten years old. Even though she was usually strong, she had inexplicably had a feeling of being 'abandoned' and 'left to fend for herself' during this month.

"I left a letter..."

"This one?"

With a puzzled look in his eyes, Iruka pulled a two-finger-wide strip of paper from his pocket and gently waved it in the wind as if afraid of crushing it.

"I have to go."

"That seems detailed enough..."

Seeing the two little ones' disgruntled expressions, Kato Osamu felt a sense of relief for some reason. Ignoring their expressions, he burst into laughter.

"Little Weasel is so sensible..."

Upon hearing Kato Osamu call his name, Itachi Uchiha's lips twitched, and a Byakugan slowly appeared on his forehead.

"..."

"Get some rest today, tomorrow..."

After a moment's hesitation, Kato Osamu glanced at the three men whose eyes were gleaming, seemingly ready to make a big splash, and frowned slightly.

"Come with me on a mission tomorrow..."

If Kato Osamu already understood what Minato Namikaze meant by making him the team leader Jonin, he couldn't help but admire his cunning strategy.

Are humans, as a species, very complex?

It's not necessarily much more complex than the physiological structure of a monkey.

What makes a person complex is always their emotions, desires, and personality—what we might call human nature.

Kato Osamu never thought that his second life made him a wise and enlightened being, like an immortal. He was probably a little smarter, but he was still just an ordinary person.

"Fine..."

"Let nature take its course..."

Five Great Nations, Five Great Nations...

The people of the Shinobi World seem to only remember the Five Great Nations and never care about the feelings of other smaller nations, except for the people who have lived on these lands for generations.

Nestled between the three great nations of wind, earth, and fire, along a narrow buffer zone of war Land of Birds, Land of Grass, Land of Rain were transformed into a living hell the moment war broke out.

The Land of Rain, which connects the three great nations, is the first to be affected.

In the sky above the Land of Rain, which borders the Land of Grass, the tears of the gods seem to flow, as if weeping for this impoverished, weak, and war-torn nation.

No one knows when the rain in the Land of Rain will stop, and in the endless wait, the people of the Land of Rain seem to have long since learned to be resilient and 'numb'...

"Yahiko! We've gathered information..."

"The Cloud Shinobi and the Stone Shinobi are fighting in the Land of Grass!"

"While Konoha and Sand Shinobi haven't made a move yet, they probably won't stand idly by!"

"Once they join the battle, the Land of Rain will instantly become the most direct battlefield for the four great powers..."

"By then..."

Nagato, Nagato bowed, listened to Konan's voice, his hands clenched so tightly they turned white, yet he kept his head down. He thought of the days the three of them had spent wandering and hardship, and it seemed that such days were about to return.

Although it is a cave, it is not dark. As the headquarters of the Akatsuki, it has been well managed and developed over the years.

The news Konan brought silenced everyone. No one uttered a sound. This future, which seemed so predictable, was something none of those present could change in the slightest...

"Us..."

A hint of confusion flashed in Yahiko's eyes as he frowned slightly. Even though the Akatsuki was barely surviving under Hanzo's strong pressure, Yahiko could sense that more and more Land of Rain were agreeing with his ideals, and more and more people were joining the Akatsuki.

But now, the flames of war are about to spread to the Land of Rain...

"We must protect the Land of Rain..."

Without much hesitation, even when facing a formidable enemy that seemed almost impossible to defeat, Yahiko's words were firm and resounding, and all the members of Akatsuki turned their gazes to him.

The seventeen-year-old boy had already developed a remarkable resilience through the trials of years of war. This young leader possessed a unique personal charisma.

"Although we are still weak, we must not allow powerful nations to bully us. Konan, tell all the Akatsuki members that this time we will not hide!"

"Faced with Hanzo, we can flee, we can hide, we can survive in the humble cracks. Although they misunderstand our Akatsuki, we know that we were not founded to replace them, but to protect our homeland and to achieve true peace..."

"But now, we are not facing our compatriots who disagree with us, but our enemies who want to slaughter us!"

"Even if it costs us our lives, we must never let them trample on this land again!"

"This time, we will make the Shinobi World hear the voice of the Akatsuki!"

Hatred for the Five Great Nations probably exists in any small country. No small country would have any goodwill towards these superpowers that oppress them, but they dare not speak out against them.

Despite it being a hopeless battle, the deepest fighting spirit within them was still ignited. One person who is not afraid of death is not frightening, but a group of people who are not afraid of death can tear a piece of flesh from any powerful enemy.

For those who are not afraid of death to possess faith is one of the most terrifying things in the world.

"Fellow countrymen...?"

Hearing the whistling sound in her ears, Nagato slowly raised her head, her eyes, visible through her long hair, only lightly landing on Yahiko in the crowd, her expression a mixture of complexity and unease.

"Perhaps... they never considered us their own people..."

"Peace... can it really be achieved?"

Nagato, who lagged behind the crowd, slowly walked out of the cave and breathed a slight sigh of relief. He was never used to being in crowded places.

At night, the wind howled, and the drizzling rain gradually soaked through his long, crimson hair. Perhaps only at this moment could he raise his head without restraint, and with eyes that could astound the world, trace the source of this torrential rain.

"Where does the rain come from?"

The boy, who possessed the Rinnegan, let the rain wash over him, yet he revealed an unprecedented sense of confusion.

"And how can we stop now...?"