Night fell, and a sudden downpour arrived.
The torrential rain washed over every inch of Konoha, drowning out the daytime clamor beneath the sound of rainfall. Uchiha Tongyue held an oil-paper umbrella as he made his way down the muddy path to the secluded residence where they had agreed to meet.
"Tong Yue, you're finally here!" A gaunt middle-aged man yanked open the door, his face full of anxiety. His hands trembled slightly, and his eyes darted about.
Uchiha Tongyue folded his umbrella, water dripping from its ribs onto the floor. He frowned. "Gou Ju, did we really have to meet tonight in weather like this?"
Gou Ju did not answer at once. Instead, he nervously poked his head out to inspect the street, then carefully checked every window. Finally, he even pressed his ear against the door and listened for quite a while. Only after confirming that no one had followed him did he tremblingly lock all the doors and windows.
"What exactly are you afraid of?" Tong Yue's hand had quietly moved to his ninja tool pouch. "Don't tell me you've betrayed the village."
"No!" Gou Ju dropped to his knees with a thud. "Tong Yue, for the sake of our days together at the Ninja Academy, please, you have to help me! I truly have nowhere else to turn..."
Tong Yue cautiously took half a step back. "Explain what happened first. I'll help if I can, but anything that violates the shinobi code is out of the question."
Gou Ju's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed with difficulty. "We... we intercepted a job."
"Intercepted a job?" Tong Yue's brow furrowed even deeper. "You took private work?"
So-called "job interception" meant privately accepting missions from clients at a lower price before they arrived in Konoha. Though such behavior