Among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, the Land of Water is arguably the most impoverished.
It is a country composed of many islands. Not only is arable land scarce, but the upper-level Kirigakure) believes in the supremacy of strength, which makes the training methods for ninjas even more cruel and ruthless.
The Bloody Mist is a bloody training policy that has been implemented since the Third Fourth Mizukage Third Mizukage continued to this day.
Similarly, decisions made at the top will naturally affect the development of those at the bottom.
The people of the Land of Water, who have long suffered from the ravages of war, have inevitably developed a certain set of unwritten rules.
Once a child or bloodline with Kekkei Genkai is discovered, relatives without Kekkei Genkai will take action to completely eradicate the root cause of the war.
The cold wind is like a knife, reaping lives invisibly.
The snow is beautiful, but to the inhabitants of the Land of Water, who are constantly struggling to survive and barely have enough to eat, the snow represents something akin to Shinigami.
A ragged figure huddled beside a pile of garbage, the cold snow turning the child's tender hands and feet red with cold.
Those clear black and white eyes were now dazed and lifeless. As shouts rang out, those eyes turned to see wild dogs chasing away intruders who had entered their territory.
"Feel sorry."
A voice, young and apologetic, emanated from a face hidden by long hair, further fueling the wild dogs' arrogance.
Just then, a man dressed in thick clothes rushed over, complaining about the awful weather as he threw the trash he was carrying into the bin.
He ignored the figure huddled behind the trash can. In this damned era, even his own family had no food left, let alone the orphans wandering outside.
Who knows which battlefield orphan he is? What if we save a plague and accidentally endanger the lives of our whole family? Wouldn't that be even more of a loss?
After the man left, the thin figure quickly got up and rummaged through the trash in the bin.
The stray dogs nearby howled incessantly, baring their yellowed fangs, as if they were about to pounce on the thin figure in front of them and tear him apart.
creak, creak...
The soft snow crunched underfoot, the sound unmistakable. A wild dog bared its teeth and howled, then tucked its tail between its legs and slunk away.
"Why? Why not drive it away?"
"What beautiful eyes! Big brother's eyes have the same look as mine..."
As snowflakes drifted down, beneath a dirty face, a pair of pure, flawless eyes, like jewels, gazed for a long time at those intricate eyes, a tapestry of black and blood red.
"Come with me. From this day forward, your life, your soul, everything you have belongs to me. I will give meaning to your life, Bai."
His gaze fell on the large hand reaching out to him, long and strong, with fleshy bones.
When Bai reached out her hand and placed it in that large hand, an unprecedented warmth seeped into her heart.
"Yes! I am your tool, big brother, and I will absolutely carry out your orders. That's enough. Please, don't abandon me..."
The figure disappeared into the snow, unnoticed by anyone, and no one cared whether the life of an orphan had ended or whereabouts.
For Bai, who had lost everything, a short promise was a new beginning and the meaning of life.
Three days later, inside the Konoha Medical Squad.
Sasuke slowly opened his eyes on the hospital bed. Instead of the familiar ceiling, he was surrounded by the smell of disinfectant.
"What happened? Did you have a nightmare?"
Sasuke, who had temporarily lost his memory, got off the hospital bed and walked out of the ward.
Before I even reached the nurses' station, I heard two female voices, seemingly whispering to each other.
"Have you heard? The Uchiha Clan Konoha, has been wiped out. The killer didn't even spare the children and the elderly."
"It's unbelievable that the prestigious Uchiha would suffer such a calamity. The village has now launched a manhunt for the culprit..."
"Come to think of it, it seems like only that child is left..."
"No way, Huayue? Uchiha Huayue wouldn't have met such a tragic end, my youth!"
"It seems Huayue was temporarily summoned by the Lord Hokage to carry out a classified mission, otherwise the Uchiha Clan wouldn't be in such a predicament..."
A group of female nurses were chatting idly, and their conversation gradually drifted away. Sasuke, who was leaning against the corner, suddenly narrowed his eyes as memories he was trying to forget flooded back into his mind.
"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible, how could this be... how could this be..."
He sped out of the window and ran all the way to the Uchiha clan's territory, but when he arrived at the familiar streets, the seals and prohibitions sent a chill down his spine.
Before I knew it, dark clouds filled the sky, and a fine drizzle soaked my clothes.
"Little Sasuke, do you want to eat takoyaki again today?"
The shopkeeper's voice still faintly echoed in my ears, while the uncle reading the newspaper lay in a rocking chair, sighing about the village's prices and rumors...
What was once a common sight is now reduced to cold seals and a silent breeze.
With heavy steps, after what seemed like an eternity, Sasuke's hand trembled slightly as he slowly pushed open the door to his familiar home.
The home that usually gave him warmth was now unusually desolate. He pushed open the door to the quiet room where his father and brother used to talk.
At this moment, only two pools of dark red blood remained in the room, as if to prove that the painful memories in his mind were not false.
thump!
The sounds coming from the kitchen gave Sasuke a glimmer of hope that had never existed before.
'Yes, it must be Mom. Mom couldn't be dead. She must be in the kitchen, making my favorite bonito rice and tomato miso soup. That must be it...'
Sasuke quickened his pace and rushed into the kitchen, calling out instinctively.
"Mother!"
"Meow?!"
The black cat that had sneaked in through the window looking for food was startled and its fur stood on end. It quickly darted out the door, causing kitchen utensils to fall to the ground. The sound of rain outside grew louder and louder.
"Your hatred is not enough, your power is not enough, your capacity is not enough. Come back to me when you open these eyes, Sasuke..."
Why why why...
Her heart was beating faster and faster, and her bright, dark eyes were gradually becoming bloodshot.
"Just because of this, just because of this reason, you killed my father, my mother, and their entire family... Why? Answer me, Itachi!"
Blood dripped from the corner of his lips, and he instinctively knelt on the ground. Sasuke's eyes subtly shifted, and deep within his blood-red eyes, the black Tomoe rotated slightly.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed, and familiar yet unfamiliar words reached Sasuke's ears.
"After hearing the news, I wanted to come and see for myself, and sure enough... there wasn't a single living person left. The clean and efficient methods were chilling."
A pair of blood-red eyes turned back to look, Sasuke's face was full of anger, and he shouted angrily.
"What are you doing here? This is Uchiha territory. Outsiders have no right to interfere, Naruto!"