The wind stopped, and the pattering rain began to fall harder, soaking the damp ground and collecting in small puddles.
Outside the Konoha Barrier, two figures stood in inconspicuous gray cloaks.
Black Zetsu pulled his hood lower and watched Leaf Dragon slowly form hand seals after sensing their surroundings. Leaf Dragon turned his head and nodded at him.
That was all it took?
Black Zetsu eyed him doubtfully, then tipped his chin to signal that he could get on with it.
Leaf Dragon said nothing. He calmly finished the last seal and gently pressed his palm forward.
Faint ripples spread across the transparent barrier. Then it undulated like waves before finally splitting open to reveal a small gap.
The edges of the opening slowly drew inward, struggling to reconnect. Clearly, this method of sneaking through had a time limit.
Black Zetsu studied Leaf Dragon's expressionless face. Although he found nothing suspicious, he raised his guard another notch and quickly followed him through the Konoha Barrier.
Konoha. After all these years, I've finally returned.
Black Zetsu sighed inwardly, then spotted a Konoha patrol nearby and concealed himself in a building off to the side.
Leaf Dragon followed him and hid as well, needing no extra reminders from Black Zetsu, which saved him some trouble.
The guards never even glanced their way, continuing along their patrol route in perfectly synchronized steps.
Black Zetsu silently memorized their movements and patrol route as a precaution. After watching for a while, he looked away and hurried forward, using the rain and various obstacles as cover.
Matching the scenery before him to the Konoha in his memories, Black Zetsu could not help reflecting.
*That accursed Konoha, reeking of evil, hasn't changed much over the past few years. Plenty of details are different, but the overall layout