After traveling for a full day and night, Zou Hyuga and Hiruko reached a small country near the Land of Rain.
The climate here was neither as dry as the desert nor as cold and damp year-round as the Land of Rain, but it still was not to Zou Hyuga's liking. It was far worse than the climate in the Land of Fire.
Perhaps this was also why the Land of Fire had won every Shinobi World War without acquiring any territory.
The Land of Fire already occupied the richest land, so naturally, it had no interest in the other small countries.
After securing the One-Tail, Zou Hyuga headed up a nearby cliff, where he found Hiruko staring gravely at the distant road leading into the Land of Rain.
This was the junction of three countries, as well as an important route between the Land of Fire and Amegakure.
Zou Hyuga walked over to Hiruko. After activating his Byakugan, he understood exactly what Hiruko was watching.
Hiruko was watching ninja-more precisely, Konoha ninja fleeing the Land of Rain in disarray.
Judging by their clothing, these Konoha ninja were at least chunin. Many even wore flak jackets, marking them as jonin, the backbone of Konoha's forces.
Strangely, these jonin had suffered no serious injuries, yet their gazes were vacant, as though they had lost the will to fight.
At the sight, Hiruko's earlier gloom vanished, and he laughed. "Looks like they've experienced our leader's godlike power too."
Having once sparred with Pain, Hiruko knew his strength better than anyone. Naturally, he took some pleasure in the plight of these bedraggled Konoha ninja.
Zou Hyuga frowned inwardly. He did not know what these ninja had encountered in the Land of Rain, but it certainly had not been pleasant. And if they ran