Unforeseen Disaster

"This Land of Rain..." Ryuga trailed off.

After entering the Land of Rain, their group had changed into straw capes and hats to shield themselves from the rain.

The weather here was often gloomy, with overcast skies and a sparse, drizzling rain, large or small, that rarely stopped.

But the scenes they witnessed along the way left the three youngsters, visiting another country for the first time, 'greatly shocked.'

Firstly, in terms of territory, the Land of Rain was similar in scale to the Land of Grass, and the economies of both countries were comparable. The Land of Grass was unable to develop on its own, while the Land of Rain suffered from constant warfare. However, throughout the ninja world, despite its small size, the Land of Rain had an extremely strong presence. The Land of Grass could not compare to it in this regard... and the strength of Rain Village was definitely superior to Grass Village.

Given this, the Land of Rain should have been more prosperous than the Land of Grass.

But all they saw as they traveled was desolation, ruins, and a mess.

This was different from the Land of Wind, where the environment was harsh from the start.

Because it was evident that the Land of Rain's environment was originally very good... but it had been ravaged by war beyond recognition.

They also encountered many refugees along the way.

Compared to the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass, though small and inconspicuous, was practically paradise.

This atmosphere also made everyone in the group tense.

They encountered many ninjas, including rogue ninjas... The Land of Rain seemed like a non-stop war machine. Where there was war, there was potential for profit. Coupled with a lack of governance, anyone could get a piece of the pie, naturally attracting all sorts of people to infiltrate. Fortunately, these individuals didn't have any intentions upon seeing their forehead protectors... otherwise, Yue wasn't sure if Shishiro alone could protect them.

Here... they had to thank Grass Village's excellent diplomatic policy. At least... they hadn't offended anyone.

Nor did they have much of a presence.

If they had been from one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, they would have inevitably encountered some conflict on this journey.

Finally, after wasting a few more days, they delivered the merchant caravan to Rain Village without incident.

The four of them then settled temporarily in Rain Village.

After the mission was completed, Yue and the other two finally relaxed.

Before returning, they would stay in Rain Village for one day.

So, Yue and Ryuga decided to explore Rain Village and experience the local customs and traditions.

"My father said that although the ninja world has appeared 'quiet' on the surface in recent years, there have been undercurrents. But compared to when they were young, the current situation has improved a lot... I didn't really understand what he meant before, but after coming to Rain Village this time, I realized what he was talking about." The three changed into raincoats and walked through the streets, looking around.

Ryuga said in a deep voice.

Although it was still raining, the residents of Rain Village had clearly grown accustomed to it... The shops lining the streets were still open and doing business.

There were some people on the street, but it wasn't deserted, nor was it bustling.

It was just that due to the environment or national conditions, Yue noticed that most of the people in Rain Village had no smiles on their faces; they seemed a bit numb...

"War is cruel... Ninjas like us can't escape the war chariot of our villages and countries; we have no choice, we are a community of shared destiny." Yue continued, looking at the row of tall buildings in the rain. "However, there's no need to worry. While war isn't a good thing, from another perspective, it's a fertile ground for us to grow stronger. Compared to peaceful times, I prefer this kind of urgent environment."

Ryuga glanced at him upon hearing this, "As expected of you."

This was indeed Yue's personality.

While they were reflecting on this, Yoshitaka didn't join in. Instead, he exclaimed, "The Land of Rain looks so bad, yet the village is built so well. It's bigger than our village, and look at these buildings, they're all so magnificent."

"Yeah..."

Yue murmured, stopping in his tracks.

His gaze was drawn to a towering, sharp, black silhouette.

Let alone being more magnificent than Grass Village, it was on par with Konoha.

But this architectural style, or rather, the village planning, completely showcased the ambition of a young Hanzo of the Salamander, and also highlighted his personality. It was very fitting for the origin of Rain Village's rise. It had a bit of a nouveau riche feel... their luck was at its peak, and they wanted to build a grand village. But unfortunately, the magnificent building structures were only in the core area of the village; the outer areas were not well taken care of... This also showed that Hanzo of the Salamander, as the administrator, had become somewhat inattentive in his later years.

Only this area looked good... and it was hidden in the rain, unable to be fully revealed.

The shadows of these 'skyscrapers' made people feel oppressed and breathless.

"I heard there's a snack street over there, let's go take a look."

Yoshitaka pointed in a direction.

Since it was rare to visit another country, besides food, they also planned to buy some local specialties from Rain Village to take back.

"Mm."

Yue nodded.

He had also brought money, intending to buy a gift for his mother.

Given his mother's personality, she would probably be 'moved' to tears.

Thinking of this, Yue felt that it was fine even if he didn't buy anything.

Turning the corner, they entered a side path that seemed like a shortcut, with hardly anyone around.

Yoshitaka was still holding a map, discussing with Yue and Ryuga which shop to eat at first.

Before leaving, the merchant caravan owner, who was a local, had specifically informed them about some of Rain Village's 'tourist attractions.'

The three walked and chatted, and even the usually taciturn Yue joined the conversation.

However, the three of them did not anticipate that danger was already approaching.

As they were about to turn out of the intersection, a shadow suddenly dropped from the sky, landing beside them.

The moment the person approached, Yue felt as if time in the entire world had stopped… as if the space he was in had instantly turned into a black and white picture.

He felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar.

There was no warning, not the slightest hint, and this person appeared right beside him… He was the first to react, Ryuga and Yoshitaka were still half a beat behind, even wearing smiles on their faces.

If this person had attacked, the three of them would likely have had no power to resist and would have been instantly killed.

What shocked Yue even more was that, in a flash, his peripheral vision caught sight of a familiar red and black color scheme on the hem of a robe.

The Fire Cloud Robe.

It was someone from Akatsuki.

Although it wasn't the same as the 'finished product' from later generations, Yue, with his keen senses, recognized the style and the red threads at a glance.

His body instantly regained sensation, and he looked up, meeting the person's gaze.

They both saw each other clearly.

The flow of time seemed to return to normal. The other person was clearly just passing by, their indifferent eyes showing a hint of surprise at the reaction of the little brat in front of them. Their expression showed a flicker of hesitation, as if they were deciding something. But soon, they withdrew their gaze and darted into a dark alley at the intersection, disappearing.

It was only then that Ryuga and Yoshitaka broke out in a cold sweat.

"Who was that?"

"They appeared out of nowhere like a ghost, you scared me to death."

Yue's cold hands and feet began to warm up. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the bloodstains left on the ground, "This person is injured… very seriously."

"When the people from Rain Village come to question us, just say we didn't see anything."

Yue immediately figured something out and quickly instructed Ryuga and Yoshitaka.

"We're outsiders, we've completed our mission, don't get involved in any trouble."

"Okay."

The two exchanged glances and nodded.

Almost as soon as Yue finished speaking, with a few rustling sounds, several ninjas dressed in outfits like 'diving suits' surrounded the three of them.

There were six or seven of them.

The man in the lead, wearing a breathing mask, sized up the three little heads in raincoats and then looked at the blood behind them, which the rain had not yet washed away.

"Ninjas?"

This person recognized the identities of the three of them at a glance. It had to be said that their eyesight was sharp, because unlike ordinary kids, the three of them didn't look panicked.

"Grass Village, huh…"

This person showed no politeness, directly stepping forward and roughly pulling off Ryuga's hood, revealing the forehead protector he was wearing.

Sensing the other person's chilling aura, Ryuga and Yoshitaka didn't dare to breathe.

A hint of dormant killing intent lingered in the air.

"Did you see someone pass by just now?" the man asked coldly.

Ryuga and Yoshitaka's lips turned pale.

Under the pressure of this aura, they couldn't even speak.

"We did."

Yue suddenly spoke.

There was no way to bluff their way out of this… He had thought things were too simple.

"Where did they go?"

Yue decisively pointed to the alley entrance where the Akatsuki member had disappeared.

"Let's go."

Seeing this, the man led his companions and immediately flashed away.

After they left, Ryuga and Yoshitaka dared to take deep breaths.

Yue, however, pursed his lips, his expression grim.

"Go back, get Shishiro-sensei, and now… immediately, leave Rain Village and head back, don't linger."

After saying that, the three of them turned and sprinted away.

Ryuga and Yoshitaka were very convinced by Yue's decision.

They also realized that the situation was somewhat wrong.

It was as if they had suffered undeserved disaster and been implicated…

"I was still too careless. The situation in the Land of Rain is special. Coupled with the recent movements of Akatsuki… even in Rain Village, one shouldn't act carelessly. The Akatsuki Organization has already begun to take shape, and this is their active period. Although they wouldn't use the village as a base, operating under Hanzo's nose, their activities would inevitably involve some key figures and forces within the village. It's inevitable that individuals would carry out missions or plans within Rain Village!"

While running, Yue thought with lingering fear.

However, just as they were about to run from this empty street onto the main road.

Suddenly, Yue sensed danger approaching.

His muscles tensed instinctively, and he launched an attack at a shadowy figure that lunged at him.

However, the opponent's strength was clearly more than one level above his own.

"This is bad!"

Yue's eyelids twitched, and the next second, his consciousness plunged into darkness.

Ryuga and Yoshitaka, who were beside him, stopped in their tracks.

They were dumbfounded.

They only saw a blur before their eyes, and when they looked again, Yue, who had been running at the front, was gone.

"Yue?..."

Ryuga turned pale, immediately panicking.