He in the Rain

On land, Yahiko and Nagato raced at full speed, their hearts heavy.

The closer they got to the village, the more they realized how serious the situation was.

Along the way toward the base, as the distance shortened, they found more corpses. It showed that the enemy had invested considerable effort and manpower to stop them from returning—it had been a targeted setup. To reach the rescue at full speed, minimize their side's casualties, and salvage the situation as much as possible, Yahiko and Nagato had put every ounce of strength they had into traveling.

Even so, they had still spent quite a bit of time.

They had continued to encounter interference along the way, and Konan had used the Paper Folding Technique to notify all members in the battlefield area to retreat first.

By their estimate, enough time had passed since they exposed the enemy's scheme for the other side to succeed.

In other words, the people at the base probably...

At that thought, Yahiko could not help but feel grief.

"Faster."

He urged them on.

After a while, they finally caught sight of the outlines of the village houses.

A fine drizzle had begun to fall from the gloomy sky.

This time, they did not enter the village by the usual route. The group transformed into nimble, speeding silhouettes, like a sharp sword plunging straight through the village entrance. Once inside, without waiting for Yahiko's orders, several people, including Sousuke, shot off in different directions.

They began a thorough search and investigation of the village.

Then, the group finally ran down a small path and arrived before the base's gates.

"The few people we left behind are already dead..."

Nagato sensed the area and spoke.

"Mm."

Yahiko answered.

Their main force had returned, yet no members had come out to meet them. That alone foretold a certain outcome.

"There was a battle."

Following at Yahiko's left, Konan solemnly reminded him.

Everyone could see the shattered houses, the bloodstains... and the pits in the ground, along with the traces of burned weeds.

It seemed... to have been intense.

"Yahiko."

Konan looked at Yahiko's resolute profile and called softly.

She wanted to say something, but stopped herself.

She had already imagined the scene that might await them. Knowing Yahiko as she did, this matter... would likely deal him a heavy blow. She wanted to prepare him mentally, but she did not know what to say. War was simply like this.

Though the three of them understood that better than anyone, every time they experienced it firsthand, they still could not remain completely unmoved.

Especially since all the members had gathered together because they shared the same dream.

Because they believed in Yahiko, their leader.

Konan believed that the wreckage left behind by the battle had surely been caused by a clash between the people left behind and the enemy's raiding squad.

But Nagato spotted something unusual.

"No."

Nagato said gravely.

"The number of people on both sides was disproportionate. It was many against one, and these footprints..."

Nagato stared at a spot nearby.

The difference between an adult's footprints and a child's was far too obvious.

"It... it was Yue."

Nagato immediately made the judgment.

"Yue?"

Yahiko and the others were startled.

At that moment, beneath the hazy curtain of rain, the dozen or so people finally stood before the courtyard gate of the base and stopped.

What entered everyone's sight next—

Was something they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

A familiar, small figure sat on the threshold of the courtyard gate beneath the rain falling like threads.

Blankly staring up at the sky.

At his feet lay a thoroughly dead, headless corpse.

The boy was badly injured—calling him unrecognizable would not have been an exaggeration. Large portions of his body were covered in burn wounds.

Still, everyone recognized him at a glance. It was Yue.

Yue sat motionless, cradling the dead man's head in his arms as bloody water mixed with rainwater and washed over his lower body.

He allowed the cold rain to strike his skin, leaving his entire body drenched.

It was as if he were quietly feeling the unusual weather and environment of the Land of Rain.

"Yue...?"

Yahiko was the first to call out, not entirely certain.

It was not just him. Every Akatsuki member's eyes trembled in disbelief.

They had all imagined the worst possible outcome, but no matter what scenes had flashed through their minds, none matched the conclusion before them.

Yue... was here, alive.

And judging by the houses and courtyards at the base that were still intact, it was obvious... the base had been preserved.

That meant...

"Mm..."

Yue had heard the footsteps long ago. Hearing Yahiko call to him, he stiffly turned his neck.

He lowered his gaze from the sky and looked at the group of Akatsuki Organization members ten meters away.

Still wearing that expressionless face, he greeted them faintly, "You're back."

His voice was calm.

There was not the slightest ripple in it.

"It's all right... Don't be afraid. I killed them all."

Seemingly sensing everyone's worried emotions, Yue revealed a faint, almost imperceptible smile and said softly.

"..."

Silence.

Stillness.

All of a sudden, it seemed as though the only sound left in the space Yue and Yahiko's group occupied was the rain pouring down.

The impact of those words made everyone's pupils contract, including Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato.

Beyond their tangled emotions, they simply could not believe it.

As everyone stood rooted in place, the first person to move was Konan.

She did not know how Yue had done it, but she did not doubt the truth of his words in the slightest.

Because seeing the boy like this made her heart ache.

And Yue was not a member of Akatsuki.

She walked up to Yue, slowly crouched down, and met his eyes.

"The traitor was that guy called Yota... He was turned."

Yue said faintly.

Konan was crying... tears streamed down her face.

"Yue... thank you."

Konan's simple words seemed to carry a different kind of emotion.

"No need to thank me. You already paid the reward in advance. I don't like taking other people's things for nothing."

Yue looked at Konan's reddened eyes and said.

As soon as he finished speaking, his body suddenly toppled over without any warning.

A figure darted forward instantly.

And caught the unconscious Yue.

It was Yahiko.

Only after getting close and inspecting him from nearby did Yahiko truly see how severe Yue's injuries were.

"Domoto!"

Yahiko immediately called out a name anxiously.

With the base exposed, the Akatsuki Organization members immediately relocated.

Thanks to Yue's efforts, none of the dozen or so remaining wounded had died.

The enemy's plan had failed.

It could be said that Akatsuki owed Yue its gratitude this time.

Without him... the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The next day, in a cave atop a high mountain, the Akatsuki members were each busy with matters related to war preparations.

There was more than one Akatsuki base active on this battlefield; Yahiko's group merely operated from the main headquarters.

"Yue's condition has stabilized." After using Medical Ninjutsu to treat Yue, a bloated, fat man said to Yahiko beside him.

"Still, it really is astonishing. The cells in Yue's body are extremely active, which means his vitality is exceptionally strong... His physical condition is somewhat incredible. Normally, this is not a level a Genin his age could possess. In terms of cell activity alone, it is even tens of times greater than that of an adult... He gives me the impression of a powerful Taijutsu specialist." Domoto could not help exclaiming in amazement.

"Not just his body—even his Chakra... has undergone some changes. He is completely different from before." Nagato added. He and Yahiko knew Yue's level better than anyone.

Logically speaking, Yue could not possibly possess such strength. It was as though he had been completely reborn.

Was it some special physique, or...

"This kid... really hid himself well."

Yahiko grumbled.

Now that Yue was out of danger, he was relieved.

As for Yue's little secret, Yahiko naturally would not investigate it too deeply.

"We've already finished investigating the situation in the village... The people we left behind were most likely caught off guard. The enemy raiding squad had ten people in total. They probably used Yota's identity to set us up. Although our people killed some of them, six survived afterward. Including Yota, Yue killed all of them by himself." At that moment, Sousuke also walked over and reported the clues to Yahiko.

"This little guy..."

After hearing that, even Yahiko, Nagato, and the others, who had already weathered many storms, were deeply shaken.

Looking at Yue lying on the mat, still unconscious, they all felt as though it was unreal.

"Yahiko."

Watching Yue, Nagato suddenly spoke.

"No."

As if Yahiko knew what Nagato wanted to say, he directly cut him off.

"Akatsuki has nothing to do with Yue. He is from Kusagakure... and he was dragged into this passively from the start. We already owe him far too much."

"..."

Hearing that, Nagato said nothing more.