A laid-back response on a rainy day

When they came out after finishing their ramen, the sky was as dark as spilled ink. Black clouds pressed in from the northwest, and the air felt stifling, heavy with the smell of damp earth.

People on the street hurried home, and vendors scrambled to pack up their stalls. Only Shuo ambled along, hands in his pockets, in no hurry at all.

"It's going to rain. Hurry along, everyone!"

Minato glanced up at the sky and waved with a smile. "That's all for training today. Head back early and get some rest."

Obito and Rin let out a cry and took off, afraid of getting caught in the rain. Kakashi said a quiet "See you tomorrow," and his figure soon disappeared around the street corner too.

Shuo kept dawdling, making his way toward the dormitory.

He had barely gone a few steps before the rain came crashing down-not a light drizzle, but a pounding downpour that splashed half a foot high off the ground, instantly soaking his hair and jacket.

He neither took cover nor ran, simply walking through the rain.

The dorm isn't far anyway. I can just change when I get wet. Running would take effort. What a hassle.

Through the curtain of rain, his Light Perception spread out slowly, like a net softened by rainwater. It offered little defense, yet picked up every movement around him with perfect clarity.

Oh? Still following me.

Within his perception, two presences clung to his trail, one on either side, some fifty meters behind. They were exactly like the one outside the ramen shop-people from Root.

Shuo pursed his lips, grumbling inwardly, They don't even get a break on rainy days. That old man Danzo really puts people through the wringer.

He turned into a narrow alley flanked by the back walls of houses. Miscellaneous clutter lay piled along it, and there wasn't even anywhere to shelter from the rain.

Halfway down, he finally stopped and slowly turned around. His lazy voice carried through the rain. "You've followed me all this way. Aren't you tired?"

A man in a gray raincoat stepped out at the alley entrance. He wore no mask, and his face was as stiff and expressionless as stone. "Shuo Namikaze, Lord Danzo wishes to see you."

"Right now?"

Shuo tugged at the jacket plastered to his body and frowned. "But my clothes are wet. Let me go back and change into something dry first."

"Lord Danzo doesn't mind."

The man's tone was level, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Well, I mind."

Shuo shrugged, looking as though it were perfectly obvious. "It's rude to meet someone in wet clothes. Besides, I'm uncomfortable."

The gray-clad man fell silent for several seconds, his gaze cooling slightly. "Then we'll have to ask you to come with us."

As soon as he finished speaking, another figure appeared at the far end of the alley, cutting off Shuo's retreat. Both men raised their hands and began forming hand seals, their chakra fluctuations spreading through the rain with a hint of pressure.

Shuo sighed. Tch. Give them an inch, and they take a mile. They just have to force me to act. What a pain.

He raised his right hand, spread his fingers toward the curtain of rain, and gently closed them.

The next second, the entire alley suddenly lit up-not with the blinding glare of lightning, but with every raindrop turning gold. Like countless tiny crystals, they glittered in the rain, bathing the dim alley in a hazy glow.

The two Root members abruptly stopped forming hand seals, their eyes filled with astonishment.

This wasn't genjutsu. Their chakra perception detected nothing at all. It was simply pure light clinging to every drop of rain, eerie yet beautiful.

"Wh-what kind of ninjutsu is this?"

The man at the far end couldn't help murmuring, panic hidden in his voice.

Shuo ignored him, keeping his hand raised as he watched the glowing rain. I didn't expect rainwater to work so well as a light carrier. It looks pretty nice too. It just uses a bit much light energy.

What he didn't say was that his perceptual precision had more than tripled within this glowing rain. Every shining raindrop was his eye, every refracted ray of light his feeler. He could see every movement the two men made, even the motions of their fingertips as they formed hand seals.

"I'll give you two choices."

Shuo's voice drifted through the glowing rain, still lazy. "One, turn around and leave. I'll pretend I never saw you, and we can all save ourselves the trouble."

"Two..."

He paused without continuing, but the meaning in his eyes was clear-they would be asking for trouble.

The two Root members exchanged a glance, each seeing the other's hesitation.

Their orders had been to "invite" him, not "forcibly abduct" him. Given the situation before them, they might not be his match if they really fought.

The man at the far end suddenly moved, forming hand seals at lightning speed before spitting a stream of water from his mouth. "Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"

The water surged through the narrow alley, filling the space and leaving almost nowhere to dodge.

Had Obito been there, he probably would have scrambled around in a panic. Kakashi might have barely managed to dodge, but even he would have needed some effort.

But Shuo didn't dodge. He didn't even move his feet.

He merely raised his left hand toward the torrent and casually flicked it aside, as though brushing a raindrop off his shoulder.

The instant his fingertips moved, several drops of glowing rain ahead of the torrent suddenly changed course and plunged into the column of water.

Light particles spread and refracted rapidly through the torrent, forcibly disrupting its internal pressure-

With a boom, the column burst apart in midair, scattering into a cloud of mist that splashed everywhere, even soaking much of both men's raincoats.

"H-how is that possible..."

The Root member who had attacked was utterly stunned. He had never seen anyone neutralize his Water Release so easily.

Shuo lowered his hand. The glowing rain kept falling, and his tone was as flat as if he were discussing the weather. "That's what choosing two gets you. Keep making trouble, and you might not even get the chance to go back and deliver your message. That would be even more of a hassle."

The gray-clad man at the entrance took a deep breath and raised a hand to stop his companion, who still wanted to attack. He looked at Shuo with a complicated gaze. "We're only delivering a message. Are you accepting Lord Danzo's invitation or not?"

"Not right now."

Shuo answered without hesitation. "My clothes are wet, and I'm not in the mood. Some other day-if I'm free and in a good mood."

"When would that be?"

"No idea."

Shuo shrugged, looking utterly dismissive. "Depends on my mood. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, or maybe... I'll never be free."

The gray-clad man's face alternated between livid and pale, but he didn't press any further.

He remained silent for a long time, listening to the pouring rain, before finally nodding. "I'll relay that to Lord Danzo."

He gave a hand signal, and his companion at the far end dropped his stance. One after the other, the two quickly vanished into the curtain of rain without so much as another glance.

Shuo watched the direction they had disappeared in and waited several more minutes. Only after confirming that no one remained did he lower his hand.

The glowing rain gradually dimmed, the raindrops returning to normal as the alley became dark and damp again.

He continued on his way. By the time he left the alley, the rain had eased into fine threads that drifted cool against his face.

The street was almost deserted. Only a few pedestrians huddled beneath the eaves, waiting for the rain to stop.

The presences following him had vanished from his perception, but a subtler sense of observation remained. It wasn't directed at him; it covered the entire area. It was probably Root's surveillance network.

By the time Shuo reached the foot of the dormitory building, the rain had nearly stopped.

A gap opened in the clouds, and golden sunset light slanted through, casting tiny reflections across the wet street.

He stood at the entrance without going upstairs right away. Instead, he reached toward the setting sun, curling his fingers in a loose grasp.

At a distant street corner, ripples suddenly spread across a puddle-not from wind, but from light pressure.

He controlled the sunset's rays, gently focusing them on the puddle, like an invisible hand pressing down lightly.

The ripples spread and struck the wall beside it, the reflected water light making a patch of shadow on the wall waver.

Within the shadow, a figure instantly froze, even softening his breathing. This was the third observer, hidden far away and watching through a jutsu formula. He had chosen an extremely secluded position, yet had failed to escape the changes in the light.

Shuo paid him no further attention, withdrew his hand, and turned to go upstairs.

I've warned him. If he still won't leave, he's asking for trouble. Nothing to do with me. Saves me getting dragged into another hassle.

Back in his room, he stripped off his wet clothes, dried his hair, changed into a dry, loose jacket, and flopped onto the bed, his whole body relaxing. The system interface popped up in his mind:

[Faction contact encountered: Root]

[Response: Ambiguous refusal]

[Evaluation: Consistent with template style]

[Imitation Points +0.5%]

[Current Imitation Points: 44.9%]

[New understanding: Ambient Light Carrier Application (rainwater)]

[System note: The host has begun resolving conflicts through nonconfrontational means, consistent with Kizaru's "laid-back control" behavioral pattern]

Only 0.5%... Shuo pursed his lips, grumbling inwardly. All that effort for such a tiny increase. So stingy.

Oh well. It didn't take much effort anyway. Not a loss.

He had only been lying down for a few minutes when he grew hungry again. The ramen from lunch had long since digested, and he had burned through more than usual in the rain.

Should I go out to eat?

I just changed into dry clothes. If it rains again, they'll get wet all over again. What a hassle.

While he was debating, a knock came at the door.

"Who is it..."

Drawing out the words, Shuo slowly got up to open the door.

Rin stood outside with a food container in her hand, looking a little embarrassed. "Shuo, I noticed you didn't go to the cafeteria, so I brought some extra dinner we made at home. If you don't mind, please have some."

"Thanks."

Shuo took the container, his tone a little softer than usual. "Want to come in and sit down?"

"No, no, I still have to go back and help Mom with the chores!"

Rin waved and jogged downstairs. "See you tomorrow, Shuo!"

Shuo closed the door and opened the container. Inside were three rice balls, a piece of pan-fried fish, and a small portion of vegetables. They were still warm, their aroma wafting straight into his nose.

He sat at the table and began eating slowly. The flavor wasn't particularly stunning, but the food was warm, and eating it warmed him inside.

Halfway through, he walked to the window, opened a crack, and looked outside. It was completely dark now, and the streetlights had come on. The air after the rain was fresh, carrying the scent of grass and earth.

The patch of shadow beneath the eaves across the street was empty now. It seemed that observer had had the sense to leave.

Shuo's lips twitched. He drew the curtains and went back to eating.

After finishing his meal and tidying up the container, he didn't lie down again. Instead, he sat on the bed and casually played with Light Manipulation-not the high-intensity kind he used in training, just something to pass the time and keep his touch.

A speck of golden light lit up at his fingertip. It bounced, splitting into two, four, eight... like a swarm of tiny fireflies drifting around the room.

He controlled them, arranging them into a crooked triangle one moment and drawing a misshapen five-pointed star the next, thoroughly enjoying himself.

There was no particular purpose. He was just playing around, without needing to think or exert himself. It was much more comfortable than training.

After playing for half an hour, he dismissed the lights, yawned, and lay back on the bed, ready to sleep.

Before closing his eyes, he glanced at the system interface again-44.9%, almost 45%.

I wonder what ability I'll unlock at 50%.

Forget it. I'll deal with it when the time comes. Thinking so much is a hassle.

He rolled over and soon sank into sleep.

Outside the window, moonlight slipped through gaps in the clouds and shone on the wet rooftops, reflecting silver light. Quiet and still, like an undisturbed light belonging to the night, it kept the boy company through this night after the rain.