Chapter 197: The Rain Never Stops
When you're poor, your ambitions shrink!
There was no helping it. Although Li Jiexuan also wanted to draw Naruto to strengthen himself, in that storyline, to ambush Minato, he would have to remain outside the plot the entire time. That meant he wouldn't be able to complete any missions—and wouldn't earn a single point…
Because of this, he chose another storyline instead:
Beneath a gray sky, the rain seemed to have never once stopped falling over this small country. The Land of Rain—a minor nation trapped between the Five Great Nations. As a small country, the most tragic thing was having no choice over whether to go to war…
"Boom!"
The flames of explosive tags intertwined with the flashes of ninjutsu. War in the rain appeared especially brutal and cold—more like a stage play of slaughter. The battle between Konoha and Amegakure was at its peak, locked in a fierce stalemate!
Standing atop a high mountain, quietly watching the intense battlefield in the distance, Li Jiexuan slowly stepped back, not rashly joining the fight—even though one side was Konoha…
Even though his lover, Tsunade, was risking her life on that very battlefield!
But Li Jiexuan was clear-headed. The storyline world was just that—a storyline. He wouldn't foolishly assume that every version of Tsunade across all timelines was his wife. After leaving the battlefield, he began to think carefully: in this storyline, he had two choices.
The first was to find a way to participate in the plot and earn rewards from missions and events.
The second was to ambush Nagato!
Compared to the future Nagato, who far surpassed the Five Kage in power, the Nagato of this time was still just a child—unable to use ninjutsu, only capable of relying on the basic abilities of the Rinnegan.
The Rinnegan!
It was a crucial piece in Li Jiexuan's follower plan. Yet after much thought, he still gave up on this option.
First was the issue of success rate. Was it really such a coincidence that three helpless children—Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan—could survive in this chaotic era?
One must not forget—Black Zetsu had always been lurking in the shadows, watching over this most important chess piece…
If Li Jiexuan tried to make a move on Nagato, he wouldn't be surprised if Black Zetsu, the final offspring of Kaguya, used some unknown method to interfere. More importantly, Li Jiexuan simply didn't like the idea of gouging out someone else's eyes to use for himself—especially not something that had already passed through multiple hands…
Since he chose to integrate into the storyline, Li Jiexuan had to find a reasonable way to join one of the factions.
He wasn't a masochist, so naturally, he chose the strongest faction—Konoha. More importantly, he knew that Jiraiya wouldn't kill him outright over a disagreement. That couldn't be guaranteed with other nations…
The war continued. But in a conflict that lasted months—years, even—no ninja, no matter how strong, could fight endlessly without rest. As the sky gradually darkened, the defeated side dragged their corpses back to camp to tend their wounds. The victorious side returned as well, to recover and prepare…
Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya supported one another as they walked toward Konoha's camp. But just then, the loud cry of an infant from behind a distant boulder stopped them in their tracks.
"Waa—waa—!"
The fragile cries made the three exchange glances as they cautiously approached. On a battlefield, anything could happen. But when they stepped past the rock, a heart-wrenching scene appeared before them…
Beside a crater blasted open by explosive tags, a man and a woman—both civilians—were shielding a three-year-old child beneath their bodies. The child was unharmed, but their bodies were already riddled with holes, lifeless.
"What should we do?"
For a moment, the three legendary ninja were at a loss. They had seen many war orphans—but such a shocking scene was rare even for them…