Yahiko and the other two were thrown out.
Literally.
Arin grabbed Nagato with his left hand, Konan with his right, and kicked Yahiko—
Sending all three flying straight out of the village.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three dull thuds echoed.
Yahiko, who had landed headfirst with his legs in the air, struggled to pull his head out of the ground.
"Why was I the only one kicked out!?"
Nagato and Konan got up, dusting off their clothes.
They didn't even know how to explain it.
After all… they couldn't exactly control Arin.
But somehow, seeing Yahiko worse off than them felt… comforting.
Yahiko, you truly are an angel.
Yahiko slapped the dirt off his head—
but it wouldn't come off at all!!!
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the two of them.
Why did it feel like they were insulting him?
"So… where do we go first?" Nagato asked.
They had been told to collect ninjutsu and hunt Rain ninja—
But they had no concrete direction.
Yahiko's expression turned serious.
"Let's head to the nearest city first."
"See if there's anyone who needs saving."
Having learned their lesson, Yahiko only intended to help children struggling to survive.
As for adults—
They didn't plan to help them anymore.
They were afraid of being betrayed again.
The three set off in one direction.
Under the rain curtain, high atop a tree—
Arin stood on the treetop, watching their figures disappear into the distance.
"Hanzo… here I come."
A strange smile spread across his face.
Inside Amegakure
Hanzo stepped out from the shadows.
A Rain ninja appeared beside him.
"Hanzo-sama."
"They still have no intention of returning?" Hanzo asked in a low voice.
The Rain ninja's expression darkened.
"They've decided to settle in the Land of Fire."
"They have no intention of coming back."
Hanzo had already realized he couldn't restore the Land of Rain alone.
So he had turned his attention to the nobles and merchants who had fled.
But—
They all refused to return.
The Land of Rain had become a wasteland.
What was there to return to?
Ruined cities?
Chaos?
They would rather stay elsewhere.
At the very least, the internal chaos of the Rain Country needed to be resolved first.
Hanzo fell silent for a long time before letting out a sigh.
"…Is this what you foresaw, Hanzo?"
In this war, the Land of Rain had completely lost its vitality.
It might never recover.
"…I did nothing wrong."
"At least… I protected the Land of Rain."
Because of his existence—
The great nations no longer dared to ravage this land.
Even if another war broke out, they would avoid this intersection of three nations.
All because—
Hanzo existed.
So he was not wrong.
And he would never be wrong.
"My lord, what should we do now?" the Rain ninja asked.
At present, the only place in decent condition was Amegakure itself.
With ninja as labor, they could quickly rebuild.
Hanzo spoke after a long pause:
"Expand outward."
"Seize the resources the Land of Rain needs."
"And then… train troops."
Amegakure had reputation.
What it lacked was an opportunity.
Perhaps—
It could become the Sixth Great Ninja Village.
The Rain Country had been dragging Amegakure down.
Now—
Amegakure would lift the Rain Country up instead.
As long as they had enough ninja—
Everything else could be solved.
"Yes!"
The Rain ninja dissolved into water and vanished.
Hanzo walked to the window, looking over the restored village.
"The Five Great Nations…"
He let out a cold snort.
In a Ruined City
A black-haired girl stood in front of a group of armed adults.
Behind her, several small children looked at her with hope.
"We don't have any food."
"You should leave," the girl said, forcing herself to stay calm.
The gaunt adults sneered.
"That may not be true."
Their eyes glowed green as they stared at the children.
"You—!!" the girl's face turned pale.
At that moment—
A slightly sturdy middle-aged man rushed out from the ruins, swinging a wooden club.
"Run!"
"They're no longer human!!"
Hunger had stripped them of their humanity.
"Uncle Duoliang!!" the girl cried out.
"GO!!!"
Duoliang knocked one man down with a swing—
But the others rushed him all at once.
He was quickly overwhelmed and beaten to the ground.
The girl clenched her teeth and turned to run with the children.
Blood flowed from the back of Duoliang's head.
Yet as he watched them escape—
A faint smile appeared on his face.
At least… he saved a few more.
In the current state of the Rain Country—
Good people died like this.
It wasn't that everyone was evil.
But those who held onto kindness died first—
Leaving only the cruel behind.
"After them!!"
The attackers knocked Duoliang unconscious and began chasing the children.
But even unconscious—
Duoliang still clutched one man's leg tightly.
"Damn it!! Let go!!"
The man struck him repeatedly with a club.
At this rate, Duoliang would be beaten to death.
Suddenly—
Paper shuriken flew in from the distance.
They pierced through his forehead, throat, and chest in an instant.
Ahead of the fleeing group—
Nagato blocked the path of the pursuers.
Above them—
Yahiko stood on high ground, looking down.
"You've already lost your humanity."
Nagato's eyes lit up beneath his bangs.
The wind lifted his hair.
"Shinra Tensei!!"
A powerful repulsive force erupted—
Sending the attackers flying and slamming them into the ground.
They were already weak from hunger.
All of them were knocked unconscious instantly.
Yahiko leapt down from above, raising his fist.
"Let this place bury you!"
RUMBLE—!
With one punch, he upheaved the earth—
Burying them beneath it.
Konan ran over from a distance.
Her face was pale.
It was her first time killing someone.
"Who… who are you?" the black-haired girl asked.
Yahiko turned and smiled brightly.
"We are…"
"Akatsuki."
In the Shadows
Arin hid like a ghost within the shadows.
The Shadow World was a reflection of reality.
Wherever there were shadows, this world existed—
Though it was completely dark.
He watched Yahiko saving people, rubbing his chin.
"Will this be enough to draw Hanzo out…?"
After all—
Yahiko and the others were still too young.
If their mission was to hunt Rain ninja—
Then Arin's mission was to—
Hunt Hanzo.
As for why he wasn't slacking off this time?
Because this time—
It was the main body who had come.
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