A few days later, the trio led by Arai was speeding through familiar forest land.
They had just crossed the border of the Land of Rain and were currently evading the patrols and reconnaissance of Amegakure.
Relying on Arai's rich battlefield experience and familiarity with the Land of Rain's border, this infiltration went very smoothly... but they still had to be extra careful on the Land of Rain's front lines.
Their route deep inside required several detours... they couldn't just go straight in.
Once they broke through this area and approached the interior of the Land of Rain, the pressure would significantly decrease.
Before that, besides moving in a roundabout way, they also had to maintain full sprinting speed.
Although the Land of Rain's current wartime deployment was no longer so strict... attempting a silent infiltration was still very difficult.
Suddenly, Arai, who was in front, made a hand sign.
The next second, the three people, who had been darting forward in an arrowhead formation, instantly scattered like streaks of silk and vanished.
A few seconds later, a three-person Amegakure squad appeared nearby, checked the surroundings, and quickly retreated.
But Arai and the other two still did not reveal themselves.
After a while, confirming it was safe, Arai blew a very faint and peculiar whistle, like a bird call... Only then did Yubi and Sasori emerge from their respective hiding places and continue their journey... A day later, Arai led the two across a hill. Just as they reached the foot of the mountain and stepped out of the woods, he detected an anomaly again and halted their movement.
The sky was drizzling lightly, covered by thin, dark clouds.
Since entering the Land of Rain, the weather here seemed to have been continuously gloomy... there was no sun, and the air was quite humid.
It was completely different from the Land of Wind.
Truly the Land of Rain.
It really is frequented by rain all year round.
The three held their breath, motionless, lingering in the concealed spot in the woods for a long time. Under their gaze, the surface of a small puddle formed by accumulated rainwater on a patch of mud suddenly rippled... A human head emerged from the water, observing the surroundings.
Only after confirming no one was present did this Amegakure Ninja fully emerge from the water and then depart.
This was clearly a type of Ninjutsu with extremely powerful camouflage capabilities, allowing the user to naturally blend into the environment.
Arai proved himself to be a seasoned Elite Jōnin, spotting the anomaly immediately.
"Chakra sensing..."
Yubi found this type of Ninjutsu somewhat familiar... it resembled the technique used by the two minor characters Naruto encountered on his first mission outside the Village.
However, there were some differences in the form and effect of the Ninjutsu.
It was hard to spot flaws with the naked eye... The fact that Arai was so perceptive indicated that his Chakra sensing ability was also very strong.
This area... was roughly Amegakure's final border defense line.
Breaking through this alert line meant officially entering the interior of the Land of Rain.
After the other party left, the trio immediately stepped out of the woods and sped away.
In short, although the journey had been troublesome... they had ultimately navigated it safely. Once they entered deep into the Land of Rain, the three could relax slightly.
"Let's take a break."
After a moment, Arai found a relatively safe spot and instructed them.
Although breaking through the entire defense line of the Land of Rain's forces didn't take long, it was quite draining on their physical and mental energy.
Yubi and Sasori began to rest their eyes.
Arai was responsible for keeping watch... For him, a Jōnin, the mission up to this point was not difficult.
After all, there were only three of them; the fewer the people, the safer they were.
As long as they had enough experience dealing with this kind of situation, at this particular time, his abilities made the success rate of infiltrating the Land of Rain relatively high.
But if they were a group of seven or eight, it would probably be dangerous.
A few hours later, they had briefly recovered some 'vitality.'
The trio then continued their journey... the sooner they reached the Land of Grass, the more advantageous it would be for them.
Afterward... the three also disguised themselves, changing into civilian clothes and pretending to be locals or traveling merchants from the Land of Rain.
The three walked along the roads of the Land of Rain, wearing rain-sheltering outer garments. Along the way, they passed some Villages or small towns, but the scenes they witnessed... were utterly desolate.
Most of the Villages had been damaged and destroyed by the war... In some Villages, only one or two families remained, living in extremely difficult conditions.
In comparison, although Sunagakure was currently mired in economic depression, it was still far better off.
On the road, they occasionally encountered refugees or escapees.
Tearing away the veil of war, the true internal situation of the Land of Rain was laid bare before the trio.
They also ran into a group of bandits hijacking civilians... and saw a brutal scene of two gangs fighting in the rain, seemingly a conflict between two local power groups.
However, the trio did not intervene, focusing only on their journey.
"Outsiders only saw Hanzou overpower the Konohas Three Legendary Sannin on the battlefield, but the overall situation at the time was that Konoha's military strength could easily destroy the Land of Rain's border defenses, allowing a large number of Konoha Ninja to enter the Land of Rain's core territory... It was only because Konoha had to fight on multiple fronts that they couldn't fully concentrate on the Land of Rain... otherwise..."
These scenes prompted Arai to discuss the 'truth' of this Ninja World War.
It wasn't just Konoha's people; their Sunagakure forces also frequently broke through the Land of Rain's defenses and entered the country during the early stages of the war.
A large part of the Land of Rain's current 'war-torn' state... was caused by Ninja from Konoha or other Villages.
Of course, the chaotic forces within the country that were difficult to control were also one of the reasons adding insult to injury.
The ugliness and dark side of human nature were fully exposed under the influence of war's devastation.
"Although the Land of Rain produced Hanzou, a powerhouse capable of going down in history... the gap between them and the Great Ninja Villages is still very clear. Not just Konoha... even Sunagakure, if not for guarding against other hostile forces, could overwhelm the Land of Rain in a one-on-one fight..."
Yubi thought secretly, agreeing with Arai's assessment.
"The main reason for the Land of Rain's current situation is likely that Hanzou's confidantes, seeking private gain, are entangled with many local forces, squeezing every last drop from the common people... The Land of Rain was forcefully established under Hanzou's powerful iron fist, and the entire high command of the Land of Rain adheres to this philosophy. In their eyes, they probably don't care about the lives of ordinary people... Whoever has the biggest fist calls the shots. These civilians of the Land of Rain enjoy such a large territory and protection from Amegakure only because of the sacrifices made by their soldiers on the battlefield... therefore, they should 'contribute' some profit."
"Hanzou couldn't possibly be unaware of all this... but Amegakure's forces, including his own personal expenses and luxuries, require sufficient funds to sustain them... so, he can only turn a blind eye."
"These local forces seem chaotic, but they are inextricably linked to the high command of Hidden Rain Village... In other words, even if someone wanted to start an uprising, it would be difficult to change the current situation of the Land of Rain, because the final enemy they would face is the Demigod who personally established the Land of Rain."
"This is a vicious cycle. Even if Hanzou dies... his deeply ingrained philosophy of authoritarianism will influence many people and future generations... The Land of Rain is like a patient with a terminal illness; it's already beyond saving and will only get worse."
Yubi said, "The origin of this illness is a flawed governing philosophy... Sometimes, the impact of a failed leader on a nation's destiny far outweighs a so-called Ninja World War."
"Belief and will... are the keys hidden beneath the war that truly determine whether a Village or a nation has a future."
After he finished speaking, both Sasori and Arai glanced at him.
Especially Arai, whose eyes flashed.
"..."
On one hand, he felt that Yubi's words were somewhat allegorical.
On the other hand, he hadn't expected Yubi to possess such a unique understanding and analysis of political structure.
They had only thought the Land of Rain's state was due to the ravages of war coupled with Hanzou's poor management... they hadn't considered it so deeply.
Now that Yubi had put it this way, they suddenly felt... that it seemed to be the case.
Otherwise, even if the Land of Rain had a relatively short history of development, as long as Hanzou was willing to take action and sincerely reform... sweeping away all sources of chaos with overwhelming power, the Land of Rain could still be 'revitalized' and full of hope.
But now, Hanzou was both the making and the breaking of the nation.
"You..."
Arai hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
"Haha... I just guessed, I don't know if it's accurate."
Yubi seemed to know what Arai wanted to say. Under his dripping straw raincoat, he raised his head and showed a row of white teeth.