The porcelain spoon tapped lightly against the cherry blossom pattern on the edge of the bowl, making a clear, soft sound in the quiet afternoon. Uchiha Tsukiko sat cross-legged beneath the veranda, holding a bowl of warm red bean soup in both hands. The beans had been cooked until they were soft enough to melt on the tongue, and the sweetness was just right.
Normally, that alone would have been enough to lift her mood.
Today, it did nothing.
Tsukiko lowered the spoon, stared at the red bean soup for a long moment, and let out a dramatic sigh.
"Sigh… life is so empty."
She took another bite anyway, because no matter how tragic her mood was, wasting Aunt Mikoto's cooking would have been a crime.
Still, the sweet soup could not fill the strange sense of loneliness growing in her chest.
Things had changed.
Aunt Mikoto now spent most of the day taking care of little Sasuke. If she was not changing diapers, she was feeding him. If she was not feeding him, she was rocking him. And if by some miracle she had a free moment, Uncle Fugaku would appear like a shadow and steal her attention with that rare quiet affection only he seemed able to bring out of her.
As for Kushina…
Tsukiko clicked her tongue and took another bite of soup.
There was no need to even talk about Kushina.
Ever since Naruto was born, Tsukiko's position in Kushina's heart had clearly fallen several ranks. Before, she had been the cherished little darling who got pulled into warm hugs and spoiled without limit. Now she was lucky if she got treated like an important errand runner.
A highly trusted one, yes.
But still an errand runner.
"This cannot continue," Tsukiko muttered. "My youth is being wasted. My spirit has nowhere to go."
She finished the last spoonful of soup, swallowed, and then leaned back against the wooden pillar behind her. Her eyes turned thoughtful as she began sorting through a mental list of familiar women in Konoha.
"Yuhi Kurenai? No, still too young. That feels wrong."
"Anko Mitarashi? Too wild. She'd probably bite before I could even say hello."
"Tsunade?" Tsukiko's eyes brightened briefly, then dimmed. "Perfect in theory. Impossible in practice. First, finding her is hard. Second, even if I found her, I probably couldn't afford half a day of her gambling losses."
She rubbed her forehead.
"Where am I supposed to find a calm, gentle, reliable older-sister type?"
She looked up at the drifting clouds.
One cloud happened to look suspiciously like a toad.
Tsukiko froze.
"A toad…"
A spark flashed through her mind.
"Jiraiya."
She slapped her thigh so hard that the calico cat sleeping nearby shot upright in terror and scrambled up a tree.
"That's it!"
How had she forgotten?
Back in the Land of Rain, there were still the three students Jiraiya had once taken under his wing.
At this point in time, the Akatsuki had not yet become the feared organization the world would one day know. They were still small. Still idealistic. Still trying to protect people instead of ruling them through terror.
Yahiko was still full of stubborn hope.
Nagato had not yet fallen into despair.
And most importantly—
Konan was still there.
Tsukiko's eyes lit up.
Blue hair. Quiet voice. Calm face. A gentle heart hidden under a cool exterior. A woman who could fold flowers from paper and still stand strong in a world soaked in blood and rain.
It was exactly the kind of person Tsukiko liked.
"This is destiny," she declared.
Then her expression sharpened.
Danzo and Hanzo.
Those two old schemers would not stay still forever. If events continued along the path Tsukiko remembered, then the Land of Rain would become the graveyard of dreams. Yahiko would die, Nagato would break, and Konan would lose the softness in her heart.
Tsukiko slowly stood up.
"No," she said quietly. "Absolutely not."
Then her dramatic side returned in full force.
"For the peace of the ninja world—and definitely not for selfish personal reasons—I must go save them!"
Without another word, she abandoned the empty bowl where it sat and activated the Flying Thunder God.
In the next instant, she appeared outside the Hokage's office.
Then she pushed the doors open without knocking.
"Brother Minato! I have something important to report!"
Inside the office, Minato jerked in surprise and dragged his brush across a document, leaving a crooked streak of ink across the page.
He looked up, saw Tsukiko, and sighed the sigh of a man long accustomed to chaos.
"What is it this time, Tsukiko?"
His tone was gentle, but wary.
"If this is about getting more funds for snacks, the finance office already sent in a complaint."
Tsukiko placed both hands on his desk and leaned forward with pure, shining righteousness in her eyes.
"Do I look like such a shallow person?"
Minato gave her a look.
Tsukiko ignored it and continued.
"Brother Minato, I have realized something terrible. Ever since defeating that masked enemy, I have been living too comfortably. Praise has weakened my spirit. Ease has dulled my edge. This is dangerous for a shinobi!"
Minato leaned back in his chair.
"And?"
"So I have decided," Tsukiko said dramatically, "to go and temper myself in the outside world!"
Minato narrowed his eyes.
"You want to leave the village."
"Yes!" Tsukiko said proudly. "Not just for a short trip either. I want to travel. I want hardship. I want danger. I want to test myself in a place of chaos and suffering."
She raised one hand and pointed into the distance as if she could already see it.
"I want to go to the Land of Rain."
Minato's expression changed slightly.
That country was unstable. It stood between greater powers and suffered because of it. Rain, war, poverty, suspicion—those things clung to it like a second skin.
"It's not safe there," he said. "I've heard there's a growing group operating in that area, and tensions are rising."
"That's exactly why I should go," Tsukiko replied without hesitation. "Only in chaos can true strength be tested. Besides, I have Flying Thunder God. If things go wrong, I can leave faster than anyone."
Minato studied her face.
She looked unusually serious.
That alone made him suspicious.
Still, she had recently done a great service for the village. And locking Tsukiko inside Konoha for too long was never a real solution. If she was determined to go, it was better to let her go openly than force her to sneak out in secret.
After a long pause, he opened a drawer and pulled out a special travel pass.
"Alright," he said, signing it. "I'll allow it."
Tsukiko's face brightened at once.
"But," Minato continued, "you must remember this: whatever happens, your life comes first."
Tsukiko nodded quickly.
"And your Flying Thunder God markers—"
"I have them," she said immediately, snatching the pass the moment he finished signing it.
Before Minato could continue, Tsukiko had already backed toward the window.
"Thank you, Brother Minato! I'll be back before you miss me too much!"
Minato opened his mouth.
Tsukiko grinned.
"And maybe I'll bring back some talented people too!"
Then she vanished out the window in a blur.
Minato stared at the curtains as they fluttered in the wind.
His expression slowly turned uneasy.
"Talented people?" he muttered.
For some reason, that did not sound reassuring.
A short while later, Tsukiko stood at Konoha's gates, travel pass tucked safely away, staring at the gray horizon with a determined smile.
"Konan," she said to herself, "wait for me."
Then her smile turned dangerous.
"And Hanzo. Danzo. You two had better enjoy your peace while it lasts."
---
A few days later, Tsukiko arrived in the Land of Rain.
She held an oil-paper umbrella above her head as she walked through long, narrow streets soaked in endless drizzle. On her feet were thick wooden sandals that clicked against wet stone. Rain ran from rooftops in constant streams, dripping from rusted pipes and broken signs.
Everything here felt damp.
The air smelled of old iron, mold, and cold smoke.
People passed by in silence, heads lowered, bodies wrapped in worn coats and rain cloaks. Some wore breathing masks. Others just moved quickly, as if standing still too long might invite misfortune.
Tsukiko looked around and frowned.
"This place really knows how to crush a person's mood."
She wiped rain from her cheek.
"No wonder later everything here went wrong. If someone grew up under this sky every single day, of course they'd start wondering whether the whole world was broken."
She had chosen not to wear her Konoha forehead protector openly. Instead, she dressed like the daughter of some wealthy merchant family traveling with too much confidence and not nearly enough caution.
Only Tsukiko knew that hidden beneath the soft fabric were storage tags, weapons, and enough explosive notes to make a serious statement if needed.
She pulled out a map that was already beginning to soften from the rain.
"According to the information I got, the early Akatsuki have been active around this area," she murmured. "Helping civilians, repairing structures, chasing off troublemakers. Very heroic. Very inconvenient for people who want power."
She traced several marked routes with her finger.
Then—
Voices.
Angry ones.
A struggle was happening in the alley ahead.
"Stop! You can't steal from him!"
Tsukiko's eyes brightened.
That voice was young, passionate, and packed with unshakable righteousness.
There was no mistaking it.
"Yahiko."
She folded the map away, leaped lightly onto the edge of a low roof, and moved across the rain-slick tiles without a sound.
From above, she looked down into the alley.
Three young figures stood between an old man and a group of rough-looking wandering samurai.
At the front was a boy with orange hair and bright eyes full of fire. His kunai was held in a firm grip, and even soaked by rain, he looked like someone who refused to bow to despair.
Behind him stood Nagato.
Thin. Quiet. Long red hair falling around his face. There was hesitation in his posture, but not cowardice. He still stood his ground.
And at the back—
Tsukiko nearly forgot to breathe.
Konan.
She stood with short blue hair dampened by rain, a paper flower fixed neatly in her hair. She looked young, still slender, still growing into the woman she would become one day—but the calm presence was already there.
Sheets of white paper drifted around her like silent wings.
Tsukiko's heart was gone.
"Ah," she whispered, pressing a hand dramatically to her chest. "That's dangerous."
The fight itself ended quickly.
The samurai clearly had not expected resistance from a group of young idealists. Yahiko rushed them with fearless close combat, Nagato supported him from behind, and Konan's paper techniques cut through the air with sharp precision.
A moment later, the thugs fled into the rain.
Yahiko turned at once toward the old man they had protected.
"Are you alright, Grandpa?"
The old man trembled as he nodded.
"Thank you… thank you…"
With shaking hands, he pulled out two hard, dry buns.
"It's not much, but please—"
Yahiko waved both hands.
"No, no! It's fine! We're Akatsuki! We do this because we want peace!"
At that exact moment, his stomach growled loudly.
The sound echoed through the alley.
Nagato looked down in embarrassment.
Konan lowered her eyes.
The old man looked even guiltier.
And from above—
Tsukiko laughed.
It rang bright and clear through the rain.
All three young shinobi looked up sharply.
Tsukiko crouched on the edge of the roof, smiling beneath her umbrella.
"Sorry," she said. "I really tried not to laugh."
Yahiko instantly raised his kunai again.
"Who are you?"
Tsukiko jumped down from the roof and landed with a splash.
"Relax. If I were your enemy, this conversation would already be much shorter."
She pulled out a coin pouch and tossed it toward Yahiko.
He caught it on instinct.
The weight made his eyes widen.
Inside were enough coins to feed a small group for quite some time.
"This is too much," Yahiko said immediately. "We can't accept this from a stranger."
"Oh, come on," Tsukiko said. "I just watched three idealistic fools save an old man while starving themselves. Let me support the cause a little."
Then, before Yahiko could object again, she stepped toward Konan.
Konan tensed at once. Several slips of paper rose protectively.
Tsukiko stopped just short of entering her attack range and smiled.
"Don't be nervous. I'm not here to hurt you."
Konan's voice was calm, but cautious.
"Then who are you?"
"My name is Uchiha Tsukiko," she said. "I'm from Konoha."
That made all three of them more alert, not less.
Tsukiko noticed and lifted both hands harmlessly.
"I'm not here on official business. I came because I know someone you know."
Nagato's eyes sharpened through the veil of his hair.
"Who?"
"Jiraiya."
That did it.
The air changed instantly.
Yahiko blinked. Nagato froze. Konan's papers stilled.
"You know our teacher?" Nagato asked quietly.
Tsukiko nodded.
"I know enough to recognize his students on sight."
That was not completely true, but it sounded convincing, and right now convincing was enough.
She looked at Yahiko, then Nagato, then Konan again.
"And more importantly, I know what kind of people you are trying to become."
Yahiko's suspicion loosened a little.
Tsukiko took the opportunity at once.
"You're hungry," she said plainly. "You've been helping people while neglecting yourselves. That's admirable. Also stupid."
Yahiko looked offended.
Tsukiko pointed down the road.
"There's a place nearby selling hot food. I'm paying. You can refuse if you want, but if your great dream for peace collapses because you were too proud to accept dinner, that would be embarrassing."
For one long second, nobody moved.
Then Yahiko looked at the coin pouch again.
Then at Nagato.
Then at Konan.
Konan quietly said, "We should at least hear her out."
That was enough.
Yahiko lowered his kunai.
"Fine," he said. "But only because we need the strength."
Tsukiko smiled in triumph.
"Excellent. Now we can talk properly."
She turned and began walking, then glanced back at them over her shoulder.
Rain fell between them in silver lines.
Yahiko followed first.
Nagato followed after him.
Konan came last, still guarded, still watchful.
Tsukiko looked at the three of them and felt something tighten in her chest.
These were not the broken figures history would remember.
Not yet.
Right now, they were still young enough to hope.
Still foolish enough to believe they could change the world.
Still human.
Tsukiko adjusted her umbrella and smiled softly to herself.
She had arrived in time.
And somewhere, far away, Danzo and Hanzo were still weaving their plans, unaware that the board had already changed.
Very soon, they would learn something important.
The children they intended to sacrifice—
Would not be standing alone this time.
----------------------------------
Extra chapters available on patreon
patreon.com/Samurai492 🔥🔥🔥
__________________________________