Land of Rain.
New City.
Yahiko's trio entered through the gates, gazing at the clean, well-built houses lining the streets.
"It's so... clean," Yahiko murmured.
In the Land of Rain, such a sight was rare. It had been years since they'd seen a city like this.
"It feels like nothing ever happened," Nagato said, his voice tinged with sorrow.
Konan, too, felt a pang of melancholy.
The war had taken their families.
Yahiko suddenly slung an arm around both of them.
"Hey, what's with the long faces? Today, we're gonna explore!"
He dragged them forward. The streets weren't crowded, and though the people were still thin, their faces carried more smiles than before.
The New City had only recently been established, and many were still recovering.
The trio soon reached the marketplace.
At a fish stall, Yahiko's eyes locked onto a large, fresh catch. He licked his lips.
In the past, he would've stolen it without a second thought. But now, they were proper shinobi—no need for that anymore.
"You again?"
The stall owner suddenly recognized Yahiko.
"Uh... hey, boss," Yahiko chuckled awkwardly. This was the same vendor whose fish he'd once stolen. Who'd have thought they'd meet here?
"Want one?"
Unlike before, the owner wasn't scowling. His tone was almost friendly.
"We don't have money," Yahiko admitted.
Jiraiya-sensei handled their meals now. They didn't need to scavenge anymore.
"Take it," the vendor said, shaking his head with a smile. "Kids like you, who steal but actually return things? Rare."
Yahiko grinned sheepishly.
Back then, they'd returned everything they'd taken—all to prove themselves worthy of becoming the Sannin's students. They'd only stolen to survive, and once they didn't need to, they'd made amends.
"Here."
The vendor netted the fish and handed it over.
Yahiko took it without hesitation. "Thanks!"
Though Jiraiya-sensei provided food, fresh fish was still a luxury.
"When you're older, you should join the Land of Rain's military. They feed you, pay you monthly, and it's safe," the vendor advised.
"Military?"
The trio exchanged confused glances.
The Land of Rain had a military?
Seeing their confusion, the vendor explained, "It was created to protect the country. Lots of young folks and kids have joined."
"Heard the food's good, and they even get paid."
Some grumbled about taxes funding it, but no one had noticed any tax hikes. In fact, prices seemed lower than before.
As a fishmonger, he knew why.
Before, the nobles had taxed them to the bone. Now, the Land of Rain only took a symbolic amount—nothing compared to what the nobles used to demand.
"That sounds too good to be true," Yahiko muttered.
Was someone running a scam?
The trio shared skeptical looks. They knew about militaries—cities and nobles had them. But those were just glorified mobs of farmers who fled at the sight of shinobi. None of them paid their soldiers.
A military that fed and paid its members? Unheard of.
"The recruitment office is down that way," the vendor said, pointing to the end of the street.
Still baffled, the trio headed toward it. They had to see this for themselves.
Soon, they reached the so-called recruitment office—only to find it swarmed by a massive crowd.
"It's packed," Yahiko said, stunned by the noisy yet oddly comforting scene. The Land of Rain hadn't seen such vitality in years.
"Quiet! Everyone, quiet!" A man with a megaphone stood on a platform, silencing the crowd.
"Rain Corps is full! Only Coin Corps has slots left! Requirements: four intact limbs, minimum age twelve, maximum thirty!"
The crowd froze, hesitation flashing across every face.
"Big bro, what's going on?" Yahiko tugged at a nearby man's sleeve.
The man glanced down at the three kids and sighed. "New here?"
They nodded.
"The New City has two militaries. One's the Rain Corps, led by Hanzo of the Salamander. The other's the Coin Corps, led by Lord Kakuzu."
"Rain Corps has strict requirements—hard to get in. Coin Corps is easier, but... well, Lord Kakuzu's killed people for mistakes."
"That's horrible!" Konan glared. "How can he kill people just for mistakes?"
Even Yahiko frowned. He hated wanton killing.
But more importantly—
"Why is Hanzo leading a military? And how can shinobi and civilians serve together?"
Wouldn't the civilians just hold them back?
The man gave Yahiko a once-over.
"You don't know? The Land of Rain's shinobi became the military. And if we join, we can gain power like shinobi." He paused. "Well, more like we become shinobi—just under a different name."
"What?!" The trio gaped. Jiraiya-sensei had said only those with chakra affinity could become shinobi!
"Details are fuzzy, but it's supposedly the new daimyo's doing. Even Hanzo-sama gave up being a shinobi to serve him."
(Of course, this was all hearsay.)
"But the daimyo abandoned the Land of Rain," Nagato said, utterly lost.
"Right, so this is a new one. Rumor is Kakuzu-sama rescued him by chance. After seeing the chaos here, the new daimyo decided to create a military just for the Land of Rain—to protect it, like the Land of Iron."
(Again, mostly speculation, but widely believed in the New City.)
Dazed, the trio left the city.
Their worldview had been upended in a single day.
They didn't even get to ask about Kakuzu's executions.
On the road back, Yahiko suddenly raised a fist and declared:
"I've decided!"
...What now?
Nagato and Konan stared at him.
"After we graduate from Jiraiya-sensei, I'm joining the military! Then I'll form my own army to bring peace to the world!"
"I've even got a name for it."
"The Dawn Corps!"
...
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(End of Chapter)