Chapter 65: Perhaps We'll Meet Again
Though he had discovered Nagato early on, Dana had restrained himself from making contact. He couldn't be sure if the Rinnegan had already been implanted, but if it had, then it was a safe bet that Black Zetsu and Madara Uchiha had left some kind of contingency in place to ensure his safety. At the very least, a few White Zetsu were probably watching him sleep every night and observing his bowel movements from underground.
Dana didn't want to get on Black Zetsu's radar so early. He had no time for Madara and Black Zetsu's nonsense right now. The Second Great Ninja War was in full swing, and securing the greatest possible victory for the Cloud was his top priority. So, for now, he just kept a casual eye on Nagato.
And for the same reason, he couldn't just snatch him and take him back to the village. The White Zetsu, and possibly Black Zetsu, that would come with him would drag the Cloud into their grand scheme. Dana had no desire to spend his days guarding against a hidden enemy.
But not wanting to attract attention and not wanting to disrupt the plot were two different things. Dana had no intention of letting Black Zetsu have his way. Nagato would not be allowed to grow up according to his script. And it had to be done with the utmost secrecy.
The "mercenary" was a former Cloud ANBU, his identity deeply buried. He had been operating as a mercenary in the Land of Rain for six months, secretly keeping an eye on Nagato's family at Dana's behest. And after tonight, he would continue to be a mercenary, living by their code, so that even if a White Zetsu were to follow him 24/7, they would find nothing out of the ordinary. And at the opportune moment, he would appear before Nagato again. From the very beginning, after receiving his series of orders from Dana, this "mercenary" had been playing his part, with no further contact with the Cloud, until his mission was complete.
No matter how suspicious Black Zetsu became, he would find nothing wrong with him, unless he could see the future.
Was Black Zetsu the enemy? Sooner or later, Dana knew, he would be. Though he had no time to deal with him now. So, whatever the enemy wanted to do, he would interfere. If Black Zetsu had a script, why couldn't he?
Dana was very much looking forward to Nagato's development.
And if Nagato was a hot potato for the Cloud, then another person was a sweet, valuable prize.
"Lady Kohaku," Dana said, "your cooking is surprisingly delicious. Please, reconsider my offer. I am a senior executive of the Kitanouji Merchant Guild in the Land of Hot Water. Our guild has recently acquired a large hot spring inn, and we want to turn it into the premier culinary destination of the ninja world. We would like to invite you to come and create your signature Land of Rain cuisine."
Kohaku Yasuko looked at him, troubled. A "senior executive"? But he was so young. She had, however, heard from travelers that the Kitanouji Merchant Guild had been doing very well in recent years.
After her husband's death, Kohaku had been raising her child alone, running a small restaurant in the Land of Rain. Her cooking was good, and she had managed to make a living. She was also a beautiful woman, and a Rain ninja had once pursued her, but out of consideration for her daughter's feelings, it had come to nothing.
But in the past year, the entire country had been in turmoil. The number of travelers and merchants had dwindled, and society had become more and more unstable. After being caught in the crossfire several times, her small restaurant was on the verge of collapse. Lately, it had been a struggle to even feed herself, let alone serve customers. Food was now scarce and expensive.
And then, a group of people had shown up at her door, wanting to eat. When she had told them she had no ingredients, they had provided their own. Feeling a sense of absurdity, she had cooked them a meal. They were a large and intimidating group.
After they had finished, they had praised her cooking. To be honest, though she was proud of her own skills, she knew she was just a very good home cook. The idea of being a head chef in the Land of Hot Water seemed unreal. And the person who had made the offer was just so young.
"Lady Kohaku," Dana said, "you know the situation in the Land of Rain better than I do. A job in the Land of Hot Water could solve a lot of your problems. Do you really want your daughter to grow up in such a dangerous environment?"
The blue-haired girl, seeing him look at her, hid behind her mother again, only a single, beautiful eye peeking out.
After a long hesitation, Kohaku finally agreed. If she stayed here, she could be dead tomorrow. Even if this was some kind of trick, it was better than dying anonymously in the war.
The next day, she packed her few belongings and, with her daughter, joined the Kitanouji Merchant Guild's convoy, her heart filled with a mixture of hope and trepidation.
After joining the convoy, they discovered that another father and son were also traveling with them.
"Are you going to the Land of Hot Water too?" the boy asked, striking up a conversation. "My dad is a water engineer! He can build giant water wheels! They hired him to build one!"
The boy was very friendly, which made the little girl a bit uncomfortable.
"What's your name?"
"Konan... Kohaku Konan."
"I'm Yahiko! Hehe!"
Watching the convoy depart, Dana looked at the outgoing Yahiko and the shy Konan. This must be the compatibility of fate, he thought.
Perhaps, one day, Nagato would meet them. He was looking forward to seeing what would happen then.
As the convoy disappeared from sight, his smile faded, and he turned to leave.
Three days later, under the guise of the young Cloud research prodigy, Mada, he met with Hanzo of the Salamander.
Hanzo had not been having a good time lately. The three great nations were fighting a bloody war in his country, and the Hidden Rain could only watch. The prestige he had built up over the years was slowly eroding.
"The Lord of my village wishes for you to endure for now," Mada said.
Hanzo put down the letter with a heavy hand. "My old friend is right," he said. "The time is not yet right."
With years of support from the Cloud, the Hidden Rain was much stronger than it had been in the original timeline. They still controlled the area around their village, they had a Ninja Academy, and their supplies were plentiful. They were not without the ability to fight. Their recent victory over the Sand's advance team was proof of that. The Hidden Rain was now a force that could influence, and even decide, the outcome of the war. But being able to decide the outcome did not mean they would be the ones to laugh last. This was why Hanzo had been holding back. The time was not yet right.
In fact, he was waiting for the Cloud.
"Center your forces around the Hidden Rain Village and gradually expand your sphere of control. But be sure to leave enough space for the three great nations to fight. Draw a line. If anyone crosses it, make trouble for them. But only make trouble, don't hit them too hard. The Hidden Rain cannot become the primary enemy of any one side. But it must become a force they don't want to provoke. This will buy you time to develop."
This was the invaluable advice his old friend from the Cloud had given him.