Chapter 27: Battle in the Rain
The Land of Rain
Since crossing into the Land of Rain's territory, the weather had been persistently drizzling for days on end—the seemingly eternal precipitation that defined this melancholic nation.
Tsunade pulled her raincoat tighter around her shoulders, glancing up at the oppressive overcast sky through her wide straw hat. She couldn't help but grumble irritably. "It's been so many years since I was last here, and the Land of Rain is still this miserable. This damn rain just never stops. I honestly don't know how people manage to live in this place."
"Lady Tsunade, are you absolutely certain we don't need to maintain stealth?"
Uchiha Kazuki had put his ANBU owl mask back on, cautiously observing their surroundings with trained vigilance. He deliberately lowered his voice. "If Hanzō of the Salamander discovers our presence in his territory, I'm afraid the consequences could be..."
Extremely lethal, he didn't finish aloud.
The reason they were currently operating within the Land of Rain was purely practical—the final sealing location marked on the ancient scroll happened to lie within Amegakure's borders.
For shinobi from another nation to enter the territory controlled by the Hidden Rain Village was extraordinarily dangerous under normal circumstances.
After all, the notorious leader of Amegakure—Hanzō of the Salamander—had once completely overwhelmed the younger versions of Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade when they'd faced him during the Second Great Ninja War.
If not for the vast power differential between their respective villages—and Hanzō's calculated political decision—those three legendary shinobi would likely have died here years ago.
Instead, Hanzō had bestowed upon them the title of "Konoha's Legendary Sannin," making them famous throughout the entire shinobi world—a reputation that would accompany them for the rest of their lives.
"Heh, no need to hide ourselves."
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, her tone confident. "Besides, hiding would be completely useless anyway. From the moment we crossed into the Land of Rain, it was only a matter of time before Hanzō became aware of our presence. It's actually better to walk in openly—that way, the old bastard won't dare make any hostile moves too easily."
"Are you... certain about that assessment?"
Kazuki asked skeptically, his Sharingan hidden behind the ANBU mask analyzing their exposed position.
"What other option do we have?"
Tsunade glanced at him and sneered knowingly. "If Hanzō were truly as fearsome as his reputation suggests, he wouldn't have let the three of us leave alive in the first place back then."
A distinct hint of bitter resentment was clearly detectable in her tone—old wounds that hadn't quite healed.
Apparently aware that her credibility might be questionable with the suspicious Uchiha operative, she elaborated. "Don't worry so much. There's no direct military conflict between Konoha and Amegakure right now. Hanzō is fundamentally a shrewd, calculating politician—he won't rashly provoke a war without strategic advantage. Our open, brazen presence in the Land of Rain is actually the safest possible approach."
Kazuki's frown deepened behind his mask. "But if we're operating completely out in the open, how can we possibly avoid Hanzō's surveillance network and properly inspect the seal location?"
"Why would we need to avoid him at all?"
Tsunade pulled a piece of wrapped candy from her pocket, peeled off the outer coating with practiced ease, and handed it to Hikari walking beside her. "Here~ have a piece of candy to warm yourself up in this miserable weather."
"Thank you, Master Tsunade!"
Hikari accepted the candy with both hands respectfully and carefully placed it in her mouth. The sweet taste seemed to permeate her entire being—warming her from within. She involuntarily closed her eyes with contentment.
"We'll just tell Hanzō directly about our purpose."
Tsunade clapped her hands together, her expression becoming coldly amused. "Even if he knows exactly what we're doing, what could he possibly do about it? Even if that man had ten times his current courage, would he dare to tamper with an ancient Warring States Period seal? It's not that I'm underestimating Hanzō's capabilities—it's precisely because he's such a seasoned, calculating politician who understands Amegakure's precarious strategic position that he's even less likely to needlessly offend us."
The seasoned politician...
Kazuki gave Tsunade a peculiar look, sensing that her words seemed deliberately sarcastic—targeting not only Hanzō but perhaps certain leadership figures in Konoha as well.
"Look~"
Tsunade gestured casually toward the path ahead. "See? Someone's already come to greet us properly."
As soon as she finished speaking, several figures became visible through the rain—all wearing distinctive Amegakure headbands and approaching with cautious, measured respect.
Diplomatic Tension
"Lady Tsunade of the Sannin."
The leading Rain shinobi spoke with professional courtesy, though deep-seated hatred lurked unmistakably in his eyes. He asked with barely concealed nervousness, "To avoid potential diplomatic incidents between our nations, may I respectfully inquire about your purpose in entering Amegakure's territory?"
Although the shinobi world wasn't currently at war, the sudden appearance of one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin—representing one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—in tiny Amegakure's borders was more than enough to create severe tension.
The Second Great Ninja War had ended only recently. They still remembered all too clearly the overwhelming, crushing pressure exerted by the Five Great Villages.
"We're here on an important classified mission under direct orders from the Hokage."
Tsunade stated calmly, completely ignoring the hateful glares directed at her. "The mission also concerns Amegakure directly. Tell Hanzō to come speak with me personally—I won't waste time dealing with subordinates."
Whether considering her individual combat strength or the overwhelming backing of her village, she possessed absolute confidence to make such demanding statements.
However, for the Amegakure shinobi present, this was undoubtedly a profound insult.
To demand the personal presence of their village leader with such casual arrogance! With such an unequal power dynamic between their nations!
"You—!"
The leading Rain ninja's face twisted with suppressed hatred, his eyes filling with undisguised rage and humiliation.
"Instead of wasting time arguing with me, you'd better hurry back to your village."
Tsunade took a deliberate step forward, crossing her arms beneath her chest. Her piercing gaze swept across the assembled Rain shinobi with calculated intimidation. "Don't say I didn't warn Hanzō beforehand. We might fail to complete our mission here... but if that happens, his life might become considerably less comfortable going forward."
A direct threat.
Hearing the unmistakable threatening tone, the Rain shinobi felt uncertain about how to respond—caught between duty and survival instinct.
Finally, the squad leader glared at them with bitter resentment, then turned back toward the village with obvious frustration. "You lot—stay with them and monitor their movements. Don't act independently under any circumstances. I'll go report this situation to Lord Hanzō immediately!"
"Kids, let's go explore."
Tsunade completely ignored the remaining Rain shinobi—treating them like they were invisible air—and addressed Hikari while gently taking her hand. "We've finally come all the way to the Hidden Rain Village. We should at least look around and see the sights."
The remaining dozen Rain shinobi followed behind them like unwilling bodyguards, silently seething with resentment.
What can we possibly do even if we can't stand it?
No matter how wronged or humiliated they felt, they could only endure it in silence.
Caught helplessly between two massive power structures, even Hanzō—hailed as the undisputed master of Water Release techniques—could only choose to swallow his pride and anger.
Akatsuki Appears
At that precise moment, a sudden explosion rang out from somewhere not far away.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Massive detonations erupted amidst dazzling flames—clearly visible even through the perpetual rain.
"There's active combat nearby!"
The Rain shinobi had barely finished speaking when they spotted a figure in distinctive black robes charging directly toward their position through the downpour.
"Damn it! It's those cursed traitors!"
One of the Rain ninja instantly recognized the opposing combatant. "Akatsuki! It's a member of Akatsuki!"
The Akatsuki member—branded a dangerous 'traitor' by Amegakure—had distinctive spiky orange hair and eyes filled with fierce resolve. He gripped a kunai and charged toward them with practiced combat efficiency.
Akatsuki?
Upon hearing that name, Kazuki—who had remained deliberately silent to maintain proper ANBU operational protocol—felt genuine interest spark in his eyes behind the owl mask.
Orange hair, spiky style—that must be Yahiko, right?
That distinctive appearance made him instantly recognize the suddenly appearing shinobi as none other than Yahiko—the idealistic founder of the original Akatsuki organization!
"Quickly, intercept him!"
Before the Rain shinobi could finish issuing orders, Yahiko had already closed the distance.
WHAM!
In a single devastating exchange, the Rain ninja was kicked away by Yahiko with tremendous force.
The impact was so severe that the man coughed up blood violently. His chest cavity visibly caved inward—clearly suffering fatal internal damage. He was beyond saving.
"Water Release: Needle Rain Technique!"
Another Rain shinobi seized the tactical opening, unleashing dozens of razor-sharp needles condensed from water that hurtled toward Yahiko like deadly projectiles.
While still airborne, Yahiko formed rapid hand seals. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
The Land of Rain's perpetual precipitation greatly enhanced and facilitated all Water Release techniques—making Rain shinobi naturally skilled in such jutsu. Yahiko was clearly no exception to this advantage.
A massive wall of swirling water materialized seemingly from nowhere, successfully blocking the incoming needle barrage.
"Konan!"
Yahiko called out sharply.
Simultaneously, countless paper cranes suddenly rose from the surrounding area—fluttering through the rain like graceful butterflies dancing in the storm.
The next moment, those paper cranes flapped their delicate wings and flew directly toward the assembled Rain shinobi.
Hissss—
A telltale spark ignited violently on each crane.
"Oh no! They're explosive tags!"
The Rain shinobi's eyes widened in horrified recognition, but their realization came far too late.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A devastating series of violent explosions engulfed their entire squad in flames and force.
In just a few brutal seconds, more than a dozen Rain shinobi were completely wiped out. Yahiko—the primary instigator of this efficient slaughter—now turned his attention toward Tsunade's group.
His eyes focused specifically on the legendary Sannin.
"It's been a long time, Lady Tsunade."
Yahiko's gaze held unmistakable nostalgia as he addressed her directly. "How is Jiraiya-sensei doing these days?"
[End of Chapter 27]
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