Land of Rain.
Outside the towering gates of the Hidden Rain Village, a constant drizzle fell from the gray sky. Rainwater flowed through the metal pipes and gutters built throughout the village, producing a faint rhythmic sound that echoed through the area.
Three teenagers wearing raincoats slowly approached the main gate.
The guards stationed there immediately noticed them.
"Stop right there! Who are you?" one of the Rain ninjas called out sternly.
The three figures halted.
The young man standing in the middle took a step forward.
"We've come to participate in the ninja examination," he said calmly. "We want to become Rain ninjas."
As he spoke, the trio lifted their heads slightly so the guard could clearly see their faces beneath the rain hoods.
Two boys and one girl.
The boy who had spoken had short orange hair and a confident expression. It was obvious at first glance that he was the leader of the group.
Standing beside him was another boy with long red hair that partially covered his eyes. The thick strands hung down across his face, making it difficult to tell whether he could see clearly.
The last member of the trio was a girl with long blue-purple hair. A delicate paper flower ornament rested on the right side of her head.
Her gentle smile made her appear harmless and friendly.
If Aomizu had been present, he would have recognized them instantly.
They were none other than Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan—the three orphans who had been personally trained by Jiraiya for three years.
After Jiraiya eventually left the Land of Rain, the three of them had begun living independently.
Life was not easy.
To support themselves, they needed to accept missions.
And in order to accept official missions, they first needed to become Rain ninjas.
That was why they had come here today.
The gate guard examined them carefully.
After noticing their young age and harmless appearance, his stern expression softened slightly.
It wasn't unusual for young people to arrive hoping to join the Rain ninja forces.
"Wait here for a moment," he said.
Unlike Konoha, the Hidden Rain Village did not possess a formal Ninja Academy.
In fact, outside the Five Great Shinobi Villages, most smaller villages lacked structured training institutions.
At best, they maintained small organizations that loosely taught ninjutsu to young recruits.
Every village followed its own system.
The Hidden Rain Village had adopted a very simple approach.
No matter where someone had learned ninjutsu, they could travel to the Hidden Rain Village and apply to take the Ninja Qualification Examination.
As long as they passed the test, they would receive a Rain Village forehead protector and officially become a Rain ninja.
This method had been introduced by the village's leader—
Hanzō of the Salamander, the legendary "demigod."
Since the Rain Village lacked the resources of larger shinobi powers, Hanzō had used this policy to quickly expand his military forces.
Of course, it was impossible to guarantee that every ninja would remain loyal.
But at the very least, the village would never suffer from a shortage of manpower.
And thanks to Hanzō's terrifying reputation, most Rain ninjas still obeyed his authority.
A few minutes later, another Rain ninja arrived.
This one appeared older and more serious.
"You three—follow me."
He spoke briefly and turned to lead the way.
The three teenagers followed without hesitation.
Under his guidance, they walked through the steel gates and into the gloomy industrial interior of the Hidden Rain Village.
After a short walk, they arrived at a building used for the examination.
The ninja pointed toward the door.
"Go inside."
"Someone there will explain the procedure."
"Thank you," Yahiko replied politely.
The Rain ninja merely responded with a quiet "Hmm" before turning and leaving.
The trio didn't mind his cold attitude.
Instead, they entered the room excitedly.
Inside, several other candidates were already waiting.
Most of them appeared around the same age.
Some looked nervous, while others whispered quietly among themselves.
A female Rain ninja sitting behind a desk glanced up when the trio entered.
"Register your names and wait in line," she said. "You'll be called when it's your turn."
Yahiko nodded.
"Understood."
In Konoha, becoming a ninja required multiple steps.
Students first attended the Ninja Academy.
After graduating, they were assigned to a Jonin instructor.
Only after passing their instructor's evaluation could they officially become Genin.
But in the Hidden Rain Village, the process was far simpler.
All candidates needed to do was demonstrate the ability to perform any ninjutsu technique.
If they succeeded—
They passed.
That was it.
A straightforward but crude system.
Even so, not everyone could succeed.
While waiting, the trio observed several candidates attempt the test.
Some managed to perform basic techniques and passed.
Others failed completely and left with disappointed expressions.
Still, failure didn't mean permanent rejection.
Anyone could return later and try again after improving their skills.
Finally—
"Next, Yahiko."
The examiner called his name.
Yahiko stepped forward confidently.
Soon it was Nagato's turn.
Then Konan's.
For the three students trained personally by Jiraiya, the test was trivial.
Each of them demonstrated their techniques perfectly.
Their speed, precision, and chakra control impressed the examiner greatly.
All three received full marks.
This was the first time such a situation had occurred during the Rain Village's examinations.
Naturally, it quickly attracted attention.
Soon, a Jonin arrived personally to meet them.
He appeared extremely pleased.
"Yahiko, Nagato, Konan," he said warmly.
"You three are truly talented."
The trio bowed politely.
But none of them showed arrogance.
After all, they had already seen what true genius looked like.
Compared to someone like Aomizu…
They still had a long way to go.
Their humble reaction only impressed the Jonin even more.
"My name is Noda Kei," he introduced himself.
"I am a Jonin of the Hidden Rain Village."
He paused briefly.
"Would you three be willing to join my team?"
"I will personally train you."
"With your talent, becoming Jonin one day is entirely possible."
The three exchanged glances.
Finally, Yahiko spoke.
"Thank you for your appreciation, Lord Noda."
"But we already have a teacher."
Noda Kei sighed softly.
He had expected this answer.
Still, he quickly moved to another topic.
"Actually, there's something else I'd like to discuss."
"Have you heard about the Joint Chunin Exams?"
The trio shook their heads.
Jiraiya had never mentioned it.
Seeing their confusion, Noda Kei began explaining.
Recently, Konoha and the Hidden Sand Village had agreed to jointly organize the next Chunin Examination.
Several smaller villages would also be allowed to send participants.
"So," Noda Kei concluded, "I hope the three of you can represent the Hidden Rain Village in this examination."
His reasoning was simple.
In the previous Chunin Exams, the Rain Village had performed extremely poorly.
Many officials had criticized his leadership because of it.
Unfortunately, the Rain Village lacked the structured training systems used by the Five Great Villages.
Despite having the legendary Hanzō as their leader, there were very few elite ninjas beyond him.
That was why the appearance of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan excited him so much.
Konan spoke first.
"I think we should participate."
She smiled slightly.
If they joined the Chunin Exams, they would travel to Konoha.
And that meant she could see Brother Aomizu again.
It had been more than two years since their last meeting.
She missed him deeply.
Yahiko also felt tempted.
After all, Konoha was the village where Jiraiya-sensei had grown up.
But before deciding, he turned to Nagato.
Nagato had remained silent the entire time.
His parents had once been killed by Konoha ninjas.
For a long time, he had harbored resentment toward the village.
However, Nagato slowly shook his head.
"I'm fine, Yahiko."
"This is a rare opportunity."
"And visiting Konoha could be a valuable experience."
Under Jiraiya's guidance, Nagato's hatred had gradually faded.
Participating in the Chunin Exams was no longer something he rejected.
Hearing this, Yahiko smiled.
"Then we'll do it."
He turned to Noda Kei.
"We accept."
The Jonin's face lit up with excitement.
He immediately began completing their registration.
"The Chunin Exams will begin in about one week," he explained.
"If you have no other matters to attend to, you can depart for Konoha tomorrow."
The journey from the Hidden Rain Village to Konoha usually took two or three days.
Yahiko nodded.
"Then we'll leave tomorrow."
Konoha Village
At the main gate of Konoha, a group of ninjas wearing the uniforms of the Hidden Sand Village arrived.
They had also come to participate in the joint Chunin Exams.
"So this is Konoha…"
Several Sand Genin stared around in amazement.
Unlike the harsh deserts of the Land of Wind, the Land of Fire was lush and comfortable.
The air felt fresh.
Tall trees surrounded the village.
For many of them, it was their first time visiting such a place.
Their team leader simply smiled at their reactions.
She understood exactly how they felt.
Because she had once felt the same way.
The leader of the Sand team was Pakura, a powerful Jonin.
This time, Rasa had not come personally.
Instead, Pakura had been entrusted with full authority over the Sand delegation.
"Pakura."
"Long time no see."
A voice suddenly called out.
A young man approached them.
He had a calm smile and confident posture.
It was Aomizu.
According to Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders, he was responsible for coordinating Konoha's side of the joint Chunin Exams.
In other words—
During the upcoming exams, he and Pakura would work together.
Pakura looked at him with a complicated expression.
"Long time no see… Aomizu."
The two had met several times during missions.
Their encounters usually involved battle.
In fact, Pakura had once fought him directly.
And she had lost.
Since then, she had always hoped for another chance to challenge him again.
But even now…
She wasn't confident she could defeat him.
Aomizu had no idea what she was thinking.
He simply smiled.
"Konoha has already prepared accommodations for your team."
"Please follow me."
Pakura nodded.
She led the Sand ninjas behind him.
After settling the group into their lodging, Pakura accompanied Aomizu to a meeting room.
She had arrived a week early to discuss the exam arrangements.
This time, the Hidden Sand Village was not merely a participant.
They were also co-organizers.
After hours of discussion, Aomizu finally looked outside the window.
The sky had already grown dark.
"Looks like it's late," he said.
They had been talking for an entire afternoon.
He smiled slightly.
"How about this?"
"As the host, I'll treat you to dinner tonight."
Pakura blinked in surprise.
Although they had known each other for a long time…
Their relationship had never been particularly close.
Most of their meetings involved missions.
Still—
She had to admit something.
Aomizu was incredibly impressive.
Both in strength…
And appearance.
If they belonged to the same village…
She might even consider pursuing him.
Pakura suddenly shook her head.
What am I thinking?
Pushing away the strange thoughts, she smiled lightly.
"Alright."
"I haven't tasted Konoha's food in a long time."
"I've missed it."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)