The morning sun rose, and all life began to stir once more.
At the main gate of Konoha, Kakashi stared with his usual dead-fish eyes at the figure walking toward them from a distance — Kamizuki Hikari.
'His steps are unsteady, he looks a bit weak.'
Thinking this to himself, Kakashi glanced at Gai beside him. After being flashed a bright smile and a thumbs-up, Kakashi wisely turned his head away.
'This is bad... Two weirdos on one mission? This won't be fun at all.'
Soon, Hikari arrived at the gates. Up close, the dark circles under his eyes were strikingly clear.
"Everyone, please sign here."
One of the eternal gatekeepers, Kamizuki Izumo, walked over with a few documents in hand.
Hikari took them without a word, swiftly signing his name.
"Hey, Hikari," Izumo said, "your sister-in-law's been feeling unwell lately. I took her to get checked yesterday, and... turns out, she's pregnant."
A wave of dread surged through Hikari's chest.
"Bro, stop right there!"
He quickly cut Izumo off. Feeling the ominous premonition subside, he finally relaxed a little.
"Seriously, don't say another word. Everything's fine right now, but if you keep talking, you might not see me again!"
Izumo rolled his eyes. "What are you even talking about? I just—"
"Stop. Zip it!"
"Whatever it is, save it till I get back. For now, shut your mouth!"
When it came to setting up death flags right before a mission, Hikari preferred to avoid them at all costs.
Yesterday, Yakumo had already spooked him once; if his brother Izumo added another flag today, even if he reached Sage of Six Paths level, he felt he wouldn't survive it!
"Alright, let's go!" He called out to Kakashi and Gai, deciding to leave this dangerous place immediately.
Konoha itself wasn't scary. What was terrifying was his brother's talent for raising death flags right as he walked out the gate. Hikari didn't even want to imagine what might happen if Izumo finished that sentence.
Watching them leave, Izumo sighed helplessly.
He'd actually been reassigned already — as one of Tsunade-sama's current top assistants, gate duty was long behind him.
He'd only come here today because he knew Hikari was heading out.
And yet, Hikari had completely brushed him off. That stung a little.
--
The three of them raced across the countryside, leaving Konoha's patrol zone behind. Kakashi finally asked, puzzled, "Hikari, why didn't you let your brother finish? He was just talking about having a child. You could've just ignored it."
"It's not that I didn't want to hear it," Hikari explained, "it's just... the timing was terrible!"
He continued, "Before heading out, there are three major taboos. First — a lover saying 'Let's get married when you come back.' Second — a relative talking about having kids or grandkids. Third — any talk about big celebrations or ceremonies."
Kakashi blinked his dull eyes. "And why exactly are those taboos?"
He'd been a shinobi for a long time, but he'd never heard of such superstitions. There was no logical or scientific basis for them — what was the point?
"Just trust me, it's bad luck," Hikari said seriously. "If you ever hear that before a mission, it means small problems will turn big, and big problems will turn disastrous. This mission's tough enough already. If my brother had finished his sentence, I bet we'd end up fighting Uchiha Madara himself!"
'Uchiha Madara???'
'Hikari, are you serious?'
As one of the few remaining Sharingan users in the shinobi world, Kakashi — though not of Uchiha blood — knew better than anyone how terrifying that name was.
The immense ocular prowess could amplify genjutsu or unleash techniques sealed within the eyes.
He thought of Tsunade's immense strength and the legendary might of Senju Hashirama's rival, Uchiha Madara.
At the very least, Kakashi knew he wasn't even a match for Tsunade — unless he threw shinobi ethics out the window and used Kamui for a sneak attack.
---
Amegakure — the Village Hidden by Rain — was a place forever wrapped in downpour. Yet today, rare rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds.
Konan and Tendo Pain stood atop the tallest tower in the village, overlooking the people below who rejoiced at the fleeting sunshine.
"What a pitiful group of people." Konan murmured.
"They probably don't even realize that this rain is their protection."
At her words, Pain's expression remained unchanged — cold, divine, and distant, like a god gazing down upon mere mortals.
"The grace of God does not need to be understood by the weak," he said.
Rain or sunlight — both were blessings from the divine.
Mortals, as insignificant as ants, needed only to acknowledge God's greatness.
Konan, long accustomed to his dramatic speeches, didn't even flinch. She changed the topic.
"The Three-Tails has appeared in the Land of Hot Water. According to 'Madara's' suspicions, Konoha may interfere. If the beast is sealed, that's fine — but if it's killed again, our plans will be delayed by many years."
Time itself didn't matter much to Konan.
But Nagato's plan — Akatsuki's plan — could not afford unnecessary setbacks.
Pain said calmly, "When 'Madara' returned from his last meeting with that man from Konoha, he gave no details — and that alone told me he hadn't killed him."
Konan frowned. "So if that's the case, Konoha will definitely send someone to intervene in the Three-Tails' revival. Should we go as well?"
Pain shook his head, his Rinnegan eyes lifting toward the sun high above the clouds.
"No. Because the ones seeking the Three-Tails' revival are not just us. 'Madara', Kirigakure, and Orochimaru are all moving too. I've already sent our operatives — this is the perfect chance to probe 'Madara's' true intentions."
Konan hesitated. "But if we take that risk and Konoha succeeds, won't the loss be too great?"
To gamble years of effort just to test Madara — to her, it seemed unwise.
Once Akatsuki collected the Tailed Beasts, they could summon the Ten-Tails and bring true peace to the shinobi world — their ultimate goal.
Pain replied, "Yes, the risk is high. That's why I had 'Madara' approach Kirigakure. The Three-Tails originally belonged to them, given by the First Hokage. If Konoha attacks it now, they'll have to face Kirigakure first. This isn't the Third Great War anymore — if Konoha slays a Tailed Beast without cause, the other villages won't tolerate it. It could easily spark the Fourth Great Ninja War. Konoha won't take that risk."
Konan frowned slightly. "But once on the battlefield, even the best-laid plans can fail. If that man truly strikes at the beast with his full power, he might destroy it outright."
Pain nodded. "If that happens... then yes, the Fourth Great Ninja War will begin. Tsunade's return was tolerated, but another mysterious powerhouse emerging in Konoha? The other villages won't stand for it. That will be our cue to act. When the four great villages clash with Konoha, Akatsuki will rise as the true peacekeepers of the shinobi world."
Konan fell silent.
Because she knew — Pain had already calculated everything.
But would things really go as smoothly as they hoped?
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