The Land of Rain.
A nation perpetually shrouded in rain.
It had also become the focal point of warfare for the three great shinobi villages.
Now, not a single intact building remained, and even the survivors had grown scarce.
The wealthy nobles of the Land of Rain had long since fled the country.
The remaining civilians were left to struggle for survival.
In the battles of shinobi, it was these very people who suffered the most.
The mere passage of two shinobi could lead to a massacre, fueled by suspicion that hidden enemies lurked among them.
For the people living here, no one knew whether tomorrow or death would come first.
The surviving civilians could only establish makeshift markets in remote areas—the last vestiges of order in their lives.
Yet no one knew when even these places might vanish.
Perhaps the next moment, a foreign shinobi passed by;
this place, too, would be destroyed.
At a fish stall in the market,
a blue-haired girl tugged at a red-haired boy, standing before the stall.
Both gazed eagerly at the fish on display.
The blue-haired girl swallowed her saliva and pleaded with the vendor.
"Boss, we haven't eaten in days. Could you spare us some food?"
Hearing her words, the vendor waved them away impatiently.
"Scram. Don't get in the way of my business."
Orphans like these were far too common these days—how could he possibly help them all?
Save one, and another would take their place.
The girl continued to beg,
but the red-haired boy behind her, his long bangs obscuring his eyes, remained silent.
His vision, however, was unobstructed.
He noticed an orange-haired boy peeking out from beneath the stall behind the vendor.
Catching the redhead's gaze, the orange-haired boy flashed a bright grin.
Stealthily, he grabbed a fish, tucked it into his arms, and slipped back under the stall, retracing his path.
Only then did the blue-haired girl speak again.
"We won't trouble you further."
With that, she grabbed the red-haired boy's hand and hurried away.
The vendor turned and noticed the missing fish, but he didn't give chase. Instead, he sighed deeply.
"Surviving isn't easy either."
As citizens of a small nation, their lives were worth less than the dogs of the great nations.
Who knew how much longer this market would even last?
In a back alley,
the trio reunited.
"Big haul! Big haul!" The orange-haired boy, Yahiko, cheered, placing the fish into a prepared basket.
One of the three baskets was already full.
"Today, let's aim to fill all three!" Yahiko pumped his fist in encouragement.
"Yeah!!" The blue-haired girl, Konan, waved her fists excitedly.
Then, two pairs of eyes turned to the quiet red-haired boy, Nagato.
Under their expectant gazes,
Nagato reluctantly raised his arm.
"Go for it."
Though he knew stealing was wrong, survival left them no other choice.
Only then did Konan and Yahiko break into bright smiles.
From then on, the trio repeated their method across the market.
Konan and Nagato provided distractions up front while Yahiko swiped goods from behind the stalls.
But at a fruit stand,
just as Yahiko grabbed an apple,
a shadow loomed over him.
He looked up to see the vendor glaring down at him, face dark.
"Heh heh." Yahiko offered an awkward yet polite smile.
The vendor, however, seized Yahiko and hurled him into the street.
"Get lost!!"
Rubbing his sore backside, Yahiko sprang to his feet without hesitation.
He grabbed Konan with one hand and Nagato with the other, dashing into the crowd.
Even after being caught and forced to flee, Yahiko's face showed no trace of discouragement.
His cheerful grin remained unchanged.
"If only I could be like him..."
Nagato stared at the wrist Yahiko had pulled, an inexplicable thought crossing his mind.
Living like that might spare him a great deal of pain.
The trio ran until they reached the alley where they stashed their loot.
Yahiko raised his arm again.
"Escape operation—success!!"
"Woohoo!!" Konan cheered, throwing her hands up.
Two pairs of eyes turned to Nagato once more.
Forcing a smile, he weakly lifted his arm.
Only then did the three inspect their spoils.
Though they hadn't met their goal, it was enough to sustain them for a while.
"Konan, you take the lightest one." Yahiko began distributing the baskets, pushing the smallest toward Konan.
Then he slung an arm around Nagato's shoulders.
"The heavier ones are for us guys."
Konan watched Yahiko cling to Nagato, a strange smile curling on her lips.
Both boys shuddered.
For some reason, Konan's smile felt terrifying just then.
They quickly shouldered their baskets and hurried ahead.
"Wait for me!"
Konan rushed after them.
The trio reached the market's entrance.
No guards stood watch—only stalls lining the sides.
No one paid them any mind as they passed through.
But in a hidden corner near the exit,
two pairs of eyes observed their departure.
The forehead protectors they wore marked them as shinobi of Amegakure.
The one in front was made to intercept them, but was stopped by his companion.
"Why not let me catch those thieves? They've caused plenty of losses."
In the Land of Rain these days, even the vendors struggled to get by.
Amegakure provided the goods they sold at low prices, a measure to prevent starvation among the people.
In essence, these items belonged to the village.
The other shinobi shook his head.
"Look around. How many of them even care?"
He pointed at the vendors.
"Survival is hard enough. Let them pass."
A melancholy air settled over the shinobi.
They were just children. In the Land of Rain, every life spared was a small victory.
That was why compassion stirred in their hearts.
They hoped, if their own children were in such a plight, someone might show them the same mercy.
The trio trekked toward their hideout, baskets in tow.
Nagato trailed silently behind Konan and Yahiko, his long bangs veiling those peculiar eyes.
"Someday, I'll open a shop where everyone can eat their fill!"
Yahiko spoke his dream aloud, brimming with excitement.
It was as if defeat had no place in his world.
"Konan can be the poster girl!"
He threw an arm around Nagato again.
"And Nagato can cook with me!"
"Our food will draw crowds for sure!"
Konan and Yahiko laughed brightly, and even Nagato managed a rare smile.
But as they listened to Yahiko's visions of the future,
a kunai trailed by an explosive tag streaked down from the sky.
Nagato spotted it first.
"Look out!!!"
He tackled the other two to the ground.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion erupted.
In the distance, the sounds of battle rose.
The fierce clash
had begun.
(End of Chapter)