"Boom!"
The paper shuriken unraveled midair, transforming into explosive tags—detonating in the same instant.
The searing blaze evaporated the falling raindrops from the sky; the pooled water on the ground hissed away into steam, leaving behind only a scorched, dry crater. The two ame shinobi in respirators, who had dodged the paper shuriken, were caught completely off guard by this sudden shift.
The shockwave swallowed them whole—
—and their bodies were blown apart, bursting into fragments of water that splashed across the ground.
"Water Clone!"
Watching the two broken silhouettes dissolve, the woman still gripping paper shuriken between her fingers clenched her teeth, her pale orange eyes darting with vigilance, scanning every stir of movement around her.
"Give it up. You're no match for us."
Through the rain, another masked Ame-nin emerged, walking leisurely toward the woman with the striking pale lavender-blue hair.
"That's right. Surrender now, and I might show you a little mercy—make sure you don't suffer too much. But if you refuse…"
A different voice cut in.
Another respirator-wearing Ame kunoichi with long hair spilling over her shoulders stepped into view.
"Gōu, Tōu—our fight isn't finished yet!"
The bun-haired woman in black robes tightened her grip on her paper shuriken, her eyes filled with the unshakable resolve to resist to the bitter end.
"Stubborn, aren't you… Konan."
The kunoichi called Tōu sneered. "Or did you think one reinforcement is enough to let you slip from our hands?"
As she spoke, her gaze shifted toward the rocky ridge not far off.
"Huh?"
Konan blinked, confusion flashing in her eyes.
Reinforcement? Could it be—Yahiko and Nagato arrived this quickly?
"Ninjutsu: A Thousand Needles of Rain!"
Above the rocks, an umbrella was tossed into the sky, spreading open as it released a torrential downpour of senbon. The metallic rain clattered against stone, forcing a hidden figure from cover, who narrowly evaded the sudden assault.
"You've mistaken me," the boy called, standing ankle-deep in mud, looking up at the Ame-nin atop the ridge. "I was only passing through."
"Passing through…? Hahaha!" Tōu laughed. "Kid, your face is unfamiliar. But just because you say you're passing through doesn't make it true. Whether you're with Akatsuki or not, the fact is—you're here. And that means you're not leaving. Surrender now if you don't want to suffer."
"I told you—I have nothing to do with her. In fact, I'm not even from the Land of Rain. I was only passing through, heard a commotion, and came to see if there was danger. I don't intend to get tangled up in anyone's business."
The boy's tone was earnest, showing clear intent to avoid trouble.
"I don't know him."
Konan nodded in agreement. She truly had never seen this boy before—he looked only thirteen, fourteen at most. Still softhearted in those days, she didn't want to drag a stranger into the misfortune she faced.
But—
The explanation held no weight.
"Like I said—whether you know each other or not, you showed up here. That means you're not walking away."
Tōu shook her head coldly, her intent obvious: no one would be spared.
Before Konan or the boy could respond, Gōu barked, "Enough talk! Tōu, don't waste time—if you drag this out and Akatsuki's reinforcements arrive, we'll return empty-handed. Hanzo-sama won't be forgiving."
"Tch, Gōu, stop using Hanzo-sama's name to scare me."
Tōu grumbled—but her hands already flashed into seals.
"Water Clone Technique!"
Clone after clone emerged from the misty rain.
Gōu followed suit, weaving the same jutsu. In moments, dozens of water clones encircled Konan and the boy, tightening the noose.
"…Sorry. I dragged you into this."
Konan's lips curved in a weary, bitter smile.
Her strength was not insignificant—but today, luck had abandoned her. Whether betrayal within Ame or mere misfortune, she'd been ambushed mid-mission by Ame's elites. Fighting and retreating the whole way, to endure this long against two veteran jōnin—Gōu and Tōu—was already remarkable.
Now, her chakra reserves were nearly empty. Her ration pills consumed to the brink of overdose, pain lanced through her chakra network—a tearing sensation warning her body could no longer sustain it.
In short: she had reached her limit. Against these two, she had no strength left but to blow herself up with explosive tags.
"…This is my own fault. I can blame no one."
The boy scowled, his mood foul.
"Their target is me," Konan whispered. "If you run, they might chase me and let you go. You don't have to die here."
"Escape isn't so easy."
The boy's hand slipped to his waist, retrieving a black waterproof case. From it, he drew a flute.
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Koeda Yūsuke. May I know yours?"
"Konan."
She answered softly, frowning in thought. Koeda Yūsuke… that name… I've heard it somewhere recently…
"Konan, huh? Then, I'll need you to buy me some time."
"Time? For what?"
As she spoke, the ring of water clones closed in—attacking in unison. But Konan's reflexes were swift; paper shuriken, folded from explosive tags, whirled outward, detonations thundered, shielding the boy from the first wave of attacks.
Amid the cacophony of explosions, his voice cut through:
"Why, to defeat the enemy, of course!"
The next instant—
Koeda Yūsuke raised the flute to his lips.
A mournful, haunting melody poured forth, resonating across the rain-drenched battlefield, echoing through the sodden heavens.
***************************
Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
P@treon/GodDragcell