On the battlefield, no one is truly safe; only by embracing the willingness to die can one hope to survive.
That was what Nawaki had told Hayashi once.
Of course, with Nawaki's limited wisdom, there was no way he came up with such a line on his own. It was obviously something he'd stolen from his sister, Tsunade.
Still, Hayashi thought the saying was absurd. He had no intention of dying for anything. Clearly, Tsunade had only said that to scare them into behaving. Knowing Nawaki, if left unchecked, he'd find a way to "accidentally" cause chaos again.
Besides, Hayashi doubted that either Orochimaru or Hatake Sakumo agreed with such fatalistic nonsense. Their cautious movements since entering the Land of Rain said as much.
Their team advanced slowly, half because of the supplies they carried, half because of the danger lurking everywhere.
The sky above was dim, an endless gray curtain broken only by the steady drizzle. The air was cold and heavy, as if the very land was weeping.
The Land of Rain, trapped between the great nations of Fire, Wind, and Earth, seemed to bear the sorrow of every battle ever fought upon it.
Hayashi, Mikoto, and Nawaki walked together among the ranks.
"The rain here is ridiculous," Hayashi muttered, shaking droplets from his hair. He had never liked rainy days.
In his previous life, he'd experienced rainy seasons, but this was the first time he'd seen a country that never seemed to stop crying from the sky.
If this place had a weather forecast, it would probably go something like this:
"Good evening, shinobi! Here's today's good news!
The Meteorological Office of the Land of Rain has announced an orange-level rain alert. Under the wise leadership of Hanzo-sama, the rain will only continue—for one year straight!"
Hayashi sighed. At this point, getting out of bed probably requires swimming lessons.
He lifted his head suddenly. Mikoto and Nawaki, who had known him long enough to recognize that look, immediately grew alert.
"Chakra signatures approaching," Hayashi said quietly.
Even without him speaking up, the sensory-type ninjas in the group had already started reacting.
Sure enough, Hatake Sakumo, who led the formation, raised a hand. The entire column stopped at once.
"Be on guard," Orochimaru's low voice rasped from beside Sakumo.
"In the sky!" someone shouted.
The team looked up to see a massive bird circling high above the clouds.
At that altitude, ordinary ninjutsu couldn't reach it. The enemy clearly relied on that advantage to scout freely.
"Swish, swish!" Kunai began raining down—each one wrapped with explosive tags.
"Wind Release!" Sakumo ordered.
Several Chunin and Jonin moved instantly, weaving signs. A gust of slicing wind surged upward, deflecting the falling kunai before the tags detonated. The following explosions roared harmlessly in the distance.
A second line of earth-style users raised barriers, blocking any remaining debris.
Judging by their tactics, these were likely Iwagakure reconnaissance shinobi who had spotted Konoha's supply convoy. They didn't have the numbers for a large-scale assault, but even a small ambush could cause trouble.
Above, the enemy Chunin named Senka frowned as the explosions failed.
"Captain! That's a Konoha supply team! If we destroy it, we'll cripple their logistics and earn major credit!"
His captain shook his head. "We're too few. At this range, they'll react before we can hit them."
Senka pressed, "If we dive closer and drop the tags, then climb fast, they won't be able to counter! Think about it—promotion to Jonin!"
The captain hesitated only a moment before giving in. "Fine. Do it quickly."
The giant bird descended through the thick rain clouds. From above, Senka spotted a few young Genin walking beside the adults and sneered.
"Konoha's really desperate if they're sending children now."
But his smirk froze the next second.
A figure leapt high into the air.
Lightning flared—sharp and blinding—splitting the gray sky in half.
Zzzt!
A blade of pure lightning chakra surged upward, cutting through the downpour. The rain itself seemed to halt midair for an instant, parted by sheer force.
The Iwa nin's eyes widened in terror.
"Wha—"
Slash!
The massive bird screamed as its body convulsed, lightning dancing along its feathers. In the blink of an eye, it was cleaved apart. The Iwa nin, paralyzed by the electric shock, plummeted helplessly toward the ground.
When Hatake Sakumo landed, his White Fang short sword gleamed faintly in the rain. He slid it back into its sheath with a fluid motion, his face calm, his white ponytail fluttering in the storm's wind.
Hayashi couldn't help but exclaim under his breath, "Tch, that's way too cool."
The fallen Iwa shinobi hit the mud hard. Within moments, the light faded from their eyes.
Konoha's retrieval squad quickly moved in to collect the bodies—any information could prove useful.
Sakumo turned to the Hyuga ninja beside him. "Check for more enemies."
After a brief scan with the Byakugan, the Hyuga reported, "No additional hostiles detected."
Sakumo nodded. With so many supplies and young Genin in tow, caution was vital.
"How far to our forward camp?" he asked.
A Konoha Chunin consulted a small map before pointing northwest. "Once we cross the forest ahead, we'll arrive."
"Understood."
The drizzle turned into another downpour, as if the heavens themselves wished to wash away the blood. Sakumo's expression didn't change. Rain slid down his forehead protector, along his vest, dripping quietly to the soaked earth below.
"Move out," he commanded.
And so the column of Leaf shinobi advanced once more—hundreds of shadows moving steadily through the endless rain toward the heart of the battlefield.
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