"Uchiha… huh?"
"I'll take this mission!"
Sakura's mind flashed back to the figure leading his clan out of Konoha that day. She reached out and took the mission scroll from Jiraiya's hand.
"Alright, let's figure out how to sneak in."
Unlike the Land of Fire, the Land of Rain was a small country with limited territory.
The city was the ninja village, and the ninja village was the nation itself!
With water-based sensory ninjutsu, steel buildings, and a city laced with drainage pipes, standard infiltration tactics were useless.
"Teacher Jiraiya, can you get a toad to slip in?"
Sakura used her Observation Haki to scan the borders of Amegakure. The inland lake protecting the village teemed with aquatic life—slipping a toad in wouldn't be too hard.
"Oh, you mean…"
Jiraiya's eyes lit up. He swiped his hand through the air, summoning a toad with no chakra signature.
Sakura stepped forward, pressing her hand to the toad's back, etching a cherry blossom-shaped mark onto it.
"Tch, tch, tch, spacetime ninjutsu is so handy~"
Unfazed by Jiraiya's teasing, Sakura gave the toad its orders: "Swim through the lake, follow the drainage pipes, and stop at a dry spot!"
"If you stay still for more than three minutes, we'll use Flying Thunder God to teleport in."
The toad, understanding her words, wriggled briefly before nodding.
Splash! It dove into the water.
Ten minutes later, in Amegakure's sewers.
Sakura, pinching her nose, walked alongside Jiraiya, each holding a glowing toad for light.
Entering the village's buildings through the drainage system, they knocked out two villagers.
Using the Transformation Jutsu to mimic their appearances and donning raincoats, they finally stepped openly into the rain.
"Southside streets—this is the last sighting location, right?"
Standing on a staggered staircase, Sakura glanced at the mission details.
"The intel's pretty vague, though. This place's secrecy and xenophobia make gathering information a pain."
Jiraiya adjusted his hat, but Sakura was already heading to a nearby baozi shop to dig for clues.
"Granny, we'll take five buns."
Sakura pulled out some coins and handed them to the old woman. While she was busy, Sakura casually asked, "How's business been lately, Granny?"
"Haha, same old, same old. The village relies on outside grain, and the youngsters complain about prices, but I don't set the costs—the market does."
Rarely finding someone willing to listen, the old woman opened up, chatting away with Sakura.
"Must be tough, Granny, running this big shop all by yourself. Ever feel stretched thin?"
Sakura took the buns, passing some to Jiraiya, and kept probing subtly.
"Haha, not at all! The village's security is top-notch under the divine protection. Thieves get chased off, and even that fire a few days ago was handled quick by Lady Paper Angel~"
The old woman's words caught both Sakura and Jiraiya's attention differently.
"Fire…"
Sakura's eyes gleamed, ready to press further, but Jiraiya's reaction was sharper.
"Paper Angel!"
"Oh yes, she's giving a sermon at the central tower today. If you want to hear her teachings, head there."
The old woman's face lit up with a blissful smile, her wrinkles smoothing out.
Compared to the old days when the Land of Rain teetered on collapse, it was still nominally ruled by Hanzo, but the people knew who really called the shots now.
They didn't care much, though. Just surviving took all their energy—there was none left to complain.
As her words sank in, Jiraiya grew restless. He stuffed the food in his mouth, stood, and bolted.
"Sorry, Sakura, there's something I need to check out. If… well, you know, fall back first. We'll regroup at the Land of Rivers' border!"
With that, Jiraiya dashed into the rain, raincoat flapping.
"Hey, Tea—Teacher!"
Sakura rushed after him, almost calling his name but catching herself.
Just then, an elderly man approached from the opposite direction on the rainy street.
As he passed Sakura, a faint voice whispered in her ear: "Amegakure's dangerous. Don't linger. Beware the legendary Rinnegan."
Sakura, about to chase Jiraiya, froze. Turning back, the old man who'd warned her was gone.
"Uchiha… Itachi!"
She was certain that voice belonged to Uchiha Itachi.
The mission target was right behind her, but Jiraiya had rushed headlong into Amegakure's most dangerous spot.
Sakura was caught in a dilemma.
"Ugh, what is it with these unreliable adults?!"
Gritting her teeth, Sakura turned and sprinted through the rain toward the central tower.
From a building's corridor, a man watched her choice, a smirk curling his lips. His form dissolved into crows, scattering into the darkness.
---
Beneath the central tower.
A sea of people gathered, their noisy chatter rising in a chaotic din.
When Sakura raced to the scene, paper fluttered through the air, carried by the wind in a grand sweep.
At the heart of this wave, a winged figure rose, slowly descending atop the tower.
As her wings spread, they scattered glowing specks. The paper fragments turned into banknotes as they hit the ground.
—Whoa, what a practical religion! What a rich sermon! So, uh, how do I sign up?
Sakura gasped, awestruck. Looking up, she spotted Jiraiya nearing the tower.
"Tea—"
She raised a hand, but—
BOOM!
An explosion erupted from the tower, far fiercer and swifter than expected.
Panic spread like wildfire, first among the worshippers below, then the onlookers at the edges.
The tower cracked, black smoke billowed, and flames rained from the sky, hurling burning debris and steel into the crowd.
Worse, ninjas hidden among the crowd shed their disguises and charged at the people.
The crowd shoved and cursed in terror, every face rushing past Sakura twisted with fear.
From the darkness beneath the rain, endless blades swirled like a vortex, cutting down lives.
Blood sprayed, mixing with the rain to paint the ground scarlet.
"Mommy, Mommy!"
Among the fallen bodies, a mud-streaked boy knelt before a cooling corpse, sobbing uncontrollably.
His cries didn't bring help.
Instead, amidst the screech of metal, sharp blades hurtled toward him.
Just as the blades were about to pierce the boy, the world fell silent. Rain froze midair.
Countless dark lightning bolts wove together, solemn and cold. The will of a conqueror surged, piercing the sky like a pillar.
The rogue ninja's dagger couldn't move an inch further, cold sweat drenching his forehead.
Before him stood a petite pink-haired girl, gripping his hand, her emerald eyes burning with intensity.
A sharp, murderous voice rang out: "Hey, that's a kid!"