From the moment they crossed into the Land of Rain, the sky hadn't stopped weeping.
Bundled in a rain cloak beneath a woven hat, Tsunade glared up through the drizzle. "Haven't been here in years. Still miserable. How do people live like this?"
"Lady Tsunade, are we sure we shouldn't stay hidden?" Sogetsu had his ANBU mask back on, eyes scanning, voice lowered. "If Hanzo spots us—"
They were here because the last seal on the scroll lay inside Amegakure territory. Entering another village's lands was asking for trouble.
Back then, Hanzo the Salamander had overpowered Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade in their youth. If not for the balance of power between villages, those three might've died here—and Hanzo's naming them "Konoha's Legendary Sannin" had echoed for decades.
"Hide? For what?" Tsunade waved lazily. "He'll notice the second we stepped in anyway. Walking in openly makes the old man think twice. Safer than creeping around."
"You're… certain?"
"Otherwise?" Tsunade snorted. "If Hanzo were that hard, he wouldn't have let us walk last time."
There was a burr of grievance in her tone. She added, more even, "Relax. Konoha and Amegakure aren't at odds right now. Hanzo's a politician. He won't risk a war. We're safest in plain sight."
Sogetsu frowned. "Even so, how do we inspect the seal without his eyes on us?"
"Why avoid him?" Tsunade fished out a milk candy and unwrapped it for Hikari. "Here—sweet warms you up."
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Hikari cupped the candy and tucked it into her mouth, eyes turning to crescent moons.
"Just tell Hanzo," Tsunade said, dusting her hands. "What's he going to do—touch the seal? Because he is a mature politician, he understands Rain's position—he won't pick this fight."
Mature politician, huh. Sogetsu gave her a look. Somehow it sounded like she was mocking more than Hanzo.
"Look." Tsunade jerked her chin forward. "Our 'welcome party.'"
A squad in Ame headbands approached, respectful posture, resentment caged deep in their eyes.
"Lady Tsunade," the leader said stiffly, "Lord Hanzo sends his greetings. To avoid… complications, state your purpose in Amegakure."
Even peacetime couldn't blunt the nerves of a small village facing a Sannin from one of the Five Greats.
"By order of the Hokage, we're on critical business," Tsunade replied coolly. "It involves Rain as well. Tell Hanzo to come speak to me. You're not qualified."
For Ame, it was a slap: demanding their village head appear personally—on unequal footing.
"You—!"
"Less yapping, more running," Tsunade stepped forward, arms folded, gaze pressing down on them one by one. "Warn Hanzo: we can afford to leave the job undone. He may not enjoy what follows."
The Rain-nin wavered. Finally, the leader swallowed his fury. "You, you, and you—shadow them. No one moves without orders. I'll report to Lord Hanzo!"
"Come on, brat." Tsunade ignored the escorts and took Hikari's hand. "Once in Ame, we tour."
The dozen Ame-nin trailed like bitter bodyguards. They could stew; between giants, even Hanzo—the Water Release virtuoso—had to grit his teeth.
Boom—boom—BOOM!
Explosions flared not far off, orange against the gray sheet of rain.
"Someone's fighting!"
Before the words cooled, a black-cloaked figure sprinted toward them—spiky orange hair, eyes fierce, kunai low as he drove through the rain.
"Traitors!" a Rain-nin snarled. "It's the Akatsuki!"
Orange spikes… Sogetsu's eyes lit behind his mask. Yahiko, then.
"Stop him!"
Too late. Yahiko crashed through the front man with a single kick. The Rain-nin coughed blood, chest caved—the kind of hit you don't walk away from.
"Ninja Art: Raindrop Senbon!" Another Ame-nin seized the opening, condensing water into a cloud of screaming needles.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!" Yahiko's hands flashed. A towering wall of water rose from the deluge, eating the storm of senbon.
"Konan!" he called.
Paper lifted from gutters and alley mouths—folded cranes whirling like pale butterflies.
They fluttered in, dainty wings beating—
—and combusted.
"BOMB TAGS!" someone choked.
Too late.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
In a breath, a dozen Rain-nin were erased. Yahiko's gaze slid to the three who hadn't moved: Tsunade, the masked ANBU at her side, and the quiet girl with the candy.
"Long time no see, Lady Tsunade," Yahiko said, eyes burning with something like memory. "How's Jiraiya-sensei?"
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios