After several days of travel, Naraku successfully entered the Land of Rain.
Soon after he crossed the border, a continuous drizzle began to fall from the sky. Dark grey clouds covered the firmament, pressing heavily overhead.
No wonder the Land of Rain was always so impoverished. With constant rain, crops couldn't grow well, and the common people had no food to eat. How could a country prosper under such conditions?
Naraku pulled up the hood of his cloak and quickly moved forward in the rain.
Upon reaching the rendezvous point, he first found a hidden spot to change out of his ninja attire, then cut his hair short and dyed it grey, pretending to be a wandering civilian child to avoid drawing attention.
But he waited at the rendezvous point for three consecutive days, and the person he was supposed to meet never appeared.
Had he been exposed and dealt with?
If that were truly the case, retreating now would be the best option.
However, the mission required him to bring back intelligence by any means necessary; otherwise, the mission would be considered a failure.
The designated meeting time hadn't completely passed yet, so Naraku decided to wait a little longer. If it truly didn't work out, he would try to infiltrate the Akatsuki himself to investigate.
Doing this was not only for the intelligence but also to allow himself to have early contact with the Akatsuki. Later, when the Akatsuki appeared as villains, he might gain more screen time because of this.
Naraku: No harm in taking advantage of it!
...
After waiting another half day at the rendezvous point, the intelligence officer still hadn't arrived, but Naraku saw members of the Akatsuki coming to distribute supplies to the refugees.
These individuals included both ninja and civilians. As soon as they arrived, they gave food and clothes to the ragged, shivering beggars in the vicinity. If they encountered someone sick, they would also add a packet of herbal medicine.
Naraku heard a shabbily dressed woman ask them about her child's condition.
"Don't worry, the child is almost recovered under our care. We will bring him back to you next time."
A kind-faced ninja explained to her and produced a piece of paper with a few crooked symbols written in charcoal and a child's fingerprint.
"Look, he wrote you a letter to say he's safe."
While they were talking, Naraku already had an idea.
By the time someone noticed him squatting on the street, dressed in tattered clothes, and approached with supplies, Naraku had already swallowed a special medicine, used Chakra to flush his cheeks bright red, and began twitching his hands and feet occasionally.
The person quickly felt Naraku's forehead and then pulled open his half-closed eyelids to check his pupils.
"Hey, Kasa, come here quickly!"
The ninja named Kasa, who was called over, performed another examination on Naraku, his brow deeply furrowed. "He's had a high fever for probably two or three days. If we don't do something, he'll die."
Kasa looked at the nearly unconscious Naraku. In his eyes, this was just a very small child, his face dirty, his hands and feet covered in mud, and not even wearing shoes. In such an environment, how could he not get sick? A sense of compassion arose in his heart.
"Let's take him back."
The group brought Naraku all the way back to the base, handed him over to the doctor, and inquired if the medicine supply was still sufficient.
"We have enough for the next few days, but if we keep consuming it like this, we will run out of medicine sooner or later."
The doctor also looked exhausted and conflicted.
Everything the Akatsuki needed was self-sufficient; there was no official funding. They could only rely on everyone earning money through missions, so operations were barely sustainable. Now, with more and more sick children, it was uncertain if the medicine supply could keep up.
Without medicine, these children would simply die.
Among those who brought Naraku were three or four ninja. They looked at each other, encouraging one another. "It's okay, we will work harder to earn money. We'll get through this together."
"Yes, the leader will definitely lead us to achieve our dream. These difficulties are only temporary."
...
In the dead of night, Naraku suddenly opened his eyes and sat up from the sickbed.
After confirming that no one else was awake, he carefully got out of bed, avoided the other patients, and slowly walked out of the room to explore deeper into the base.
The corridor was very dark, likely to save money, with only a few candles lit, barely illuminating the path underfoot.
Naraku walked silently, passing one room after another.
Ward, warehouse, kitchen, office... Naraku stopped, his hand twitched, and a slender wire slipped from his cuff. While staying alert for any movement around him, he carefully picked the lock.
A faint "click" sounded, the lock opened. Naraku slipped inside, then slowly closed the door.
The room was almost pitch black, with only a sliver of faint moonlight filtering through a small window. Naraku activated his Sharingan, and his vision became clearer.
He flipped through some dossiers for a while, sighing that there was indeed nothing much to investigate. The Akatsuki was truly a full-fledged charitable organization at this point. Apart from accounts, the office contained only promotional flyers and staff lists. Most of the documents were thank-you letters or supplies sent by people who had received their kindness, returning the favor. He searched for a long time but found no hint of anything sinister.
Putting everything back in its original place, Naraku left the office, locked the door, and returned to the ward along the same path, lying back on his sickbed to sleep.
After he left, countless paper slips floated up from a corner, revealing a cold and beautiful blue-haired girl.
"Hmph."
...
As dawn broke, the ward became busy. Several doctors were busy dispensing medicine to patients, while those with milder symptoms took on the responsibility of caring for the severely ill.
A doctor came to take Naraku's temperature and found that he no longer had a fever, so he only gave him one pill, instructing him to take it with water after meals.
Naraku left the room on the pretext of going to the restroom and hadn't gone far when he ran into a short, orange-haired youth.
"You look unfamiliar, are you new here? What's your name?"
Naraku nodded, remaining silent.
This appearance and hair color—it had to be Yahiko.
"Where is your family?"
Naraku gently shook his head.
Yahiko comforted him, "It's okay. Once you're here, we're all family. Everyone here is your family."
He took Naraku's hand and enthusiastically led him on a tour.
"This is our cafeteria, where we usually prepare food. Besides eating it ourselves, any surplus is distributed to hungry villagers. This is our warehouse; if we receive donated supplies, they are stored well and then distributed to those in need..."
He spoke endlessly about the work and daily life of the base, painting a blueprint of their dream.
"...I believe that as long as everyone can understand each other and respect one another, the world will be different from how it is now. First a few villages, then the Land of Rain, and finally the entire Ninja World—we will definitely achieve peace."
Naraku listened quietly, feeling that Yahiko was not simply spreading his ideals to a wandering orphan, but rather confiding in someone who distrusted him.
"Although some people don't believe us, suspecting that we must be hiding some conspiracy, and have sent many undercover agents, it doesn't matter. We are never afraid of them investigating anything."
"Because what we are doing has no secrets that cannot see the light of day. In time, they will all understand."
"So if there's anything you want to see, you can tell me directly. When you return to Konoha, please give my regards to Jiraiya-sensei, and tell him we are still working hard to fulfill our dream."