Several more days passed.
Orochimaru continued to take Gojo Yoru from place to place. Gojo Yoru hadn't been to an inhabited area for a long time.
But compared to the Ryuchi Cave scroll, this little hardship was nothing.
On this day, Orochimaru took Gojo Yoru to a cave in a snowy mountain again.
"Release—"
Finding a rock wall carved with mysterious symbols, Orochimaru formed seals with both hands and pressed his palm against it.
As the tadpole-like curse marks spread, the rock wall where Orochimaru's palm rested actually sank in, as if opening a hidden compartment.
Reaching inside, Orochimaru took out a scroll that fit in one hand, then opened it and began to read.
Gojo Yoru was already accustomed to this scene.
Although he didn't know what was written on those scrolls, Gojo Yoru could deduce that they were stored here by spies Konoha had planted in various countries.
Orochimaru's mission was to wait for those spies to deliver intelligence to designated locations and then retrieve it.
However, this time, Orochimaru's demeanor seemed a bit off. He stood there repeatedly reading the scroll in his hand.
Unfortunately, Gojo Yoru didn't possess Observation Haki from the One Piece world next door, so he couldn't sense Orochimaru's current emotional fluctuations.
After nearly ten minutes, Orochimaru finally put away the scroll in his hand, then took out another scroll from his person, placed it back into the hidden compartment, and restored the rock wall to its original state.
"Let's go."
Orochimaru led Gojo Yoru out of the cave and left the snowy mountain area that same day.
Even more unusually, Orochimaru didn't walk this time but used the Body Flicker Technique to travel the entire way with Gojo Yoru.
After leaving the snowy mountain area, which should be the territory of the Land of Iron, they continued to travel using Body Flicker.
Finally, the two arrived in a small town.
After nearly a month, Gojo Yoru finally saw a place inhabited by humans and felt a momentary trance.
Orochimaru took Gojo Yoru to a shop and said to the owner, "Two sets of raincoats and bamboo hats."
"One thousand ryo. Thank you for your patronage."
After buying the raincoats and bamboo hats, Orochimaru led Gojo Yoru out of the small town.
On the way, Gojo Yoru took his set of rain gear and couldn't help but ask, "Orochimaru-sensei, is our next stop the Land of Rain?"
"We are already in the Land of Rain." Orochimaru's gaze was deep. "Our next stop is... Amegakure."
Gojo Yoru couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.
Amegakure, this small place, left an impression on Gojo Yoru second only to Konoha, the birthplace of the protagonist.
Except for the First Great Ninja War, this place never lacked screen time.
It was one of the main battlefields of the Second Great Ninja War. Although it didn't participate in the Third Great Ninja War, Hanzo was bewitched by Shimura Danzo to act against the Yahiko trio's Akatsuki, leading to Nagato's darkening.
After that, it was the headquarters of the Akatsuki, the place where Pain descended as a god.
Even in the Fourth Great Ninja War, Amegakure had screen time, with Rain ninjas participating in the battle.
The current leader of Amegakure was Hanzo the Salamander in his prime. He was regarded by ninjas as the pinnacle of the Ninja World. Although not one of the Five Kage, he was undoubtedly a Kage-level powerhouse.
Why was Orochimaru taking him to this person's territory?
However, since the Second Great Ninja War hadn't broken out yet, and Amegakure hadn't declared war on Konoha, Gojo Yoru didn't mind.
...
Amegakure was a village full of steel buildings.
Because of the perennial rain, the most common sight here was the giant drainage pipes.
Pedestrians on the street, whether locals or outsiders, almost all wore raincoats and bamboo hats.
Only patrolling Rain ninjas wore breathing masks on their faces.
Situated at the junction of three major nations—Wind, Fire, and Earth—Amegakure had no barrier. Hanzo the Salamander, who aspired to make a small country capable of contending with major powers, did not close the country's borders.
Because the village's assassination techniques were highly developed, it was favored by villains and gangs.
So the current Amegakure was a place where fish and dragons mixed, accessible at will.
Orochimaru, disguised using the Transformation Technique, led Gojo Yoru, who only put away his Genin forehead protector without any disguise, into Amegakure. He instructed the latter, "Free activity from now on. Pay attention to your safety."
"Uh... yes."
Gojo Yoru couldn't quite understand. If he wasn't playing with him this time, why bring him into Amegakure?
Wouldn't it be better to let him wait outside?
But as a good child, Gojo Yoru nodded obediently.
Thus, Gojo Yoru separated from Orochimaru.
Walking alone in the rain, Gojo Yoru saw local customs different from Konoha's.
The villagers were equally simple, but the conditions here were worlds apart from the prosperous Konoha.
Most shops were just simple rain shelters.
Restaurants and stores were few and far between; almost no one came here to invest.
Many outsiders on the street looked fierce and malicious. If not for the patrolling Rain ninjas and the deterrent of Hanzo the Salamander's prestige, order here would probably be chaotic.
Passing by an alley, Gojo Yoru suddenly stopped, his gaze attracted by the scene at the alley entrance.
There was also a simple small rain shelter set up there, but the owner was a girl a few years younger than Gojo Yoru.
With short, straight blue-purple hair and amber eyes, although much more tender than the girl in his memory, Gojo Yoru recognized her at a glance.
One of the Amegakure orphans, the future "White Tiger" of the Akatsuki—Konan.
At this moment, Konan was sitting on a small stool, resting her chin on her hands.
Seeming to notice Gojo Yoru's gaze, Konan looked over, a glimmer of hope appearing in her eyes.
Gojo Yoru walked over, examined what Konan was selling, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Because she was sitting, Konan, looking up, saw Gojo Yoru's face clearly and was slightly stunned.
Such beautiful eyes, so handsome, and such fair skin... is he a foreigner?
Recovering her senses, Konan held up a bouquet of flowers and said softly to Gojo Yoru, "Big brother, want to buy flowers? Only ten ryo."
"Selling paper flowers on a rainy day, what were you thinking?" Gojo Yoru finally couldn't help but complain.
"So that's it. No wonder no one buys my flowers." Konan looked enlightened, which in Gojo Yoru's eyes was tantamount to breaking character.
However, seeing the girl's cute and innocent look, she clearly hadn't experienced the ravages of war yet, indicating her parents should still be around.
As for coming out to sell flowers at this age, it was all too normal.
After all, some people dared to wander the empty streets on a snowy night at the age of three.
Gojo Yoru also lived independently at the age of three, and the village didn't interfere.
"I'll take everything on your stall. Go home early."
Out of affection for the original character, Gojo Yoru took out one hundred ryo and placed it in front of Konan, but only took a colored blue-purple paper flower.
Immediately, Gojo Yoru disappeared into the rain.
By the time the girl recovered her senses, she could no longer find that figure.
But she remembered those icy blue eyes and that fair, handsome face.
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