The villagers of Konoha were already enjoying the first snowfall of the year.
At the same time, Land of Rain was still filled with the endless sound of rain. The lead gray clouds hung low in the sky like a heavy shroud, pressing down on the land and refusing to let even a trace of sunlight through. The sky seemed stingy, giving nothing but gloom.
Compared to the light drizzle from earlier days, the rain had turned cold and unbroken, as if it wanted to wash all of Land of Rain into mud. Only stray dogs without homes lay low in corners, biting at something unknown.
pata… pata…
Hearing a sound, the dogs pricked up their ears and bared their teeth, staring into the blurred curtain of rain. In the distance, several figures ran out of the mist, stepping through puddles in a desolate stretch of land, their faces briefly lit beneath raincoat hoods.
At the front, Kakashi Hatake suddenly raised a hand, and the people behind him stopped at once. His voice was calm as he said, "We have entered Land of Rain. Make sure you hide your identities."
His gaze swept over Ryuji Hyuga in the middle of the team, and he added, "Next we will go where people gather to collect information. Remember, listen more and speak less." Ryuji Hyuga knew this reminder was meant for him, and he nodded with a serious expression.
"Disperse."
With a single order from Kakashi Hatake, the team split into groups of three and scattered to gather information. Ryuji Hyuga stayed beside Kakashi Hatake, as instructed by Hiruzen Sarutobi, which also served as a form of protection.
Including him and Kakashi Hatake, four people slipped into the capital of Land of Rain without drawing any attention. No one looked at them because of their clothes or behavior, and no one showed any sign of alertness.
There were few pedestrians on the streets, and those who passed by hurried along with their heads down, wrapped in dark raincoats. They moved through the rain like shadows, silent and distant.
Most of the civilians carried a numb caution shaped by long hardship. From time to time, figures in dark uniforms and strange gas masks appeared, members of the Amegakure Ninja, and Ryuji Hyuga and the others blended in without standing out.
This was Ryuji Hyuga's first time in Land of Rain, and he observed his surroundings from beneath his hood. What he saw was a forest of steel, with pipes of all sizes crawling over buildings made entirely of metal.
These structures did not resemble ordinary homes. They were sharp-edged, covered in weld marks, with narrow windows that gave off a distant and unfriendly feel.
Rainwater flowed along the cold metal surfaces, gathering in rusty grooves before draining into the puddles covering the ground. The entire city looked like a massive industrial ruin, soaked in rain and standing in silence.
Gray sky, dark brown steel, murky water, and dark clothing on passersby filled his view. "This place is actually the capital of Land of Rain," Ryuji Hyuga murmured, his tone low as he looked at the colorless world before him.
It was the complete opposite of the prosperity of Konoha and Land of Fire. Kakashi Hatake heard him, but only glanced at him from the corner of his eye before looking away.
Pity? What a naive junior.
The bell rang as Kakashi Hatake pushed open the door of a tavern, and the copper chime shook while moisture slid down the glass. Ryuji Hyuga followed him inside and immediately smelled damp air mixed with rust and alcohol.
The rain did not just shape the environment here, it seemed to sink into the country itself. The four of them sat near a window, a spot that allowed them to watch outside and escape quickly if something went wrong.
"Boss, another round!"
"Hah, that hits the spot!"
At a table farther away, several men dressed like ninjas drank heavily, with no one sitting near them. It was clear they were ninjas from Amegakure, and Kakashi Hatake narrowed his dead-fish eyes as he listened to their conversation.
"Sigh, that woman at home is complaining again," said a scar-faced ninja after a drink. "She keeps saying the food rations are getting smaller. If this keeps up, we will not even have enough to eat, and she asks me what to do."
Bang.
He slammed his cup on the table and cursed, "What can I do? How would I know!"
"That is true," another long-haired ninja said with a grim face. "The price of food is going up faster and faster. It has doubled already."
Ninjas did not produce food themselves, and in wartime, money mattered less than having something to eat. For Land of Rain, which had almost no agriculture, food was an extremely precious resource.
As for where the food given to ninjas came from, it was issued by the daimyo of Land of Rain. If war cut off trade and the daimyo's support vanished, Amegakure would be left struggling to survive.
Then where did the daimyo's food come from? No one cared, even though everyone knew it came from the civilians of Land of Rain.
"Have you heard?" someone finally lowered his voice. "Land of Fire has declared war on Land of Lightning. Could this be because of that?"
The table fell quiet. After a moment, the long-haired ninja spoke hesitantly, "It should not have much to do with Amegakure. After all, Third Shinobi World War is always like this…"
"Tch, that is nonsense."
Before he could finish, the scar-faced ninja interrupted, sounding half drunk. "Third Shinobi World War did not reach us because of Lord Hanzo, but how long has it been since he showed up? He has been hiding for ages. Who knows if he is alrea— mmph!"
The others changed expression and quickly covered his mouth. "Shut up!" "Are you trying to get killed?" "If you want to die, do not drag us with you!"
They cursed in low voices, though who was truly angry at him for insulting Hanzo and who was just frightened by his bold words was unclear. The scar-faced ninja sobered up at once, his face turning pale as he realized what he had said.
Amegakure also had its own "ANBU". If those words were heard by an ANBU ninja, he would be lucky to survive with his skin intact.
Out of fear, he looked around and met a pair of dead-fish eyes that had not been pulled back in time. "What are you looking at, dead-fish eyes? What are you staring at!"
He stood up in anger, and a passing waiter lost his grip, sending several full cups crashing onto the floor. The sharp noise and the ninja's presence silenced the entire tavern at once.
Regular patrons knew what might follow, and since ninjas usually did not attack civilians without cause, they only watched the four by the window with pity. It was simply bad luck for them.
The scar-faced ninja's anger came more from guilt than rage. Ryuji Hyuga, who had kept his head down the entire time, slightly turned toward Kakashi Hatake beside him.
Kakashi Hatake understood the look and felt a bit embarrassed. He had not expected the mistake to come from himself, but now was not the time to dwell on it.
The scar-faced Amegakure Ninja ninja was already striding toward them with clear hostility.