Heartache, fury, and a stinging trace of shame.
When Nawaki saw Akiren standing behind the Rain ninja blocking their path, his heart felt like a spice rack had been knocked over—a messy, stinging blend of emotions he couldn't quite name.
Beside him, Hatani watched as the uncertainty, confusion, and cowardice he remembered in Akiren's eyes curdled into a dark, visceral hatred. Hatani let out a silent, weary sigh.
He almost wished Akiren had betrayed them for a scrap of bread or the promise of a better life. It would have been easier to stomach. If that were the case, the guilt gnawing at Hatani might have been a little lighter.
But they had personally given Akiren hope, only to shatter it themselves. It was their second abandonment that had turned the boy's desperation into a poisonous grudge.
Asayu, the Ame Chunin who had successfully intercepted the pair thanks to Akiren's help, was oblivious to the complex emotional turmoil churning inside Nawaki. And even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared. Having confirmed Nawaki's identity, he was currently drowning in a sea of pure, unadulterated ecstasy.
When Akiren had first approached him, Asayu hadn't trusted a word the boy said. Why would a scion of the Senju—the younger brother of the legendary Tsunade herself—risk everything to save an enemy orphan? Why would he travel with such a liability for so long? And why, in the name of the Sage, would he leave the witness alive after deciding to part ways?
To Asayu, Akiren had looked like just another starving wretch willing to trade a lie for a hot meal. But as the boy described Nawaki's appearance in detail, Asayu's skepticism turned to shock. Eventually, he decided to gamble.
And it was the best bet he had ever made.
"Nawaki Senju, surrender now and save us the trouble!"
Asayu stared down at the two boys. Covered in filth and rags, they looked like any other "mud monkeys" haunting the Land of Rain. He couldn't hide the smug triumph bleeding into his expression.
Two Genin who had discarded their weapons were like puppies with their fangs pulled. Against his four-man squad led by a Chunin, they had no cards left to play.
Of course, if they were foolish enough to resist, he wouldn't mind "killing the chicken to warn the monkey." He'd slaughter the other insignificant Leaf Genin first just to show Nawaki the reality of their situation.
It was this greed for glory that had caused Asayu to kick his subordinate when the man tried to signal for reinforcements. This level of merit was a once-in-a-lifetime haul; only a fool would share it.
With the village's ranks of Chunin and Jonin currently decimated, this was his ticket to a better post, high-level forbidden jutsu, and a swift promotion to Jonin. He could become one of Lord Hanzo's confidants—he could finally reach the peak of his life!
"Now!"
Hatani and Nawaki didn't know why the Ame leader had suddenly fallen silent, his eyes glazing over as if he were lost in a daydream, but they weren't about to waste the opening.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
Without shuriken for a diversion, Nawaki opened with a C-rank jutsu perfectly suited to the damp environment. A massive torrent of water erupted from his mouth, surging toward the four Rain ninja.
"Damn it!"
The three Ame Genin hadn't expected a fresh Academy graduate to unleash such a refined C-rank technique. Facing the wall of water, they cursed and scrambled to the sides, drawing shuriken and flinging them at Nawaki from the flanks.
"Hmph!"
Asayu, finally snapped out of his delusions by the approaching roar of water, let out a disdainful snort. He wove a set of hand seals with practiced speed and dropped into a crouch.
"Earth Style: Bedrock Return!"
A solid stone slab erupted from the mud, standing firm against the deluge. The water broke against the wall, unable to push through, and was forced to flow harmlessly around the sides.
"Earth Style: Rock Spear!"
As a veteran Chunin of the war, Asayu wasn't about to sit back and wait. Before the last of the water had even drained away, he had already finished his next set of seals.
"Lord Asayu, watch out!"
Asayu had just launched the rock spears and was savoring the sight of Nawaki being forced to break his own seals to roll away in the mud, when a sharp, panicked warning from his subordinate pierced the air.
Taking no chances, Asayu broke his focus on the spears and initiated a Substitution Jutsu.
A split second later, Hatani—holding a scavenged shuriken—pierced the Chunin's chest. Asayu's body vanished in a puff of smoke, replaced by a wooden log.
"Tch. How is this brat so fast?!"
Reappearing a short distance away, Asayu felt a cold sweat break out on his back. A wave of lingering fear washed over him, which was quickly replaced by a hot, stinging rage. He was a Chunin; he had almost been taken out by a nameless Leaf brat.
"You little bastard... you've earned this!"
His hands blurred through a much longer, more complex series of seals.
"You should feel honored to die by a B-rank jutsu. Earth Style: Earth Spikes!"
"You talk too much!"
Hatani noticed the length of the seal chain. When the idiot actually shouted the name of the jutsu, Hatani let out a cold laugh. He parried a stray shuriken, then hurled his own at the Chunin. Simultaneously, he funneled the power of the wind into his legs and lunged forward.
But he didn't forget his partner. "Nawaki, cover me!"
Nawaki was already moving. He sprinted toward Asayu, placing himself in the line of fire to draw the attention of the three Ame Genin.
"Water Style: Crashing Waves!"
Nawaki's jutsu didn't target the enemies directly; instead, it cut right across Hatani's path. The maneuver caught the Rain ninja completely off guard. One of the Genin to Hatani's left was hit directly by the surge and swept away into the distance.
"Heh. Pathetic..."
Asayu watched the "failed" coordination and sneered. He was about to mock their sloppy teamwork when his eyes widened.
Hatani didn't slow down. As if he had anticipated the water exactly where it was, he leapt. Wrapped in a visible aura of gale-force wind, he soared through the air, clearing the water pillar with ease.
Asayu's face contorted with fury at being outplayed again, but as Hatani landed just three meters away, the Chunin finished his last seal. His expression turned hideous.
"Die! Earth Style: Earth—"