Chapter 26: Konoha Year 48, Amegakure

When Yuto left the Land of Hot Water and traversed the entire Land of Fire, the New Year had already passed.

The air was filled with lingering joy, and the heavy snow gradually ceased. In the uninhabited forest, it was peaceful and beautiful.

A heavy snow heralds a good year. The end-of-year snow seemed to promise a prosperous future.

Unfortunately, Yuto knew that the Third Shinobi World War was brewing. The conflicts between nations were irreconcilable, and a war that would engulf everyone was about to erupt.

Konoha Year 48 marked a bloody beginning.

During this journey, he didn't use high speed, and it took him five full days to traverse the Land of Fire.

As he approached the border, after crossing several small mountain ranges, Yuto felt the air become significantly more humid. When he crossed over the mountains and entered the Land of Rain, the sky began to drizzle.

The climate in the world of shinobi is unpredictable and cannot be analyzed using meteorological knowledge from his past life.

The Land of Rain is located in the central part of the continent. Except for the southeastern direction, it has no high mountains. Logically, it should be windy, dry, and stuffy.

However, the fact is that the Land of Rain is perpetually rainy. The sky is always a heavy leaden gray, damp and cold. It can be said that it's rainy all year round, making it unsuitable for human habitation.

Moreover, this unfortunate country is located between the three major nations of Fire, Wind, and Earth. Whenever there is conflict, the Land of Rain becomes the battlefield for the three major shinobi villages, causing great suffering. Very few children can safely reach adulthood.

Amegakure struggles tenaciously in such a harsh environment. Many shinobi from Amegakure are skilled in assassination techniques and are often hired as assassins. The leader of Amegakure, Hanzō of the Salamander, is known as a "demi-god" due to his strength.

But these combat skills seem useless, as the Land of Rain and Amegakure still suffer greatly.

"Eternal rain is the tears of the deceased"—someone once remarked.

After entering the territory of Amegakure, Yuto adjusted his attire.

He didn't use the Transformation Jutsu, only wore dark goggles to cover his pure white eyes, and then removed his forehead protector, tying a dark blue headband to hide the Caged Bird curse mark.

At this time, Amegakure was still under the rule of Hanzō of the Salamander. Although not as closed off as during the later Pain era, it still didn't welcome foreign shinobi. Hiding his affiliation with Konoha and the Hyuga clan was beneficial.

In less than half a day, Yuto arrived in Amegakure.

Under the leaden sky, continuous rain fell. Below it, towering, straight, and menacing steel buildings stood tall. Numerous metal pipes were exposed outside, resembling mythical roaring serpents. Chimneys spewed steam, and cables traversed the air, giving off a strange punk aesthetic.

"The shinobi world truly has many people who understand art," Yuto thought as he stepped into Amegakure.

To a village plagued by constant war and assassination techniques, Yuto, cloaked in a black robe with even his eyes covered, was not particularly unusual. No one paid special attention to him. The few pedestrians on the street wore thick trench coats, most with gloomy expressions, hurrying along, lacking the leisurely atmosphere of Konoha.

Yuto didn't wander around aimlessly. He found a street corner to avoid the rain and quietly observed the street, calming his body as Tsunade had taught him.

He came to Amegakure to kill.

Earning quick money from the bounty station was much more efficient than doing village missions. Although it was risky without support or teammates, completing one job would allow him to establish another secret base.

Killing was not unfamiliar to Yuto Hyuga. Although only 13, he had long since lost count of the number of people who had died by his hands.

But coming to Amegakure to kill Amegakure shinobi was a first for Yuto.

Having no support or teammates meant he had no retreat or sufficient intelligence. He couldn't know his target's real-time location and had no way to understand the enemy's numbers or their preferred jutsu.

However, Yuto knew that with patience, he would soon encounter his target.

His wait didn't last long.

At a certain moment, the sound of raindrops hitting the steel buildings was interrupted by a lot of noise.

A large group of people was coming, in a crowd.

"Stop the war! Stop the killing!"

"People need to communicate with each other!"

"Build a bridge of hope towards world peace!"

Yuto looked up, a slight smile on his lips.

In the rain, marching down the street, were people holding signs.

Most were dressed as civilians, their expressions excited, shouting hoarsely. But a closer look revealed a few individuals in standard high-collared black trench coats walking among them, their eyes vigilant, clearly protecting the marchers.

The young Hyuga branch family member crossed his arms, watching these people with interest.

These individuals all belonged to the "Akatsuki" organization!

The slogans of the marchers were created by Yahiko, the current leader of Akatsuki.

"Change the country, build a bridge of hope towards world peace through communication between people."

This was the initial principle set by Yahiko when Akatsuki was founded.

Though idealistic, it was not laughable.

Yahiko's passionate vision filled this phrase. He inspired his companions with his fervor and influenced many more with his actions.

At its inception, Akatsuki was a mercenary organization, but it already had a clear ideological attribute. Now, in the Land of Rain, Akatsuki's influence was growing daily, with more people joining the march.

The name Akatsuki was gradually appearing in the reports of major forces.

Similarly, many of its members were also appearing on the bounty lists at the bounty station!

Yuto tilted his head, observing the march. He noticed that the Akatsuki shinobi were becoming increasingly tense. Looking closely, he could see their fingers already brushing against kunai, ready to act at any moment.

The youth thought to himself, "Professional." This intersection was quite narrow, with four tall buildings blocking it, clearly a perfect spot for an ambush.

Boom!

Sure enough, at that moment, explosions suddenly erupted.

Several bursts of fire exploded, with huge shockwaves and flames evaporating the rain at the intersection, blowing the water hundreds of meters away.

Dozens of figures suddenly appeared, emerging from the water or the walls, accompanied by sharp whistling sounds, all rushing towards a specific part of the crowd.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

The attacked person shouted loudly, quickly forming hand seals. Chakra surged out, forming a sturdy water wall, protecting themselves and the civilians.

"Escort the civilians away, they are coming for me!"

The attacked person was unafraid, clearly experienced with such situations. They jumped out, holding two bright white short daggers, and charged at the attackers.

This person was Yuto's target, the current fourth-ranked member of Akatsuki, Takeda Takeshi!

(End of Chapter)

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