Chapter 71: Uchiha Pride

The next morning, Ye Zi arrived at the gates of Konoha Village ten minutes early. As soon as he got there, Kotoe and the Uchiha brothers arrived right behind him.

He glanced at the three of them, who seemed to be in good spirits, and said, "Let's go."

"Yes!" they all responded.

Ye Zi took the lead, heading forward, with Kotoe and the Uchiha brothers closely following.

Their mission was in the Land of Rain, the same country where he had awakened. It was there that he encountered Orochimaru and Tsunade, who subsequently brought him back to Konoha Village.

Initially, Ye Zi had no knowledge of the Land of Rain, but over time, he gained a general understanding of the geography of this world.

The country where he had awoken was sandwiched between the three great nations of Earth, Fire, and Wind, making it a frequent battleground in the various ninja wars. It was a land of suffering and conflict that would have disappeared long ago if not for the renowned and powerful Hanzo of the Salamander holding it together. This country, plagued by constant rain and shadow, was marked by its perpetual state of gloom.

He remembered waking up in a village there. The buildings were not old, and there were quite a few of them, but it was like a ghost town with not a single soul in sight. This was a stark reminder of the devastation that war had brought to the Land of Rain.

It took Ye Zi's team three days and nights to reach the Land of Rain.

The sky was endlessly overcast, with continuous rain falling incessantly, casting the entire world into darkness.

They wore simple raincoats, but they could only protect them for so long. In a land where rain was perpetual, avoiding getting drenched required raincoats specifically designed in the Land of Rain.

Ninjas are not delicate; a bit of cold and rain hardly matters to them.

Upon entering the Land of Rain, they refrained from being too conspicuous, donning black raincoats and sticking to secluded, unobtrusive paths.

As night fell, they finally saw the distant outline of Amegakure (the Hidden Rain Village). It was a city of steel, with buildings covered in steel pipes for draining rainwater, giving it a unique style. Hanzo of the Salamander, who was said to be invincible, resided here.

Ye Zi silently observed the village and said to the three behind him, "Find a hidden place to shelter from the rain and rest. I'll gather intelligence."

The Uchiha brothers, looking exhausted, had no objections to this suggestion, but Kotoe spoke up instead, "I'll go with you."

Ye Zi glanced at her and shook his head. "No, too many people will be a hindrance."

Kotoe bit her lip slightly and said, "I specialize in assassination, skilled in hiding and erasing my presence."

"One more or one less makes no difference. Rest well; we may be in for a tough fight soon," Ye Zi coldly refused.

Kotoe reluctantly fell silent.

Ye Zi took off the forehead protector tied to his head and, with a kunai, swiftly and decisively carved a slash across the Leaf symbol. He then retied it.

"Ye Zi, you...!" Uchiha Kōri exclaimed in surprise at this sight.

"Don't waste time; find shelter from the rain quickly. I'll come find you," Ye Zi said, offering no explanation. He then hunched into his black raincoat and walked towards the steel city, soon disappearing into the rain.

"Let's go," Uchiha Ninashi said, after giving a long look in the direction Ye Zi had left. He then turned to leave, with Kotoe silently following.

"Ninashi, did you see that?" Kōri hurried alongside her brother.

"Amegakure is different from other large villages; they do not reject rogue ninjas from other villages. Captain Ye Zi is doing this to openly gather intelligence."

Ninashi looked up at the gloomy, dark sky and said, "Kōri, our priority now is to find shelter and rest, and prepare for the upcoming battle."

"But even if it's for gathering intelligence, he didn't have to do that," Kōri said, clearly dissatisfied.

Kotoe, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "Your dissatisfaction with Captain Ye Zi is quite obvious."

"What did you say?" Kōri turned sharply, glaring at Kotoe through the rain.

Kotoe raised her head, meeting her gaze calmly and said, "Are you jealous?"

It was as if a balloon had been pricked by a needle—what held the balloon up was now the very thing that caused its destruction.

Kōri's expression turned cold, and she quickly pulled out a kunai from his ninja pouch, pointing it at Kotoe, his voice icy. "Say that again if you dare."

As he spoke, his dark eyes turned blood-red, with two tomoe slowly emerging and spinning before coming to a stop.

Kotoe looked at the infamous Sharingan without a hint of fear, even smiling mockingly. Unnoticed, she had already slipped several poisoned senbon needles into her hand.

The atmosphere between them instantly became tense.

Ninashi frowned and pressed down on Kōri's arm, saying sternly, "Kōri, this isn't like you."

"Brother, do you also think I'm jealous of Ye Zi?" Kōri looked at him.

Ninashi fell silent at his words. How could he not be jealous?

Before Ye Zi entered their lives, they were the pride of the Uchiha clan, the ones nurtured with great attention, possessing exceptional talent. It was only a matter of time before they awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan.

But then, Ye Zi, who was younger than them, arrived...

A brighter light overshadows those around it, and people are naturally drawn to the brightest light.

Kōri gritted her teeth, looking at the silent Ninashi, and said, "I am a member of the Uchiha clan...!"

"Do not bring personal emotions into the mission."

Ninashi took the kunai from Kōri's hand and said calmly, "You cannot deny his strength. He is indeed better than us now, but in the future, we will surpass him."

Kōri was taken aback. For the first time, her felt that his familiar brother had become somewhat distant, no longer the proud brother she knew.

Ninashi seemed to read his thoughts and said calmly, "We can be proud, but we must not be arrogant. I still firmly believe that with Uchiha blood in our veins, we will surpass him in the future."

The rain continued to fall.

The wind drove the rain, the rain struck the stones, and the rain on the stones dripped onto the tender grass below.

The sound of wind and rain was endless.

Kotoe silently put away her senbon needles, considering the matter resolved.

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