The Land of Rain was, in a word, the central stage of the ninja world! Bordering the Land of Fire, Wind, and Earth, it was a strategically vital area. Throughout history, its role had been consistently to be the first one to get beat up whenever the three great nations fought.
What could the Land of Rain do against the "loving care" of the great nations? Since it couldn't resist, it had to endure. That is, until Hanzo, the "Salamander," a ninja world demigod, appeared and changed the country's dire situation.
In the Land of Rain, in a dilapidated temple, the walls were in ruins and spiderwebs hung in the corners. It had been abandoned for a long time. The sound of rain pattering on the broken roof became a small stream that flowed into a puddle on the ground.
Uchiha Hongzhong was looking up at the sky. The sky, which was normally a leaden gray, was now churning with dark clouds, as if they had been splashed with ink, hinting that a big storm was brewing.
"It truly is the 'Land of Rain'; there's so much rain here," he said calmly, his black and white eyes as still as an ancient well.
At this moment, Hongzhong had a face that would get lost in a crowd. He was in his early twenties, with regular but unremarkable features, perfectly fitting the requirements for a legendary "king of spies": low-key, and easily forgotten.
"But..." His tone changed. "The boss would definitely not be able to stand this place."
Hongzhong felt like he had been in the Land of Rain for only a day and had already been drenched for half of it. The other half was just as cloudy, and he hadn't seen the sun at all. It would be a wonder if the boss liked a place like this.
Looking at the drizzling rain, Hongzhong continued his work. He picked up a small stone from the side, placed a barely visible Flying Raijin mark on it, and let go, allowing the stone to fall to the ground.
Thud
The small stone rolled for a bit and then stopped. The wet soil next to it seemed to come alive, wiggling slightly and swallowing the "ordinary" marker that held the secrets of space, burying it completely. The marking was complete! This unmarked node was now a Flying Raijin marker.
In the next second, with a flash of the Flying Raijin, Hongzhong appeared dozens of kilometers away. His cautious gaze swept the surroundings, and he found himself at the edge of a dense forest. In front of him was a vast lake. At the end of his sight, the silhouette of a village with black and gray spires and high-rise buildings shimmered faintly in the rain.
His senses instantly spread out. Ten centimeters beneath the rock layer at his feet, an inconspicuous Flying Raijin kunai lay dormant. This was the Flying Raijin mark closest to the Amegakure (Village Hidden in Rain). It was probably a mark left by a clone who, out of habit, had placed it before entering the village to gather intelligence.
"Is that the Amegakure?" He stared intently into the distance, and the fortress in the rain became clearer. The black and gray spires stood like cold fangs pointing at the gloomy sky. The massive village, crouching on the land, exuded a chilling aura that seemed to want to devour people. On the surface, it might just seem like a small nation's ninja village—nothing to worry about.
But the warning bells in Hongzhong's heart were ringing silently! That's because this small village had already cost his organization two Kage-level clones and three jonin-level clones. A Kage-level clone had 1 million of the "Super-Kage" level chakra, could use all five chakra natures with ease, and even came with a powerful bloodline limit. A fighter of that caliber could meet the young Sannin and easily win, earning the title of "Demigod." The jonin clones, needless to say, were all slightly stronger than Kakashi.
And yet, all five of these powerful clones had entered Amegakure to gather intelligence and had vanished without a trace, not even making a ripple. This Amegakure was not simple!
"Could it be that Hanzo is still in his prime?"
This thought lingered in his mind for only a second before Hongzhong dismissed it. That old poisoner Hanzo was strong, but he wasn't strong enough to devour a force like that without a sound. The conclusion was obvious: something monumental must have happened in Amegakure!
However, this change was not known to the outside world. After all, Hongzhong had been wandering the Land of Rain for a whole day, and all he had heard were the sounds of rain, bawdy jokes in tea houses, and other scraps of information. There was very little intelligence about the inner workings of Amegakure. Even after asking several people in the know, they all claimed ignorance.
So external reconnaissance wouldn't work? How about internal infiltration? The security inside Amegakure was even more stringent. So far, none of the organization's food, medicine, or newspapers had been granted permission to enter. All in all, the organization's intelligence database on Amegakure had not been updated. The last known intel was that Hanzo was still the ruler of Amegakure.
There was no other choice!
"It seems I'll have to go in and check out this dragon's den myself..." Hongzhong sighed inwardly, tightening the buttons on his raincoat with an air of carefulness. He first had to confirm the principles of this mission: enter the village quietly, with no gunfire.
His chakra sense swept through the village again. There were a total of four Flying Raijin markers inside. One of them was in an area so dead silent there was no sign of any living organism. Safe!
Whoosh!
The scene flashed. Inside Amegakure, a figure shrouded in a dark gray raincoat appeared abruptly on a hidden platform. The special kunai that served as the coordinates was stuck in a nearby crack, within arm's reach. A clone had placed it there.
He took out the kunai and put it into his backpack. Then, Hongzhong touched the wet, cold wall, and a flower-shaped Flying Raijin mark that looked like a child's doodle was left on the wall.
Only then did his vigilant gaze sweep over his surroundings. Black and gray spires stood densely packed like the spines of a giant beast. Their heights of dozens of stories were like sharp swords piercing the leaden sky. The Gothic spires and sharp-angled outlines appeared even colder and gloomier in the continuous rain, as if they could shatter the light of day. Even more striking were the dense, thick pipelines. They were like a grotesque network of blood vessels, crisscrossing the exterior walls of all the tall buildings, supplying this giant steel beast with an unknown medium.
It was depressing! The monotonous black and gray architecture and the towering buildings all conveyed this feeling!
"It's like something out of a steampunk story. All these pipes must be for drainage, right?" After muttering to himself, he was about to look away.
Pitter-patter
A drop of rain landed on the back of his cool hand. The chakra contained within the raindrop made him pause.
"The raindrop contains chakra; is this some kind of perception ninjutsu that uses rain as a medium?" Hongzhong thought for a moment, genuinely impressed. "I see. The weather in Amegakure is always rainy, so mixing chakra into the rain allows them to silently detect everything within the covered area. Any intruder who carelessly enters would be instantly discovered."
"What a genius idea."
In an instant, Hongzhong learned this ninjutsu. Unfortunately, he didn't need such a clumsy method! However, this did explain why the clones had all died here—they were discovered as soon as they entered and were then chased to their deaths!
How exciting!
A cold smirk played on Hongzhong's lips. He was about to make his escape, ready to play a game of cat and mouse! From a position of strength, it was hard to say who the cat was and who the mouse was. But Hongzhong knew his goal was to gather intel, not to fight. If he could find the information before the cat caught him, all the better. Otherwise, a battle would be inevitable.
With that thought, Uchiha Hongzhong immediately began to move. This perception ninjutsu seemed powerful, but it could only estimate a general location. So, all he had to do was blend into the crowd!
At the same time, inside a certain building, Pain frowned sharply.
"What's wrong?" Konan asked from beside him.
Pain's face was expressionless. "My rain has been blocked. This chakra feels like a very powerful opponent."
"Is it another one of those three from before?" The thought of the three from not long ago made Konan tense up.
"No," Pain denied. "This one is even stronger than those three!"
The scene shifted to the middle commercial street of Amegakure. It was still damp, oppressive, and suffocatingly desolate. And although it was called a commercial street, it was a world away from the prosperity of Konoha. His chakra sense told him this was the area with the most people, but when he got there, he still found only a few people.
Hongzhong's gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, and he casually scanned the street. There were indeed a few dozen more moving figures in raincoats, but it was nowhere near the bustling crowds of Konoha! The shops were also few and far between. It was interesting that a paper doll was hanging in front of every house.
"How strange!" Uchiha Hongzhong sighed inwardly, averting his gaze.
He continued to walk with his head down until he stopped in front of a building with a large, worn-out beer bottle sign. His senses told him this was where the most people were. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a wave of noise and the thick smell of smoke and alcohol rushed out, a stark contrast to the deathly silence outside! More than twenty people were squeezed into the relatively narrow space. There were ninjas talking in small groups, with rare looks of ease on their faces, and ordinary patrons silently drinking. The air was heavy with the smell of cheap alcohol, sweat, and mold.
As soon as he hung his raincoat on the wall, Hongzhong heard someone loudly discussing something.
"Hey! Did you hear?" A man with a scratched Amegakure headband and disheveled clothes, his face flushed an unnatural red, asked, "That demon named 'Uchiha Obito' went to the Land of Lightning and caused some trouble!"
"What?"
"Really?" a few shocked voices came from a corner.
"It's absolutely true!" The drunk man swayed his head. "That mad dog released the Two-Tails jinchuriki, who flattened the Cloud Village. And even more unbelievable, he... cut the Raikage, Ay, in half!"
Hiss! The people around him all gasped.
Some were quietly asking what a Tailed Beast was. Someone immediately explained it to them. Even though the Ninja World Daily wasn't sold in Amegakure, it was still sold in the Land of Rain. Many people had read the newspaper, and after several months of information, most people already knew what a Tailed Beast was.
"Oh my god! That's a Kage from a great nation!" another voice exclaimed, filled with shock and fear.
"You guys, who do you think is stronger? Uchiha Obito or that Naruto Uzumaki?" a curious voice suddenly asked.
One voice replied with certainty, "Naruto Uzumaki is definitely stronger! He even defeated the First Hokage!"
"Hmph! I think Uchiha Obito is stronger! How old is Naruto Uzumaki? He's just a little kid!"
Then, someone suddenly asked another question: "Who do you think is stronger, Uchiha Obito or our god of Amegakure?"
Uchiha Hongzhong, who had just sat down, quietly perked up his ears. Uchiha Obito and the boss were old acquaintances. But what was this "god"? To be mentioned in the same breath as those two?
"Our god of Amegakure is definitely stronger!" The drunk man said without hesitation. His bleary eyes tried hard to remember. "But when compared to Naruto Uzumaki, it's hard to say." As a neighboring country, the legend of the First Hokage was also well-known in the Land of Rain.
"Hey! Be careful what you say!" This warning made the drunk man break out in a cold sweat. His eyes instantly cleared up.
"Oh, oh, I'm drunk, I'm drunk! I need to go home right away!" Without another word, he put down his cup and pretended to be dizzy as he walked out.
Hongzhong's peripheral vision was on him the whole time. He waited until the man's figure disappeared in the doorway, and then for a while longer, before he put down the cup he had just picked up, slapped a banknote on the table, and quietly followed.
The rain had stopped at some point, and the air was thick and heavy. It seemed the cat had made its move. The game had begun! He was running out of time. Hongzhong focused his senses: the target ninja's chakra signature was still moving, but not quickly! The distance was still manageable!
He used a few swift Body Flickers and quickly found his target. He saw that no one else was around. It was his chance! He lunged forward and patted the ninja on the back. The ninja, who was walking quickly with his head down, was startled when his vision blurred—a genjutsu was activated!
The ninja felt himself being held in a twisted, bizarre prison of colorful light, unable to move!
"Who's there?"
"Quiet." The flat voice was like a bucket of ice water, and his startled cry stopped abruptly!
Then, an ordinary, unremarkable face appeared in his terrified eyes. Hongzhong looked at him with satisfaction and thought he was a good kid. He had complimented the boss without even realizing it. He'd make him a small-time captain in the Land of Grass later.
"Let me see what secrets this Amegakure holds!" Hongzhong whispered, his eyes suddenly changing to the eerie purple of the Rinnegan! Then, he extended his evil right hand.
The scene shifted.
Reality rippled!
Pop!
Hongzhong's true body squeezed out of a spatial rift. His brain was working at high speed, processing the intelligence he had just extracted: Hanzo, the Demigod—was dead! He had been killed by the current leader, a man named Pain, who was also referred to as "God." The name was a bit strange, but... having killed a demigod and calling himself "God" didn't seem so weird after all.
However, that was all the intelligence there was. Who was "God"? What did he look like? What were his abilities? Everything was still unknown. But one of his earlier questions was answered! The paper dolls in front of every house were angels! The ninja had also caught a glimpse of the angel—a beautiful woman with blue hair.
"Is that all..." Hongzhong sighed inwardly. The core question was still a complete mystery. This ninja was just a genin, with little strength and not much information. If he had been a jonin, the situation might have been completely different.
Since that was the case... Closing his eyes, Hongzhong began to search. In his chakra senses, a ninja with a decent amount of chakra was approaching.
"You're the one!"
Thump-thump-thump
Time was of the essence! He no longer concealed himself. His steps were swift but steady as he headed toward the source of the powerful chakra! The ninja he had targeted also seemed to be walking towards him.
They got closer and closer until...
After turning a corner, the two of them met! A head of blue hair fluttered in the alley. A beautiful woman with blue hair, the "Angel" herself! At the same time, Konan's sharp gaze was fixed precisely on Uchiha Hongzhong!
"I never thought I'd run into the cat just while taking a walk. My luck isn't great, is it?" Hongzhong's lips curled up slightly, his voice mocking. An "Angel"! In the genin's memory, this was a very important character, referred to as the messenger of "God." He hadn't planned to deal with a person like this, but... since they had met, he might as well have a little fun!
He scanned his opponent: her body was made of paper. This seemed to be some kind of secret jutsu. At this moment, the "Angel" only had the upper half of her body. The lower half was probably transformed into separate sheets of paper using her jutsu. She wore a black cloak with red clouds, clearly the Akatsuki uniform. Could Amegakure be the Akatsuki's base? He didn't know!
His eyes moved up to her face: blue hair and a beautiful face, but her eyes, which should have been her most captivating feature, were completely lifeless, like stagnant water. She looked as if she had died once already.
"Tsk, tsk, she has the form of an angel, but a heart of a withered corpse..." A flash of curiosity went through Hongzhong's mind, and he asked loudly, "Hey, are you called 'Angel' just because you can fly?"
Konan didn't answer. Instead, countless sheets of paper surrounded her and formed two enormous wings on her back! With these massive wings, calling her an "Angel" was now perfectly fitting.
"Intruder! By the will of God, I will kill you!" Konan's voice was ice-cold, and her eyes were indifferent and sharp!
In the next second, with a series of whooshes, countless paper shuriken as hard as steel detached from the giant wings. With a chilling shriek, they enveloped Hongzhong from all directions!
Uchiha Hongzhong's hands moved so fast they were a blur. "Fire Style: Great Flame Tornado!"
BOOM!
A fierce, blazing column of orange fire roared out, instantly transforming into a giant dragon of fire with sharp claws and scales! It spiraled around Hongzhong, consuming all the paper shuriken!
Chhhh-chhhh-chhhh—
The countless paper shuriken were like pale moths flying into a blazing sun. The moment they touched the wall of raging dragon fire, they turned into specks of ash and vanished! They were completely useless, not even a single spark made it through!
In a flash, the paper from both massive wings was completely used up, but nothing was accomplished. This angel's strength was a bit... weak. Hongzhong sighed inwardly, ready to end the fight and capture her.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!" Hongzhong didn't want to reveal too much of his strength; he was here to gather intel, not to expose it! Even with his power restrained, his powerful passives still amplified his jutsu to a terrifying degree. A massive flood of water appeared out of thin air. The water wall, dozens of meters high, came crashing down on Konan's fragile paper body with the force of a mountain!
Just as it was about to send her into the abyss, a person suddenly appeared with a Body Flicker. He pushed his palms forward. There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a sudden burst of boundless devouring power! Then, the surging water, the dozens of meters-high wave, was completely absorbed by his hands without even a single splash. The steam dissipated!
Hongzhong's pupils contracted sharply, his gaze fixed on the newcomer. Underneath the grotesque, black-spiked face was a pair of... Rinnegan that spun with an eerie purple ripple!
Where did this Rinnegan come from?