"They say it's better to witness life than to see death."Injured shinobi were everywhere—clumped in small groups across the clearing, some to the east, others to the west. The wounded were quickly filling every inch of space.
Just one glance revealed hundreds, maybe over a thousand injured. The sight weighed heavily on Uchiha Kin. Even the sky seemed to mourn—the clouds thickened, and a damp gloom crept over the battlefield.
"Quick, move the wounded. Make room—squeeze together if you have to!""Look for tarps! See if we can find any rain gear!" Kin immediately took action upon noticing the changing weather, rallying Molly and Jingju to prepare for the incoming downpour.
Those with lighter injuries—still able to move—pitched in. Some were squeezed into tents; others erected makeshift shelters. For those with no space left, raincoats were handed out.
Kin moved from group to group, ushering lightly wounded shinobi out of the tents to make room for the critically injured, which led to a flurry of complaints. But those grumbles were quickly silenced by others, restoring order.
Then the rain came—at first just a light drizzle, pattering against the tarps with a soft rustling, then growing heavier with time.
By late afternoon, the rain let up briefly, only to return soon after.Kin extended a hand, catching a few cold droplets in his palm.
Even at midnight, the rain hadn't stopped. Something about it felt... off. Trusting his instincts, Kin activated the Byakugan.
Activate!
The rain veiled the world in a gray haze—but something was wrong. The chakra in the rainfall was far denser than it should have been.
It wasn't natural.
Every living thing in nature—wind, rain, trees, animals—carried chakra to some degree. It was a product of natural evolution.But this rain... its chakra levels were artificially high.
The Art of Rain Tiger at Will?
That technique flashed in Kin's mind—along with the image of a gaunt red-haired man.
His eyes widened."Could this rain… be Nagato's doing? Is he trying to put a stop to the war?"
A massive rainstorm could halt both the Hidden Stone and the Hidden Leaf's advances, forcing both sides to pause—and perhaps... negotiate.
It fit the Akatsuki's approach: create openings for dialogue through force of nature.
"Peace? A ceasefire?"The Third Tsuchikage hovered slightly above the ground, his short frame elevated to tower over others.He sneered down at the orange-haired youth before him, amused.
"You brats are spouting nonsense."
The orange-haired boy called out, "Lord Tsuchikage, this war benefits neither the Land of Earth nor the Land of Fire.Shinobi from Konoha are dying. So are Iwa-nin. We never had any real hatred between us, but now we're forging blood feuds that will last generations.The more we fuel this hatred, the more we destroy each other.
"If there are disputes over resources or borders, can't we sit down and talk it out? Why must it come to war?"
"You naïve child." The Tsuchikage waved him off. "Go tell Konoha this—if they're willing to give up the Land of Fire and trade it for the Land of Earth, then maybe I'll stop the war.Now leave."
The boy and his companion were "escorted" out of the tent.
Frustrated, Yahiko turned to his companion. "Konan, why won't they listen? Was I wrong?"
Konan—a woman with blue hair and icy-blue eye shadow and lipstick—looked both cold and untouchable.
The makeup didn't suit her gentle personality. But as an orphan, she had learned long ago: if you want to survive, you have to look like someone not to mess with.It was a trick she'd learned from Nagato—and it worked.
When she appeared soft and harmless, villagers mistreated her. But with that fierce look and a paper flower in her hair, they showed her respect.
Konan didn't really believe in Yahiko's talk of "peace" and "ideals." To her, it was naïve.But if Yahiko said it, and Nagato approved it, then she would support it.Whatever they did, she would stand by them.
Because Yahiko and Nagato were her only family in this world.Their dreams... were her dreams too.
She comforted him gently. "Yahiko, there will be a breakthrough. If we keep trying, peace will come.Nagato summoned this rain himself—see? Iwa's assault has already stalled.Once they realize how difficult this war has become, they'll back down. The Tsuchikage still believes he can win, so all we need to do is buy time."
Yahiko murmured, "Konan... am I useless?"
"Don't say that, Yahiko."
The two carefully avoided open terrain, ducking out of sight until they reached a massive boulder.Konan touched it—revealing it was just a genjutsu.
On the other side was a small cave. Inside, food had been prepared.A tall, broad-shouldered man with long crimson hair and a red robe welcomed them with a warm smile.
"Yahiko. Konan. You're back."
He handed them hot meals. "Eat while it's still warm."Only after they finished did he ask, "What did the Tsuchikage say?"
As they explained, Nagato's pale purple eyes—rippling like tree rings, the Rinnegan—flashed with icy fury.
"Those damned leaders… They wage war for their own selfish desires.I told you they wouldn't listen.If we want peace, we have to remove them. We have to show them fear.
"Yahiko—why don't the three of us teach the Tsuchikage a lesson?Once he sees our power, he'll think twice before continuing this war."
Yahiko's voice rose. "No, Nagato! You're just scaring them. That's not enough!
"Jiraiya-sensei always said, true peace only comes through mutual understanding—people learning to see each other's pain.Fear alone won't change the world!"
Nagato's voice was cold."But right now, the war between two great nations is being fought here, in the Land of Grass.Do they deserve this, just because they're weak? Is it their fate to suffer while stronger nations trample their land?"
Suddenly, Konan spoke."If we can't stop the war, why not try to contain it?Maybe we can negotiate some limits—get them to restrict their power and avoid harming Grass Country civilians.It's not peace, but it's better than nothing."
A long silence followed.
Then Yahiko nodded. "Yeah… We've been looking too far ahead.Konan's right. We should take it one step at a time.For now, we focus on the Land of Grass.Let's make sure the people here don't get caught in the crossfire."
Determined, he rose to his feet.He would visit both the Konoha and Iwa commanders—seek negotiations, any kind of agreement.
But as he glanced at Nagato again, he thought to himself:
"Maybe this time… we really will need to show them our strength."