Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

the land of rain,
Under the shadow of war, Amegakure, which had only taken off a few days earlier, was forced to a halt, and the once bustling streets were now desolate.
The few people who went out to buy necessities were also in a hurry. The patrol teams of Yuren went from house to house to check people. Once they found any suspicious people, they were executed on the spot.

"Ah~"

In front of the barbecue restaurant, Jiraiya, dressed in coarse linen clothes, sighed and shifted his gaze from the deserted entrance to the white-haired girl, Konan, who was cleaning not far away.

"Xiao Bei, you should take a break. Looks like there's no business today."

"Since you're getting paid, you should work hard."

Hiruko shook his head. His current role was that of a waiter at a barbecue restaurant, and he had to strictly adhere to professional ethics.

During the New Year, he took advantage of his mission to visit Jiraiya, only to discover that his childhood friend, whom he had been missing for a long time, had actually hooked up with a widow and was even going to help raise her child.

Is this okay?

Fearing that his childhood friend had been deceived by a bad woman, Hiruko quickly replied to apply for a transfer, stating that Jiraiya was alone in the Land of Rain and needed organizational support.

So the situation has become what it is now: Hiruko has replaced Jiraiya as the receptionist, while Jiraiya has been reduced to a chef cutting meat in the kitchen, spending less and less time with the proprietress.

Fortunately, there wasn't much business during this period, so Jiraiya was able to continue his unfinished poaching operation.

"Croak~ Croak~"

Suddenly, a black crow silently landed in front of the door. Seeing that no one was around, Jiraiya quickly took out a piece of dried meat and fed it to the crow, in exchange for a miniature scroll containing information about the organization.

Have you received your salary yet?

Hiruko, carrying a broom, approached. For some reason, his salary had been consistently delayed for the past few months, and his performance reviews were clearly off. He wondered who had taken over his position; he couldn't even do this simple job properly.
"It's a mission."

After unrolling the scroll and glancing at it, and deciphering the coded message, Jiraiya's face turned serious.
"Lord Danzo has ordered us to investigate the massacre of civilians in the Land of Rain."

"Didn't we do that?"

Hiruko was taken aback by what he heard. Rumors were spreading throughout the Land of Rain that the perpetrator of the massacre was Konoha. Everyone was terrified of fire, and many merchants from the Land of Fire had been implicated, some closing their shops and others fleeing, further exacerbating the already declining economy.
"How could that be? I know the Uchiha clan well; they would never do such a despicable thing."

Jiraiya waved his hand, his face full of certainty.
The Uchiha clan possesses a unique pride; that ingrained arrogance would never allow them to harm unarmed civilians.

Uchiha Itachi: o(*^▽^*)┛

"Pack up and get ready to go."

After manually destroying the scroll, Jiraiya stretched, his lazy gaze instantly turning sharp.
"So urgent?"

"The task has a three-day deadline; if we don't finish it, we'll have worked for nothing this year."

"But I haven't finished sweeping the floor yet."

The task at the Root organization is a task, and the work at the barbecue restaurant is also work. Hiruko looked at the broom in her hand, a troubled expression on her face.
"I'll ask the boss for leave for you."

"Tap! Tap! Tap"

Just as the two were packing their equipment, the shop owner, looking flustered, stumbled into the store carrying a vegetable basket.
"Did you finish grocery shopping so quickly? Xiao Bei and I were a little hungry."

Seeing this, Jiraiya quickly hid his ninja tools in his lower back and raised his hand to call out.

"Yahiko... Hasn't Yahiko returned?"

However, the proprietress didn't respond. Instead, she looked around for her son, her panic intensifying.
"No, didn't he go grocery shopping with you?"

Having changed into a long robe, Hiruko shook his head, a hint of worry in his eyes.
Although he had a strong prejudice against the landlady in front of him, it did not stop him from liking Yahiko. He seemed to see a reflection of Jiraiya when he was a child in Yahiko, who was just as optimistic and positive.

"I was chatting with the old lady at the vegetable shop when he disappeared. I thought he had gone home because he was bored."

The proprietress slumped to the ground, her face full of regret. In this chaotic world, even Amegakure was not absolutely safe. It was fine if she had been playing around and forgot the time, but what if she had run into Konoha ninjas who had recently committed several massacres? Wouldn't she have regretted it for the rest of her life?

"Don't panic, maybe he went to play with Konan and the others. Kobei and I will go find him now. You stay in the shop and don't wander off. Maybe Yahiko will be back soon."

After calming down the bewildered landlady, Jiraiya and Hiruko exchanged a glance and quickly set off for some of Yahiko's favorite places.

"Jiraiya, what's our mission?"

Walking down the desolate street, Hiruko couldn't help but turn to look at Jiraiya, whose face was grave.
"Finding Yahiko is more important now."

If he fails to complete the task, he will at most lose a year's performance bonus. If he can't find Yahiko, he'll have to say goodbye to his happiness for the rest of his life.

"Ok."

Seeing his determination, Hiruko said no more and began searching around for any valuable clues.

The two searched everywhere Yahiko might have been, but to no avail. Finally, they could only pin their hopes on Yahiko's friends, hoping that Yahiko was with them.
"Yahiko? I saw him. That kid just called Nagato out not long ago, saying he was going to something... somewhere else?"

Inside the Uzumaki General Store, Uzumaki Masahiko stroked his red beard, nodded, and delivered news that greatly excited Jiraiya.

"He's with Nagato?"

"And Xiao Nan, the three of them seem to have made plans to go. Yes! They're going to the lakeside for a barbecue."

After a moment of careful recollection, Masahiko Uzumaki slammed his fist into a fist and revealed their destination.
Thank you!

Having received this information, Jiraiya grabbed Hiruko and rushed towards the lake without stopping.

The Great Lake is located outside Rain Village and is usually a popular spot for vacations and barbecues. However, with the current unstable situation, even the village itself cannot guarantee safety, let alone the area outside.

By the big lake,
Thick fog swirled over the boundless lake, its shores a tapestry of wetlands and marshes.
Occasionally, strange little creatures would dart out from the low bushes, such as water snakes as thick as an arm, toads as big as washbasins, and slugs big enough to hug a person's face.

"Snapped!"

Three short figures were weaving through the bushes, kicking aside a toad blocking their path. Nagato, with her long red hair, tightened her grip on her fishing rod and turned her gaze to the orange-haired boy beside her, whose face was full of anticipation.

"Yahiko, isn't this our usual barbecue spot?"

"I'm taking you to a new place this time. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but the fish catch is also plentiful. Most importantly, few people know about it."

The carefree Yahiko confidently gave a thumbs-up; this was a location he'd learned about from a drunken Amegakure ninja.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a slug the size of a palm fell from the sky, landing squarely on his head, eliciting a piercing scream.

"what!"

"Don't move! Close your eyes."

The purple-haired girl calmly reached into her pocket, took out a small bag of salt that she had prepared beforehand, grabbed a handful, and sprinkled it on Yahiko's face.
"Ah! My eyes!"

However, the interval between her warning and her action was too short, and Yahiko, unable to react in time, began rolling on the ground, clutching his swollen eyes. The poor slug took this opportunity to escape.

"Are you OK?"

After a while, seeing Yahiko lying motionless on the ground, Nagato's lips twitched slightly. He went over and poked Yahiko's butt with his fishing rod, only to find that the other man still didn't move. He immediately revealed a wicked smile.
"Is it dead? Xiao Nan, come and lend a hand. If we use him as bait, we're sure to catch a big fish."

"Come on! Come on!"

"No! At least try to save him!"

Upon hearing this, Yahiko, who had been feigning death on the ground, immediately sprang to his feet, his eyes, reddened by the salt, filled with heartache.

"If it weren't for the dance class being on holiday, I wouldn't have come to this awful place with you." Looking around at the eerie surroundings, Xiao Nan pouted. Normally, with her heavy academic workload, she wouldn't have time to accompany Yahiko to such a faraway place for a barbecue.

"After so many years of friendship, saying things like that is really hurtful."

Yahiko chuckled and scratched his head, recalling the punctuation marks the drunken Rain Ninja had mentioned. He pointed with his large hand...
"It's over there, at most 500 meters, and we'll reach our destination!"

"You've been out for so long, have you informed your mother?"

More than their impending destination, Nagato was concerned about Yahiko's safety.
"Don't worry, she's probably still chatting with the old lady at the vegetable shop, and she won't stop until it gets dark."

Yahiko, who thought he knew his mother very well, waved his hand and strode forward first.
"and many more!"

Suddenly, Nagato, who had been looking helpless just a moment ago, changed his expression.
"What, did you step on a snake?"

Yahiko looked at Nagato's serious face and a gloating smile appeared on his face.

"Idiot, there are people ahead."

"what?"

Yahiko and Konan blinked in confusion. All they could see were bushes; there was no sign of anyone.

"coming!"

Nagato didn't know how he knew someone was there, but he quickly grabbed the two people beside him and tried to hide in the bushes nearby.
"Where did this brat come from?"

Before they could even squat down, a questioning voice rang out above them, making their hearts leap into their throats.
"That... isn't he the kid from the barbecue restaurant?"

Then another voice appeared, which finally brought a sigh of relief to the three of them.
Hello.

Yahiko timidly raised his head, looked at the two Rain Ninja on the treetops above, and awkwardly raised his hand to greet them.
"despair!"

The two Rain Ninja exchanged a glance, then landed in front of the three children, their tone tinged with impatience.
“Kids, this is not a place for you.”

"We're just here for a barbecue."

Faced with the overwhelming power of a ninja, the three dared not try to be clever and quickly showed off their equipment.

Nagato took out a fishing rod, and Konan pulled out barbecue seasoning.

When it was Yahiko's turn, under the strange looks from the others, he gave an awkward smile, empty-handed, and shamelessly explained,
"As the leader of this operation, it's not unreasonable for me to bring Zhang Yan along, is it?"

"Interesting kid, go back now. Remember to give me a discount next time I visit your place."

Having confirmed that the three children had indeed strayed into the forbidden area, the rain ninja who frequently visited Yahiko's house shook his head and waved for them to leave quickly.

"Yes Yes Yes!"

The three men immediately nodded vigorously, turning back to find a better place.

"boom!"

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang out not far behind the two Rain Ninja. Seeing the flames flickering violently in the thick fog, the Rain Ninja's expression instantly turned grim.
"Fire signal flares."

The two Rain Ninjas, with perfect coordination, produced and lit signal flares. The fiery red flares pierced through the thick fog and exploded in mid-air, creating a strange symbol.

"Run as fast as you can, and don't look back."

After giving a few instructions to the three brats who hadn't yet left, the Rain Ninja drew his weapon and headed back to his post. Soon after, the sounds of fighting broke out.

"Gudong~"

Yahiko swallowed hard, then turned to look at his two equally stiff-faced companions, gesturing for them to get started.

The wind is strong, let's get out of here!

"Ta! Tat! Tat!"

And so, the three of them mustered all their strength and fled, completely unaware that the sounds of fighting behind them had quietly disappeared.
Forbidden area sentry post

"Boom!"

Releasing his grip on Yu Ren's neck, and watching the light slowly fade from her eyes, the culprit revealed a cruel smile.

"Konoha ninja, you will pay the price for your crimes!"

On the ground, the Rain Ninja who often ate barbecue at Yahiko's house struggled to sit up, his arms limp and hanging down at his sides. His eyes, filled with a death wish, blazed with fury.

"Oh, so you actually know I'm a Konoha ninja, not bad~ not bad~"

Hearing his angry rebuke, the muscular man who had just crushed Yu Ren's throat slowly turned his head, a hint of mockery on his rough face.
"Bah! Scum of Konoha! Lord Hanzo will avenge me!"

Knowing he had no chance of survival, the Rain Ninja, his arms severed, gritted his teeth and stood up. To delay reinforcements and give the three children who had wandered in time to escape, his bloodshot eyes gleamed with a startling madness.
"Hehe, our Hokage-sama is always welcome~"

The muscular man grinned sinisterly, his fist, the size of a sandbag, cracking as he clenched it. The more brutally the Rain Ninja were tortured and killed, the deeper the Rain Village's hatred for Konoha would become.

"puff!"

Seeing that the opponent had lowered their guard due to arrogance, the Rain Ninja suddenly opened her mouth wide, spraying out several poison needles hidden inside.

The incident happened suddenly, and the muscular man had no choice but to raise his arm to defend himself.
"Pfft!"

Seeing the blood splattering on his opponent's arm, Rain Ninja's eyes were filled with pleasure.

"My poison is...!"

Before he could finish speaking, a muscular arm pierced through his chest, spraying blood and scattering fragments of internal organs across the ground.
"Stop rambling on and on, and remember, my name is Shennong."

Cursing and swearing, the muscular man pulled his bloodied arm from the lifeless body of the Rain Ninja. With a mocking expression, he clasped his hands together, and a green light, unique to medical ninjutsu, appeared on his arms.

"This little bit of poison isn't even worthy of being served as a snack with my drinks."

“Shennong, there are three fleeing signs in that direction, about one kilometer away.”

At that moment, a ninja who had been patting the ground with both hands opened his eyes and reported,

Upon hearing this, the muscular man named Shennong frowned, casually stabbing the Konoha-style kunai in his hand into the still convulsing corpse of the Rain Ninja, and then casually drawing a crooked leaf pattern on the opponent's palm.

"I still need to fake it, so I'll leave this little thing to you."

On the other side, of the three children who had fled, Nagato suddenly stopped and turned back, staring intently at the distant, fog-shrouded landscape.
"Nagato, can't you run anymore? Come on, I'll carry you!"

Yahiko, thinking Nagato was exhausted, squatted down without hesitation, gesturing for Nagato to climb up quickly.
Nagato shook his head gravely, his left hand, gloved in black, clenching tightly.

As if sensing the danger, the Karma seal beneath the layers of sealing began to stir, a cold energy violently colliding with the seal that Uchiha Gin had set up years ago, as if trying to transmit some information.
"It's too late, they're coming."

"Hehehe~ So they're just three lost little devils."

As soon as the words were spoken, several ugly-looking ninjas wearing Konoha headbands landed in front of them. The lecherous-looking man in the lead squinted at the three of them, then licked his lips and revealed a smile that perfectly matched his appearance.

"The red-haired Xiao Nanniang is mine; the rest are yours to choose from." (End of Chapter)