Naruto: I Roamed the Ninja World as a Woman

The rain pounded on the makeshift cardboard house, making a continuous, mournful sound.

Not all ninjas are fearless.

Where there are heroes, there are also cowards.

Of course, Takenaka Taiga never considered himself a coward.

On the contrary, he considered himself a smart man, smart enough to see a little further than those blindly loyal fools...

"The Land of Rain is beyond saving! What good is a so-called demigod of the ninja world? Can Hanzo save this country?"

Rather than sacrificing your precious life for a country that weeps every day, it's better to escape this hell and embrace your own light!

To be fair...

His idea wasn't too outrageous.

After all, following successive defeats, a considerable number of civilians fled the Land of Rain.

Even ants cherish life, let alone ninjas who are born as humans.

But Takenaka Taiga considers himself a wise man.

The thoughts of the wise are naturally different from those of the mediocre fools!

He was unwilling to betray his country in such a disgraceful manner, and from then on be hunted down like a stray dog ​​by the Rain Shadow Anbu.

The war between the Land of Rain and Konoha gave him an opportunity.

His original plan was to assassinate his superior, take the old man's head as a pledge of loyalty, and run to the Land of Fire to join Konoha, the number one ninja village, in exchange for protection.

He had heard that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, loved to boast about his achievements after taking office.

When I arrive in the Land of Fire, I will first shower Konoha with flowery flattery, and then take the opportunity to thoroughly criticize my homeland's environment.

This is a way to elevate the powerful and belittle the weak, capitalize on the patriotic sentiments of ordinary Konoha residents, and then lavish praise on the Third Hokage.

Surely, this will please Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Plans are in place!

Unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes.

Takenaka Taiga's meticulously planned assassination attempt was unexpectedly disrupted by Konoha ninjas who came to harass his rear.

He himself was injured, so he naturally couldn't go to the Land of Fire.

He thought that after he recovered from his injuries, he could go to a small ninja village in the Land of Rice Fields or the Land of Hot Springs, change his identity, and have a taste of being a minor leader.

But Nagato's monstrous talent completely shocked him at this moment!

Taiga Takenaka's gaze toward Nagato was burning hot.

He never imagined that some people's talents could be this high.

It's as if...

It's as if he's the reincarnation of the legendary Sage of Six Paths!

In his excitement, he even regarded the pair of purple circles in Nagato's eyes, which he had never seen before, as a rare glimpse of a genius.

A genius!

There has to be something unique about it! I understand!

In the ninja world, there are the Uchiha with "red eyes" and the Hyuga with "white eyes," so it's quite reasonable for there to be someone with "purple eyes" whom I've never heard of!

Whether you go to Kumogakure or not is not up to you!

Upon hearing the refusal, Takenaka Taiga's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he reached out his arm to grab Nagato's collar.

Whether you persuade them or forcibly abduct them.

In short, he saw his future in that brat Nagato!

This wasn't a particularly fast movement.

But for some untrained homeless children, it was still difficult to react.

Only the eldest brother, Yahiko, had been on guard for a long time. The instant Takenaka Taiga reached out, he almost simultaneously threw out the only kunai he had on him!

Whoosh-!

The sharp, piercing sound forced Takenaka Taiga to instantly withdraw his hand!

The imposing kunai pierced through the cardboard on the wall and disappeared into the wind and rain outside.

On the back of Takenaka Taiga's hand, there was a faint bloodstain, narrowly escaped from being grazed by a kunai.

"Yahiko!"

"You actually dare to use the skills I taught you against me?!"

Takenaka Taiga's anger flared up spontaneously, like a thunderclap exploding in the sky, letting out a thunderous roar.

This throwing technique.

He had given it to these kids on a whim a few days ago.

"Run! Split up!"

Yahiko didn't answer, but nimbly leaped up from the ground like a rabbit.

He first pushed Xiao Nan away.

Then, grabbing Nagato's hand, he ran out the door without looking back.

Takenaka Taiga's target is Nagato.

Therefore, separating from Nagato will greatly increase the chances of survival!

But as the leader of the trio, how could he abandon his underlings and live a cowardly life?

So Yahiko left the hope of life to Konan, while he himself stayed with Nagato to face the danger of death!

Xingnan had no time to think further.

Although he had only been there for two days, he had not yet integrated into the group.

But ever since the "Maba Village Massacre", he felt that he had become a man and now he naturally had to protect Xiao Nan, who was all alone.

At this moment, Xiao Nan was seen still wanting to speak.

Xingnan acted decisively, quickly grabbing the other person's arm and pulling him away to the other side.

Takenaka Taiga got up to give chase.

"Woof! Woof—!!"

Suddenly, a harsh barking sound rang out.

A thin, small figure suddenly pounced, its sharp teeth tearing fiercely at Takenaka Taiga's thigh wound.

This is the stray dog ​​named Little Dot that Nagato kept.

Before meeting Yahiko and Konan, the two had wandered the Land of Rain for a long time, inseparable and relying on each other for survival.

Taiga Takenaka hadn't even noticed this little dog that wasn't as thick as his arm before.

Caught off guard, I was bitten on the wound, and the pain instantly made me break out in a cold sweat.

"Hiss~!"

He gasped, then grabbed the little one and slammed him hard to the ground!

boom!

A heavy, muffled thud was heard.

The little one let out a whimper, its body swaying as it struggled to its feet, baring its blood-stained fangs with a fierce expression.

"Even a dog dares to stop me! What bad luck!"

Extremely frustrated and angry, Takenaka Taiga kicked out with all his might.

The little guy was kicked against the wall of the hut, then collapsed to the ground like a rag doll, with bright red blood spreading from the hair beneath him.

Ring ring ring~~

The origami crane wind chime hanging on the wall was awakened by the aftershocks and emitted a clear, mournful sound.

These were folded by Konan herself, one by one, when Yahiko and the others went out to find food.

The little one was lying next to her, watching the girl with a smile as she hung the origami cranes one by one on the wind chimes.

"Huff...woo..."

As the wind chimes rang out.

A faint, almost inaudible groan came intermittently from the little one's mouth.

It stared in the direction its owner had left, and could no longer call out.

Takenaka Taiga took a few deep breaths.

It was only a slight delay.

The four children had split into two groups and disappeared completely into the wind and rain.

"A bunch of brats, thinking they can get away?"

The ninja, enduring the pain in his leg, sneered repeatedly: "Did you think I couldn't catch up with you just because my leg injury hasn't fully healed?"

Tracking and counter-tracking are fundamental skills for ninjas.

Although Yukio Yahiko and the other children walked quickly, they did not know how to conceal their tracks.

Therefore, even though they have temporarily escaped Takenaka Taiga's sight, it is still difficult for them to truly shake off the subsequent pursuit.

He grabbed the incessantly ringing, annoying wind chime, then clenched his fist tightly—"Whoosh!"

The remains of the origami cranes, mixed with broken threads, were scattered all over the ground.

Taiga in the bamboo grove suddenly felt comfortable.

He took a step to chase after him.

But then, another idea struck him.

Isn't Nagato the one who values ​​his two companions the most?

As long as I can control Yahiko and that blue-haired girl, he will naturally obey and be used by me!

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

As the smoke dissipated, he revealed an exact replica of himself.

Then he ordered his shadow clone, "Go and bring back that blue-haired girl named Xiao Nan."

The shadow clone nodded, then hesitated, "Capturing a little girl is easy. But it seems Nagato doesn't care much about that Yukio who came later..."

Taiga Takenaka understood his meaning perfectly.

Hearing this, he continued calmly, "Since you don't care, then kill them. How can a bunch of brats obey me without seeing blood?"

"Hehe, no problem~"

As they looked at each other, both the shadow clone and the original revealed the exact same smile.

--------

Yukio grabbed Konan and rushed out the door, running wildly all the way.

It was as if there was some unseen, man-eating beast behind me.

Thanks to the fact that he had been following Yahiko and Nagato around for food these past few days, he had some knowledge of the surrounding terrain.

The two of them took a different route from Nagato Yahiko.

Yahiko took Nagato and ran off to town.

The town has many narrow alleys and complex buildings, which is perfect for Yahiko, the "God of the Item City," to show off his skills.

So Yukio had no choice but to take Minami and run out of town.

After a frantic, life-threatening run.

The two had arrived at the wilderness on the outskirts of the city, and the buildings of Qingni Town were far behind them, their outlines blurred and hazy in the rain.

"Huff... Huff..."

Yukio gasped for breath, managing to catch his breath, then looked around somewhat blankly: "Where should I go next...?"

Xiao Nan recovered from her initial panic and fear.

At this moment, her worry for Yahiko and Nagato gradually took over. She bit her lip, feeling deeply ashamed of her cowardice, and immediately turned to walk back without saying a word.

Fortunately, the man had anticipated her reaction and was keeping a close eye on her.

"Sister Xiao Nan, going back now is just suicide."

He earnestly advised, "Who knows? Who knows if Yahiko and Nagato have already escaped? If you go there now, you'll only harm them."

Xiao Nan's voice was trembling with tears.

Tears mingled with raindrops and rolled down her cheeks: "But... but what if Yahiko and Nagato get caught?"

A tremendous sense of powerlessness washed over me like a tidal wave.

Seeing this, Xingnan scratched his head.

He used to be the king of the kids in the village, very imposing, and the little girls always followed him around calling him "brother this" and "brother that."

How do you know how to charm a girl?

"Although that ninja was a bad guy, the method he taught for refining chakra was genuine."

Yukio said in a low voice, "Having chakra is equivalent to having the opportunity to become a ninja."

He took a deep breath of the cold air, forcing himself to say the worst-case scenario: "If... Nagato and the others really get captured by that guy, we should strive even harder to survive, train even harder, and become stronger!"

"Only by mastering the power..."

He racked his brains, trying every possible way to persuade Xiao Nan.

But suddenly.

A strange sense of crisis crept into the boy's heart like a venomous snake, making him shudder!

Before I knew it, the surrounding environment gradually became quiet.

Apart from Xiao Nan's sobs and the patter of rain, there was nothing else.

!!!

This deathly silence touched upon Xingnan's past memories—the tragic incident he had personally witnessed in Maba Village!

Ninja!

They've caught up!

"Sister Xiao Nan, run!"

Yukio didn't know where he got the strength from.

In that instant, he had a sudden realization, as if guided by a deity, and shouted, "Follow this river, keep running into the forest! When you see a red-haired person, you'll be safe..."

That was the path Yukio took when he first came here.

That red-haired ninja rescued me from Maba Village during my darkest hour and even avenged me.

Although Yukio doesn't possess the strength of a ninja master, he never lacks the courage to fight to the death.

Even though he didn't know.

Is that ninja still in that place?

No matter what, it's now my turn to pass on this kindness and save Sister Xiao Nan!

Yukio clenched his fist.

Although he had no weapons and no ninjutsu, the thing he kept close to his chest gave him an exceptionally warm power at this moment.

--------

"Going to live in Konoha?"

In a clearing in the dense forest, Tsunade's invitation suddenly awakened Ayane Amamiya's memories.

She still remembers.

I had this dream when I first registered with the Anbu after graduating from the Ninja Academy.

He fantasizes about becoming a friend returning from overseas, receiving a warm welcome from Hiruzen Sarutobi, and actively dedicating himself to the great cause of building Konoha...

He fantasizes about growing up with Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, then idly going to the Ninja Academy to remove Kakashi's mask and flirting with Obito Uchiha's goddess...

I fantasize about being in the Fourth Shinobi World War, shoving Sasuke and Naruto aside, and yelling, "Get out of my way and watch my show! Saving the world isn't something for you little brats to do..."

In short, fantasy is wonderful, but reality is harsh.

Pressure from Danzo.

The bond from teammates.

And then there's that ridiculous sense of responsibility deep within myself, something I can't quite explain or where it comes from...

"Forget it."

Ayane Amamiya said calmly, "The Land of Rain may have many bad things, but I've gotten used to it."

"Habits can be changed," Orochimaru said hoarsely.

"But people's dreams don't," Ayane Amamiya said calmly.

She opened her hands and caught the raindrops from the sky with her fair palms.

It's icy cold and very refreshing.

"These raindrops are the tears of the people of the Land of Rain."

She clenched her fist, letting the rain drip through her fingers, and said firmly, "And one day, I will make this endless rain stop completely! That's my dream!"

!!!

In that instant, not only the woodpecker and the eagle, but even the three Sannin couldn't help but be slightly stunned by the girl in front of them.

Orochimaru fell silent.

After careful consideration, he realized that the other party's wishes were somewhat presumptuous and audacious.

That's the kind of immature, teenage talk.

but......

This did not diminish the moment of amazement that had just risen in his heart.

"I'm going to be the Hokage!"

He thought of Rope Tree in the village, an equally ignorant and foolish fellow.

Tsunade was still trying to explain: "But the Uzumaki clan has been part of Konoha since the day it was founded..."

"That's why my surname isn't Whirlpool."

Ayane Amamiya immediately smiled: "Let me introduce myself. My surname is Amamiya, and I won't mention my given name. My code name in the Anbu is Black Swan."

The eagle immediately declared with immense pride, "The black swan symbolizes unexpected changes and miracles!"

Ayane Amamiya: "..."

She felt a little embarrassed, but thankfully the mask concealed her expression.

The girl's inner thoughts say: You're a cold-blooded ANBU ninja, not my straight man! Don't be so eager, okay?

Tsunade wanted to say something more.

Jiraiya suddenly spoke up, saying, "I have a feeling you'll definitely become a great ninja in the future."

Ayane Amamiya was taken aback: "Thank you..."

Unexpectedly, he continued, "Actually, I've recently been writing a novel called 'The Story of a Resilient Ninja,' which I originally intended to set in Konoha. But since coming to the Land of Rain, I suddenly feel that this place seems quite suitable as well."

For third-rate writers, art always needs suffering to highlight it.

And when it comes to suffering, where is there anything more miserable than the Land of Rain?

"I originally called you guys over just to do some research and gather some material."

"But after hearing your conversation with Tsunade, I think I should include you in this story as well!"

"I always felt that it would be my loss if a ninja of your caliber couldn't appear in my story!"

Jiraiya, beaming with excitement, kept talking: "By the way, if you had to choose, would you rather be Naruto's mother or his teacher?"

On a whim, he quickly pulled out a small notebook from his pocket and wrote down all the ideas that flashed through his mind.

The eagle and the woodpecker looked at each other in bewilderment.

This unreliable guy in front of me is actually a cultured person who can write books?

Could he be some third-rate, borderline writer?

Jiraiya laughed heartily: "Ahaha~ I forgot to tell you guys, Naruto is the protagonist I envisioned for this novel."

Ayane Amamiya: "......."

Naruto's master?

I don't want to become a lewd woman who loves reading about Liu Bei, is always late, and looks like she has kidney deficiency!

As for the mother?

That's even more undesirable!

For her, getting married was worse than dying.

Of course, if that silly little rascal Takenaka Rin called her "Mom," she wouldn't necessarily object...

A thought struck her, and she was about to answer Jiraiya's question.

But just then, a thin, meowing girl's voice came from the side.

"Help...help me!"