(A/N: Why, hello there, dear reader! Tis I, Rein, the Mr.Author of this here fanfic. How we doing? :) I'm well, just wanted to welcome you to the last arc of the Second Great Shinobi War! :D)
(First of all... I actually made a really wholesome artwork! Classical Shinobi Team Photo of our very own team Jiraiya! Check it out in the comment section! :D)
(And sure, I'll post it here too.)
(Second thing I wanted to say... Y'all ain't ready for this arc. Srsly. Why do I say this? Cause hell, I'm not ready for this arc. All I'm saying is I originally started this Fanfic for this Arc's finale to be written! So, expect good things to come soon :P)
(That is all! Enjoy the chappy~)
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...
Rain.
The Land of Rain always seemed to have enough of it to drown the world.
Cold droplets hammered against my face as I ran through the darkness, feet barely touching the thick branches beneath me. Wind howled through the canopy. Leaves trembled under the constant downpour. Every breath tasted like wet earth and storm clouds.
The sky above was a blanket of black and gray.
No moon.
No stars.
Just rain.
A lot of rain.
I flashed between branches, my body leaning forward as I accelerated through the forest. Up front, Minato moved like a golden streak through the darkness, leading the way while behind him, Yukino matched our pace without difficulty. I ran in the back acting as rear guard and the three of us cut through the forest like arrows.
For a moment, all I could hear was the rain. Then Minato's voice carried through the storm. "How much farther?"
"Eight kilometers," Yukino answered immediately.
I resisted the urge to ask how she always knew that. I already knew the answer.
Byakugan.
Cheater eyes.
"Seven point eight now," she corrected a second later.
"See?" I pointed at her. "That's exactly what I'm talking about."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Minato laughed.
Yukino ignored both of us.
Typical.
A flash of lightning illuminated the forest.
For a brief second, the entire world turned white. Towering trees. Sheets of rain. Three shinobi racing through the darkness.
Then the light vanished. Thunder followed moments later.
I felt strangely calm.
Maybe because this felt familiar.
The war had been going on for a couple of years now. Long enough that moving through hostile territory with rain soaking my clothes had somehow become normal.
Which was probably unhealthy.
"Still thinking about Hatake Sakumo?" Minato asked.
"A little."
Hatake Sakumo.
The White Fang.
One of the strongest shinobi in Konoha, probably the strongest behind Hiruzen himself and apparently the man leading this operation.
I still wasn't entirely sure how I felt about that.
Mostly excited to meet such a legend.
Partly terrified because I wondered if this was THE Sakumo mission or not.
The reasonable amount terrified of course.
"We're meeting half the village's legends on this mission," I replied.
"That's an exaggeration."
"No it isn't."
Minato opened his mouth.
Then paused.
Then closed it.
Because he knew I was right.
Hatake Sakumo.
Kato Dan.
The Sannin.
Several ANBU squads.
Elite Hyūga.
Elite Uchiha.
Veteran Jonin from every major clan.
This wasn't a normal mission.
The fact that they were assembling a force like this meant the situation was worse than the reports suggested. Entire reconnaissance platoons had vanished.
Not died.
Vanished.
The difference mattered.
Because dead shinobi left bodies.
These ones hadn't.
And now rumors were spreading through every front line camp in the Land of Rain.
A new weapon. Something developed by Sunagakure. Something dangerous enough that even Hyūga and Uchiha squads were disappearing without warning. Which was exactly why Team Jiraiya had been called in.
I frowned as another branch blurred beneath my feet. The reports bothered me, not because shinobi were dying, that part wasn't new. It was the details, or rather, the lack there of.
Nobody knew what the weapon actually was.
Nobody knew where it came from.
Nobody knew how it worked.
And when experienced shinobi started admitting they didn't know something?
That was usually when things became dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Ahead of us, Yukino suddenly raised a hand.
We stopped instantly.
The three of us landed on a thick branch overlooking a clearing.
Rain continued falling around us.
Yukino's pale eyes stared into the distance.
Her Byakugan activated.
Veins briefly appeared around her eyes.
"Found them."
"Already?" I asked.
She gave me a look.
"Right. Cheater eyes."
"You say that every time."
"Because it's true every time."
Minato sighed. "You two are impossible."
"We're delightful."
"You're exhausting."
I chose to take that as a compliment.
Yukino pointed deeper into the forest. "Camp is two kilometers ahead."
I followed her gaze.
Nothing but darkness.
Nothing but rain.
Nothing but trees.
Yet somehow she could see through all of it.
Ridiculous.
Absolutely unfair.
Very useful.
"We should be there in a few minutes then," Minato said.
Yukino nodded.
I pushed myself upright.
The mission was finally beginning.
Somewhere ahead waited Konoha's strike force.
Somewhere ahead waited answers.
And if my luck remained consistent?
Somewhere ahead probably waited enough trouble to make me regret ever leaving bed this morning.
The rain intensified.
Thunder rolled across the sky.
Without another word, the three of us launched forward once more, disappearing into the darkness of the Land of Rain.
...
The damnable rain followed us all the way to camp. Because of course it did.
The Land of Rain apparently had one weather setting and it was miserable. My growing theory was that the land looked at the concept of weather variety and decided that was for weaker nations.
By the time we reached the rendezvous point, my clothes were soaked through, my hair was dripping into my eyes, and my sandals made an unpleasant squelching sound every time I landed on a branch. I had officially decided that whoever named this country lacked creativity but not accuracy.
Minato looked only mildly damp.
Which was offensive.
Yukino looked composed, elegant, and untouched by human suffering.
Which was even more offensive, because she was absolutely soaked too. Somehow the rain simply made her look more dramatic instead of miserable.
Hyūga privilege.
The camp itself was hidden in a shallow valley between two wooded slopes. From a distance, it looked like nothing. Just rain, trees, wet stone, and shadows.
Then Yukino guided us through the outer perimeter and I started noticing the signs.
A wire hidden between two roots.
A seal tag pressed under wet bark.
A disguised pitfall covered in leaves.
Three ANBU crouched in positions that gave them overlapping sight lines.
Very nice.
Paranoid.
But nice.
"Outer perimeter is dense," Minato murmured.
"Four ANBU on the ridge," Yukino said. "Two more near the river. One underground."
I blinked. "Underground?"
"Yes."
I looked at Minato.
Minato looked at me.
We both looked at the mud beneath our feet.
"Absolutely not," I said.
Minato nodded seriously. "Agreed."
If someone wanted to hide underground in the Land of Rain, that was their business.
A very wet, sad business.
We dropped from the trees and landed at the edge of the camp. Several shinobi glanced our way. A few recognized Minato first. More recognized Yukino. A surprising number looked at me and immediately whispered something to the person beside them.
That was new.
Not completely new, but still annoying.
The White Spider title had grown legs over the last year.
Multiple legs.
Too many legs.
Terrible branding.
Before I could complain about it, someone shouted.
"Oi! White-hair! Blondie!"
I stopped.
Minato stopped.
Yukino's shoulders rose and fell in what might have been the smallest sigh in existence.
From between two tents, Senju Nawaki came running toward us with a grin wide enough to challenge the rain itself. He was taller than the last time I'd seen him. Broader too. Still lean, still young, but there was more confidence in his stride now. Less raw enthusiasm. More control.
Barely.
He still looked like someone had taken Naruto, dyed his hair brown, gave him Senju blood, and then told him confidence was a food group.
Then Senju Nawaki skidded to a stop in front of us with both hands planted on his hips, grinning like he'd personally invented confidence.
"Finally!" he said. "What took you three so long?"
I stared at him.
Minato smiled politely.
Yukino tilted her head. "We arrived ahead of schedule," she said.
"Yeah, but I got here first." Nawaki jabbed a thumb at his chest. "Which means I win."
"That is not how schedules work," Yukino replied.
"It is if I say it loudly enough."
I nodded. "He makes a good point."
Yukino looked at me.
I looked away.
Nawaki laughed and stepped closer, punching Minato lightly on the shoulder first.
"Hey, Nawaki," Minato greeted, smiling.
"Minato!" Nawaki threw an arm around his shoulders immediately, despite the fact that both of them were drenched. "Still doing that calm genius thing?"
"I try."
"Impressive composure. You'll go far, just not as far as me."
"... Right..."
Then Nawaki turned to me, eyes bright. "And you."
I raised an eyebrow. "Me."
He jabbed a finger at my chest. "I heard you got promoted."
"So did you, probably."
"Yeah, but I was expected to."
I stared at him.
Minato looked away, clearly trying not to laugh.
Yukino covered her mouth with one sleeve.
Nawaki puffed out his chest.
"Senju Nawaki, future Hokage, current Jōnin, battlefield hero, and probably the most handsome shinobi in this camp."
A pause.
Someone from a nearby tent coughed.
Nawaki turned sharply.
"Who did that?"
Nobody answered.
I nodded solemnly.
"Very impressive title list. How long did you spend practicing it?"
"Three minutes."
"Only three?"
"I'm naturally talented."
"At delusion?"
"At greatness."
Minato smiled. "Some things never change."
Nawaki pointed at him too. "Don't act like you're above this, Namikaze. I heard about you and Shiro tearing up Training Ground Seven last year."
"That was mostly Shiro," Minato said instantly.
I turned to him. "Betrayal."
"You fired exploding Rasengan artillery."
"You teleported all over the place like reality owed you money."
"That was tactical."
"So was mine."
"Yours removed trees."
"They were enemy trees."
Nawaki stared between us.
Then slowly grinned.
"Damn. I missed you two."
Despite myself, I smiled.
Yeah.
I guess I'd missed him too.
Nawaki had been one of those people who was difficult to dislike. Loud, reckless, ambitious, occasionally stupid, but never cruel. He had that same bright, impossible energy I remembered from another blond idiot who wasn't born yet.
It was nostalgic.
Also deeply annoying.
His gaze shifted to Yukino. Then, surprisingly, his grin softened. "Yukino. Good to see you back in one piece."
Yukino inclined her head. "Thank you, Nawaki. I recovered."
"Yeah." Nawaki's grin returned, but quieter. "I can see that." Then he glanced at me. "And I heard this idiot got terrifyingly overprotective."
"I am standing right here."
"That's why I said it loud."
Yukino's lips curved faintly. "He did."
I looked at her. "Why would you confirm that?"
"Because it is true."
"It was medically necessary concern."
"Of course."
Nawaki leaned toward Minato. "Hey, are they finally...?"
"Not exactly... Not far off either though," Minato said with a wry smile.
"Still? Come on man..."
"What are you two whispering about?" Yukino glanced at them with a deadpan expression.
"Nothing," they said in unison.
Nawaki jerked his head toward the center of camp. "Anyway! Come on. The important people are gathering already."
"Who's here actually?" I asked.
"Well," Nawaki started. "Sis is around somewhere being terrifying, Orochimaru-sensei is here too somewhere with big bro Jiraiya and Commander Sakumo is talking with the ANBU captain. Lots of Jonin from all the major clans have gathered, and so Dan is pretending not to be nervous."
"Oh? Kato Dan?"
"The one and only."
"The summons did mention he'd also take part in leading this operation, right?"
"Yeah." Nawaki nodded, and his grin rose. "Oh, right. You haven't officially met him yet."
Yukino's eyes shifted slightly. "He's Lady Tsunade's…"
"Boyfriend," Nawaki said proudly.
The man who, in another timeline, died in a war and broke something inside her that never fully healed.
Alive.
Here.
Waiting in the rain.
My stomach tightened for a moment.
Perhaps, if given the chance, I could defend another person who is important to Tsunade. She's my teacher too, so if there's even a slight chance I can prevent Dan from dying, I'll do that for her.
Could Sakumo's famous mission also be the one he died on? I so wish this period was better documented... Damn it Kishimoto. You had one job.
Nawaki was still talking while I was thinking.
"He's great," he said. "Annoyingly great, actually. Calm, polite, talented, handsome—"
"You sound upset about that," Minato said.
"I am. Do you know how annoying it is when your sister dates someone you can't even properly hate?"
Minato smiled. "That does sound difficult."
"It is! I tried glaring at him for a week and he just smiled at me like he understood my feelings."
"Devastating," I said.
"Exactly."
Yukino looked amused. "And does Lady Tsunade know you tried glaring at her boyfriend for a week?"
Nawaki stiffened.
Then looked away.
"That's not important."
"So she doesn't."
"Anyway!"
He spun around and led us deeper into camp before Yukino could continue dismantling him.
The main area was built around a low fire protected beneath a canvas awning. A few sealed lanterns glowed faintly against the gray gloom. Shinobi moved quietly between tents, maps, and supply crates. Nobody was relaxed.
Good.
Relaxed shinobi in hostile territory were either idiots or bait.
Near the largest tent stood a man with dark blue eyes and light blue hair. He had the kind of calm posture that made him look like he belonged in command even when he wasn't speaking.
Kato Dan.
He was taller than I expected.
Lean, composed, handsome in that clean heroic way that made me immediately understand Nawaki's frustration.
Damn it.
He did seem hard to hate.
Nawaki cupped his hands around his mouth. "Dan-san!"
The man turned.
His expression warmed when he saw Nawaki, then shifted toward us with polite interest.
"Nawaki," he said. "You found them."
"Obviously." Nawaki puffed up. "Tracking elite shinobi through a fortified camp is child's play for a future Hokage."
Dan smiled.
Not mockingly.
Kindly.
"That so?"
"Absolutely."
"Then I will rely on you later."
Nawaki froze for half a second, clearly not expecting to be taken seriously.
Then he recovered and grinned wider.
"You should."
Dan's gaze moved to us.
"Minato Namikaze. Hyūga Yukino. Shirokumo." He inclined his head. "It's good to finally meet all of you properly."
Minato bowed lightly. "Likewise, Dan-san."
Yukino followed with a respectful nod. "We've heard a great deal about you."
Dan smiled faintly. "Good things, I hope."
"Mostly from Lady Tsunade," Yukino said.
Nawaki immediately made a gagging sound.
Dan closed his eyes for a moment, like a man summoning patience.
"Nawaki."
"What? I'm happy for you."
"You made a noise."
"A supportive noise."
"That was not supportive."
"It supported my feelings."
I liked Nawaki.
Dan sighed, but there was amusement in it. "You'll have to forgive him. He has been unbearable since arriving."
"I have been inspirational."
"You have been loud."
"Same thing."
I glanced at Minato. "He may be right."
Minato nodded gravely. "There is overlap."
Dan looked at us, and for a moment I could see why Tsunade liked him.
He wasn't flashy.
Not like Jiraiya.
Not intense like Orochimaru.
Not overwhelming like Tsunade herself.
He was steady.
There was strength in that. The kind people leaned on without realizing it.
"I've heard quite a bit about all three of you."
"That's usually either good or terrible," I said.
His smile widened slightly. "Good things, mostly."
"Mostly?"
"Tsunade has colorful opinions."
I winced. "Ah."
That explained everything.
Nawaki slapped a hand on my shoulder.
"Big sis Tsunade says Shiro is a medical genius with the survival instincts of a drunk squirrel."
I stared at him.
Minato coughed into his fist.
Yukino's shoulders shook.
Dan looked politely away.
"I see her assessment was shared in confidence," I said.
Nawaki nodded. "Yep."
"Wonderful."
Dan folded his arms loosely. "She also says you're one of the most promising medical-nin she has ever trained."
That made me pause.
The rain seemed quieter for a second. "Oh."
"And that you're insufferable."
"There it is."
"Both things can be true."
"I'm learning that."
Dan chuckled. Then his attention shifted to Minato. "Jiraiya speaks highly of you."
Minato smiled modestly. "That's kind of him."
"He also says you are becoming shockingly difficult to hit."
"That sounds more accurate." I said from the side.
"And you, Yukino," Dan continued, turning to her, "your clan reports have been impressive. Several commanders have noted that your battlefield awareness has prevented multiple ambushes."
Yukino inclined her head again. "I only did my duty."
Nawaki made a loud buzzing sound.
"Wrong answer."
Yukino blinked.
Nawaki pointed dramatically at her. "The correct answer is, 'Yes, I'm amazing.'"
"I see."
"Try it."
"No."
"Coward."
Yukino looked at him calmly.
Nawaki held her gaze.
Then slowly looked away. "Okay, never mind."
I nodded. "Wise."
Dan watched the exchange with clear amusement.
"You have an interesting team dynamic."
"We're delightful," I said.
Minato said, "Exhausting."
Yukino said, "Functional."
Nawaki said, "Weird."
All at the same time.
Dan stared, then laughed softly. "I see."
Dan looked toward the largest tent, where shadows moved behind the fabric. His expression became more serious.
"Enjoy yourself at camp while you can and try to relax," he said quietly. "Once Sakumo-san begins the briefing, things will become heavy."
I glanced toward the tent. "Sakumo-san is already here?"
"Yes," Dan said. "He arrived before dawn."
"Of course he did," Nawaki muttered. "The man probably gets to places before the mission scrolls do."
I snorted.
Dan gestured toward the tent. "Tsunade is inside as well. Orochimaru and Jiraiya too. Several ANBU captains. Fugaku Uchiha arrived an hour ago with two Uchiha teams."
That got Yukino's attention. "Uchiha teams?"
Dan nodded. "A number of the missing platoons were Uchiha and Hyūga. I believe your brothers are also to arrive shortly. Both clans pushed to have representatives included."
"Of course they did," I said.
Yukino said nothing.
But her expression changed just slightly.
The Hyūga had lost people.
Her people.
Even if clan politics made me want to stab a wall sometimes, that mattered.
I looked at her. "You good?"
She nodded once. "Yes."
A simple answer.
Probably not entirely true.
But enough for now.
Dan noticed the exchange and didn't comment.
Points for him.
Nawaki clapped his hands once.
"Well!" he said, forcing some cheer back into the air. "Now that introductions are done, let's go find my sister before she realizes I was supposed to bring you straight to the briefing five minutes ago."
Dan blinked.
"Nawaki."
"What?"
"You were supposed to bring them straight to the briefing?"
"I did."
"You stopped to talk."
"Briefly."
"It has been more than five minutes."
Nawaki stared at him.
Then at us.
Then toward the tent.
Then back at Dan.
"Do you think she noticed?"
From inside the tent, Tsunade's voice cut through the rain like a thrown axe. "NAWAKI!"
Nawaki went pale.
I patted his shoulder. "It was nice knowing you."
Minato bowed his head solemnly.
Yukino closed her eyes, almost smiling.
Dan sighed.
Nawaki squared his shoulders, lifted his chin, and marched toward the tent with the courage of a man walking into certain death.
"Future Hokage," he muttered to himself. "Future Hokage. Future Hokage."
I watched him go.
Then looked at Dan.
"He's gotten stronger."
Dan's expression softened. "He has."
"You helped?"
"A little."
"Good."
Dan met my eyes for a moment.
There was something knowing in his gaze.
Not suspicion.
Not judgment.
Just understanding.
"He talks about you three often," he said. "Especially you and Minato."
"Only good things, I hope."
"He calls you both idiots."
I nodded. "Affectionate of him."
"I assumed."
Minato smiled.
Yukino looked toward the tent, rain sliding down the side of her face. "Then we should go."
I followed the others toward the tent.
Behind us, the forest whispered beneath the storm.
Ahead of us, legends waited.
And somewhere beyond the rain, people were missing.
Possibly dying.
Possibly already dead.
The mission had begun before we ever arrived.
Now we just had to catch up.