The Land of Rain military camp.
"Wow, so cool!!"
Yahiko's eyes sparkled as he held the black uniform in his hands.
Inside was a black suit-like outfit paired with a long black coat, the back of which bore a large white character on a black background: "Reserve."
This was the newly improved military uniform design of the Land of Rain, now issued to all ninjas.
"They say this outfit can withstand C-rank ninjutsu, but I can't see how," Nagato remarked, focusing more on practicality. The fabric in his hands was soft, with no visible features that suggested it could block ninjutsu.
The outfit had been specially crafted by Kin. Though it appeared soft, it was embedded with simple sealing techniques to enhance its durability, offering decent protection against kunai and shuriken. However, the trio couldn't discern the true value of the garment.
"And there's this ninjutsu too. I've heard Jiraiya-sensei mention it," Konan said, holding up a scroll that had been distributed to each of them.
Written prominently on it were the words: "Basic Internal Energy."
"Wow, the military is definitely where we'll make our mark!" Yahiko declared, planting his foot on the table as if ready to conquer the world.
Nagato stared at Yahiko's foot.
That was his table.
The military had assigned each of them a small room, complete with basic furniture and a bathroom.
This was Nagato's room!!
"Konan! Yahiko! Nagato! Shirano Kaori!"
A voice called from outside—the walls weren't exactly soundproof.
"Change into your uniforms and assemble!"
"Yes!" the three replied in unison.
The military training ground.
The trio stood at attention, their eyes occasionally drifting toward the red-haired girl beside them. Even Nagato was drawn to her hair, which was the same vibrant red as his own—a rare sight.
Their gazes met awkwardly before they all looked away, focusing instead on the Rain Army soldiers drilling in the distance.
It was currently afternoon, and the soldiers were engaged in one-on-one combat training.
The four of them had already memorized the daily training schedule:
Morning: Ninjutsu lectures
Late morning: Team combat drills
Afternoon: Individual combat training
Evening: Basic shurikenjutsu practice
Every other day, the morning session would switch to ninjutsu training, and the afternoon to taijutsu.
Unfortunately, none of this applied to them. Their training sessions were held only once every three days, supervised by an instructor.
Their eyes turned to the instructor before them.
Clad in the same black uniform with the "Reserve" character on the back, his most striking feature was his oddly pale pupils.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan had learned from the recruiting officer that the Reserve Force wasn't part of the two main military divisions. Instead, they were backup personnel, ready to fill gaps as needed—though they also had other duties.
Such as their current instructor.
Hyuga Ryū.
Wait, wasn't the Hyuga clan from Konoha?!
Even as novices, they knew that much.
They were burning with questions, but Hyuga Ryū's stern demeanor kept them silent.
Shirano Kaori, however, seemed unfazed. She had been here much longer.
Hyuga Ryū's gaze swept over the trio (Shirano Kaori already knew the rules) before he spoke.
"As members of the Reserve Force, there are things you need to understand."
"The Reserve Force isn't idle. Aside from training every three days, everyone has responsibilities. For you newcomers, your primary task is cleaning."
He pointed to the training ground behind him.
"Your daily duty is to clean this entire field."
"What?!" The trio's faces fell. This wasn't what they'd imagined.
"Unless you have special skills, menial tasks like this will be your routine," Hyuga Ryū added.
This was the reality of the Reserve Force—Shirano Kaori was no exception.
"That said, your benefits are the same as the regular army's. Perform well, and you'll earn merits. I don't need to explain what merits can do, do I?"
"Leave it to us!" Yahiko instantly adopted a serious expression.
They knew merits could be exchanged for ninjutsu and weapons.
His change in attitude was almost comical.
Hyuga Ryū smirked.
"Now, begin your cleaning duties."
"Yes," the four replied.
"Louder."
"YES!!" they shouted.
Only then did Hyuga Ryū nod in satisfaction.
"Get to it!"
With that, the four hurried off to the supply room to fetch cleaning tools and began scrubbing the training ground.
From a high-rise building overlooking the field, Kin observed the four working diligently through a window.
He glanced at the documents in his hand, noting the "suspected spy" markings, and couldn't help but laugh.
"Do they interest you, sir?"
Hanzo stood behind Kin, following his gaze to the three cleaners. He knew Shirano Kaori, but these three were new.
Kin had never shown much interest in military affairs beyond progress reports. Yet today, he'd rushed over as soon as he received their files.
If that wasn't special attention, what was?
"Indeed," Kin nodded. "These three will become incredibly strong in the future."
In the original timeline, Nagato and Konan had reached the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
One had withered away, the other squandered her fortune.
(He'd make sure Konan never touched money under his watch!)
"Oh?"
Hanzo studied the three children closely, his eyes lingering on Nagato's concealed eyes.
"That is…?"
"The Rinnegan, possessed only by the Sage of Six Paths," Kin answered plainly.
"One of the Three Great Dōjutsu?"
The Rinnegan, Sharingan, and Byakugan were revered as the Three Great Dōjutsu, but the Rinnegan was said to belong solely to the Sage.
"Should we give them special treatment?" Hanzo asked.
"No." Kin shook his head. "These three…"
He expanded his Observation Haki to its limits, detecting no anomalies before continuing.
"Are pawns of a certain powerhouse. Drawing his attention would be unwise."
Those Rinnegan belonged to Uchiha Madara.
And that old monster was still alive.
"A powerhouse?" Hanzo's interest was piqued.
He himself was hailed as the "Half-God of Shinobi," though he'd narrowly lost to Kin.
"How strong are we talking?"
Kin looked at Hanzo with something akin to pity, making the older man frown.
"Strong enough to kill you effortlessly."
"Impossible!"
Hanzo refused to believe it. Even Kin couldn't kill him without a fight—it would take at least three to five exchanges.
Who in the shinobi world could obliterate him so easily?
Kin smiled without answering.
His gaze returned to the trio scrubbing the training ground.
With proper nurturing, these three could become formidable assets. Yahiko's potential was unknown, but Nagato and Konan had proven their worth in the original timeline.
"I wonder how you'll react when your pawns slip free, old man."
Uchiha Madara.
(Chapter end)