Three days later, two books suddenly became a sensation across the Land of Fire.
One was titled "Crimson Rivers," and the other "Female Genin Shirayuki."
According to a quiet tip from the largest bookseller in Tanzaku Quarters, both books came from the same hand. The author was a young blond man with a smile as warm as sunshine.
It's said his inspiration came entirely from his mentor.
A true prodigy from a young age.
Once the books reached Konoha, people flocked to bookstores and street corners, all just to get a copy of these books.
In this shinobi world, where culture was scarce and the entertainment industry not very developed, these books not only depicted the intricate inner conflicts of the powerful Uchiha clan, but also explored the mysterious origins of various ninja techniques.
They fully captivated the blood-soaked, blade-licking ninja audience.
---
Outside a bookstore, a man with long white hair and strange paint by his eyes leaned against the wall, having just finished reading "Crimson Rivers."
"The author... Pain..."
He remembered all the intrigue within the Uchiha clan. But what lingered most in his mind... was how steamy it was.
Still, the writing was undeniably good...
"Damn it, slow down! Trying to steal something I had my eye on?" Jiraiya clenched his teeth after finishing it.
His "Legend of a Strong-Willed Ninja," based on Nagato, had only gotten a lukewarm response. He was just thinking of writing something spicy and salacious to rake in millions of ryō, then this novel appeared, completely outshining his plot and writing style?
He still had the other book, "Female Genin Shirayuki."
With a critical mindset, he "reluctantly" opened the book.
Just one glance, and he was totally hooked, more immersed than when reading "Crimson Rivers." If only he could meet this "Pain" face to face, urge him to write more, have a little chat... then even dying would be worth it for him.
In the end, still feeling unsatisfied after finishing the books, he resolutely left farewell letters to his three students in Konoha.
And set off to find this author.
---
As for the "Pain" in Jiraiya's mind, thanks to selling books in the Five Great Nations, just the first round of royalties netted over a million ryō.
Under Yahiko's negotiation with the merchants, they converted all of it into food and building materials.
"Minato-senpai, you are a true genius!"
Several booksellers excitedly shook Minato's" hand.
"Hey, don't call me Minato-senpai. If you like me, just call me... well, Pain's fine."
Yahiko was terrified that if Minato ever found out, he'd strangle him.
After the deal, he took Konan to the Land of Rain to recruit refugees, while Nagato headed to the Land of Lightning for a separate plan.
This land, scarred by years of war, was in utter ruin.
The villagers moved like the walking dead, their faces devoid of color or expression.
Yahiko and Konan returned to the cozy little house just outside, surrounded by familiar weeds. This was their old residence in the Land of Rain, where they once lived after becoming Jiraiya's students.
Here, they had shared many happy days.
Flipping the white plaque on the wall engraved with Yahiko and Konan's names, the frog-marked side was turned to reveal the red side, red meant "We're home."
The original frog side meant "We've gone out, back soon."
Outside, a light rain drizzled.
After the long journey, Yahiko was a bit hungry and was cooking in the kitchen.
"Mmm..." Konan took a small spoonful of the egg custard he had made, topped with chopped scallions.
She placed it in her mouth and closed her eyes in bliss.
"When you're growing, if something tastes good, eat more of it."
In the kitchen, there was a small table. Yahiko brought the freshly cooked dishes over and gestured for her to eat more. To be honest, he would rather skip his own meal if it meant Konan could get more nutrients.
He wanted to make up for everything she lacked during their years of wandering.
Konan ate, while Yahiko rested his chin on the table, gazing at her.
"Gulp..." A swallowing sound was suddenly heard.
She paused, her face flushed. Y-Yahiko... why did he just gulp?
Did he finally realize something?
She watched Yahiko's face for clues. Without time for embarrassment, she locked eyes with him seriously.
Her hands quickly formed a sequence of hand signs.
"...Wait." Yahiko closed his eyes to sense the surroundings and signaled her not to act rashly.
He walked over to the kitchen window, opened it, and looked around.
Finally, he looked down beneath the window, where several kids were crouching on the ground, covering their mouths, their eyes filled with fear.
Big eyes met a few small, terrified ones.
"Crap... we've been caught."
"Is he... is he going to kill us?"
"Run!"
The children scattered in panic.
Konan walked over and raised her brow at Yahiko, a teasing expression on her face.
As if to say: Even the kids are scared of you now.
"..." Yahiko silently watched the children flee in all directions, not saying a word.
These brats were way too cowardly. Back in the day, he had snatched cookies right out of Orochimaru's hands without even blinking.
Was he scarier than Orochimaru now? Huh? Really?
Yahiko and Konan followed the muddy tracks left on the ground.
Moments later, they arrived at the refugee district. Strictly speaking, this place didn't even have a name.
Hanzō didn't care whether these people lived or died, he left them to fend for themselves.
Once, Ame had boldly declared war on the Five Great Nations.
Hanzō, full of confidence, was like a college graduate diving headfirst into society, only to be instantly beaten down by harsh reality.
Except for the Land of Iron, Ame hadn't even seen the shadow of an enemy village before they were crushed in battle after battle.
The domestic economy collapsed. Before the war, Ame had ambitions of uniting the shinobi world and even printed their own currency.
Now, that currency was rejected by other nations using special detectors. Hyperinflation ran wild in Ame, one loaf of bread was sold for 500,000 ryō, and eating seventy of them would bankrupt even Asuma.
The land was deemed worthless by the Five Great Nations. Ame, defeated, ended with an empty treasury.
Since then, Hanzō had shut the country off from the world. He deployed his elite ninjas to the village for self-protection, fearing that one day the great nations would come knocking to settle some scores.
He ignored worldly matters, his spirit broken.
Unless something directly threatened his rule, or unless some missing-nin caused trouble, Hanzō turned a blind eye to outsiders.
Yahiko figured that he and Konan had likely been spotted by one of Hanzō's summoned beasts, used like surveillance cameras, as soon as they returned to Ame.
Since Hanzō didn't care about these refugees... Then Yahiko would take it upon himself to repay his homeland and its suffering people.
Walking past tattered shelters and muddy roads that were nearly washed away by rain, wearing a raincoat, he arrived at a patch of unclaimed land.
Under the watchful and puzzled eyes of the refugees, he began setting up a temporary rain shelter.