Water trickled from Naruto's hair, dripping past his cheeks. He tugged at the collar of his damp orange jacket and let out a groan.
"Man… the rain isn't stopping. My sandals are soaked. My feet feel like wet noodles."
Sai blinked blankly. "Is that… supposed to be a thing? Wet noodles?"
Sakura just sighed. "Focus, Naruto."
Diana walked quietly, her sword hanging at her side. She didn't complain. She seldom did. Each step she took was steady and silent, her eyes occasionally glancing at Naruto and the others.
Beside her, Gaius marched in silence, his imnse fra towering above them all. The rain bounced harmlessly off the radiant surface of his golden-blue armor, forged entirely of Auramite, and the Golden Halo behind him, makes him looked divine.
Upon his back rested a massive warhamr. Even dulled by rain, it shimred and glows.
He made no sound, no complaint. Only the steady clang of his boots, each step sinking slightly into the mud, marked his passage.
Then he stopped.
His hand raised slightly, palm open. The others froze instantly.
"What is it?" Kakashi asked, one eye half-hidden beneath his drenched headband.
Gaius slowly turned his head to the sky. His deep, calm voice carried through the rain.
"This rain… it contains sothing. It feels different. Is this chakra?"
Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed. Without a word, he lifted his Forehead Protector, revealing the Sharingan beneath. He focused sharply.
Through the dense curtain of rain, he saw it now, faint threads woven inside every raindrop. Thin lines of chakra connecting the sky with the ground.
His voice was quiet as he lowered his headband again.
"You're right. This isn't normal rain. Soone's watching us. This is a sensing technique."
Naruto stiffened. "You an, soone knows we're here?"
Kakashi gave him a small nod. "Yes. We've already been detected."
Gaius nodded slowly, rain sliding down the plates of his armor.
"Then they already know we're here,"
Diana unsheathed her sword with a soft tallic hiss, the blade catching what little light filtered through the storm.
Beside her, Gaius reached behind his back and drew his massive warhamr, resting it on his shoulder with one hand as he began walking again, each step heavy, calm, and deliberate.
Naruto straightened, fists clenched. Sakura pulled on her gloves, and Sai readied a scroll.
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed as he scanned the mist ahead.
Kakashi exhaled deeply. "Stay alert. From this point on, we assu they're watching our every step."
Far away, beyond the steel walls and flooded rooftops of Agakure, a tall tower stretched above the rest of the city. Rain tapped softly against the high windows, echoing in the silent chamber inside.
Konan stood near one of the open windows, watching the streets below. Her short blue hair was tied with a paper flower, her amber eyes calm but distant.
"So… Jiraiya-sensei is gone," she murmured softly.
Behind her, Nagato sat bound to his strange chanical chair. His body was thin, weakened, pierced with chakra receivers. Pale skin, dull red hair, and those unmistakable eyes, the ripple-patterned Rinnegan.
Nagato's voice was soft, yet it carried a certain weight.
"He was a great man. But peace… peace cannot be achieved by dreams alone. The world understands only one language, pain."
Konan lowered her eyes, sadness flickering for a mont.
"Do you really believe this is the only way?"
Nagato didn't answer. Outside, the rain continued to fall, quiet, steady, and alive.
Every drop that touched the streets of Agakure already carried his senses. Through it, he could feel every presence beneath the storm.
Then, for a brief mont, he paused.
Sothing new had entered the rain.
His eyes shifted slightly.
"They're here," he said softly. "From Konoha. Kakashi Hatake, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki… and others."
A faint frown ford.
"There is one more among them… a being clad in gold. He has no chakra… yet his presence..."
Nagato doesn't know how to describe it.
Konan turned to him slowly. "Are they here because of Jiraiya?"
"It doesn't matter," Nagato replied. "They brought the Nine-Tails into my land. I will take it."
He raised a skeletal hand.
All across the tower, six figures that were lying down on a bed like a morgue, began to move.
The Six Paths of Pain stood, their chakra receivers glinting faintly in the dim light. Each bore the Rinnegan. Each remained silent.
"Go," Nagato commanded. "et them before they enter the city. We will not let the village suffer."
The paths left without a word.
The group reached the steel walls of the Rain Village. Tall towers rose in the distance, half-hidden in mist. The gates were closed, water streaming down their iron surface like tears.
"It's quiet," Sai whispered. "Too quiet."
Diana stopped walking. "If they know we're here, they might co to et us. We should wait outside. If a fight breaks out in the village, civilians could be hard."
Gaius halted beside her. He looked toward the walls, then spoke plainly.
"This is enemy territory. It's Better to erase the threat entirely, so there will be no future troubles."
Sakura's breath caught. Naruto spun around, shocked.
"What?! You can't just say that!"
Naruto had seen how ruthless Gaius could be from the broadcasts, especially the first one. But hearing him decide to do sothing like this here, in his own world, that still caught him off guard.
Diana's eyes sharpened. "We are not here to slaughter innocents, Gaius."
Gaius's helm tilted slightly toward her, the Blue glow of optics, focusing on Diana, shifting his warhamr slightly.
Diana placed her hand lightly on her sword hilt. Her voice was calm, but firm.
"I've always wondered how I would fare against you."
The tension was thick, like thunder waiting to strike.
Naruto, watching them both, felt a jolt of alarm. The tension between them was real, the kind that could ignite in a heartbeat.
"Stop!" he shouted, stepping quickly between them, arms spread. "We're not enemies! Not here!"
For a mont, neither Gaius nor Diana moved. The rain filled the silence between them.
Then Gaius lowered his warhamr, resting its head gently on the ground, a silent signal that he would not fight.
Diana watched him for a second longer, then eased her sword back to her side.
She exhaled softly. "A pity," she said, a faint smile in her voice. "There are only few chances to face a warrior like yourself."
But Gaius ignored her, And focus on the Mission.
The rain kept falling around them, steady and cold, as the tension slowly faded.
Kakashi exhaled slowly. "Good. Stay focused. They'll co."
Even after Naruto stepped between them and the tension eased, Kakashi and the others still felt uneasy. For a mont, he really thought the two would fight. Seeing them now, he could tell how different they were, Gaius was ruthless, while Diana was compassionate but strong.
Minutes passed. The air grew colder. Even the rain felt heavier, like it carried the weight of sothing unseen.
Then, footsteps.
Light, steady, splashing through shallow puddles.
The group turned toward the sound. Shapes moved through the mist ahead, slow and asured. The steady rain blurred their outlines until they finally stepped into view.
Six figures erged from the curtain of rain.
They wore long black cloaks marked with red clouds. Water rolled down the fabric, dripping onto the muddy ground. Each had orange hair, pale skin, and dark tal piercings that glinted faintly under the gray light. Their expressions were calm, empty.
But what drew everyone's attention were their eyes, gray with rippling rings spreading from the center.
Rinnegan.
The air felt heavier just looking at them. The sound of rain filled the silence between the two groups.
Naruto's stomach turned. "That's… that's the enemy that killed Jiraiya?" His voice was quiet, uncertain.
Kakashi's stance tightened. "Everyone, stay close," he said, his tone low but steady.
The figure at the center stepped forward. He moved with a quiet confidence, each footstep asured, eyes fixed on them. When he spoke, his voice was calm, level, and carried easily through the rain.
"Who are you… mortals, who dare walk upon my land?"
The word mortals lingered in the air.
Diana's eyes narrowed slightly. She didn't answer, just watched him carefully.
Beside her, Gaius stepped forward. He planted the base of his warhamr into the wet ground with a dull, solid thud. The sound was heavy but controlled.
End of Chapter
~~~
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