Heavy rain began again, and heavy lead-colored clouds fell low as far as the eye could reach.

That's right, of course, in this country.

#####

The mud was muddy, and even the sound of fighting a few steps away was gradually inaudible through the heavy rain curtain.

The sights, sounds, and touches are all filled with the ubiquitous rain, which means that on such a battlefield, you can easily fall into the point of being alone.

Although the rain ninjas have long been accustomed to such battlefields, this kind of taste of fighting to the death in a cold rainy night is still not very comfortable.

Not far away was a giant umbrella-like thing.

"Drink!" Dajue swung his scythe-like blade and swept it hard, and the scythe at the top of the long stick slashed past the enemy's waist as if it were not resisted, splashing a blood flower.

The slash was cut in two, and the blood that shot out instantly dyed the torrential rain red, and the bald man only felt that his eyes had also become blood-red.

"Come on! Again! Yahiko! I killed another one! ”

The burly Dajue stood in the mud, letting the rain run down his smooth top door, and he roared loudly, and his voice could be heard far away.

"Big, feel ......"

Screaming out the two words in her teeth, a female ninja exuded undisguised killing intent and rushed through the rain curtain on the other side, holding a short knife in her hand, and the sword light was like a lightning bolt.

"Changzi, it's you." Dajue was not surprised, he blocked the blade of the female ninja with a horizontal stick, and said softly but with malice: "In the past few years, have you been doing well?" ”

Changzi didn't mean to answer at all, he just let go and fight, and every knife went towards the bald man's vital point.

The water stand-in pulled away from him, and with a swing of his scythe, he stuck it upside down in the muddy water under his feet, and quickly formed a seal on his hand.

Ninja! Mud Armor!

The soaked clothes quickly became muddy and hardened, as if rolling in the swamp, and turned into a muddy color. The rainwater on his clothes hardened into cement, in the shape of fine fish scales, tightly wrapping Dajue's whole body.

The already burly man thickened again, as if he had put on a samurai armor, and even his face was shrouded in a cement mask with breathing holes.

Water escape! The Art of the Water Serpent!

A knife split the water stand-in of Da Jue, and Chang Zi was not idle, she also quickly closed the knife and sealed, and almost completed the ninjutsu with Da Jue.

Four transparent water snakes raised their fangs and swam along the slippery ground with great speed, and in a matter of moments, they were wrapped around Dajue's bare feet.

Da Jue lifted the scythe in front of him, and ignored the four water snakes that crawled along his calves.

Facts have proved that even the ninjutsu water snake that can't be stopped by the iron armor of the whole body can't help the unique cement armor on Dajue's body, this armor is composed of extremely fine cement blocks without affecting the action, but there are no gaps, several snakes are wound for a long time, and they find that there is nowhere to go down, but they are invaded by the unique dirty effect of cement, and the original transparent body turns gray and dark, and finally falls to the ground stiffly like a real snake, and the body struggles to slap a few times, and finally does not move.

Changzi gritted his teeth, understanding that his attributes were restrained by Dajue's unique cement secret technique, and if he continued to fight, he would be more than lucky.

Under the cement mask, a dull voice sounded: "Changzi, isn't the philosophy of your organization [never kill]? Put the knife away, it won't hurt me if it hurts. Like the guy just now, halfway through the fight but timid, it's better to be slashed by me. ”

The anger in Changzi's heart rushed into her chest, she exhaled and exhaled, clenched the short knife in her hand, and once again set off a fierce attack.

The knife technique is full of killing intent, and there is even a faint urge to change lives.

Of course, this is a stupid choice, the seemingly thin cement armor can effectively defend against the damage of the weapon, and Dajue only paid the price of a slight chest injury, so he kicked the short knife in Changzi's hand away.

Dajue turned around, the bottom of the sickle focused on Changzi's abdomen, and a sharp pain that made her brain blank was transmitted, and Changzi's body involuntarily took a few steps backwards and fell into the mud.

"Da Jue Sang, the battle is quite fierce."

Before they knew it, the battlefield of the two had shifted under that giant umbrella.

A huge umbrella, almost the size of a roof canopy, two people high, hung a long curtain of silk and cloth in the middle of the canopy to protect it from the wind and rain, and from the edge of the umbrella cover, a thick blanket was laid, and every other step a new blanket was layered, and within the long curtain, at least five layers of blankets ensured that the floor was as dry as the interior.

The leisurely sound, which was extremely inappropriate for the battlefield, came from the long curtain under the umbrella.

"Yes, Nagama-sama." The long blade of the scythe stopped in front of Changzi's throat, and Dajue replied cautiously.

"What are you going to do with her?"

Facing the curious eyes in the curtain, Dajue lowered his head and said respectfully: "Listen to your orders." ”

"Uh-huh......" the voice muttered for a moment, still deciding in that gentle tone, "Kill her." ”

Raising his foot and stepping on the restless body of the female ninja, after hearing the answer of "Nagama-sama", Dajue looked at Changzi's resentful eyes, slowly raised his long sickle, and was satisfied to see a kind of despair and fear in her eyes.

The scythe swinged.

The sound of a sharp weapon entering the flesh sounded, but Dajue vigilantly abandoned the knife and retreated.

The liquid, which was completely different from the cold rain, flowed to his face, and Changzi, who couldn't help but close his eyes at the moment when Dajue swung his blade, opened his eyes.

The familiar standard robe, everyone in the organization has one, the tip of the snowy sickle pierced this robe, and the bright red blood dripped down the tip of the knife in front of him and fell on his face, which was so hot that people couldn't help but tremble in their hearts.

"Ah Chang, are you okay?"

With a familiar voice, Changzi looked up and saw the leader's distinctive bright orange hair.

"Yahiko ......"

Three unconscious whispers, respectively from Changzi, Dajue, and the "Changmo Adult" in the curtain.

Syllable.

Yahiko arrived with a thin man with long fiery red hair, and the thick sea of drift covered his eyes tightly, but the cold aura of an ancient beast that made Dajue involuntarily abandon his weapon and retreat just now came from this man who looked a little gloomy.

Syllable.

Another female ninja with royal blue half-long hair arrived.

Then, with the sound of landing in an instant, a succession of ninjas wearing the same stand-up collar robes arrived, and the black pressed crowded. The arrival of these people means that Dajue's subordinates have all been wiped out.

They didn't pay attention to the pale face on the side, nor did they pay attention to the luxurious giant umbrella, but just looked at Yahiko silently.

The second female ninja stepped forward and carefully helped Yahiko pull out the scythe that had been stabbed in his back, and silently helped him stop the bleeding and put a bandage.

"Ah...... Xiao Nan, thank you. ”

It's hard to imagine that as the leader of such a powerful organization that has developed to the point where it is today, Yahiko would be such an ordinary ninja.

Aside from the fact that he is "handsome", you will hardly find anything beyond the ordinary in Yahiko - he has neither the momentum strong enough to pull the emotions of everyone, nor the cold majesty, and even when Xiao Nan pulls out the blade on his body, Yahiko's grinning and painful expression shows that he does not even have the most basic quality of a leader, such as "indomitable heart".

"Yahiko-sama......" Inside the long curtain, the nobleman with the surname [Nagamo] said politely, "You and your organization have won this war, so what are you going to do with Da Jue?" ”

The Nagamo family is the most prominent nobleman in the Land of Rain, and the number of ninjas under its command is second only to Hanzo's Rain Ninja Village, and it is the second strongest force in the Land of Rain.

Familiar lines, Da Jue didn't feel any fear, because Yahiko's personality, he couldn't be clearer.

"Nagama-sama," Yahiko replied calmly, "I'm going to let him go." ”

"Even if he started this war and caused a lot of casualties among your men?"

"Yes."

"Yahiko-sama, I really don't understand...... Nagamo's voice was filled with simple doubts, "What do you want by doing this?" ”

"[Peace]...... I want to save the country, I want to eliminate the war. Yahiko replied, and Dajue looked over, and there was no ordinary emotion in the eyes of this man who was almost nothing but handsome.

But this relationship is too complicated, so complicated that Da Jue almost feels suffocated.

The pain of being hurt, the fear of death, the coldness of the rain, the warmth of care...... What is it?

That's right, [humanity].

This man's eyes contain only the most ordinary [human nature].

[Because we have experienced pain, we can only know about it]?

Unlike the [gods] who are always right and high up to guide people's paths, this man is clearly a compassionate and compassionate person who has experienced suffering with people and has the deepest knowledge of this suffering.

This man is [Buddha].

"Peace...... Is it? Hearing Yahiko's answer, there was silence in the long curtain for a long time, and finally a gentle voice said, "Yahiko-kun, I have a proposal. ”

Yahiko had already stood up, he ignored the big sues next to him, and faced the luxurious giant umbrella, and said solemnly, "Please speak." ”

"Although Yahiko-kun's organization is strong, it still needs some support from other quarters, right?"

Yahiko said without hesitation: "Lord Nagama, please forgive me for refusing. ”

The support of the Nagamo family is something that is beyond the reach of the scattered ninja organizations in the Land of Rain, and when he heard Yahiko's refusal, not only did the big sues next to him show a surprised look, but the subordinates behind Yahiko also set off a low discussion.

Xiao Nan and the gloomy red-haired man glanced back, their voices quickly subsiding.

"I think Yahiko-kun has misunderstood, I don't mean to solicit your ministry, I think that you, who pursue peace, will be a good partner for my family. If I could, I'd like to ask Yahiko-kun to sit down and have a good talk. ”

Cooperate? Yahiko couldn't help but glance at Konan and Nagato behind him, and clearly saw the look of their eyes moving.

――As the number of people in the organization increases, it is difficult to maintain the operation of the organization by relying only on Xiao Nan to make detonation charms to sell in his spare time.

"Okay." Yahiko didn't groan for too long, he promised, Xiao Nan gestured to the crowd behind him, and the rain ninja quickly disappeared, leaving only Yahiko, Nagato, Xiao Nan, and Oyoku, who had been ignored all this time.

The trio didn't even look at him, and walked under the giant umbrella on their own.

The tall bald man stayed in place in a daze, between heaven and earth, except for the pouring rain, he was the only one.

Above the earth, there is an endless sea of leaden clouds.

#####

November.

Heavy rain began again, and heavy lead-colored clouds fell low as far as the eye could reach.

In a high-rise building with the characteristics of the country of rain, Dajue sits in the window without shelter, feeling the wind and rain and the sense of emptiness unique to the high place.

Soking up from the memories of the pouring rain and the feeling of emptiness, he suddenly spoke:

"Changzi, you once asked me why after being let go of Yahiko once, you hated him so much, and did not hesitate to rely on the Changmo family to wage war against the organization.

"And why, I joined the organization after that."

“……”

There was only the whistling sound of wind and rain in the room, and Dajue continued nonchalantly: "Actually, I am an orphan who was raised by a monk when I was a child.

"The old bald ...... The monk came from the Temple of the Earth, because the countries fought for many years, and he couldn't bear to see the people of the Land of Rain displaced, so he came here alone to help the civilians by turning his fortune.

“…… Of course, apart from me, he didn't have much to save at all. ”

There was still silence, only the low voice of Dajue echoed:

"It was he who taught me how to refine chakra, as well as these cement secret techniques, and before he died, he wanted me to inherit his business and save as many lives as possible.

"Heh, do you think it's old-fashioned when you hear this? Do you think I've been awakened to the good thoughts in my heart by Yahiko, and then I bow down to their great compassion?

"No, I rejected the monk's last wish and told him, 'Your ambition is fundamentally wrong'.

"The reason why I fought him again after being let go of Yahiko once was to prove it to him.

"'You were wrong,' I still think so, but that day, it dawned on me that I shouldn't prove it."

"You know what? It is not up to me to prove his mistakes, because I can't find out what the right path is. ”

[Buddha] is the most compassionate and compassionate person in human nature, but he can't even save himself. This was already fully understood by Dajue when the monk who raised him gave him the last piece of food and starved to death in front of him.

He is a candle in the darkness, not the light.

But when the day is far away, what good is it to blow out the only candle? Da Jue sneered, stood up, straightened his stand-up collar robe, and covered a little gap to make himself feel a little warmer.

Followed by the footsteps came a young ninja, who poked his head into the room and frowned: "Da Jue, why are you still here?" Hurry up, ready to go. ”

Dajue smiled at him and said, "Okay, Changzi, let's talk next time." ”

The young ninja still frowned, stared at Da Jue, and turned to leave.

Dajue heard a "sigh" full of disgust and disdain, which sounded low as the young man turned around.

There was still silence in the room.

Dajue turned his head to look at the wall on the right, where there were dozens of wooden signs densely packed, and the wooden sign named "Changzi" was just one of them.

Of course, there is no way to reply to the wooden card.

It's been almost a year since Dajue joined the organization, and he has gradually adapted to life here.

Over the past year, the members of the organization have come and gone, and many new faces have changed. Because the rules and philosophy of the organization must be followed, there are often newcomers who are attracted by Yahiko's personal charm, and after staying here for a while, they can't stand Yahiko's almost pedantic and ruthless "never kill" creed, and choose to leave again.

However, there are still more people who choose to stay, so the power of the organization has been expanding, and this year, after gaining the support of the Nagamo family, the great nobleman of the Rain Country, the speed of development has become even faster than before.

Some of these people were accidentally killed by the enemy, and their names would be written here.

Sprout ...... This tsundere woman, although she has always been dismissive of Yahiko's ideas, and has always been very hostile to Da Jue, who once killed her companion, but in the end, she saved Da Jue's life with her life, and would rather die than kill that enemy.

It's hard to say what Dajue's attitude towards Changzi is, but now, he occasionally comes to this room to commemorate the deceased and chat with this woman who was hostile to him before his death.

As for the hostility of many members of the organization, this bald man just laughed it off.

Stepping out of the empty room, down the passage to the first floor of the base, Ojaku saw that a large number of ninjas were already waiting impatiently.

"Yahiko." Dajue greeted first.

Yahiko, who was talking to the members of the organization beside him, turned his head and showed a reproachful look on his face: "Da Jue, where did you go?" ”

"I'm sorry, I'm late." Dajue Shi Shiran stood at the front of the line with his long stick.

"Okay, now that you're here, let's get ready to go, this time I'm going to Cat Ninja, in addition to selling a large number of detonation charms made by Xiao Nan, there is also a mission."

Although the orange-haired man really didn't look majestic, everyone present listened quietly.

"It's that the Changmo family wants us to fight for them for the right to build the railway in the Land of Rain, and the worst thing is to get the right to build the southern city of the Land of Rain.

"As the captain and the family, this task will be entrusted to you." Yahiko said to the lean middle-aged ninja standing at the front of the crowd.

"Yes!"

Cat Ninja, the name of the business center of the ninja world, has heard a lot of even about Dajue in the Land of Rain, but in the past year, Cat Ninja has really become famous for not only the commercial center.

The construction of railways, the land of iron, the land of fields, the land of soup and the northern part of the country of fire, the extensive railway network made it a place of wealth in the eyes of merchants in just one year.

I heard that it is the number one strong clan in the ninja world, the sphere of influence of the Sharingan Uchiha.