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Within the borders of the Land of Rain.
The sky gradually darkened, and dark clouds began to churn above, as if brewing a fierce storm.
Inside the Leaf base.
In a tent located at the center, passing ninjas would instinctively slow down their pace, fearing to disturb those inside.
A lamp burned inside the tent, casting a warm light in this gloomy and oppressive weather.
"Click!"
There was a sudden sound from the lamp, breaking the silence in the tent.
Upon hearing this noise, Tsunade, leaning against one side of the tent, slowly turned her head. Her eyes, devoid of vitality, stared at the lamp, and her once charming face looked extremely weary.
She didn't know how long she had been crying. Even now, her eyes still seemed a bit swollen.
At this moment, a somewhat pale hand gently pulled open the tent's curtain and walked in.
Hearing the sound, Tsunade tilted her head slightly, glanced at him with empty eyes, and spoke with a hoarse voice.
"It's you, Orochimaru."
Seeing her like this, Orochimaru's expression showed no surprise, as if he had expected this outcome.
"I already know what happened."
Standing still for a moment, Orochimaru suddenly uttered a low, hissing voice.
Upon hearing his words, Tsunade shifted her body, slowly leaning forward, hugging her knees, and looked ahead with vacant eyes, as if speaking to herself.
"Do you think... Nawaki, he... could still be alive..."
"Just... just... missing, isn't he..."
She said dazedly, as if she had lost her soul.
To this, Orochimaru did not console her with gentle words. Instead, he looked at her and said sternly.
"Tsunade, don't use this to deceive yourself!"
"You should know that, in that situation, the chance of Nawaki surviving is almost nonexistent!"
Upon hearing Orochimaru's hoarse and angry voice, Tsunade's face froze, and she slowly turned to look at him, her eyes dimmed with an indescribable luster.
"He... won't... come back, will he... my brother... he... won't... come back again!"
Saying this, she seemed unable to conceal the suppressed emotions in her heart. She suddenly covered her face and started sobbing in sorrow.
"It's all my fault!!"
"It's all my fault!!"
"Why did I let him take on such a mission!"
"If it weren't for me, he could still be lively and appear in front of everyone now!"
She cried out in pain, then, as if losing the precious existence of a child, she weakly leaned against the tent, grieving.
Orochimaru didn't continue to watch Tsunade's vulnerable posture but stared blankly at the candle that was about to burn out.
After a while, as if he had figured something out, his voice, incredibly hoarse, said.
"It's not your fault, Tsunade."
"It's just because life is too fragile... this fragility... and the inability to control one's destiny..."
Saying this, his pale face tightened slightly, seeming embarrassed about the unbearable nature of being unable to control his own destiny.
"Let's end the conversation here. It's still a time of war. Although Nawaki sacrificed himself, it's not an excuse for you to slack off. As his sister, you should make his death worthwhile."
After saying these hoarse words, Orochimaru slowly turned and walked toward the tent's exit.
After he left, Tsunade, as if she had lost her soul, turned her head slightly and looked at the gloomy sky outside.
"Sister, I want to become a great ninja like Grandpa!"
"I want to protect this village!"
"If I can become a hero who can protect everyone like Grandpa, that would be great!"
Outside the tent, the chilling wind howled, but inside the tent, Tsunade seemed to hear the cheerful voice of Nawaki in her ears.
Suddenly, she smiled.
Only to see Tsunade's eyes continuously shedding tears, but her face bore a smile, as if she was gently speaking to the nonexistent Nawaki.
"Nawaki... your sister will help you fulfill your wishes."
"This village... will be guarded by your sister for you."
Meanwhile, outside the tent.
Orochimaru walked within the base, ignoring the increasingly harsh weather. However, his inner thoughts were tumultuous.
"Crack!"
He stopped his steps, looked up, and stared at the overwhelmingly gloomy sky with a complex expression, his voice hoarse.
"Compared to nature, humans are ultimately too small... what can we truly experience in this fleeting life..."
"Only... forbidden jutsu... can make life eternal... forbidden jutsu..."
He murmured to himself.
His figure slowly disappeared from the scene.
.....
At this moment.
In a gorge within the Land of Rain.
Boom—
The clouds in the sky rolled, and intense thunder slowly resounded. It seemed that a heavy rain was about to pour down before long.
Beneath this gloomy cloud, two figures walked along the edge of the gorge.
Above the enormous gorge, a flat surface hung like a blade, and the vertical cliffs seemed to plunge into the deep underground like the ravine of an abyss.
Whoosh—
A biting cold wind swept through, causing the small figure behind the two to involuntarily shiver.
Already feeling jittery just walking in this place, and now with the strong and cold wind, Nawaki's legs felt weak with every step.
"Saki... Saki-nii, where... where are we going?"
Nawaki's small face turned somewhat pale from the cold. After exhaling a breath, he asked the tall figure in front with a trembling voice.
Upon hearing his words, Sōsuke didn't turn around. His voice was plain as he answered.
"The Village Hidden in the Rain."
Hearing his response, Nawaki's eyes widened, and he exclaimed.
"The... the Village Hidden in the Rain!? Isn't that walking into a trap!?"
To this, Saki's voice remained calm.
"Don't you know that the war between the Village Hidden in the Rain and Konoha has already been resolved? They are currently in a temporary state of peace. It might be officially announced that the war is over after some time."
Upon hearing Saki's words, Nawaki was naturally shocked and said in amazement.
"Resolved!? H... How... is that possible... when the Rain ninja killed so many..."
Before he could finish his words, Saki interrupted.
"Nothing is permanent, especially when it comes to matters of interest."
Saying this, he glanced at Nawaki and spoke softly.
"Captain Aizen chose to send you to this village not only for you to concentrate on your training but also to broaden your horizons."
"Your perspective is too limited. It seems that everything revolves around Konoha, but you still can't understand Captain Aizen's vision."
Hearing his words, Nawaki was slightly stunned and confused.
"Perspective? Shouldn't we consider everything for the sake of Konoha..."
Sōsuke glanced at him, his voice low.
"What did you see in this war? Did you only see the casualties of Konoha ninja?"
"Perhaps..."
"Maybe Captain Aizen asked me to bring you here for a reason."
"After you see the situation in this country, maybe you will understand Captain Aizen's profound intentions."
He finished speaking and slowly turned to continue forward.
As for Nawaki, he stared blankly at Saki and recalled what Sōsuke had said to him before they parted.
"Nawaki, carefully observe everything you see."
"Remember, a ninja's potential is determined by the breadth of his vision."
Perspective... and breadth of vision...
Nawaki gently opened his palm, took a careful look, and thought to himself.
Only to see him tightly clench his fist, and the small figure followed Sōsuke and walked away.
Under the gloomy sky, the two small figures slowly disappeared at the edge of the gorge.