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Shimura Himiko looked at Sōsuke with a light glance, feeling quite emotional inside.
Has he grown this tall already? Now, he has grown into a tree strong enough to protect Konoha...
Thinking about this, her gaze unconsciously stopped at the gentle smile on the corner of Sōsuke's mouth, and she couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
As if recalling the little devil she first met back then.
Since that time, this guy's face has always been smiling like this, more like a cultured noble gentleman than a ninja.
It seems that everything in life is a beautiful existence in his eyes.
His smile is an appreciation and contentment for everything in the world.
Seeing Himiko looking slightly stunned, the gentle smile on the corner of Sōsuke's mouth became even more pronounced, and he asked softly, "What's the matter, Himiko? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Staring at Sōsuke, who was slightly absent-minded, Himiko, with her clear and cold face, blushed slightly and deliberately put on a stern face, saying coldly, "Nothing, just thinking about some things."
"Now that you're here, let me tell you about the tasks assigned to you by Lord Danzo."
Upon hearing her words, Sōsuke smiled slightly, showing an attentive look.
"Lord Danzo has tried his best to secure a negotiation opportunity with the Village Hidden in the Rain for you, granted by the Third Hokage."
"This is related to the position of the Root in Konoha and will have a significant impact on your future."
Himiko glanced at him, lightly opened her vermilion lips, and the sound that came out was like a thin layer of ice gently cracking, refreshing the heart.
To this, Sōsuke's eyes narrowed slightly, showing a hint of surprise.
He didn't expect the negotiation with the Village Hidden in the Rain to be assigned to him, but... it's not a bad thing.
Thinking that Konoha probably doesn't know about his relationship with the Village Hidden in the Rain, a subtle smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he said softly, "Sure... I couldn't ask for anything more."
Hearing his smiling response, Himiko couldn't help but say with some irritation, "Don't get too excited. I will accompany you on this trip to the Village Hidden in the Rain."
"The negotiation with the Village Hidden in the Rain is crucial. You should have received news of Nawaki's disappearance, right?"
To her words, Sōsuke smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
Seeing him like this, Himiko's eyes sank slightly, and she said in a cold tone, "We must make sure that the new leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain reaches an agreement with Konoha during our visit!"
"Even if... Nawaki returns, we must ensure that the relationship between the Village Hidden in the Rain and Konoha does not break because of this!"
Hearing her words, looking at Himiko's serious expression, Sōsuke's face couldn't help but show a playful smile, and he said gently, "I believe... he probably won't reappear..."
To this, Himiko helplessly gave him a glance, saying unkindly, "What you say doesn't matter. Think about how to persuade the new leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain. If this mission is not done well, it will have some impact on you in the future."
Hearing her words, Sōsuke's face showed a smile, and his deep gaze looked directly into Himiko's black eyes, saying softly, "Captain Himiko... is this concern for me?"
After hearing Sōsuke's words, Himiko's snowy white face suddenly showed a trace of panic, and she forcibly calmed herself down, saying, "I... I'm just afraid you'll disappoint Lord Danzo's expectations. Get ready; we'll leave in a while. I'll go out first and wait."
After speaking, she left the tent with her long legs in a somewhat nervous manner.
Outside, she gently patted her chest, calming the breath that had suddenly become hurried, and couldn't help but feel annoyed.
This guy... is getting more and more excessive... he actually said such things to me...!!
But... he really is thinking about me... Ahh!! What am I thinking! No matter when, he's still that annoying little devil!
Inside the tent,
Watching Himiko leave, a hint of a smile flashed in Sōsuke's eyes, murmuring to himself, "The trip to the Village Hidden in the Rain... is this a coincidence..."
...
Meanwhile,
Within the borders of the Land of Rain,
Under the gloomy sky, a slightly turbulent heavy rain was falling, creating a continuous downpour. The rain curtain obscured everything, and the vast expanse of mist-like water vapor made the entire land seem enveloped in a dense fog.
"Splatter, splatter..."
Amidst this pouring rain, two figures, one tall and one short, were walking on the muddy road.
"Saki-nii, the rain here is so heavy. Shouldn't we find a place to take shelter from the rain?"
The short figure walking behind shouted loudly to the tall figure in front, squinting his eyes in the rain.
Although the rain was very noisy, Saki, the tall figure in front, quickly responded with a calm voice, "Let's keep going. In the Land of Rain, weather like this is quite ordinary. It's likely to last for a long time, no need to take cover."
Upon hearing Saki's words, the small figure walking behind, named Nawaki, couldn't help but frown slightly, showing disbelief.
"Will such harsh weather really last for a while...?"
Saki still didn't turn around, calmly stating, "Yes, if you understand, you'll know that the rainy season is a common occurrence in the Land of Rain."
The two continued to move forward.
The muddy ground made their shoes dirty, but Saki didn't mind and continued walking, while Nawaki proceeded cautiously, jumping over puddles.
Soon, a village came into view for the two of them.
Saki just glanced at it and didn't pay much attention, continuing to move forward.
But Nawaki, upon seeing the village, became anxious and exclaimed, "Sa... Saki, there's a village here! Shouldn't we go in to take shelter from the rain? It's pouring too heavily!"
Hearing his words, Saki slightly stopped his steps, standing in place.
Seeing his actions, Nawaki thought he might have said something wrong, also stopping in his tracks.
With a calm voice mixed with the sound of pouring rain, Saki's words reached Nawaki's ears.
"Nawaki, take a closer look at the village you mentioned..."
Suddenly hearing Saki's words, Nawaki was puzzled, wiped the rainwater from his face, and turned to look at the village covered in white mist and rain. He asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Does something happen to that village?"
His words stopped here abruptly, as if afraid of seeing something wrong. He rubbed his rain-soaked eyes and looked again.
The once lively village was already desolate and dilapidated.
Wooden houses had visible holes, and rainwater was slowly seeping inside. The village was lifeless, and from some corners, one could vaguely see partially decayed corpses.
"Splatter, splatter..."
The rain continued to pour, but Nawaki stood in the rain, staring dumbfoundedly at this scene.
At this moment, he saw a completely different sight from Konoha.
At his age, he temporarily couldn't understand why such a result had occurred.
But...
He was sure of one thing...
Konoha had not experienced such a situation...
They continued on their way.
After this incident, Nawaki didn't say anything about finding shelter from the rain. He just remained silent.
Soon, the two disappeared into the white mist of rain.
With his head down, following Saki in the violent rain, Nawaki continued to move forward.