Naruto : Rise From The Rain

After Konoha and Amegakure formally signed their alliance agreement, Ame no Kuni (the Land of Rain) opened its borders to Konoha's forces. Over a thousand Konoha ninjas poured into the country and set up a camp in its northeastern region, near the borders shared with Tsuchi no Kuni (the Land of Earth) and Kyoso(the Land of Grass).

Amegakure, on the other hand, deployed its forces primarily in the western and northern regions, facing Iwagakure and Kusagakure. Although these areas were not the primary battlefield, numerous skirmishes had erupted over the past half month.

Konoha withdrew its forces stationed in the Land of Grass back to its borders, while Iwagakure also recalled a portion of its troops to within its own territory.

The Third Great Shinobi War entered a new phase, with Konoha and Iwagakure leading the conflict in central regions, and Land of Rain and Land of Grass acting as participating states. Elsewhere, tensions between Sunagakure and Kirigakure persisted, while Kumogakure of the Land of Lighning seemed conspicuously uninvolved.

Continuous heavy rains had turned roads into muddy paths. Although Konoha's camp was built on higher ground, the weather posed challenges for their forces, who were unaccustomed to such conditions.

Jiraiya stood at the entrance to the command tent with a calm expression. Several senior Jonin behind him were discussing recent developments.

"This rain is severely impacting our supply lines. We must identify a more reliable route."

"Can't Amegakure assist us?"

"Logistics are critical! We can't allow foreign forces to meddle in such matters."

"Our ninja rely heavily on Fire Release techniques, and this rain makes it difficult for them to perform at full strength."

"This cursed weather!"

Suddenly, a ninja hurriedly approached the tent and reported to Jiraiya, "Jiraiya-sama, the Ame-nin have arrived."

Jiraiya thought for a moment before asking, "Who's leading them?"

"It's one of Hanzo's close aides. The group includes Yahiko from the Akatsuki as well."

Jiraiya nodded slightly. "Bring them in."

He then turned and walked to the main seat at the conference table, prompting the others to pause their discussions.

Before long, several Ame ninja appeared outside the command tent. Leading them was a burly middle-aged man wearing a breathing mask, much like Hanzo's. Many in Amegakure emulated Hanzo's appearance. This man, named Kyoso, was one of Hanzo's trusted aides and held a status akin to that of Genma in Konoha.

"Jiraiya-sama," Kyoso greeted with a slight bow. Their mission was to assist Konoha's forces.

"We've come on orders from Hanzo-sama, bringing three hundred ninja to help our allies defeat the enemy," Kyoso declared.

"Thank you for your efforts," Jiraiya replied with a nod. His gaze shifted to Yahiko and Konan, who stood behind Kyoso, smiling and winking at him. Jiraiya smiled in return.

"Kyoso-san, we've been awaiting your arrival," he said.

"Could you brief us on the current situation?" Kyoso asked.

A Jonin beside Jiraiya promptly replied, "Of course."

The group gathered around a detailed map spread across the table.

The Jonin explained, "Though large-scale battles have yet to break out, recent skirmishes reveal that Iwagakure and Kusagakure have both deployed significant forces near the tri-border area. While Kusagakure's combat capabilities are far inferior to Iwagakure's, the two have formed a close military alliance. When we attacked a Kusagakure outpost, Iwagakure reinforcements arrived almost immediately."

He pointed to various marked locations on the map, indicating the known positions of Iwagakure and Kusagakure outposts. Judging by their distribution, Iwagakure's presence was much stronger.

"It's clear that Iwagakure values this battlefield highly," he added. "They likely don't trust Kusagakure's abilities."

Kyoso pondered aloud, "How many forces do Iwagakure and Kusagakure have in the area?"

The Jonin replied, "Kusagakure has just over a thousand ninja, while Iwagakure has significantly more. Moreover, Iwagakure can rapidly reinforce its troops here due to their proximity to the Land of Earth."

Listening to the discussion, Asahi silently noted that Kusagakure was bearing much of the burden for Iwagakure. If Konoha could apply more pressure on Kusagakure's side of the battlefield, it would significantly alleviate the strain on Amegakure front lines.

After lengthy discussions in the command tent, Kyoso departed, while Yahiko and Konan stayed behind to speak with Jiraiya privately.

Back at the Ame ninja's camp, Yahiko turned to Asahi and asked, "What are your thoughts on this battlefield?"

Asahi replied, "This war will drag on for a long time. Iwagakure's troop deployment has no obvious flaws. It'll be a slow grind until one side collapses."

"A slow grind…"

Yahiko remained silent, uncertain how long the war would last.

Asahi, likewise, had no solution. Wars weren't something that could be decided by one person alone. Even the likes of Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato—undeniably some of the strongest individuals of their time—weren't powerful enough to single-handedly alter the course of a war.

Iwagakure, after all, had its own titans. Judging by his portrayal in the original story, the Third Tsuchikage was also one of the strongest shinobi in the world at the time.

Later that day, Kyoso sought out Yahiko for a conversation. The following morning, orders came down for a new mission: to eliminate a Kusagakure outpost.

The operation was to be led by Amegakure, with Konoha providing a single supporting ninja.

"A Genin..." Kyoso 's brow twitched slightly as he eyed the kind-looking elderly man standing before him.

Sending only one person was bad enough, but a Genin? It felt almost like an insult. couldn't help but feel some discontent.

The old man, however, smiled cheerfully and said, "Greetings, everyone. My name is Maruboshi Kosuke. Jiraiya-sama has instructed me to assist with this mission."

With a sigh, Kyoso relented. "Let's move out."

Among the group, Kyosuke couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "What's Konoha thinking, sending just a Genin?"

Yahiko immediately chided him, "Don't make thoughtless comments."

Asahi, on the other hand, had a peculiar expression as he observed the old man. If his memory served him correctly, this elderly ninja's strength ranked among the upper echelon of Jonin.

Under Kyoso's leadership, thirty-plus Amegakure shinobi, along with the single Konoha ninja, departed from the Konoha camp.

The outpost wasn't heavily defended. For Konoha, this wasn't a particularly challenging mission. had specifically requested it, one of his objectives being to help Yahiko adapt quickly to the realities of the battlefield.

When Hanzo entrusted Yahiko with Akatsuki, he had also given him certain orders.

During the march, the members of Akatsuki appeared visibly tense, while Kyoso led the group at the front, clearing the way.

Kyosuke couldn't contain himself and whispered to Yahiko, "Brother Yahiko, we're going to kill people, right?"

Konan and Asahi walked silently on either side of Yahiko, who stared straight ahead and answered calmly, "Yes."