What can be determined in life is an uncertain future.
Uzumaki Raiden understood this well.
In a teahouse in Aoyagi Town, Uzumaki Raiden and Orochimaru sat together, silently observing the orange-haired young man before them. Yahiko was still alive, but he was no longer the bright and hopeful boy Raiden remembered.
The young man before them had a pale complexion and a cold expression, his eyes filled with wariness toward Raiden—there was even a faint killing intent in his gaze. He wore a peculiar robe adorned with red clouds, and his nails were painted purple.
The Yahiko standing before Raiden now was drastically different from the one in his memories.
After a long silence, Raiden was the first to break it, speaking softly:
"Yahiko, long time no see. How are Nagato and Konan doing?"
A thousand words rose to his lips, yet only this simple greeting escaped. The Yahiko of the past and the Yahiko of today were worlds apart, not only in attire but in temperament as well. From Yahiko's eyes, Uzumaki Raiden could read many things—intelligence, caution, and something unspoken.
Yahiko did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze to the window, his expression tinged with nostalgia.
After a long pause, he finally replied, "They're doing well. You don't need to worry."
Yahiko turned back to Raiden, his killing intent growing even stronger.
"That's good to hear," Raiden responded calmly.
"Yahiko, I remember your dream was to bring peace to the Land of Rain. So why are you here?"
Raiden raised his head slightly, glancing at Orochimaru beside him before focusing back on Yahiko. He could clearly sense the killing intent emanating from him. Ever since his connection with the Nine-Tails, even without using Tailed Beast Chakra or Kagura's Mind Eye, his five senses had become exceptionally sharp.
Yahiko's killing intent was impossible to conceal from Raiden.
"Why? Sorry, I have my own mission, and I can't tell you," Yahiko replied.
"My presence here serves the interests of the Land of Rain. That's all you need to know."
"Uncle Raiden, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be staying."
Yahiko showed no intention of prolonging the conversation. Though he still acknowledged his connection to Raiden, his tone was detached. Without another word, he stood up to leave.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Then we'll take our leave, Junior Brother," Orochimaru chuckled, his hoarse laughter filling the teahouse. As Yahiko rose, Orochimaru did the same, following him out.
Raiden did not try to stop them. He wanted to understand what had happened to Yahiko, but it was clear he wouldn't get any answers directly from him.
Even after Yahiko and Orochimaru had long departed, Raiden remained seated in the teahouse, sipping his tea. Suddenly, a small white snake slithered across the dark corners of the room and onto his hand, moving so discreetly that no one else in the teahouse noticed.
The white snake climbed onto Raiden's palm, opened its tiny mouth, and spat out a small scroll before vanishing in a puff of white smoke. The scroll rolled onto the table.
Raiden picked it up and swiftly left the teahouse.
In a secluded corner of Aoyagi Town, he unrolled the scroll that Orochimaru had secretly sent him. The message was simple—one large character: "Money."
"So, Akatsuki is short on funds?" Raiden muttered, pondering the implications.
The Land of Rain was a small, landlocked nation bordered by six countries—three of the Five Great Nations: the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth, as well as the smaller nations of the Land of Birds, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Rivers.
Among these seven, the Land of Rain was the weakest in terms of national strength.
Moreover, due to its constant rainfall, agricultural production was low, and the nation relied heavily on food imports controlled by the Lands of Fire, Rivers, and Grass. From its very inception, the Land of Rain had no chance of achieving self-sufficiency.
"Aoyagi Town is an important trade hub in the Land of Tea... Could Akatsuki's goal be to take complete control of it?"
"For a commercial town like this, sending Yahiko and Orochimaru would be enough to seize control."
"But how do they plan to do it?"
Lightning crackled in Raiden's palm as he ignited the scroll, reducing it to ashes in seconds. He quickly left the area, using Kagura's Mind Eye to track Yahiko and Orochimaru from afar.
To his surprise, they were already moving toward the outskirts of Aoyagi Town, showing no intention of lingering.
"They're leaving? Did they abandon their mission because of me?"
"Or... have they already succeeded?"
Raiden frowned and began pursuing them discreetly, determined to uncover the truth.
Yahiko and Orochimaru left Aoyagi Town without delay, walking directly into the dense jungle outside the town.
The two traveled in silence, neither speaking as they moved through the woods. After a long trek, Yahiko, leading the way, suddenly stopped and looked around.
"This place is perfect," he murmured.
"It's a fine location... fitting to be my uncle's grave."
As Yahiko's words fell, the surrounding space distorted violently. A masked figure emerged from the shifting air, revealing a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan beneath his mask.
On the other side, the ground suddenly caved in, and a strange, flytrap-like creature slowly rose from below, standing beside Yahiko.
What had been a two-person group was now four. And they all had one thing in common—the same black cloak adorned with red clouds.
"Heh heh heh... Are we really doing this here?" Orochimaru chuckled, sticking out his long tongue to lick his lips.
"Even with our numbers, we may not be strong enough to handle Raiden."
"Let me add some reinforcements," Orochimaru smirked.
With that, he bit his finger, ran it across his palm, and began forming hand seals.
"Reanimation Jutsu!"
As Orochimaru's voice echoed, the ground trembled, and three coffins slowly rose from beneath the soil.
Just as the coffins emerged fully, Yahiko turned his gaze toward the dense forest and shouted:
"Uncle, no need to hide!"
"Come out!"
"This will be your grave!"
(End of Chapter)