Chapter 332: 332.Rain and Tears
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A New Day.
At the western border of the Land of Fire, Tsunade and Jiraiya stood at the edge of a forest with a group of elite shinobi, awaiting the arrival of the combined forces from Kumogakure and the Land of Iron.
"They're here."
A line of figures appeared on the distant horizon, moving swiftly toward them. At the forefront were the Fourth Raikage, A, and the Land of Iron's general, Mifune, leading their respective troops at a rapid pace.
The large force halted about a hundred meters away from the Konoha contingent. A and Mifune, accompanied by a few subordinates, strode forward.
"Welcome, Lord Raikage, Lord Mifune," Jiraiya greeted them first.
"Jiraiya," A acknowledged before glancing behind him and nodding at Tsunade. "Princess Tsunade."
Tsunade stepped forward and gave them a curt nod. "You've made good time. And thank you, Lord Raikage, for accommodating Naruto."
"No need. I acted for the greater good," A said gravely. "At this point, we cannot allow the Akatsuki to obtain the Nine-Tails."
Tsunade nodded. "According to our communications, all village forces are in position. As planned, we'll advance into the Land of Rain in two hours."
Jiraiya added, "Your troops have traveled far. You can take this time to rest before we move out."
A turned and signaled to his forces. The Kumo-nin immediately began settling in, while the samurai of the Land of Iron also relaxed their formation.
"Princess Tsunade," A turned back to her, "there have been many rumors among the wandering shinobi lately. Seems you've made quite a name for yourself."
"Just some fools who didn't know their place," Tsunade replied dismissively.
A pressed further. "It's said that on your way to the Five Kage Summit, two shinobi riding a giant white bird appeared along your route. According to intel, they were Akatsuki members, correct?"
"They were," Tsunade confirmed without hesitation. "Deidara and Sasori—missing-nin from Iwagakure and Sunagakure. They're dead by my hand."
"So Akatsuki had already suffered losses before this?" A questioned. "Why didn't you mention this at the summit?"
"It wasn't necessary. Nagato is the true threat we must focus on," Tsunade said.
A's tone turned firm. "Since I've been chosen as the alliance's commander, Konoha should cooperate fully from now on. Hand over all intelligence on Akatsuki."
"We will cooperate," Tsunade replied, pulling out a scroll from her robes and tossing it to him. "This is all the intel Konoha has. It's yours now."
"Good."
A caught it, unsealed it on the spot, and skimmed through the contents.
"So the remaining Akatsuki members are Nagato, Konan, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Obito Uchiha," he summarized before passing the scroll to Mifune. "All possess Kage-level strength. Troublesome indeed."
Jiraiya interjected, "Against the combined forces of the Five Great Nations, even a few Kage-level shinobi won't stand a chance. The only real threat is the tailed beasts in their possession."
"No matter the cost, Akatsuki must be eradicated!" A declared fiercely.
"That is the purpose of this war," Mifune agreed after reviewing the intel.
The leaders then discussed the alliance's advance routes and troop deployments once they entered the Land of Rain.
Two hours passed quickly—it was time to move out.
The forces of Konoha, Kumogakure, and the Land of Iron stood assembled, covering the plains beyond the forest. A, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Mifune stood at the forefront.
At the same time…
At the northern border of the Land of Rivers, the northeastern border of the Land of Wind, and the southern border of the Land of Earth—
The forces of Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure stood ready under the command of their respective Kage.
"Move out!!"
A, Tsunade, and Mifune crossed the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain first. The massive army roared in response before surging forward behind them.
"Advance!!"
Mei Terumī led her troops across the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain. The Kirigakure shinobi moved in disciplined silence.
"It's time. Proceed."
Gaara stood atop a floating platform of sand, gliding over the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain. The Sunagakure forces, most with white cloth covering their faces, charged out from the desert.
"Move."
Ōnoki's small figure hovered in the air as he flew past the Land of Earth's border into the Land of Rain. The Iwagakure shinobi followed, their heavy footsteps shaking the wilderness.
...
"They must have entered the Land of Rain by now—the Allied Shinobi Forces."
Nagato remained seated on the tongue of the colossal statue, letting the rain pour over him.
"I'm sorry," Konan stood at the edge of the rain's reach. "With our lack of manpower, we could only send a few squads of Amegakure shinobi to scout. We don't have precise intel yet."
"It doesn't matter." Nagato gazed down at the desolate village below. "You evacuated the civilians?"
"Yes, Nagato…" Konan's voice wavered slightly.
"What is it?" Nagato seemed indifferent to her hesitation.
"I still don't understand," Konan murmured. "Why did you choose the Land of Rain as the battlefield?"
"Are you blaming me?" His tone was cold.
"Nagato, we started on this path because our country was turned into a battleground by the great nations. Our original goal was to save this land shrouded in rain." Her voice was soft but carried an undertone of pain.
"Hn." Nagato gave a noncommittal grunt.
Konan's voice rose slightly. "This war—the Five Great Nations' forces are closing in from all directions. Have you considered what will happen to the civilians in the towns along their path? Are we repeating the same tragedy we suffered as children?"
Nagato remained unmoved, his voice icy. "So what? These are the sacrifices necessary for peace."
"I'm not blaming you, Nagato." Konan's voice trembled. "We're past the point of return. I didn't stop you before, and now I come to you with these words… Maybe I'm just a hypocrite."
"Do what you must."
Nagato closed his eyes, tilting his face upward to let the rain wash over him.
"Forgive me. I lost my composure." Konan turned away. "I'll monitor the enemy's movements and report back."
Nagato listened in silence as her footsteps faded. For a brief moment, a flicker of anguish crossed his face—but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
The rain streamed down his cheeks like tears.
Forgive me, Konan.
You've always been kind.
But this world has no place for kindness.
Our dream… has long since shattered.
That's why… this world means nothing to me now.
From the moment I chose destruction, the Land of Rain had no future left.