Crimson Winds Of Konoha

Winter, Konoha Year 41.

In a small border town in the Land of Rain, Hatake Kakashi walked side by side with a boy named Uchiha Fenghuo. Though their hands were linked for the sake of appearance, Kakashi's dull, drooping eyes—often described as sanpaku—were more deadpan than usual.

"...Did we really have to hold hands, Fenghuo?"

Fenghuo gave a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. I don't look down on you."

Kakashi twitched visibly under his travel cloak. Shouldn't I be the one feeling disgusted? Still, he silently endured. This was an infiltration mission, and that meant playing the part of war orphans seeking refuge.

The pair entered a dingy ramen shop tucked beneath a torn awning. Each ordered a bowl of local miso ramen, labeled "Zengwei Special" on the cracked menu.

"We should retrieve the intel first," Kakashi murmured, his voice barely audible under the hum of rain. "Lingering like this increases our risk of exposure."

Fenghuo smiled as he set his chopsticks. "Calm is smooth, and smooth is fast. Rushing to a known location immediately after arrival would be suspicious. We're supposed to be drifters—newly arrived orphans. Besides, we're not the only ones after this intel. Suna's agents are sniffing around. One mistake, and we're dead. You know that."

Kakashi didn't respond. He had already lowered his mask just enough to inhale the steaming ramen—finishing the entire bowl in seconds.

Fenghuo blinked. What the hell kind of speed is that?!

"Hurry up," Kakashi said flatly, already adjusting his mask.

"You'll destroy your stomach like that!" Fenghuo protested, shoveling noodles into his mouth.

The shop owner, a wary middle-aged man with crow's feet and dirt under his nails, eyed them with suspicion. The pair looked too poor to pay, and he lingered close in case they tried to dine and dash.

Kakashi noticed and silently rose, paying for both meals with exact change. The owner grunted, surprised, and left them be.

Once outside, they wandered through the rain-slicked streets. The Land of Rain was infamous for its near-constant downpours; some settlements saw rain every day of the year. As the sky darkened and heavy clouds pressed low against the rooftops, a curtain of rain fell that blurred visibility beyond ten meters.

With practiced synchronicity, they turned east when the rain peaked. Empty streets meant fewer witnesses.

"There it is," Fenghuo whispered.

They arrived at an inconspicuous shop front labeled simply "General Sundries." Two half-rotted teru teru bozu (weather charms) swung from the eaves, dripping helplessly.

Inside, the shop reeked of mildew and stale smoke. The clutter of broken goods and grime suggested this place survived only with protection—no doubt Konoha's.

A raspy voice called from the shadows, "What's this? Two brats. Looking for something or just hiding from the rain?"

Kakashi and Fenghuo exchanged a glance. Kakashi stepped forward. "Are you the proprietor? What's your name?"

"Name?" the man echoed. "Haven't used it in years."

"No name, or you've forgotten it?" Kakashi pressed.

The man narrowed his eyes. Then, without a word, he formed a short series of seals. His fingers flashed in a sequence that any trained Konoha shinobi would recognize.

Kakashi answered with the corresponding signs of their cipher. "Where's the intel?"

The man turned, rummaged through a pile of decaying crates, and retrieved a sealed scroll hidden within another. A faint glimmer revealed a Fūinjutsu lock protecting the inner layer.

"This is it," the man said, handing it to them. "Don't ask why, but you kids were chosen for this job. This intel is crucial. Get it to Konoha."

Kakashi passed the scroll to Fenghuo. Unlike Kakashi, who hadn't yet mastered advanced sealing techniques, Fenghuo quickly unwrapped one of his storage scrolls and sealed the document within.

"Got it," Fenghuo nodded. "Let's move."

"Be careful." The man's figure faded into the shop's darkness.

Kakashi pushed the door open. A gust of wind and rain slammed into them.

Was it really going smoothly? Fenghuo thought. If that shopkeeper hadn't pre-secured the intel, we'd have been stuck in this ghost town for months. And if anyone had seen through us—Sand, Stone, Rain... none of them are forgiving.

He couldn't help but suspect that Danzo and the Uchiha clan might have other hidden motives. Trust was a rare commodity in the world of ninja.

"Let's get out of the Land of Rain," Kakashi muttered.

Snap.

They closed the shop door behind them. In the silence, the shopkeeper's eyes opened once more in the shadows.

The downpour showed no signs of stopping. The two Genin sprinted for ten miles without pause and eventually took shelter in a mossy cave.

Fenghuo glanced up at the weeping sky. "When will it stop…? I miss the sunny afternoons in Konoha."

From his storage scroll, he unsealed beef, skewers, seasoning, and even chopped firewood.

"…What are you doing?" Kakashi blinked in disbelief.

"Eating. I'm starving. We'll roast some beef," Fenghuo said cheerfully.

"We're still in enemy territory."

"No one will notice. The rain muffles everything."

Using a Fire Style technique—Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu—Fenghuo ignited a controlled fire. He pierced the beef with kunai and began roasting it over the flames. Smoke drifted lazily upward but was lost in the thick fog and rain outside.

Even Kakashi's stoic stomach rumbled at the smell. "Tch..."

He joined Fenghuo at the fire, kunai in hand.

Fenghuo's eyes sparkled. Maybe I can finally see what's under that mask!

But just as the beef finished cooking, Kakashi sliced off a piece, stood, and turned his back. He ate it near the cave entrance with his face hidden in shadow.

"…Coward," Fenghuo muttered under his breath.

Once they finished, the rain had lessened to a light drizzle. They packed their supplies and resumed their journey.

But something was off.

"We're being tailed!" Kakashi suddenly said.

Fenghuo activated his Sharingan. Though not as precise as the Byakugan, it allowed him to spot movement in the rain. A dozen figures pursued them at speed.

"It's Suna-nin!" Fenghuo recognized the hitai-ate marks. His heart sank. "But how? The storm should've erased our trail!"

"No time for that—just run!"

They sped up, zigzagging through the terrain, leaving shadow clones in branching directions to scatter their enemies. A few clones managed to mislead some pursuers, but the experienced ones weren't fooled.

"Sir, those two… they're just kids?" one Sand ninja muttered. "Could this be a false lead?"

"No," the Jōnin in charge sneered. "It's precisely because they're kids that they slipped past us. Don't underestimate Konoha's brats. Now shut up and catch them!"

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