Naruto: Rebuilding the Hidden Sand Village

Land of Rain.

It was still raining—unceasing, as always.

Kabuto had previously investigated information about other nations. For instance, the Land of Fire had the most fertile land, something even the First Kazekage had been deeply envious of.

So when he arrived here and saw it raining for an entire week straight, he wasn't surprised.

Back in Sunagakure, water was a precious commodity. But here in the Land of Rain… floods were the problem. Many farmlands had already been washed away, and due to years of civil war, much of the country's arable land had long been abandoned.

Take the last week for example—

He'd seen plenty of ruined homes, but not a single soul.

Maybe it was because this area bordered the Land of Fire, and due to the Rain Village's policy of isolation and sealed borders, very few people lived nearby.

Kabuto didn't pay it much mind. He hadn't returned with the merchant caravan simply because he wanted to scout the state of the Land of Rain—and along the way, collect some timber to make puppets.

The Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu had already been handed down to him by Chiyo-sensei.

But those things were infamous—they drew attention like flies to carrion. In her early years, Chiyo-sensei had been a ruthless figure, destroying entire cities at the slightest provocation. If he used them recklessly and ran into one of her old enemies… what then?

He might be young, but he wasn't stupid.

As a puppeteer, his first priority was self-preservation. Only by staying alive could he manipulate puppets to kill others. That's why the body he was using now… wasn't even his real one—it was a puppet.

He examined the terrain. Judging by the battlefield marks, the fight had happened just days ago. Although the rain had washed away much of the traces, shattered stones and broken trees don't lie.

And then—

"Four people, huh?" Puppet-Kabuto narrowed his eyes and murmured, "And strong ones too."

At least jōnin-level. Especially the gouged ground and the remaining tissue… that had definitely come from a snake.

"A snake that big… could it be Konoha's rogue ninja, Orochimaru?"

He remembered Jiraiya asking him last time if he'd seen signs of the former Leaf sannin, suspecting that Orochimaru had slipped into the Land of Wind. Given how poor and sparsely populated the country was, it made an ideal hiding place. Trying to find someone there wasn't easy.

Jiraiya had traveled for this very reason—to drag his old friend back to the village. Though… he hadn't even made it out of the Land of Fire before blowing all his money on "fast food" and overnight packages. Multiple times a night.

But he still expressed total confidence in bringing his old teammate home.

Puppet-Kabuto's lips curved in a small smile, eyes narrowing behind his glasses.

"He's probably been kicked out by now."

As if he'd ever hand over intel on Aunt Kana or Sunagakure to a foreign ninja—dream on!

After a quick sweep confirming there were no more leads, Kabuto continued forward, controlling his puppet body. As for Konoha's rogue ninja?

What did that have to do with a puppeteer from Sunagakure?

"Aunt Karura should be giving birth soon…"

Shame he wouldn't make it back in time. And Temari… who knew how she was doing in that pre-academy class now?

Before he left the village, he'd heard there was a prodigy in the pre-academy class, some kid named Daimaru. The school and instructors had high hopes for him.

"When I get back, I'll bring a gift for Temari to celebrate her starting school. That should keep her from getting mad at me."

He adjusted his glasses, smiling.

"As for Kankurō… a new puppet will do. That kid loves puppets. Always plays with Temari's dolls."

"And the last one… not sure yet if it's a boy or a girl~."

He figured Aunt Kana would be worried sick if she knew he was out wandering like this. Hopefully, the Kazekage had told her—he'd made sure someone delivered a letter to him for that exact reason.

Kabuto kept his puppet walking forward. He still had no idea what had happened in the Land of Rain. Even though they'd shut themselves off, it was still odd that he hadn't encountered a single ninja.

Was their security really this lax?

Not that he was complaining—it made things much easier for him. He'd originally planned to travel through the Land of Rain to return to Sunagakure, since the two countries bordered each other. And the Land of Rain… had plenty of water.

He wanted to see if that could be useful to the Sand Village.

"Forget it. I'll find somewhere to rest, then head back directly."

Just as he finished speaking—

Clip-clop, clip-clop…

Horse hooves?

And… was that a wagon?

Kabuto paused, raising an eyebrow. Then a faint smile touched his lips as he tidied his puppet's appearance.

"Perfect timing. I'm already tired. Might as well hitch a ride."

Meanwhile, on the other side.

"Tch… those eyes are terrifying."

Orochimaru lay in a damp cave, his skin pale and bluish. Blood oozed from his waist as he clutched the wound. He licked his lips, squinting.

"Jiraiya really has some unbelievable luck. Whether it's those three kids… or Namikaze Minato… they're all geniuses."

If he hadn't fled in time, he might've really died in a gutter this time.

So—

"This can't get out. If Jiraiya hears about it… I can already imagine the smug look on that idiot's face."

At most… when that fool comes begging me to return, I'll consider going easy on him.

After simply treating the wound, Orochimaru stood up. Fortunately, it wasn't too serious—otherwise he'd be busy again this time. Not to mention the sacrifice he owed to Manda...

"So troublesome."

He licked his tongue again, stepped into the rain outside the cave, and looked in the direction of the Amegakure.

The alliance between the Land of Rain and Sunagakure… if it were just some minor nation, Konoha might not care. But if it involved the Rinnegan… and if Danzo failed his ambush...

"The old man's going to have a hell of a headache."

He chuckled quietly.

"Ah well. None of this is my concern anymore. Those three brats would really kill me if I stuck around. I'd better find a safe place to hide quickly."

Still… the Rinnegan…

"I'm very curious~."

...

"Hahaha! You from outside?"

The one driving the cart was a short-haired middle-aged man in a straw coat and conical hat. He laughed heartily.

"Rain ninja won't come this way anymore. Don't ask me, this old man doesn't know either, I just remember there was a big battle in Amegakure some time ago."

"The day before yesterday?"

"Nah~, it's been over a month already. Ever since then, you hardly see Rain ninja out this way."

The middle-aged man chuckled, shaking his head.

"It's been nice, actually—peaceful for once. But kid, don't wander too far. There are still places in the Land of Rain that aren't safe."

"A big battle… and it's still unstable?" Kabuto frowned, thinking for a moment. He looked back up. "Uncle Mizogure, where are you headed?"

It looked like something serious had happened in the Land of Rain—something that forced Hanzō the Salamander, that so-called demigod of the ninja world, to pull back his forces.

(I'll have to be careful from now on.)

But—

"Me?" Mizogure gave a weathered smile, tinged with yearning. "The Land of Rain's been in chaos… for far too long."

He sighed deeply, shaking his head.

"I heard there's work being offered somewhere. Food and pay included. I'm heading there to see if it's true."

He let out another sigh.

"Sure hope it is."

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin