Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 229 I want to see Lord Hanzo

At the former site of the Land of Rain, a light drizzle was falling, and the sky was overcast. Yahiko and his two companions trudged through the mud and water on their way to the battlefield.

Although only three or four years have passed, the Land of Rain before them is completely different from what they remember.

After the people left and the land became uninhabited, the traces of human activity and the buildings in the Land of Rain began to age rapidly.

Everything that exists here has been washed away by time; compared to the Rain Country in their memories, it seems as if decades have passed.

"Something suddenly feels different. Yahiko, Nagato, look, isn't that the thatched hut we built with our teacher?"

Xiao Nan pointed to a dilapidated house in the distance, with only a few rotten beams remaining. If it weren't for his vivid memory, it would be hard to imagine that these few pillars were the place where they once lived.

Yahiko, who was carrying his bag and continuing on his way, stopped and looked at the dilapidated thatched hut, as if he had been transported to another world.

He suddenly felt that everything had changed, but in reality nothing had changed, after all, their original intentions were still there, weren't they?

Yahiko remained resolute. He tightened the cloth bag around his body, turned around and smiled, saying, "In that case, let's repair the house before we leave."

"But..." Konan wanted to urge them to hurry on their way, but when he saw that they had put down their bundles and followed Yahiko into the woods to harvest straw without saying a word, he couldn't help but shake his head and say with a helpless smile, "Alright, I'm really scared of you guys."

"Wait for me!" Xiao Nan also dropped her bundle and followed closely behind. At this moment, the three of them seemed to have returned to the past.

A day later, the brand-new thatched hut was completed, exactly the same as before, except that the people living there had grown from children into teenagers.

At this moment, the sky over the Land of Rain was clear for once. The rain stopped, and the dark clouds dispersed, revealing a patch of sky.

The three people lay on the grass, gazing up at the stars in the sky.

Xiao Nan stretched out her hand and gestured towards the sky, then peered through the gaps between her fingers to see Taurus in the sky.

After a long silence, she asked, "Yahiko, can we really stop the war?"

This time, her words carried some uncertainty. Although they were quite strong, they were too young and had no reputation in the ninja world. In such a major event as a war between two countries, how could the leaders of all sides possibly believe the one-sided words of a few children?

Yahiko lay amidst the straw, turning to look at Minami with his signature bright smile.

"Of course. As long as both sides are willing to sit down and talk, as long as they are willing to understand each other..."

"What if they don't want to?" Nagato suddenly interrupted.

Yahiko paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then let them be willing. Nagato, think about it. Back then, we were able to rebuild Dawn City from the ruins, give so many orphans a home, and rekindle hope in the people of the Land of Rain. If war could end, why can't peace?"

Xiao Nan remained silent. Since taking over the finance department recently, she has been dealing with more and more government affairs, especially after Changxin arrived. She has also come to understand more and more principles and know more and more.

She wanted to say that it was because what ended the war back then wasn't understanding and negotiation, but Hanzo of the Salamander's iron-fisted methods and the military alliance between Takigakure and Amegakure. Peace is never something that can be negotiated, but something that can be fought.

But she didn't say it, because Yahiko's eyes were so bright, so bright that she couldn't bear to extinguish that flame.

Nagato, on the other side, looked at him sideways. If there were stars in his life, then Yahiko and Konan would be the brightest stars in his life.

His lips moved slightly, and he murmured softly, "It will definitely succeed. As long as Yahiko wants it, he will do everything in his power to make the negotiations a success!"

"Don't think about it anymore, let's rest. We still have a long way to go tomorrow."

As Yahiko spoke, he spread his arms and closed his eyes. Konan and Nagato also gradually closed their eyes, and the cold night wind drew them closer to each other into an embrace...

Three days later, they finally arrived at the old capital of the Land of Rain.

In the distance, two military camps faced each other.

To the southwest lies the territory of Sunagakure, with rows of earthen-yellow tents stretching out, and patrolling ninjas faintly visible in the sandstorm.

To the northeast lies the defensive line of Amegakure Village. The sky is overcast with continuous rain and dark clouds, and below are rolling hills and forests. The battlefield seems to be monopolized by the dark clouds in the sky and the mountains below, forming two sides.

"Let's go find Lord Hanzo!" Yahiko said confidently, carrying a cloth bag on his back.

Xiao Nan asked with some surprise, "Are we just going to go like this?"

What she actually wanted to ask was, "Shouldn't we make any more preparations?"

Yahiko Takamichi: "Of course not."

After saying that, he took out a letter from his pocket.

"This is a peace proposal I wrote, with signatures from some citizens of Dawn City. Lord Hanzo is the leader of the Land of Rain; surely he should listen to the voices of his people?"

Nagato and Konan exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes, but they still followed.

The Amegakure camp was heavily guarded, and the three were stopped as soon as they approached.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

"I am Yahiko of Dawn Castle, and I wish to see Lord Hanzo."

Yahiko handed over the letter, "This is a peace proposal from all the people of our city. Please pass it on to Lord Hanzo."

The guard took the letter, glanced at it, and sneered, "Just you wait."

They waited for an entire day. From noon until evening, and from evening until late at night. Yahiko stood outside the camp the whole time, refusing to leave.

Nagato and Konan stayed by his side, watching the lights in the distance go out one by one.

Late at night, someone finally came out. It wasn't Hanzo, but a ninja wearing a mask.

"Lord Hanzo asked me to tell you: war is not something you children should concern yourselves with. Go back and stay put, and don't cause any more trouble."

Yahiko grew anxious and stepped forward, saying, "But war kills so many people! Our Land of Rain has only just emerged from the shadows; we cannot afford to fall into war again..."

"I told you, this isn't your business," the masked ninja said impatiently. "If you've chosen to join the battle, we welcome you anytime and will assign you squads and surveillance or combat missions. If not, please leave!"

The masked ninja spoke politely, but his actions were anything but, clearly demonstrating his ability to kill.

When Nagato saw him make a move that nearly knocked Yahiko down, he immediately turned cold and stood in front of Yahiko. Although his long hair covered his eyes, it could not hide his hostile and defensive gaze.

"Nagato, it's alright," Yahiko said with a smile, rubbing his shoulder. "Let's leave first. Everything is difficult at the beginning. If it were that easy, wouldn't peace be too simple?"