Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 59 Dead Fish Eyes! What are you looking at!

Villagers in Konoha are already enjoying the first snowfall of the year.

At this moment, the Land of Rain is still filled with the endless, monotonous sound of rain. The thick, low-hanging clouds in the leaden sky are like a huge shroud, firmly covering the land and refusing to let in a single ray of sunlight.

However, compared to the drizzle of the previous period, the rain now has become cold and continuous, as if it is going to wash the land of rain into the mud.

Only homeless stray dogs lay crouching in the corner, tearing at something, their mouths churning.

Snap... Snap...

Seemingly hearing a sound, the wild dogs pricked up their ears alertly and bared their teeth as they stared into the misty rain.

In the distance, amidst a desolate scene, several figures emerged from the rain and mist, their faces illuminated by the light beneath their raincoats and hoods.

Kakashi Hatake, who was in the lead, suddenly raised his hand, and the people behind him stopped in their tracks.

"We have entered the Land of Rain. Everyone must keep their identities hidden."

Kakashi Hatake glanced at Hyuga Kumokawa, who was standing in the middle of the group, and reminded him, "Next, we'll be going to a place where people are gathering information. Remember, listen more and talk less."

Hinata Kumokawa naturally knew that Kakashi-senpai was reminding him, and nodded seriously in response.

"Disperse."

At Kakashi Hatake's command, the team split into groups of three and dispersed to gather intelligence.

Hyuga Kumokawa remained by Kakashi's side, as instructed by Hiruzen Sarutobi, which served as a form of protection in a way.

The four of them, including him and Kakashi, infiltrated the capital of the Land of Rain without attracting anyone's attention or vigilance. No one even glanced at them because of their attire or behavior.

Because there are very few pedestrians on the streets, and even those who are there are mostly in a hurry, wrapped in dark raincoats with their heads down, moving through the rain like ghosts.

Most of these people exuded a numbness and vigilance honed by suffering. Occasionally, one could see Rain Village ninjas wearing strange gas masks and dark uniforms. Hyuga, Kumokawa, and their companions blended in with the crowd without attracting attention.

This was Hinata Kumokawa's first time in the Land of Rain, and his eyes, hidden under his hood, surveyed his surroundings.

As far as the eye can see, there is a forest of steel, with pipes of varying thicknesses climbing up buildings that are also made of steel.

These buildings are not like ordinary dwellings, but rather structures with sharp angles and welding marks, small windows, and a gloomy atmosphere that keeps people at a distance.

Rainwater flows down the cold metal surface, gathering into murky streams in the rusty gullies, and eventually flowing into the ubiquitous puddles on the ground.

The entire city resembled a massive industrial ruin, silently weeping in the rain.

A gloomy sky, dark brown steel, murky puddles, and pedestrians dressed in dark clothing...

"This place is actually the capital of the Rain Kingdom."

Looking at the world before him, where all colors had been washed away by the rain, Hinata Kumokawa's eyes gleamed with a deep light as he spoke softly in a profound tone.

It was the complete opposite of the prosperity of Konoha and the Land of Fire.

Kakashi Hatake naturally heard his words, but only glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before looking away.

Mercy?
What a naive junior.

Jingle Bell.

Kakashi pushed open the door and entered a tavern. The brass bell on the door rang, and the condensation on the glass slid off, leaving only a few damp streaks.

Hinata Kumokawa followed behind, and as soon as he entered, he smelled a strong mixture of moisture, rust, and alcohol in the air.

Rain not only shapes the environment here, but seems to have permeated the soul of the nation.

Kakashi and his three companions sat in seats near the window, a position that allowed them to observe the outside world and escape instantly if anything unusual happened.

"Boss, another drink!"

"Ha! Cool!"

At a table in the distance, several men dressed as ninjas were drinking heavily, and no one sat near them, avoiding them at all costs.

Clearly, they were ninjas from Amegakure. Kakashi Hatake narrowed his deadpan eyes slightly as he listened intently to their conversation.

"Sigh, that woman at home has been complaining again lately." The scarred ninja took a sip of wine, exhaled the smell of alcohol, and sighed, "She keeps saying that the food rations have been decreasing lately, and if this continues, we won't be able to eat anything. She asked me what to do."

Bang!
He slammed his glass on the table and yelled, "What are we going to do? How the hell should I know what to do?!"

“That’s true.” Another long-haired ninja’s expression was equally grim. “Moreover, grain prices are rising faster and faster now, almost doubling.”

Ninjas do not engage in productive labor. For ninjas during times of war, while money is important, food to fill their stomachs is even more crucial.

For the Rain Country, where agriculture is virtually nonexistent, food is an extremely precious and important resource.

As for where the food given to the ninjas came from?

Of course, it comes from the distribution by the Daimyo of the Land of Rain. With ninjas not engaged in production, if war breaks out and trade is cut off, and the village also loses the support of the Daimyo, then Amegakure will be in dire straits.

So, where does the Daimyo of the Land of Rain get his food?

Nobody cares.

Even if they knew the people were commoners from the Land of Rain.

"Have you heard?" someone asked in a low voice, "The Land of Fire has declared war on the Land of Lightning. Is that why?"

Upon hearing this, the group fell silent. Finally, the long-haired ninja hesitated before speaking, "It shouldn't have much to do with our Amegakure, after all, the Third Shinobi World War was like that..."

"Tch, what a load of rubbish, it doesn't matter."

Before he could finish speaking, the scarred ninja, as if drunk, interrupted him, muttering, "The reason we weren't affected by the Third Shinobi World War is because of that Lord Hanzo, but he hasn't shown his face in ages, always hiding. Who knows if he's dead... ugh..."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people present changed instantly, and they reached out to cover his mouth.

"Shut up!"

"You are looking for death!"

"If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

Several people couldn't help but mutter angry curses under their breath.

However, it's uncertain who was genuinely angry at his insults towards Hanzo, and who was appalled by his bold words.

The scarred ninja regained his senses and realized what he had said, his face turning pale.

Amegakure also has an "Anbu" (secret branch of the ninja organization). If an Anbu ninja were to hear this, he would be severely injured, if not killed.

Startled, the scarred ninja instinctively turned to look around, and then saw a dead fish eye that hadn't yet retracted.

"What are you looking at! Dead fish eyes! What are you looking at?"

He stood up abruptly, his anger palpable. The bartender, startled, dropped his tray, spilling several full glasses of liquor onto the floor.

*Snap! Crack!*
The piercing sound and his menacing aura instantly silenced the entire tavern, and all the guests present fell silent.

The guests who frequented such places knew what was going to happen next, but unless there was a real conflict, ninjas generally wouldn't easily attack civilians, so they just looked at the four people at the table by the window with sympathetic and pitying eyes.

They were really just unlucky.

Rather than saying the scarred ninja was angry, it would be more accurate to say that he was shocked and furious after feeling guilty.

"..."

Hinata Kumokawa, who had kept his head down the whole time and hadn't looked at anything, turned his head slightly to look at Hatake Kakashi, who was standing next to him with dead fish eyes.

Seemingly understanding the meaning behind Hyuga Kumokawa's gaze, Hatake Kakashi couldn't help but feel somewhat ashamed.

Unexpectedly, it was his senior who made the mistake.

However, now is not the time to dwell on who made the mistake.

Because that scarred Rain Village ninja had already walked over aggressively.

(QAQ Chapter 3, please vote with monthly tickets!)

(End of this chapter)