From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 462 The Storm is Brewing: Rain Village

A light rain enveloped the village, and its unique style, with its steel pipes everywhere, was truly one of a kind, even in the entire ninja world.

This is Amegakure, a village that suddenly rose to prominence after the Third Shinobi World War.

White Zetsu pressed down the brim of his straw hat, then concealed his aura and spirituality, blending into the passing caravans and silently infiltrating Amegakure.

Once inside, the village was quite nice, with a dedicated drainage system. Even on rainy days, the streets were still bustling with people, their faces beaming with warm smiles as they greeted passing caravans and pedestrians. The whole village exuded a vibrant and prosperous atmosphere.

Bai Jue casually picked an izakaya, lifted the curtain and went in: "Boss, bring me some specialty dishes and a pot of sake."

In izakayas like this, the dining area is usually separated from the owner by only one table, a unique Japanese style that allows diners to see the cooking process and fosters a closer relationship.

Bai Jue took off his straw hat and raincoat, placed them aside, and sat down on the stool.

Since it wasn't evening yet, he was the only one in the izakaya. The owner responded and turned to get busy.

Before long, several delicate side dishes and a bottle of sake were brought out.

"Your dishes are all ready, please enjoy your meal," the owner said warmly.

"It's been so many years since I've been here. I never imagined that Amegakure would change so much."

Bai Jue's true intention was not in the wine; his eyes subtly turned pale gold, subtly influencing his boss.

"of course!"

The shopkeeper found the person in front of him increasingly endearing and began to talk incessantly about the changes in Rain Village.

Since the Akatsuki eliminated Hanzo and took full control of Amegakure, the entire village has been revitalized.

The dark clouds that had always shrouded Amegakure seemed to have become less oppressive. The people who used to live here seemed to have had their souls stolen, but in just over a decade, under the Akatsuki's series of policies, the people's lives have been greatly improved.

During the Third Shinobi World War, the five great ninja villages suffered heavy losses, but Amegakure, under the leadership of Akatsuki, took the opportunity to annex a large tract of fertile land from Sunagakure.

Furthermore, taking advantage of the significant loss of elite forces in Sunagakure, Amegakure finally broke the decades-long stalemate and rose to prominence at an astonishing pace.

All of this is thanks to the Akatsuki!
If it weren't for the Akatsuki's powerful forces that repeatedly repelled Sunagakure, Amegakure would probably have long since returned to its former miserable state of being oppressed by powerful nations.

Now, under the Akatsuki's influence, everyone in the Rain Village has hope on their faces.

"So, the Akatsuki organization is really powerful."

Bai Jue held his wine glass and said meaningfully, "In such a short time, they have brought about earth-shattering changes to Amegakure. If I had the chance, I would really like to meet them."

"Haha, that's impossible, don't even think about it."

The boss shook his head and said, "No one has ever seen a member of the Akatsuki. Everyone says they are like ghosts, but if you dare to break the rules, they will suddenly appear and punish you. Ordinary people can't see them."

"I see a very tall tower in the village. What is it used for?" Bai Jue asked.

"You mean that tower? I heard the 'angel' is there." The shopkeeper scratched his head and said, "Ordinary people aren't allowed to go there. If you want to visit, I suggest you go somewhere else."

Angel?

Bai Jue smiled, downed the drink in his glass, and then took out a few banknotes: "Thank you for your hospitality, boss."

"Alright, take care, sir."

The boss smiled and waved.

But when he actually did it, a look of confusion crossed his face: "Huh? That's strange, what was I just doing?"

After 'deleting' the boss's memories to ensure he wouldn't be exposed, White Zetsu put his straw hat back on, donned his raincoat, and swaggered down the streets of Amegakure.

"It is now certain that there are members of the 'Twilight Hermits' within the Akatsuki organization."

Through the misty rain, White Zetsu's gaze fell upon the towering pagoda in the center of Amegakure, a hint of coldness in his eyes: "Very good, another one found. But where exactly did Adam hide Groselle's Travelogue?"

The only clue it knew was that the 'Travels of Grosser' was hidden in Amegakure. But where exactly it was hidden, it didn't know.

"It's okay, no matter how well you hide it, I can still dig it out!"

Bai Jue sneered and quietly controlled the surrounding pedestrians, implanting a thought into them.

Rain Village, the tall tower.

Looking at the overcast sky and the continuous drizzle, and the Rain Village shrouded in it, Konan felt uneasy.

"Xiao Nan, you've been looking around the village a lot lately, is something on your mind?"

Wearing a black robe with red clouds, Nagato slowly emerged from the shadows behind him, asking with a worried expression.

"It's okay, I hope I'm just overthinking it."

Xiao Nan sighed, shook her head, but did not reveal her true feelings.

"You've sacrificed so much for Amegakure, Konan." Nagato looked at the somewhat haggard Konan, a hint of heartache in his eyes: "No matter what happens, I will always stand firmly by your side."

"Has anyone been suspicious lately?"

Xiao Nan suddenly asked.

Although he didn't know the purpose, Nagato still said truthfully, "Aside from some spies sent from other villages, there are basically no suspicious people."

His Rain Tiger Free Technique allows him to infuse chakra into the rain, thereby sensing everyone who enters the village and identifying those with ill intentions, such as spies.

"Thank you for your help these past few days. Please keep a close eye on things."

Xiao Nan frowned slightly, but still felt uneasy, so she spoke.

"Is it an enemy?"

Nagato frowned and said in a deep voice, "It's related to your disappearance last time, isn't it?"

Last time, Konan suddenly left Amegakure. When she returned, she looked like she had been through a fierce battle, and her whole body exuded an extremely uncomfortable aura.

He stayed in his room for three whole days before coming out, which made him very worried.

"Don't ask so many questions, Nagato."

Konan bit her lip lightly and shook her head gently in Nagato's disappointed gaze: "Thank you for your hard work these past few days. I have something to do, so I'll be going now."

Having said that, before Nagato could speak, she vanished in the form of a piece of paper.

In the secret room deep within the tower, the missing pieces of paper reassemble themselves.

This is the most secluded place in the entire Rain Village; even Nagato doesn't know about it.

Xiao Nan took a deep breath, lit the lamp in her hand, and went deeper into the dark pipe until she arrived at the dilapidated iron gate.

She placed her palm on the iron gate, and a trace of spirituality emanated from it.

Then, the iron gate turned into a dark blue water curtain. Without hesitation, Xiao Nan stepped into the water curtain.

The space inside the iron gate was large, and the room was brightly lit.

Xiao Nan arrived at the altar at the deepest part of the room, gazing at the book bound with parchment, its dark brown cover bearing a line of mysterious text.

"Lord Adam, I've been feeling quite uneasy lately."

Her eyes reflected the book as she whispered, "Did you sense something and that's why you sent this warning to me?"

(End of this chapter)