Chapter Thirty-Nine: Rain

Dongye You left the underground exchange and climbed back up to the surface from the sewers. He looked up at the sky—it was overcast, as if rain was imminent.

Kakuzu followed behind, emerging from the sewers as well, still carrying the box full of money.

“Do you know how to get to the place written on the note?” Dongye You asked.

“I do,” Kakuzu replied in a muffled voice, betraying no emotion.

“That’s good.”

“How far is it from here?” Dongye You asked again.

“At my speed, we should be able to reach it in a day.”

“If we go slower, two or three days should be enough, right?”

“The war between the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Grass won’t end anytime soon. Taking our time shouldn’t make much difference.”

“Then let’s take it slow.”

“Yes.” Kakuzu had no objections.

Dongye You felt his million had been well spent. He now had a living map and someone to answer any questions about the mission at any time.

“So which way now?”

“West, through this town.”

“Alright.”

Dongye You activated his sensory ability, intending to get his bearings, but soon shut it off again.

“You lead the way.”

No point in wasting the tool he’d just paid a million for.

“Yes,” Kakuzu replied.

Though he had already yielded, there was nothing servile in his tone or demeanor. The most he would do was add a polite address to show respect.

They walked westward through the small town, mostly in silence. Dongye You was quite pleased with this arrangement.

At that moment, inspiration struck him for his own writing. The protagonist in his book should also have a tool-like companion, someone to help solve troublesome problems. But since people themselves were troublesome, why not combine the idea of a summon beast with a tool? It could be both a pet and an assistant—perfect!

Dongye You was delighted with his new idea.

Not long after, Dongye You paused suddenly as raindrops splattered across his face.

“It’s starting to rain,” he muttered softly.

“Shall we find shelter?” Kakuzu asked.

“No need.”

With that, Dongye You wrapped himself in a layer of sword energy. Kakuzu did something similar with chakra.

The rain grew heavier, leaving the streets slick and empty. Only under the eaves on either side of the road did people huddle, seeking shelter.

Each of these people looked at Dongye You and Kakuzu with curiosity—two figures strolling in the rain, yet not a drop touched them. To ordinary folk, it was nothing short of miraculous.

Dongye You and Kakuzu ignored the stares, keeping to their own pace. After about an hour, they left the town behind.

Outside the town, there was a stretch of woodland with a road cutting through the middle. The two continued along it.

Soon after, Kakuzu frowned.

“Sir, there’s something odd about this rain.”

Dongye You probed with his senses—nothing unusual at first, but on closer inspection, he noticed something peculiar mingling in the rain.

“There’s chakra in the rain?” Dongye You asked.

“Yes.”

Once Kakuzu confirmed it, Dongye You made the connection. “Rain.” “Chakra.” Wasn’t this the Rain Tiger at Will technique from the original story? The method Pain used to monitor the Land of Rain.

Pain, Kakuzu, the Akatsuki—could Pain be planning to recruit Kakuzu around this time?

Dongye You felt his luck was questionable. First, he ran into Kakuzu by pretending to be his friend, now he might run into Pain while on a mission with Kakuzu?

Still, Dongye You only mused on it. Pain, at this point, was no match for him. Even all six Pains together could only be instantly defeated.

But he didn’t see a need to do that. If the opportunity arose, joining the Akatsuki for the experience didn’t seem so bad. After all, he was out here in disguise gathering material—a wandering ninja joining some organization was hardly an unusual story.

On the other hand, joining an organization meant dealing with all sorts of restrictions and trouble.

Never mind, he’d decide when the time came. Maybe it wasn’t Pain? Maybe Pain wasn’t after Kakuzu at all?

Dongye You tried to sense further, but nothing turned up. His sensory ability was purely spiritual, so this was normal.

He decided to leave it be and let things unfold naturally.

“Don’t worry; let’s just follow the planned route,” Dongye You said to Kakuzu.

“Yes,” Kakuzu replied, relaxing a little.

———

Elsewhere.

Two figures stood in the rain. One had bright orange hair and a face studded with black rods; the other resembled a giant pitcher plant. Both wore black cloaks adorned with red clouds.

They were none other than Deva Path Pain and Zetsu, and as Dongye You guessed, they had come to recruit Kakuzu.

However, seeing an unfamiliar companion with Kakuzu, they chose not to act immediately.

“Have you found out who that man is?”

“No.”

“Could he be one of Kakuzu’s recruits?”

“Possibly. From their formation, Kakuzu is in front, the other behind. It’s clear Kakuzu is the leader.”

“In that case, his strength shouldn’t surpass Kakuzu’s. There’s no need to worry—let’s make our move.”

“Shouldn’t we observe a bit longer? That man gives me an unfathomable feeling.”

“There’s no need. Before these eyes, no one can stop me.”

With those words, Deva Path Pain headed toward Dongye You and Kakuzu. Zetsu lingered a moment, then sank into the earth, following suit.

———

“The rain has stopped.” Dongye You looked up at the sky.

“It seems that technique wasn’t aimed at us after all.”

“No,” Dongye You corrected Kakuzu. “The caster is here.”

“Hm?” Kakuzu was puzzled, but soon spotted a figure speeding toward them in the distance.

The figure stopped seven or eight meters away, and another emerged from the ground beside him.

Dongye You recognized them—Pain and Zetsu.

At the same time, he noticed his sensory ability had no effect on Zetsu.

But it made little difference; if he wished, he could still kill Zetsu in an instant.

Wait—should he do that now? The thought struck Dongye You, and the more he considered it, the more feasible it seemed.

Zetsu was the will of Kaguya Otsutsuki, notoriously difficult to eradicate, but Dongye You had recently mastered the power of the sword—a perfect counter to Zetsu. If he acted, he could destroy him completely.

Throughout the entire series, most antagonists had some tragic coloring to their stories. Dongye You had no intention of preventing their deaths, but neither did he want to kill them outright. Zetsu, however, the manipulator behind the scenes, hardly warranted any sympathy.

If he hadn’t run into him, so be it—but now, wasn’t this the perfect chance to take care of him?

Better finish him off now, before he causes trouble in the future! Dongye You made his decision.