Chapter 236: Reunion in the Rain
Before the final Konoha unit withdrew from the Land of Rain, Ragnar made one last trip.
He went to search for Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.
This time, however, he was not alone.
Tsunade and Orochimaru accompanied him.
The situation was quite different from what history would have once been.
In the original timeline, only Jiraiya had formed a bond with those three children of the Rain Country.
But now things had changed.
Among the Sannin, Jiraiya had never become their teacher.
Instead, Ragnar had taken that role.
Which meant the path their lives would take in the future might change as well.
Perhaps Jiraiya would never sacrifice himself chasing the truth about Pain.
Perhaps the tragedy that once haunted the ninja world could be avoided.
Or perhaps fate would simply take another path.
Only time could answer that question.
Rain fell steadily across the Land of Rain.
Gray clouds covered the sky, and the ground was soaked with mud.
The three shinobi walked along a narrow path that grew increasingly remote.
Few civilians traveled here.
After a while, Tsunade frowned.
"Yechen," she said, brushing rainwater from her hair, "why would your students live somewhere this remote?"
Before Ragnar could answer, Orochimaru spoke calmly.
"The more remote the location, the safer it is."
"War rarely reaches places like this."
Ragnar nodded.
"That's correct."
Tsunade sighed but said nothing further.
The constant rain and gloomy atmosphere of the Land of Rain made anyone irritable.
Eventually, the path led them into a forest clearing.
Beyond the trees lay a small basin hidden within the woods.
A few wooden houses stood quietly on the open ground.
"Here we are," Ragnar said.
He stopped walking.
From several dozen meters away, the three children were already visible.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were practicing ninjutsu in front of the houses.
Yahiko and Konan did not notice Ragnar's presence at first.
But Nagato suddenly froze.
His body stiffened.
His hidden pupils widened beneath the curtain of red hair.
"…Teacher."
His hoarse voice broke the quiet rain.
Konan and Yahiko turned in confusion.
"What are you talking about, Nagato?"
Nagato slowly raised his hand and pointed.
"Teacher Yechen."
Yahiko followed his gaze.
The moment he saw Ragnar standing in the rain, his face lit up instantly.
"Teacher!"
Tears appeared in his eyes before he even realized it.
Konan clasped her hands in front of her chest, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Teacher!"
Yahiko shouted loudly and waved both arms.
For a brief moment, Ragnar—who rarely smiled—let out a genuine smile.
A warm one.
Not forced.
Orochimaru noticed immediately.
"Ye-kun is smiling," he murmured thoughtfully.
The three Konoha shinobi walked toward the houses.
Yahiko ran forward first.
He threw his arms around Ragnar without hesitation.
"Teacher!"
Tears and laughter mixed together like a child who had been reunited with family.
Although Ragnar was not much older than him, Yahiko had long regarded him as the most respected figure in his life.
That would never change.
Nagato stood nearby, trembling slightly.
"Teacher…"
His voice was quiet and hoarse.
He was not good at expressing emotions.
But the relief in his eyes was obvious.
Konan stood beside him, blushing slightly, her bright eyes shining with joy.
Ragnar looked at the three of them calmly.
Many words could have been spoken.
But in the end, he only said one sentence.
"It's good that you're safe."
For Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, that was more than enough.
Meeting again after surviving the war was the happiest moment they could imagine.
Orochimaru observed them quietly.
"These children are impressive," he said softly.
"They already possess chakra comparable to a chunin."
"Very promising talent."
His snake-like eyes showed clear interest.
Ragnar remained expressionless.
He glanced briefly at Nagato.
The boy's red hair still covered his eyes completely.
That was intentional.
It prevented anyone from easily noticing the Rinnegan hidden beneath.
As long as Nagato kept his head lowered, Orochimaru would not discover it.
And even if he did…
The Orochimaru of this era was far from powerful enough to seize such a power.
Only then did the three children notice the other two shinobi standing behind Ragnar.
Ragnar introduced them briefly.
"These are my companions."
"Tsunade."
"Orochimaru."
Tsunade immediately stepped forward.
"Companions?"
She crossed her arms.
"I'm his sister."
"If you're Yechen's students, then you're my students too."
Her tone was as domineering as ever.
Yahiko and Konan quickly bowed politely.
"Hello, Tsunade-nee!"
"Hello, Orochi-nee!"
"My name is Yahiko."
"This is Konan, and that's Nagato."
Tsunade blinked.
"Wait…"
"What did you just call him?"
Her eyes widened.
"Orochi… sister?"
Even Ragnar was momentarily speechless.
Orochimaru remained perfectly calm.
"That lively child," he said softly, "seems to have misunderstood something."
"I am a man."
"WHAT?!"
Yahiko's face instantly turned red with embarrassment.
He wished the ground would swallow him whole.
To be fair, the mistake was understandable.
Orochimaru's pale skin, slender figure, and eerie snake-like eyes often gave him an ambiguous appearance.
Combined with Yahiko's assumptions, it was easy to misunderstand.
Trying to escape the awkward situation, Yahiko quickly grabbed Nagato's arm.
"Nagato!"
"Stop hiding back there."
"Come meet the teacher's companions."
Nagato hesitated.
"…Mm."
His red hair still hid his eyes.
His body trembled slightly.
Seeing Ragnar again filled him with joy.
But another memory lingered deep inside him.
The day his parents died.
Killed by shinobi.
Killed by Konoha ninja.
Those shinobi had worn the same forehead protectors now visible on Tsunade and Orochimaru.
Every time Nagato saw that symbol…
The memory returned.
He tried to suppress the hatred.
He told himself that Ragnar was different.
But the pain remained.
And when Yahiko suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him forward—
Nagato's heart began to race uncontrollably.
The past and present were about to collide.
End of Chapter
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