Splash…
Above Konoha, as the aftermath of the battle faded, the rain didn't stop.
Instead—
It grew even heavier.
Before long, it merged into a roaring downpour.
The sunlight was completely swallowed by thick clouds.
And the Hokage Tower?
It was gone.
Completely gone.
Where it once stood, only a smoking crater remained.
So deep that the bottom couldn't even be seen.
Anyone unfamiliar with the situation might think a meteor had fallen from the sky and smashed into the village.
Broken bricks, shattered wood, and blackened debris floated in muddy rainwater.
The air carried the smell of burnt earth and wet soil—
But even stronger was the clean scent of rain.
It almost felt as though the heavens themselves knew this place needed to be washed clean.
This rain, however, no longer carried the bone-chilling cold from before.
Only coolness remained.
At the edge of the crater, Uchiha Kai sat cross-legged casually.
His black Uchiha war fan robe remained spotless.
Not even a drop of water touched it.
Every raindrop evaporated into mist three feet from his body.
Even sitting at the muddy edge of the pit, not a speck of dirt reached him.
Under the raging rain, faint black light particles flowed around him like an invisible membrane—
Protecting him.
Isolating him from everything.
Kai narrowed his eyes and exhaled comfortably.
Anyone watching might think he had just stepped out of a hot spring.
All around him, the ninjas of Konoha still hadn't fully recovered.
They stood nearly two kilometers away, secretly stretching their necks to look.
Some realized something had changed.
Others didn't understand anything at all.
But none of them dared to approach.
Even though the strange phenomenon had disappeared…
Even though the Shinigami above had vanished…
The lingering fear remained.
That bone-piercing chill had been impossible to forget.
At the center of the battlefield, however—
Several people still remained.
Across the crater—
Uchiha Fugaku's dark Susanoo skeleton had not completely dissipated.
But the rain had punched holes through it.
From afar, it looked like it had been riddled with bullets.
Carefully, Fugaku used the giant skeletal hand to pull Sasuke and Naruto out from beneath collapsed beams and rubble.
The two boys had done well.
They had endured until the final moment of the battle on their own.
Especially Sasuke.
He surprised Fugaku the most.
This son who once did nothing but chase dogs had relied purely on his pride to endure until the very end.
Now he looked like a drowned cat.
His soaked black hair clung to his pale cheeks.
His lips had turned purple from the cold.
Yet even like this—
He stubbornly refused to step into Naruto's embrace.
He would not borrow the Nine-Tails' power.
Naruto, on the other hand, looked less miserable.
But the cloak of Nine-Tails chakra around him flickered constantly.
Like a faulty light bulb.
Seeing Sasuke beside him inside the Susanoo, Naruto scratched his head and grinned.
"Sasuke! Come here, warm up!"
Even flickering, the chakra radiated intense heat.
He wanted Sasuke to feel better.
But Sasuke only crossed his arms and lifted his chin proudly.
"Shut up, you dead last!"
"I—I'm Uchiha Sasuke!"
"How could I possibly need your fox tail!"
His teeth were chattering from the cold.
But his words remained stubbornly firm.
Nearby, Gaara glanced at the two of them with disdain.
Then he looked at the sand umbrella floating above his head.
His green eyes flickered slightly.
"Idiots."
"Don't you know how to use an umbrella in weather like this?"
Even though the strange rain had been dangerous—
It didn't corrode objects.
Not even his sand.
"Just as I thought…"
"Konoha is full of fools."
After reaching that conclusion, Gaara slowly walked toward the ruins of the Hokage Tower.
His father's body lay somewhere inside the crater, half buried beneath debris.
He intended to take it home.
Farther away along the street—
Nara Shikaku was shouting so loudly his voice nearly cracked.
He was already directing the ANBU to secure the area and clear the streets.
Beside him, Kakashi hung weakly over Guy's shoulder.
He looked completely drained.
After using Kamui several times earlier, he had burned through the last of his chakra.
Right now—
Even if someone placed the newest collector's edition of Icha Icha Paradise in front of him—
He probably wouldn't bother opening it.
Of course…
That might also have something to do with being twenty-five years old.
Kakashi had just reached that awkward age.
The fact that he lasted this long was already impressive.
Meanwhile, Yamato worked tirelessly like a machine.
Forming seals repeatedly, he summoned sturdy wooden vines that dragged several unlucky survivors out from under collapsed structures.
It looked chaotic.
And in truth—
It absolutely was chaotic.
Hiss… hiss…
At the edge of the crater, several small white snakes slithered through the rain.
Their slender bodies moved smoothly across the wet ground.
But just as they were about to leave—
A hand suddenly appeared in front of them.
A red hand.
"Hiss?"
Kai slowly clenched his fingers.
A smile spread across his face.
"Orochimaru-senpai."
"How about we chat for ten minutes?"
"Hiss… heh heh…"
Seeing his true identity exposed, Orochimaru wasn't the least bit flustered.
He reverted to human form.
His long tongue slid across his lips as he smiled.
"Uchiha Kai…"
"I'm also… very curious about you."
"Oh?"
Kai tilted his head.
"How curious?"
"Hiss—uh…?"
Orochimaru's tongue froze mid-flick.
The smile on his face stiffened.
How was he supposed to answer that?
Was he supposed to say—
That Orochimaru wanted Kai's body?
That might sound a little too direct.
After a brief pause, Orochimaru simply chuckled darkly.
"Just joking, Kai-kun."
"I have matters to attend to."
"If you ever have time, come visit the Sound Village."
He turned to leave.
Only now had Orochimaru fully realized something.
Konoha's current situation was terrifying.
The First Hokage was exhausted.
The Second Hokage had been dragged away.
The Third Hokage had been sent to the Pure Land.
If he stayed here any longer—
He might actually be in danger.
After all, Uchiha Kai did not look like someone easy to deal with.
Seriously—
What kind of normal person refused to let go even of a Shinigami's arm?
But then—
Kai spoke again.
And Orochimaru's raised foot froze in midair.
"Orochimaru-senpai…"
"What if I told you I support your experiments?"
"Or better yet…"
"The current Konoha will fully support all of your research."
Tap.
Orochimaru's foot stopped completely.
His pale face flushed with an unnatural red.
But Kai wasn't finished.
"And…"
"I've also found you the perfect Edo Tensei body."
"And one more thing."
Kai smiled faintly.
"I can give you the arm of the Shinigami projection for research."
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