Hey guys! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I loved writing it.
The members of Team 7 started heading towards The Hidden Rain Village after taking most of the day by discussing the plan before arriving to the village disguised as travelers, hiding their true identities to avoid bringing attention to themselves.
They had already managed to infiltrate the outskirts of the village, blending in with large body of water that wraps itself around them, a jutsu that was currently being performed by Konohamaru.
Water Style: Water Dome Jutsu
Konohamaru stops, causing the members to stop walking as well. "We've made it this far without being detected by any of the shinobi in the village... It's gonna get worse beyond this point so make sure to not let your guard down under any circumstance."
All three of them nod in response.
"As we've discussed before we will be infiltrating the village in teams of two to avoid suspicions. Itachi and Kenzō, the two of you will act a civilians and gather as much information as you guys can. Hanae and I we'll be keeping an eye on the two of you from afar, Her eyes would blow our cover before we even know it. But do not worry, if the moment comes where the two of you get in trouble I will be there to pull you guys out of it." He said with a reassuring smile as he pats the two boys on the back. "Now, good luck guys."
Itachi and Kenzō nod before walking away.
Kenzō looks over to Itachi who had a mysterious aura surrounding him. "Everything alright, Itachi?" He asks.
"Yes, I'm just focused on the mission, it's all." Itachi replies to Kenzō's concerns.
He wanted to ask him further but decided not to. "Make sure to not look so focused on the mission, it may draw attention to us if they see someone looking as serious as you are right now."
Itachi looks at Kenzō to meet a pair of licorice colored eyes staring at him. Itachi couldn't tell due to Kenzō's face mask but he was smiling at him.
As they get to the entrance of the village, they're suddenly stopped by a tall muscular figure who deadly stared at the two.
The two remained quiet, waiting for the man in front of them to speak.
"Konohamaru sensei, it seems like those two have already gotten themselves in trouble, a man has stopped them by the entrance of the village." Hanae says as she looked at Itachi and Kenzō with her byakugan.
Konohamaru was at a disbelief, "What? Already?" He began to feel frustrated. -I thought that sending those two was better and more reliable than sending Hanae with one of them.- he thought to himself before taking a deep breath and turning to look at Hanae "let's not jump the gun yet, let's see what happens first before I step in."
Kenzō had already reached for the kunai on his back pocket while Itachi had already waved signs with his left hand.
"Have you guys seen a cat around by any chance?" The tall man began to laugh as he nervously scratches the back of his head.
Kenzō let's go of the kunai that was in his pocket and mentally sighs in relief while Itachi drops the hand sign.
"No, we haven't seen any cats around." Itachi said calmly.
"Ok, thanks for the help!" The tall man says before walking away from the two boys.
They look at each other and nod before continuing their mission.
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Meanwhile, somewhere inside The Village Hidden in the Rain a woman holding an ill child on her arms cried "Lord Hideyoshi, please spare my child from my debt! Please allow her to be treated by the medical team of the village!" The woman cried as she dropped to his knees with her child on her arms.
Before Hideyoshi became the head of the village, this woman radiated extreme beauty, elegance, light, and was desired by those around her, but she only had eyes for her husband; a man that bravely lost his life being the bodyguard of Lord Hideyoshi. Once she became a widow, Hideyoshi began to harass and to tarnish the woman's reputation in the village, making her life impossible until she accepts to marry him and become his wife. With no way out of the village, with no family or friends to support her. Everyone in the village had turned their backs on her, the woman had no other choice but to do whatever she could so that her and her child could live another day.
A sinister smirk appears on Hideyoshi's face as he looks down on the wailing woman. "I'm afraid that I can't do that, Homura... however, if you finally accept to marry me once and for all perhaps your life and your child's could take a turn for the better." Hideyoshi bends one knee and lifts the woman's chin with his finger. The light that once radiated from the amber colored eyes was now long gone and even he could tell. Nonetheless he wasn't going to stop until he gets what he wants.
"A pretty flower like you deserves to be treated like only I know to... all you have to do is say yes to me and this nightmare you and your child have been under will disappear in a blink of an eye."
Homura stared blankly into Hideyoshi's eyes in disbelief.
"You're a disgusting monster Lord Hideyoshi!" She says angrily as she stands up with her child that now began to cry. "How can you be so cruel? My child has nothing to do with this, yet you choose not to spare her so that I may change my mind and accept you as a husband?" The woman could barely stand strong but her tone was as sharp as a sword made by the Gods. "Then listen to me clearly! I, Homura Fukuyama, will not even accept you as a man for as long as I live!" The woman then turns around and begins to walk away.
Hideyoshi begins to laugh, "Then the fate of your child is sealed, may she Rest In Peace when the time comes!" He shouted.
Homura ignored the words of Hideyoshi and continued to walk away while holding her crying child tightly as the rain poured on them. "Don't worry Hinami, mom will find a way to help you get better." Tears began to fall down her cheeks as a strong feeling of sadness pierced her heart and throat. "I promise I won't let you down." She reassured to her crying child.
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Kenzō and Itachi have been walking around the Hidden Rain Village for the past two hours with little to no information on who was now in charge of the village. Everywhere they went to was heavily guarded by shinobi of the village which caused the two boys to be extra careful of who and where to ask.
"We can't just leave this place with just the name of the leader of this village, I'm sure there must be someone who is able to give us more information without risking ourselves further." Kenzō says as they walked by long abandoned alley.
"I agree, let's keep searching around... if we don't find anything else during the next hour we get back to the others and report what we have at the very least." Itachi replies.
As the two walked forward a woman holding a child at the distance catches their sight as the woman falls to the ground with its child.
The two rush towards the woman and the now crying child. "Hey, are you ok?" Itachi asks as he tries to help the woman get up.
"Get away from me!" The woman yells. Her eyes suddenly open wide in reaction as she notices the two boys. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." She confessed, her child's crying ceased.
Itachi looks at the woman, it was clear that she was poor, her clothing was long worn but that wasn't what caught his attention. "You're injured, can I treat it?" Itachi asks as he looks at her ankle.
"You're a medical ninja?" The woman drops to her knees, while holding the head of her child. "Please, treat my child, I will do anything if you help my child." She pleaded.
"Of course, I will see how I can help, but please stand up." Itachi said, anxious by the woman's actions while Kenzō prayed in his mind that it didn't draw anyones attention to them.
Once they arrive to her house Homura lays Hinami on the bed and drys her with a towel.
"May I?" Itachi asks.
Homura nods as she takes a step back to allow Itachi to treat Hanami.
Itachi carefully inspects Hinami who was now quietly staring at him. "Can you get me a bowl of water?" He asks Homura.
She nods in response before walking out of the room.
Kenzō crosses his arms as he keeps staring at Itachi, "are you sure you're able to do this?"
Itachi turns his head towards Kenzō and smiles at him for the first time. "If I wasn't able to I wouldn't even consider myself a medical ninja."
It was the first time that Itachi had ever smiled at anyone in a while let alone at Kenzō.
Homura comes back with a bowl of water and places it by the nightstand, "Will this do?"
Itachi nods, "This will do just fine." He says as he begins to wave signs before placing his right hand on the bowl of water.
Ninja Art: Delicate Illness Extraction
The water attaches to Itachi's hand, making a shape of a sphere. He slowly drags the sphere of water towards Hanami's body. He look at Homura, "This May sting a little so please make sure to keep the child from doing abruptly moving." He says.
Kenzō and Homura assist Itachi by restraining the child's limbs with their hands.
"Okay, I will now begin." With that said, Itachi begins to slowly insert the water inside of Hinami's body.
Hinami begins to cry as she begins to feel the stingy sensation of the water moving inside her body.
"The illness was about to make contact with her vital organs, thankfully we're taking action on it just in time. Otherwise she would had days left at most." Itachi said bluntly.
Tears began to fall from Homura's cheeks "thank you so much!"
Itachi continued to extract the illness until he was sure that the virus was fully extracted from Hinami's body before slowly taking the water with the virus out of her body.
"It's done, now you have to make sure that she gets enough rest so try not expose her too much for the time being." He says.
"I am forever in your debt, if there's anyway that I could help you please let me know."
Kenzō gets closer to the two, "actually there might be... would you be willing to answer some questions for us?" He asks.
Homura blankly stares at the two before coming back to her senses, "sure, please ask away." She smiles at them.
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