Chapter 3: Terrible jutsu-Thoughtless Dreams
When Rain returned to the campsite, Zin wasn't around. "Hmm, wonder where he went" he said to himself. Rain was pretty tired and he still hasn't had any luck finding Saito. He yawned and put out the campfire. He was just going to end his night. Surely Saito didn't do anything foolish and Zin should get back quickly. He unpacked some blankets and lay down. But to Rain's dismay, he was quickly awakened by two shuriken embedded in his left thigh. He scrambled to his feet, but hobbled. He heard two more whistling weapons coming straight at him. He managed to duck down. He sure wished Zin was here. His good hearing and sight would be helpful. "Wait, where is Zin?" asked Rain to himself. Was he captured? Killed? Where was Saito? Too many questions needed to be answered and he didn't have the time. Rain jumped onto a tree branch and did the hand signs to perform his Dancing Cyclone jutsu. In the Land of Water, Rain was known as the Storm Ninja due to his ability to use his chakra to manipulate water, lightning or wind, depending on the weather. It was well known that during a storm, Rain was almost impossible to beat. The wind started to pick up and it blew all the surrounding areas beneath him. He heard someone struggling and cursing in the bushes to his left, about 4 yards away. He jumped toward the area and concentrated wind toward his assailant. Sure enough he saw a figure caught in the pounding wind. But his cries of pain sounded familiar. The assailant fell to the floor and Rain pinned him with a kunai knife at his throat. But to his surprise, he saw the glassy eyes of his brother Zin. "What?!" cried Rain. He heard more shuriken coming his way. He countered all of them with his knife, but that gave enough time for Zin to get another knife and stab Rain in the back. Rain fell to his feet with stinging pain filling his body. Zin tried to roundhouse Rain fiercely but Rain managed to duck and uppercut him. Zin feel down and moaned in defeat. "What is this? Can't be a clone, it can't be Genjutsu…" Zin started to stir in his sleep and seemed really disoriented. "I feel so strange" said Zin weakly. Rain kept his guard up and went to examine his brother, who already collapsed again. He noticed how pale he looked under the moonlight. His eyes still seemed glassy and bloodshot. He recognized this behavior and symptoms. "The Thoughtless Dreams jutsu?" asked Rain aloud. Just then, a kunai knife whizzed past Rain and struck his brother. Zin's blood was now all over Rain. He lied dead in his arms. Rain became enraged and focused his chakra. He held up his hand to the night's sky and a small bolt of lightning struck the tree near where the attack came from. A large branch became engulfed in flames and provided just enough light to reveal his attacker, his very own brother, Saito Ermaki. "But why?!!" yelled Rain. Saito only smiled and with a puff of smoke, vanished. Rain started to succumb to his wounds. He crawled to the first aid supplies and patched his wound. Afterward, he collapsed.
In the morning, Rain was in serious pain. He forced himself up and clearly saw the lifeless shell of his brother. Tears assaulted him. Confusion found him. Why did Saito attack Zin and him? What was his reason for doing so? Those questions were not important now. He gave his brother a proper burial and took his ninja supplies at the grave. "Brother, I will avenge you. I don't know when and I don't know how. I will complete this mission for both of us and confront our brother. I promise." Rain bowed and went on his way.
Three days later, Rain saw a village in the distance. "The village hidden in the sound…" he said to himself.