Disclaimer: This fic is largely based on the Naruto world. However, the characters I've been using have largely been my own, and the descriptions of Naruto world geography are based on my own conjectures. I'm not sure if they're actually true or not. Ask Kishimoto-sama. Except I'm not even sure he knows. As far as I know they're consistent with what information there is in regards to this particular area. In other words, there's nothing you can do to prove I'm wrong! Hehe...sweatdrops. Well, anyways... Before I forget, I really have to thank Sakura-chan for her suggestions. There's a good thing about Kishimoto-sama not saying much about these other countries. Since not much is known, the unknown can be made up. Thus one can perfectly well decide that Rain ninjas specialize in shamanistic/spiritual techniques. As for the other suggestion, it's definitely in the works. Sasuke's actually kind of still around. He's part of the reason why Hikari somehow managed to magically learn a Katon jutsu by herself. She did read about it in a textbook. But did I forget to mention that it was actually an introductory kind of book that stated nothing about how to utilize chakara or anything other than its name for that matter? She's kind of a genius, and she's pretty smart. But not even a genius could pull off learning a jutsu by its name only. I decided to post this now instead of later so I can keep up with my updating record. Hopefully it's still good, but if not I'll fix it later. As it is, it's 1:30am, . If I were an anime character I'd have swirlies for eyes right now. So I'll update again soon, hopefully. But untill then, reviews are as welcome as ice tea on a hot day...majorly.


Walking into Rain

There's a reason why they call countries what they do. The country of fire is called so because it was once covered in many volcanoes. Most of these are inactive now and are likely to

stay that way for a long time. However the ashes that had came from those peaks created a mineral rich environment suitable for the growth of many living things. It's one of the

reasons why Konoha is as wealthy as it is. Unlike the Hidden Sand, the village of the Hidden Leaf is constantly supplied with food by its surrounding villages and country-side. This

negates the necessity of importing food, which costs a lot of money. On the contrary, due to the surplus, we often ship food out to our allies. This also creates many job opportunity for

ninjas, as the shipped cargo often need protection from bandits and thieves. The country of Grass is named after its key geographical feature. It is a nation with primarily grassland

environment, with a portion of dense jungle along its western border. The Rain country too is named after what it has the most of. Yes, you guessed it…rain.

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We were chased by the Grass ninja for a total of three days. It was on the third day we officially crossed the border that the first drops of rain were felt. After that we experienced

downpour after downpour. It never seemed to end. We felt surprised that the place wasn't flooded. But then again, swamps are the best drainage systems ever invented since the

beginning of time. Thus we traveled through the dense muck. It was on the seventh day, or perhaps it was the seventh night, that we arrived at a conglomerate of thatched huts similar

to those we saw in the Grass. The only difference was that these huts were made from some type of wooden branches and the roofs were made of the largest leaves either one of us

had ever seen. After a brief investigation, we discovered that it was a small restaurant-café. As it was, we were very tired and drenched from walking in all that rain, so we decided to

stop there for a while.

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We entered the largest hut located at the center. This particular hut was long instead of round like the other ones. There was a fairly large sign above the front door that was written in

a language we could not understand, or perhaps it was in Kanji except that the words had been so worn away by the incessant rain that we could not make heads or tails of what it

actually said. Inside the hut there were a few crudely made tables and chairs as well as a small counter in the northwestern corner. The entire room was eerily quiet, and dark. The area

behind the counter was enshrouded in shadow. As we approached, a sudden gust of wind blew by us. We turned our heads and noticed that we were no longer alone in the room. A

strange young man was standing behind the counter, looking like he had been there the whole time.

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"Would you two like to order something?"

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The young man had short spiky hair of the same color as the leaves that made up the roof. His skin was as dark as the wood that made up the walls. His appearance was such that he

completely blended into the surroundings and yet at the same time…he had a ridiculous smile that was way too wide, and showed his teeth.

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"You guys didn't see anything! I was here the whole time I swear!"

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He stared at us for a while. It was obvious that we didn't believe him.

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"Oh please don't tell the master! I'll make it up to you guys I swear! You can have something free on the house. It's just that we don't get very many customers around here anymore. Not since the ghost that killed a whole army of ninjas from the Hidden"

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Just as he was saying that, an even greater gust of wind blew in from the front door. We turned around and saw…a man even bigger than my uncle Choji! Except this guy was almost as tall as he was wide! He shouted out in a great booming voice.

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"Koushirou! How many times have I told you not to tell thatstory to the customers?"

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"Hai! Sorry master! It was a slip of the tongue, honestly!"

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"So, it's not true then?" I asked.

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"Hai. There was such an incident. But that should not concern you. These spirits that inhabit this forest aren't creatures of evil intent. If you do not wish harm upon them, they shall not

seek harm upon you. Those ninjas didn't know this. They should not have sought to take land which does not belong to them. As it is, it is good that the Great Spirit protects this

forest. Otherwise there would be none left."

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"Hey, um, can we have something to eat? I don't know about you Hikari, but I'm starving."

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"Of course. Koushirou!"

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"Hai! Right away master! I'll be real quick." And he was gone in a flash…just like he had come in.

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"Aii, that boy is almost more trouble than he's worth. However, he is the greatest cook from around these parts. It's the only reason I hired him in the first place. I can see that you

two are foreigners. But don't worry; even if you don't know what is in the dish, I assure you the taste is excellent."

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"Oh it's alright. We don't mind at all. We're not really picky eaters." One of the reasons why Hizashi and I were such good friends was because of our similar appetites. Because of

my peculiar hobby back in Konoha, we've eaten everything from tarantulas to giant snakes and centipedes. Hizashi is the only other person I know besides me who's even dared to

try any, much less actually enjoy it.

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"Now is there anything else you two seek? Perhaps…it is a person?"

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"How… How did you know?" I was astonished! This man might not be what he seems.

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"Ahh…It was not hard. Many people have come here in search of people, or rather a particular person. It was a while ago, I forget how long, when I met a group of people just like

you two in search of a man they called "Itachi". Of course, back then he was not as famous to us natives of the Rain…as he is now."

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I was shocked! I couldn't believe our luck! To obtain the information we wanted so quickly…but then again I should have known. It was far too easy. How was I to know that this

would turn into an adventure much like the one we had in the Grass…except this particular sojourn would soon affect the whole entire rest of my life, and gain me an ability I'm not so

sure I wanted in the first place. I remember once when I was younger, uncle Neji told me that fate was something you can't predict no matter how sure you are of the outcome.

Sometimes I really think this is true.

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