A single careless step could result in an ambush.
"Everyone, pay attention! Adjust the formation, stick close to me, and do not step onto the grass," Jiraiya warned.
Having visited the Land of Rain numerous times, he was deeply familiar with how dreadful the terrain here was.
Some of the assembled ninjas were veterans who had participated in the wars fought to conquer the Land of Rain years ago. Others had been promoted to jonin in recent years and, though they hadn't fought here, had heard stories of the Land of Rain's harsh geography. As a result, everyone was extremely cautious.
This was Minato's first trip to the Land of Rain. Since the area was completely autonomous, he had never been assigned a mission here. However, Torifu had told him about the local conditions, and Yahiko and Konan, having lived here previously, had also described the terrain and climate as incredibly severe. Minato, therefore, was especially careful.
They advanced along the muddy road, their pace slowing significantly. Muddy water splashed onto their pants, but no one cared, focused only on reaching the Land of Rain's main city as quickly as possible.
"Damn it, this rain never stops. It'll get even worse when we enter the Rain Province. What a nightmare," one jonin grumbled. Since Torifu was not present to use his jutsu to shield them from the rain, this trip to the Rain Province was bound to be miserable.
However, they knew they had no choice. When executing missions outside the village, not everything could go smoothly, and they couldn't rely on Torifu all the time.
"Just endure it. What's a little rain compared to the unification of the nations? Once we get inside the city, it will definitely be better," another ninja commented.
Torifu's preference for sunny weather was known throughout Konoha. Since he became the Hokage, the village had barely experienced any rain or snow. The few times it had, the villagers could count them on their fingers.
"You're right. I definitely need to change clothes when we get there. Being soaked through is awful."
Despite their complaints, they had to keep moving.
The ninjas quickly crossed into the Rain Province's territory. As they went deeper, the rain in the sky grew heavier. The roads were no longer just slick with mud but were now filled with standing water that reached above their ankles, undeniably slowing their pace further.
Though there were still grasslands on both sides of the road, the ground had long been saturated, turning them into wetlands. The leaves of the grass here were semi-transparent, having gradually adapted into aquatic plants due to the perpetual standing water. It was a testament to the tenacity of life. The entire Land of Rain was covered in such sights, with small lakes and pools scattered everywhere.
There were rocky landscapes, but these were rare, found mostly near the border of the Land of Earth.
"I genuinely don't know how people live here. Their clothes must be perpetually damp; they can't possibly dry them, right?"
"Who knows? Maybe they're just used to this life."
Currently, the Land of Rain utilized hydropower, but it was only enough to supply the three main cities established by other nations on its territory, the Central City, and the villages founded by immigrants. The rest of the small, local villages received no electrical power, only having some basic hydraulic facilities.
This was because the villages here were extremely underdeveloped, with some houses even having leaky roofs. If water were to accidentally drip onto an electrical appliance, it could be catastrophic. Therefore, considering safety, Kakuzu had decided not to install any electrical devices in these areas.
In fact, his decision proved correct. Nearly half of the people in these villages had run away, swayed by agitators to become wandering rogues. Aside from some old people who had little value, even the children and women had been taken away.
"I know everyone is uncomfortable, but bear with it. Even if it's still raining in the city, the houses will surely have fireplaces. Plus, we don't have a mission today, so everyone can enjoy a hot meal and a good night's rest," the Squad Leader assured them.
The leader's words immediately lifted the spirits of the ninjas, and they quickened their steps.
Jiraiya remained silent throughout, concentrating on leading the way. Visibility was already poor due to the rain, and the Land of Rain's roads were convoluted. He had to rely on the numerous lakes as landmarks, but given the abundance of water bodies, he had to be extremely focused to ensure they didn't take a wrong turn.
Minato and Yahiko followed closely behind Jiraiya without complaint. Yahiko and Konan occasionally looked up at the sky. "It's still the same, Land of Rain. The sky is covered by dark clouds, still so oppressive," Yahiko murmured.
Returning to their home country inevitably stirred up emotions. Gazing at the bleak, gray sky, Yahiko and Konan couldn't help but recall the days when they survived by stealing on the streets.
"If we hadn't met Master, we would probably still be struggling in this sea of suffering," Konan said, turning to Yahiko and patting his shoulder.
"You're right," Yahiko replied with a slight smile. "That's why we have to become useful people, ones who can truly help Master." He then continued running forward into the heavy rain.
Although the sky of the Land of Rain remained dark, he was no longer a person of this place. He had long since seen the blue sky.
After they had traveled for a while longer, the rain suddenly began to lessen. Up ahead, they could faintly make out a city.
"Everyone, I believe we've arrived," Jiraiya said with a chuckle.
Upon confirming that the structure ahead was indeed a city, the Squad Leader was ecstatic. "Everyone, that really is a city ahead! Let's pick up the pace and hurry inside!"
By this point, many of the ninjas began to remember the area; they had once been here during the war, recognizing the endless lakes surrounding them. However, the city ahead looked different from what they remembered, likely having undergone renovations. They sped up again, bursting into a rapid run.
They soon charged through a downpour that resembled a torrential curtain, and everyone was immediately soaked to the bone. Just as they were about to curse, they realized the rain stopped.
There was no rainwater around them. Looking up, the sky was still cloudy, but the clouds were noticeably thin. Looking towards the city, they were astonished to see a flash of blue sky!
There was absolutely no cloud cover above the city itself. The blue sky and the slightly orange glow of the setting sun seemed completely out of place in the Land of Rain, yet they were there.
"It's Hokage-sama! It must be Hokage-sama. Only he could achieve something like this."
The ninjas had no doubt; there was no one else in the world capable of such a feat. It was akin to a miracle.
Jiraiya laughed heartily. "Alright, don't worry about who did it. Let's hurry into the city! Being soaking wet is genuinely uncomfortable."
With that, Jiraiya accelerated, and the ninjas quickly followed, dashing toward the Central City.