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After finishing his business with the newly upgraded system, Shin stepped out of his room—only to be greeted by Kushina's suspicious glare.
"Shin, what exactly were you doing in there with the door locked?" She eyed him warily. "You doing something…inappropriate?"
Shin nearly choked on his own breath.
"I was alone. What do you expect I'd do?"
"Heh, you never know…"
He gave her a light chop to the head—enough force to make Kushina's eyes go wide as a comical lump rose on her skull.
"It's for your own good," Shin said, not the least bit guilty.
"Anyway, I need to tell you all something. I'm heading off to the Land of Rain for a while. Might take some time before I'm back."
That got everyone's attention. Tsunade stopped sipping her tea; Mikoto lifted her gaze. Kushina, though still rubbing her head, narrowed her eyes.
"Why the Land of Rain?" Mikoto asked.
"Konoha and Sunagakure are already at war in the Land of Rain, and I plan to check it out. Also, I have some other matters to take care of."
Shin shrugged casually.
"So, who wants to come with me?"
"Not me," Kushina huffed.
Tsunade and Mikoto exchanged glances. Then Tsunade frowned.
"War already started?"
"Yeah, do you want to come to the Land of Rain and see it?" Shin asked, looking at them.
"What's there to see? I'm not interested," Tsunade waved dismissively.
Mikoto looked tempted but was abruptly yanked back by Kushina. Clearly, Kushina wasn't letting her go anywhere. She shot Shin a triumphant grin, like she'd outmaneuvered him somehow.
"Fine," Shin said, unruffled. "Then I'll take Konan. She needs some real combat experience, anyway."
He reached for Konan's hand, and in a flash of Yomotsu Hirasaka, the two vanished into a swirling black portal.
"Gah!" Kushina stomped a foot. "He took Konan away without even asking her!"
"Kushina, are you regretting not going with Shin now?" Tsunade observed, a hint of mischief in her voice.
"What's there to regret?" Kushina muttered, crossing her arms. She refused to admit that it already stung a bit, imagining Shin and Konan traveling together.
"You're just too stubborn," Tsunade murmured, shaking her head lightly.
Meanwhile, Shin had reappeared in the countryside, Konan's hand in his.
Rather than teleport directly into the Land of Rain, he decided to head there on foot, traveling at a more measured pace.
Along the way, He wanted to encounter some Missing-nin or bandits—fodder for Konan to sharpen her skills.
She'd never taken a life before, and Shin felt a real shinobi's path inevitably crossed that line. He wanted Konan to face the harsh truth of combat.
"Konan, do you miss the Land of Rain?" he asked as they walked.
She shook her head softly. Her old home only held painful memories. Her time there had been shaped by endless war and cruelty.
"Alright then, let's find some bandits. It's time for you to experience the real bloodshed." Shin said seriously.
Konan's face turned a little pale at his words. Though she'd seen many corpses and the carnage of battle, she had never actually killed anyone herself.
"This is something every ninja must experience. After all, being a ninja is synonymous with blood and fire," Shin reassured her, holding her hand.
The presence of war between Konoha and Sunagakure seemed to have encouraged more mountain bandits and rogue ninjas in the Land of Fire, so it didn't take long for them to encounter some.
At first, Konan struggled to hold herself back from getting emotional, but as time passed, she gradually adapted to violence.
"Konan, your strength is already among the best in the Shinobi world. But remember, never show mercy to your enemies." Shin said seriously.
"I understand, Shin-nii." Konan nodded, taking his words to heart.
They took their time, stopping to clear out ruffians in deserted passes, so it took them nearly half a month to reach the Land of Rain.
By then, the war had escalated, with Iwa joining the conflict. The Land of Rain had become a double battlefield: Konoha vs. Suna on one front, Konoha vs. Iwa on another.
The news of Iwagakure's participation was a severe blow to Konoha. And things didn't stop there.
Kirigakure, led by the Fourth Mizukage—had also attacked Konoha.
Unlike in the original story, the Fourth Mizukage wasn't Yagura—the Three-Tails Jinchūriki.
The Third Mizukage had been killed by Shin, so Yagura couldn't become the Fourth Mizukage.
Three of the four Great Villages were attacking Konoha. Only Kumogakure was still on the sidelines.
But everyone knew the ambitious Kumogakure would join the war eventually. They just didn't know which side they would choose.
In the Second Shinobi World War, Iwa had been betrayed by Kumo. Ōnoki hated Kumo. If it weren't for his desire to take a bite out of Konoha, he would have attacked the Land of Lightning.
"This country hasn't changed."
Shin looked up at the sky. It was raining. Land of Rain was always shrouded in dark clouds.
"I'd much rather be in clear skies than in this dreary weather,"
Shin raised his hand towards the sky. He didn't gloomy weather.
He unleashed a powerful repulsive force, but he controlled it so it only affected the sky.
The clouds above them parted violently, allowing sunlight to break through, and for the first time in ages, the people of the Land of Rain could see the sun again.
"That's better. Let's go, Konan." Shin smiled and took Konan's hand.
Konan blushed and looked at Shin, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She wasn't a child anymore.
The sudden surge of chakra scattered through the area, causing every ninja on the battlefield to momentarily stop and look around, unsure of what had just happened.
Shin, however, didn't notice the pause in combat. He simply continued walking toward their next destination.
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