[Help Akatsuki Organization Name!]
Anyone who has studied the history of the ninja world knows that the Land of Rain is a small, war-torn country where it rains almost every day. The endless downpour seems to reflect the perpetual conflict within its borders.
Foreign nations know little about the Land of Rain. For years, it has been divided by civil war, its security rigid and highly vigilant against espionage. Its shinobi village, Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village), is infamous for its secrecy and assassination techniques. Despite its small size, Amegakure's ninja have developed a unique set of jutsu tailored to their environment and have often accepted mercenary commissions from other nations.
The reason Team 22's mission to gather intelligence near the Rain border was classified as B-rank was simple: they were venturing beyond the borders of the Fire Country. Any intelligence mission that takes a team outside Konoha's territory is at least B-rank, regardless of whether enemy encounters are anticipated.
When the team of four reached the border of the Fire Country, Hyūga Bin did not show the curiosity typical of a Genin on his first foreign mission. Instead, he remained cautious, alert to any potential threats.
It was the 42nd year of the Hidden Leaf calendar. Though the Second Great Ninja War had officially ended several years earlier, tensions among the great villages had not fully eased. Friction was once again growing, and the threat of the Third Great Ninja War loomed.
In past wars, even Kage had perished in battle.
Hyūga Bin knew he was still a Genin. He lacked the power to defend himself in large-scale conflict, so his only advantage was vigilance.
Before crossing into the Land of Rain, their Jōnin leader, Hyūga Masayuki, activated his Byakugan, scanning for chakra fluctuations and signs of nearby shinobi. Only when he confirmed the area was clear did he lead Bin and the other two Genin into Rain territory.
Their mission was to observe the border movements of Amegakure and assess whether shinobi from other nations were operating within its borders. If the risk became too high, retreat was authorized immediately.
Roughly a kilometer into Rain territory, Team 22 began a horizontal sweep.
It wasn't long before they encountered a squad of Iwagakure shinobi.
Both sides observed one another but refrained from confrontation, parting silently in opposite directions.
Despite the animosity between Konohagakure and Iwagakure, neither team wanted to instigate a fight. Engaging within Amegakure territory was risky—if the Rain shinobi discovered them, all parties might be wiped out.
After recording a short mission log, Team 22 unexpectedly encountered a trio of young Rain shinobi—Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato. At this time, the group had not yet officially named their organization.
Recognizing their distinct appearances, Bin—thanks to his prior-life knowledge—immediately knew who they were.
They looked around thirteen or fourteen years old. Jiraiya had left them recently, having spent time training them in the Rain Country. At this point, they hadn't yet challenged Hanzo, and were operating cautiously on the outskirts of Rain territory.
As a time traveler, Hyūga Bin remembered clearly: in just a few years, Hanzo—manipulated by Shimura Danzō—would threaten Konan's life. In response, Yahiko would take his own life, driving Nagato to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Nagato would then create Pain, assassinate Hanzo, and later obliterate Konoha with a single Shinra Tensei in Year 63.
> "Danzo really brought that on himself," Bin muttered in his mind. "If not for his meddling... considering their bond with Jiraiya, Akatsuki might've remained aligned with Konoha."
Though Bin held no particular love for Konoha, his desire to protect his family made him wary of allowing future threats like Akatsuki to develop unchecked.
His gaze paused on Konan—not because of any plan, but because she was striking in person.
Then, as always, the system prompt appeared:
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[Mission Options Triggered]
Option A: Directly attack Uzumaki Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan.
Reward: Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique (A-rank)
Option B: Mock Uzumaki Nagato by saying: "Your eyes are so ugly."
Reward: Wind Style: Thousand Faces of Wind (B-rank)
Option C: Say to Konan: "You're very cute. Want to be my rbq?"
Reward: Sage Art: Rebirth of Nature (S-rank)
Option D: Politely greet the trio with a smile.
Reward: Random attribute increase: +0.1
---
"You're Jiraiya-sensei's students, aren't you?" Hyūga Bin stepped forward with a smile, choosing the low-risk option.
---
[Option Completed. Pupil Power +0.1]
His action wasn't solely for the reward. Even without the system prompt, Bin had no intention of provoking them. He was fully aware that, despite their young age, Nagato carried the Rinnegan—a power strong enough to destroy cities.
Yahiko replied first, cautious but curious. "You're from Konoha… how do you know about us?"
Bin's smile was friendly, but Yahiko and the others remained wary. After all, how could a Konoha Genin recognize them?
Even Masayuki and the other two Genin looked puzzled—none of them knew Jiraiya had taken disciples in the Land of Rain. That fact was top-secret in Konoha, known only to a few in the upper echelons.
"Well, I'm Hyūga Bin, a disciple of Lady Tsunade," he said smoothly. "She mentioned that Jiraiya-sensei had trained three students in the Rain. Judging by your age and appearance, it must be you."
Konan stepped forward slightly. "Bin-kun... is Jiraiya-sensei doing well?"
"He recently released a new book. It's selling well, so I'd say he's doing fine." Bin chuckled. "Anyway, since you're his students, there's no reason for us to be enemies."
Yahiko visibly relaxed and nodded. "Agreed. No need for conflict."
He was warm and open—traits that reminded Bin of Uzumaki Naruto, which made sense, considering Yahiko's original personality.
"So, you're not affiliated with Amegakure yet?" Bin asked casually, now that the mood was lighter.
"No," Yahiko replied. "We're planning to start our own organization."
Bin raised an eyebrow, interest piqued. "Do you have a name in mind?"
Yahiko scratched his head. "Not yet."
Bin's eyes lit up. "How about 'Akatsuki'? It means 'dawn'—a new light after darkness. Fitting for your goals, isn't it?"
Yahiko paused thoughtfully. "The dawn after darkness… Akatsuki, huh? I like that."