Konoha’s Black Plague

The Land of Rain

> "Tch… I don't know what happened to the three of them."

From his concealed position, Hyūga Hizashi spat out a mouthful of blood, letting out a shallow breath. He had managed to escape, but just barely.

The terrain around him had been utterly devastated. Craters pockmarked the earth, and not a single tree stood unscathed within a hundred meters. The battlefield was littered with bodies—many still warm—mouths stained with blood. A skilled eye could see the cause: their internal organs had been ruptured from within, a silent, efficient death.

Among the dead were several elite Chūnin and even a newly promoted Jōnin. Scattered among them were the wreckage of puppets—clearly of Sunagakure origin—each one mangled beyond repair, their vital cores shattered. Even if salvaged, the remains were worthless as materials.

> "I need to draw more of them to me..."

Hizashi noticed a splinter group of enemy shinobi moving away—toward the direction where Bai Ye and the others had retreated. Evidently, their breakout attempt had not gone unnoticed.

He surged forward again, his Byakugan flaring, targeting another wave of Suna-nin attempting to flank him. His goal wasn't victory—it was distraction, to draw more enemy attention and buy time for the Genin team to escape deeper into the forest.

---

Meanwhile, elsewhere—

The Minato squad regrouped at their rendezvous point.

> "Is this mission seriously over?"

Obito blinked in disbelief as Minato-sensei tucked the scroll into his flak vest.

"We needed two teams for this?"

> "Stop whining," Rin scolded. "Be glad it went smoothly. Missions like this usually have casualties."

> "Rin's right," Minato said calmly, his eyes scanning the treeline. "This type of recon mission only sees interference once or twice a year. But I do wonder how Hizashi's team is doing."

Little did he know, the Hyūga he was thinking of was knee-deep in enemy blood, shielding three young Genin from a death march.

---

Elsewhere, far from the safety of the Land of Fire, the three Genin pressed on.

> "From the right-rear—someone's coming."

Hyuga Yuyan, her Byakugan active, reported her observation calmly. She had detected another pursuit team. The third wave so far. The previous two had split off in different directions, perhaps to encircle them.

Despite everything, this steadied Yuyan's nerves. Her dōjutsu had proven reliable under pressure—proof she could take command in Hizashi's absence.

However, unfamiliarity with the terrain proved costly. Without realizing it, the trio had crossed the border into the Land of Rain. Yuyan's confidence masked a simple truth—they were now deep in foreign territory, far beyond Konoha's reach.

> "Bai Ye, does the terrain seem... off to you?"

Yuyan glanced around. The vibrant forest of the Land of Fire had given way to bleak, withered hills. The trees had thinned, the skies had grayed, and a soft drizzle began to fall.

> "I noticed." Bai Ye's tone was grim. "But we're being tailed. Whether we crossed the border or not, we can't stop now."

In truth, Bai Ye had already realized the truth: they were no longer in friendly territory. But retreating now would be suicide. His only hope was that Hizashi might survive long enough to bring reinforcements.

---

After some time—

> "Hold up," Bai Ye signaled suddenly.

Ahead, beyond the mist, lay a small, worn-down village, its huts barely standing. He halted the group just short of the outskirts.

> "Why'd you stop?" Yue asked, confused.

"There's nothing suspicious in the village. Just civilians," Yuyan added, scanning with her Byakugan.

Bai Ye shook his head.

> "That's not the point. We're likely out of the Land of Fire. That means Konoha headbands are a dead giveaway. We can't risk being seen like this—not everyone's on friendly terms with us."

He glanced at their attire.

> "Yuyan, your Byakugan is too obvious. Yue—your Uchiha crest stands out like a flare."

> "What, you want me to take out my eyes too?"

Yuyan frowned, covering her forehead protector with a scowl.

> "Forget that," Yue snapped. "I only have this one set of clothes. What do you want me to do—walk in shirtless?"

Her face reddened at the suggestion.

> "You both are impossible..." Bai Ye muttered, clearly exasperated. Without warning, he reached up and pulled Yuyan's black headband down over her eyes.

"There. Stealthy and stylish."

> "Stylish, my foot!"

Yuyan, her eyes still glowing faintly beneath the cloth, slugged him in the chest. A faint burst of chakra accompanied her punch.

> "Oof—okay, maybe not stylish..." Bai Ye coughed, stepping back.

> "Will you two stop playing around?" Yue grumbled. "What do I do? You want me to run around in just pants?!"

> "Don't look at me—I can't see anything," Yuyan replied shamelessly.

> "Fine. You wear my shirt," Bai Ye offered.

> "Please. The back of your shirt's torn to shreds," Yue snorted. "I might as well just cut off the crest from mine."

> "I was joking!" Yue added quickly as Bai Ye vanished behind her.

Too late.

> Riiip.

Her shirt suddenly became a backless fashion statement, exposing her shoulders.

> "You idiot!!" she shrieked, cheeks burning red.

> "Come on, let's just go already," Yue huffed, grabbing Yuyan's hand and storming toward the village, her back now catching the breeze.

> "Some girls just have no sense of humor..." Bai Ye sighed, but the smirk on his face betrayed him. He jogged after them.

The rain continued to fall in a cold mist.

Whether or not they would make it back to Konoha alive—only time would tell.