บท 75: Encounter...

The rain fell incessantly over Amegakure, transforming streets into rivers and rooftops into waterfalls.

Chen, sheltered in the hotel, looked out the foggy window and let out a sigh of frustration.

"With this damn weather, these lazy bums are going to get moldy," he growled, turning his head to the room where everyone was resting. "Come on, go out for a walk. The fresh air will do you good... or at least the fresh water."

Without waiting for a response, he grabbed a worn umbrella and went out alone into the flooded streets.

It didn't take long before the force of the rain proved too much even for the umbrella. With a pitiful creak, the umbrella gave way, leaving Chen exposed. Cursing under his breath, he activated his Tenseigan, creating an invisible force field that repelled the rain.

"For goodness'... Even though it rains all year in Amegakure, this is ridiculous!" As if wanting the sky itself to hear him. "If it keeps up like this, soon we'll be swimming instead of walking."

His eyes scanned the empty streets, noting how water accumulated in every corner. The drainage pipes, visible on every corner, worked tirelessly to prevent the town from becoming a modern version of Atlantis.

"Two days," he muttered. "I'll give this damn rain two more days. If it doesn't stop, I swear I'll break every cloud in the sky with my bare hands."

Walking through the deserted streets, he felt like the last man on earth. Doors and windows were tightly shut, and not a soul dared to come out. "If I didn't know better, I'd think it was a damn ghost town."

Just when he was about to turn around and head back to the hotel, a small figure caught his attention. Under the eaves of a dilapidated building, seeking shelter from the relentless rain, was a girl.

Her hair, a bluish-purple hue, was stuck to her face from the moisture. Her body, extremely thin, visibly trembled under the soaked and patched clothes. Her orange eyes, large and expressive, reflected fear and desperation that made Chen stop in his tracks.

".....Konan," he whispered, immediately recognizing the future "Angel" of Amegakure. A smile spread across his face. "You haven't met Yahiko yet, have you?"

The sound of footsteps made Konan raise her head, her large orange eyes opening even wider as she saw who was approaching.

Before her stood the prettiest man she had ever seen, like the princes from the fairy tales she sometimes overheard. He was very, very tall, so much so that Konan had to tilt her head back to see his face. He wore a clean white shirt, as white as the clouds on the rainless days she almost never saw in Amegakure.

What caught her attention the most was his hair. It was long and silver, shiny like the new coins she sometimes saw in the market. It moved gently, as if floating in water. She felt like touching it to see if it was as soft as it looked.

But the most magical thing was his eyes. They were like the stars she sometimes saw at night, bright and mysterious. She stared at them, forgetting for a moment that she was cold and hungry.

And then she saw something that left her speechless: the rain wasn't wetting him! It was as if he had an invisible umbrella. It seemed like some kind of magic to her.

When the man smiled, Konan felt a tingling in her stomach, as if there were butterflies inside. Her cheeks turned hot and red, and suddenly she felt very nervous, like when she had to talk to unknown adults.

The man approached and extended his hand towards her. Konan, scared, closed her eyes tightly.

Many times, when adults approached her like this, it was to hit or push her. But this time, she felt something warm and soft on her hair.

The pretty man was stroking her head, and it was the nicest thing Konan had felt in a long time.

"What's your name?" the man asked in a voice so beautiful it sounded like music to her.

She opened her eyes slowly, fearing that the pretty man would disappear like in a dream. But he was still there, smiling.

Konan felt a little less scared and whispered softly: "...My name is Konan".

With all the courage she could muster, Konan asked: "Brother, can you give me something to eat?"

"I didn't bring food with me," the man said, and Konan felt like crying. But before she could, the pretty man spoke again: "But little sister, I can take you to a great meal, how does that sound?".

Observing Konan, Chen felt his heart tighten at the sight of so much misery in such a small being.

Konan had no dreams of her own in her life, or her dream was to fulfill the dreams of others.

In this Shinobi world, full of death and betrayal, she was like a delicate flower trying to grow between the cracks in the asphalt. If she lived in a peaceful era, maybe... just maybe she would be very happy.

"Can you?" Konan asked. Her eyes full of hope and distrust, fixed on Chen.

Crouching down to be at Konan's eye level, his eyes meeting hers. In a soft voice, he replied: "Of course I can, little one. In fact, from today on, if you want, you'll be my sister. I promise you that as long as I live, you will never suffer again. What do you say? Do you want to come with me?"

Blinking, surprised. It was the first time since her parents' death that someone had offered her more than crumbs or contempt.

"Can I? Can I really?" she repeated, trembling with emotion and fear at the same time.

Chen smiled, extending his arms towards her. "Of course you can. You'll be my little sister, and if anyone dares to intimidate you, they'll have to deal with me. No one will ever hurt you again."

Taking a few hesitant steps towards Chen, but then stopping, looking at her dirty and soaked clothes. "But brother... I'm very dirty. I'll get your clothes dirty."

Instead of responding, Chen smiled. Suddenly, Konan felt a warmth enveloping her. She watched in amazement as steam rose from her clothes, drying them in a matter of seconds.

"Brother, are you a ninja?!" she asked with stars in her eyes.

Chen simply smiled, lifting her in his arms. As they walked under the torrential rain, Konan noticed in wonder that not a single drop touched them.

"Brother," Konan whispered, snuggling against Chen's chest, "You must be a god. A god that the sky sent to save me."

Chen didn't respond, but his embrace grew tighter.

Little by little, lulled by the rhythm of Chen's steps and the constant patter of the rain, Konan fell asleep. Her face, for the first time in a long time, showed peace.

Looking at Konan's peaceful sleeping face, Chen smiled.

Konan..... In another life, in another time, she would have met Yahiko and begun a path of suffering and sacrifice. But now, with him, she had the chance for a different future.

....

The rain was still beating against the hotel windows when Chen returned with Konan in his arms.

Sitting near the entrance with a bored expression, Nawaki, who was alone, startled when he saw Chen enter with the sleeping girl.

His eyes widened like saucers, and he exclaimed, "You're crazy, Chen! Don't tell me you're now into kidnapping children! Is this part of some secret plan of yours? Should we start worrying?"

Irritated, Chen shot him a look that could have frozen fire and spoke in a low voice "....Nawaki, if you shout a little louder and wake Konan up, I swear I'll do to you what you did to that ninja. Remember?"

Nawaki visibly paled and shut his mouth abruptly, making a gesture of zipping his lips.

At that moment, Kushina came down the stairs, her long red hair flowing behind her. Seeing Chen with the girl, she stopped short, her face full of questions.

"Chen, where on earth have you been? You leave without a word and come back with... this?" she pointed at Konan, her tone full of concern and a touch of reproach.

Still carefully holding Konan, Chen explained: "This is Konan. An orphan I found on the street. She was alone, soaked, and hungry. I couldn't leave her there, so... I've adopted her as my sister."

"Sister?" Kushina narrowed her eyes, studying Chen. "Since when are you so... charitable?"

But looking closer at Konan, Kushina's face softened. The girl, thin and pale even in sleep, awakened her compassion. "Where's Mikoto? We need to prepare something for this child to eat. Some meat porridge would be good, it's been a while since she's eaten well."

Kushina quickly went to find Mikoto, muttering about how she wished she could cook herself if she wasn't a disaster in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Chen took Konan to his room and gently laid her on the bed. When he tried to move away, he found that the girl was clinging tightly to his clothes, as if afraid to let go.

With a soft sigh, he stayed where he was, watching Konan's sleeping face.

________

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