Chapter 77: The Spark
Today, Yahiko was in an exceptionally good mood. Their teacher, Jiraiya, was very pleased with their progress. Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato could now work together to defeat one of Jiraiya's shadow clones. As a reward, Jiraiya gave each of them 200 ryo and granted them a day off, with the condition that they return by evening. He himself had gone off to search for inspiration for his writing.
The life of a shinobi is grueling and monotonous, so the three rarely had any free time. Like unleashed puppies, they dashed straight into the bustling marketplace of Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village).
Today, the village was free from rain. Although the sun wasn't out, this kind of weather was already considered a rare blessing in the Land of Rain. Villagers opened their windows to let in fresh air, while shopkeepers set up stalls along the streets. The market was filled with a dazzling array of goods, attracting crowds of people. The lively atmosphere made the place buzz with excitement.
Having spent so much time in the wilderness, the three young shinobi found everything in the market fascinating. They wandered around, buying snacks here and sweets there, marveling at everything they saw.
By lunchtime, they still had more than half of their money left.
"I'm starving. Let's find a place to eat," Konan said, rubbing her stomach.
"Me too," Nagato replied.
Yahiko looked around and pointed to a nearby tavern.
"Let's eat there."
The three entered the tavern and ordered three bowls of ramen. While waiting for their food, they noticed a crowd gathered not far away. A young Amegakure shinobi stood on a table, passionately delivering a speech to an attentive audience. The crowd erupted into applause and cheers from time to time.
"What's he talking about?" Konan asked.