"Yahiko, you're back!"
In the Land of Rain, a few miles from Amegakure, a girl holding a puppy cheered softly as she ran towards the figure breaking through the rain.
"Wait, Konan, let me put this down first!"
Yahiko shook the rain off his wet cloak and carefully took out a cloth bundle from his embrace.
This was food he had begged for near Amegakure, walking for miles in the rain.
"Nagato, how's your recovery?"
The red-haired youth followed behind Konan and nodded gently at Yahiko.
"Tsk!"
Yahiko didn't mind the youth's silence and looked at his slender body with admiration.
"Such a frail body, yet it recovers so quickly."
"Without food, Nagato, you'd probably be the last to starve among the three of us!"
Nagato remained silent in response.
The puppy in Konan's arms whined softly upon hearing the word "food."
"Little one, Konan has taught you for so long, and you only react to the word 'food'."
"So useless, might as well eat you!"
Konan immediately pouted with displeasure, hugging the puppy and stepping back two paces.
"The little one is very smart, he knows not to bark loudly now, so obedient!"
"Right, little one?"
When Konan playfully nudged the puppy, it wagged its tail and licked the little girl's cheek. The ticklish sensation made Konan giggle softly.
Yahiko shook his head and opened the cloth bundle. After fairly dividing the food between the two, Yahiko sat down on the ground and devoured his portion in a few bites.
He picked up the clean rainwater Konan had prepared earlier, drank it all, patted his belly, and let out a satisfied belch, leaning back against the rock face with a contented sigh.
"Burp... I'm so full..."
Smacking his lips, Yahiko watched the two and the dog slowly chewing their food and suddenly remembered something.
"Ah! Right, guess what I heard when I went out for food today?"
The two looked up, their eyes filled with curiosity, fixed on Yahiko.
"I heard from the people living outside Amegakure that Hanzō of the Salamander, also known as the 'Half-God of Shinobi,' has returned."
Nagato's eyes brightened, anticipating Yahiko's continued story. Konan, however, simply hummed, appearing uninterested.
"Oh!"
"What's that got to do with us? He's not going to kindly give us food!"
Yahiko looked at her nibbling on the bread bit by bit and smiled, stroking his chin.
"Konan, when you eat, you're like the little one, pulling off a tiny piece and chewing for a long time."
"Look at me, I swallowed it in two bites."
Konan rolled her eyes at him and pulled hard on the bread with her teeth, finally tearing off a piece.
Shaking her slightly buzzing head, Konan chewed on the dry bread and said with a pout:
"It's because the food Yahiko-bro brings back is too hard, neither the little one nor I can bite it."
Yahiko chuckled, scratching his head, and then lowered his voice mysteriously:
"I heard that ninjas have something called 'medicine pills' on them. If you eat just one, it fills your stomach."
"Do you think, when Hanzō of the Salamander returns and fights ninjas from other countries, we could sneakily find some of those 'medicine pills' from the bodies of those ninjas?"
"If such a thing really exists, we won't have to worry about starving anymore!"
Konan's eyes sparkled as if listening to a fairy tale.
"Do ninjas really have such magical things? So amazing!"
"But..."
Konan hesitated for a moment and asked with a worried expression:
"What if those ninjas discover us? They'll kill us!"
Yahiko nodded, stroking his chin.
"Hmm... that is indeed a problem."
"I heard that ninjas can transform into other things. If only we could do that."
"Then it would be much easier to find food anywhere."
Nagato clutched the bread in his hand, looked up at Yahiko, and said with a dry voice:
"I want to try!"
Yahiko, who was discussing with Konan whether ninjas could transform into small animals like the puppy and escape after stealing something from Amegakure, was stunned and looked at Nagato with surprise.
This guy, apart from that day when they shook hands and made peace and he spoke his name, this was the first time he had spoken voluntarily.
"Huh?"
"Nagato, did you just speak?"
Nagato nodded seriously, but his red hair obscured his face, and Yahiko couldn't see if Nagato's expression had turned grim.
"I said, I want to go and try with those ninjas."
Yahiko's expression brightened, he scooted closer to Nagato and patted his shoulder.
"Haha, just kidding."
"It's too dangerous to interact with those ninjas. I should be the one to go alone."
"Nagato, you'll be in charge of taking care of Konan at home, and... the little one."
Nagato shifted uncomfortably to the side, but stubbornly shook his head.
"I'm not going to find that 'medicine pill' you mentioned to eat..."
"I want to learn how ninjas control their power!"
Yahiko froze, and the hand on Nagato's shoulder slowly lowered.
"You want to be a ninja?"
"Why would you think that?"
Nagato was silent for a moment, then shook his head gently.
Should he say it was to find a way to control the power in his eyes? He didn't know if he should tell Yahiko and Konan.
"My parents were killed by ninjas, I..."
"Want to avenge them!"
Yahiko was taken aback and felt a sense of melancholy.
Although Nagato was also an orphan like them, at least Nagato knew who killed his parents. Unlike him and Konan...
Who should they seek revenge against?
The world that let their families starve?
Yahiko didn't know, and he was too lazy to think about it.
"But would those adult ninjas pay attention to orphans like us?"
Konan looked at the silent Yahiko and quietly asked Nagato.
Nagato also fell silent.
Yes! Why would those ninjas pay attention to orphans like them?
Seeing them, the helpless war orphans, it would be their greatest mercy if they weren't killed with a single sword strike.
"Nagato, where are you going to find those ninjas?"
Yahiko couldn't help but try to dissuade his companion's naive idea.
"I heard from those people that this war was started by Hanzō of the Salamander."
"Many people in Amegakure curse him in secret, calling him a murderer!"
"And that ninja by his side, what's his name, he always bullies the common people of the Land of Rain."
"If all the ninjas of Amegakure are like them... they probably won't care about a child's plea, right?"
Hearing from Yahiko about the actions of Hanzō of the Salamander and his subordinates, a flicker of disappointment crossed Nagato's eyes. But he was not discouraged, he tightened his grip on the bread, and said with determination:
"Then we'll find ninjas who are willing to teach us."
"Since everyone thinks Hanzō of the Salamander, who started the war, is evil, then the ninjas fighting against Amegakure must be righteous."
"Let's go find them!"
Yahiko scratched his head, quite unable to understand.
"This..."
"I don't know who is good or bad, but we are from the Land of Rain!"
"Those ninjas who come to fight in the Land of Rain are killing people from the Land of Rain. If they see us..."
To be honest, Yahiko was also envious of those ninjas who were said to have the ability to spray water and breathe fire. But thinking of the fierce ninjas in legends who killed people indiscriminately, he couldn't help but shrink back.
Nagato stubbornly shook his head, his pale purple Rinnegan eyes peeking through his hair at Yahiko, his voice firm:
"I want to try!"
On one side was instinctual fear, and on the other were his companion's plea and his own small wish. Yahiko struggled internally for a long time, his gaze sweeping between Nagato and Konan, and he asked tentatively in a low voice:
"Then... shall we go and try?"
Konan stared with innocent eyes, raised her small hand, and said softly:
"I'll listen to Yahiko-bro!"
A smile that couldn't be hidden appeared on Nagato's lips, and he nodded vigorously at Yahiko.
"Thank you!"
Yahiko gritted his teeth and forcefully punched his palm.
"Let's do it!"
"I'll go and find out tomorrow where those foreign ninjas are currently located."
"Nagato, you and Konan pack up our things for the next two days, we're ready to move at any time!"
Konan's eyes widened as she looked at the empty cave, devoid of anything except the three of them and the dog, oh, and a broken pot for collecting water...
With a dazed expression, she asked Yahiko the soul-searching question:
"Yahiko-bro, what do we pack?"
Yahiko's expression faltered, and he let out an awkward laugh. Fortunately, it was dark, and given the light in the cave, Konan probably couldn't see the embarrassment on his face.
"Haha, then we won't pack anything."
"Let's go to sleep, sleep!"