"Before we leave, let's grab as much food as we can."
Haruki and the others walked into the small cave and began packing their belongings. After they finished, each person set off with a bag full of food on their back.
"Let's go."
Haruki put his sword into his bag, and they, wearing simple raincoats, a group of four, hurried through the fields.
The four of them walked with unsteady steps, leaving a series of footprints in the mud.
"I'm not scared at all." Not long after they started walking, Nagato suddenly said.
Haruki looked at Nagato beside him in surprise, wondering what was wrong with Nagato.
The next second, Haruki's palm felt the warmth of another person's hand.
Nagato gave Haruki a shy smile.
Haruki: "…"
It was impossible to connect the current Nagato with the future Nagato who constantly clamored about being a "God."
Hanzo truly caused a lot of harm.
Nagato took Haruki's and Yahiko's hands. Yahiko's face showed a brilliant smile, and he also held Konan's hand beside him. The four of them walked side by side, holding hands.
"If we walk together, I won't be afraid of anything." A faint blush appeared on Nagato's face as he lowered his head and said shyly.
For the shy and introverted Nagato to say such a thing, it seemed the stimulation he received today was indeed significant.
Haruki, of course, wouldn't miss this opportunity to deepen their bond. He also firmly squeezed Nagato's hand and said to Nagato and the others, "I will protect you."
"I will protect you too." Nagato, not to be outdone, also solemnly promised.
"Hahaha!"
Yahiko looked at the serious Nagato and Haruki, unable to help but burst into laughter, and he also said, "Although I don't have the talent like Haruki and Nagato, I will also protect everyone."
"Me too!" Konan, beside Yahiko, immediately said.
The rainy day seemed to become less gloomy.
"Haruki, do you have a dream?" Midway, Yahiko suddenly looked at Haruki and asked.
"A dream?"
Haruki's dream was to live a good life and escape his current situation.
It was too hard!
Not only was he constantly facing life threats, having to hide everywhere, but he also couldn't eat enough, dress warmly, or sleep well.
When had he ever lived such a hard life?
Now, if he had a steaming bowl of instant noodles in front of him, he would treat it as a delicacy.
"I won't die in a place like this." Yahiko said firmly without waiting for Haruki to answer.
He eagerly continued, "I have a huge dream."
"To conquer the world!" Yahiko clenched his fists, looked ahead, and said with conviction.
Haruki: "…"
What a grand dream!
He applauded Yahiko.
"If I can stand at the top of the world, I won't have to live this hard life, right?!" Yahiko continued.
Haruki nodded in agreement.
That's right!
As long as he could live a good life, everything was fine.
"Besides, if I just die like this, how can I face my mom and dad who gave birth to me?!"
"Right, Konan?"
After Yahiko finished speaking, he looked at Konan beside him, seeking approval.
"Mm."
Konan smiled gently and nodded at Yahiko.
"…"
Haruki stroked his chin.
Yahiko's pursuit of Konan was showing its first signs.
"Standing at the top of the world means you can do whatever you want." Yahiko excitedly rubbed his hands, wishing he could immediately take action.
"Isn't that like a God?" Nagato said.
Haruki immediately looked at Nagato. Nagato knows how to summarize. No wonder he would consider himself a God in the future.
"Can a God eliminate war?" Nagato asked.
Haruki: "…"
He really couldn't resist breaking the children's innocent fantasy. "But we are humans."
Yahiko scratched the back of his head.
"…Oh, right."
Nagato earnestly explained to Haruki, "But if we become strong, so strong that we are omnipotent, wouldn't that be equivalent to a God?"
Yahiko's eyes lit up, and he nodded like a pecking chick. "That's the logic."
Before Haruki could say anything, they heard a whooshing sound.
Haruki looked up. A shuriken descended from the sky.
"…"
Not only that, he also sharply noticed the explosive tag tied to the shuriken.
"…"
When a person is unlucky, even drinking cold water can choke them.
Haruki immediately shouted at them, "Run!"
Yahiko and the others were children living in a time of war, so of course, they recognized it as a weapon used by ninjas for combat.
The four of them simultaneously ran desperately in different directions.
Boom!
Haruki felt a wave of heat constantly surging from behind him. His body was thrown to the ground by the surging heat wave. His head spun for a moment, and his ears were filled with a buzzing sound.
He sat on the ground, supporting his head, and only after his body reacted did he look at the others.
"Are you okay?" Haruki asked.
"Mm." Konan responded with difficulty.
As soon as they stood up, a powerful gust of wind swept over them. It blew them off balance, almost knocking them over again.
The wind had just subsided and the sound of explosions kept coming from the valley not far away. Thick smoke mixed with flames continuously appeared before their eyes. The ground trembled incessantly.
"What happened?" Yahiko looked ahead and asked in shock.
"It should be a ninja battle." Haruki said.
"Ninja are actually fighting so close."
Upon hearing Yahiko's words, Haruki turned his head and saw that Yahiko had somehow climbed onto a huge rock and was beginning to watch the ninjas fighting in the valley.
"…"
This brat!
Haruki decisively climbed up to watch with him.
"That's Hanzo…"
Yahiko whispered in Haruki's ear.
"The opposite side is Konoha ninjas…"
Yahiko's eyes gleamed.
Haruki saw the figures of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. He slowly came back to his senses, it turned out they had reached a plot point.
It was not surprising that Yahiko knew Hanzo. As the leader of Amegakure, Hanzo was currently like a God in Amegakure.
"Get out of here quickly." Haruki pulled Yahiko down.
The three of them, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, were not Hanzo's match yet.
Haruki couldn't guarantee whether he and Yahiko would be caught in their battle, and being caught in a battle of that level would only lead to their death.
"Yahiko, what's wrong?"
On the way out of the valley, Haruki asked Yahiko, who seemed unusually silent.
Yahiko walked preoccupied, and upon hearing Haruki's question, he suddenly stopped and, as if having made up his mind, said to Haruki, "I want to change this world."
Haruki: "…"
First, let's change their current living conditions.
"Then what do you plan to do?" Haruki asked supportively.
"I want to learn ninjutsu."
The battle scene just now had greatly shocked Yahiko. With powerful strength, perhaps he could change this world. The idea of becoming stronger had initially formed in Yahiko's mind.
"Who do you want to learn ninjutsu from?" Haruki guided him.
Haruki recalled his Ninjutsu copy ability. He could perform simple Ninjutsu copy, so wouldn't learning Ninjutsu be a breeze?