Chapter 9 — The Word "Affection"
The elders moved busily around the small courtyard, preparing the evening meal. Dry branches crackled in the cooking fire, and thin trails of smoke drifted lazily into the open sky.
The warm scent of food slowly spread through the air.
Raizen stood awkwardly at the doorway of the house. Earlier, he had tried to help with the preparations, but the elders had firmly stopped him. To them, he was a guest who had traveled a long way—how could they let him do the work?
Left with nothing to do, Raizen could only stand there quietly and watch the children playing nearby.
The children laughed and chased each other across the yard, their footsteps stirring dust on the ground. Yet from time to time, they would sneak glances at him.
Those small eyes carried curiosity… But also caution.
Raizen noticed the hesitation in their gazes.
They were watching him carefully, as if trying to decide whether he was trustworthy or dangerous.
Seeing that expression in such young faces made Raizen sigh inwardly. Children at their age should have been carefree.
They should have been innocent and joyful.
Yet these children had already learned to be wary of strangers. The war had taken even that from them.
Just then, one of the boys slowly approached him.
The boy looked about seven or eight years old. His face was still childish, but his expression carried a surprising seriousness.
He stopped a few steps away from Raizen and looked up at him cautiously.
"I heard what you said earlier," the boy said.
His voice was small, but determined.
"Do you really want to take us away?"
Raizen froze slightly. He had never been good at talking with children. Faced with the boy's direct question, he didn't know what to say at first.
After a brief pause, he simply nodded.
The boy's small face immediately hardened.
"We won't go with you."
His tone was firm.
"We're staying with Grandpa and the others."
To these children, the elders who had taken them in had already become their true family.
Behind the boy, the other children slowly gathered. They stood together like a small defensive wall.
Every pair of eyes stared at Raizen. Their gazes were filled with resistance.
Raizen lowered his eyes and looked at the boy quietly.
"Even if it costs your lives?"
The question fell softly into the air. For ordinary children, the word death would have been terrifying and incomprehensible.
But for these children, death was no stranger.
They had seen it too many times already. Still, they were only children.
At Raizen's words, their bodies trembled slightly. Some of them instinctively clenched their fists. But in the end, they nodded resolutely.
Raizen fell silent. Taking them away had already been a difficult task. But convincing them to abandon the elders who had saved them—simply for their own survival—That was something even harder.
Raizen was not a saint. Nor was he a villain. At best, he was an ordinary person who had been thrown into an extraordinary world.
If he had the ability, he would help. But he was not the kind of person who would sacrifice everything for others without hesitation.
In the end, he could only sigh quietly.
Without saying another word, Raizen turned around and began walking toward the gate.
Perhaps it was better to leave things as they were.
He silently wished them luck. Just as he stepped out of the yard—A hand suddenly grabbed his arm.
Raizen turned around in surprise. The elder who had been watching from the doorway earlier had rushed out and caught him.
"The meal is almost ready," the old man said.
"Why are you leaving?"
Raizen gently freed his arm and bowed slightly in apology.
"I'm sorry… The children don't want to leave."
The elder froze. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he slowly turned his head toward the children standing in the yard.
One of them immediately stuck out his tongue and made a silly face at him. The sight made the old man's expression twist with both frustration and affection.
"You little brats! Why won't you go!?"
Before he could say more, the little boy suddenly shouted.
"We're not leaving!"
His voice trembled, but it was loud and determined.
"We'll eat your food! We'll drink your water! And we'll stay here forever!"
As he shouted those words, tears began to glisten in his eyes.
The elder stared at them. For a moment, he couldn't speak. Then his eyes slowly filled with tears as well. But instead of sadness, a wide smile spread across his wrinkled face.
"You little rascals…"
Raizen watched the scene quietly.
After a moment, he simply turned around and walked away.
Perhaps… This was one of the most beautiful sights in the world.
The word "affection" had a power unlike anything else. It was the kind of emotion that moved the heart most deeply.
As Raizen walked down the dirt road, a faint smile appeared on his face. Life only had meaning because bonds like these existed.
Without them… Everything would feel empty.
From what the elders had told him earlier, Raizen had learned that he was already near the outer border of the Land of Fire.
However, he had no idea how far he was from Konoha. It must be quite far. After all, Pegasus had flown through the sky for a long time.
If they had landed closer to Konoha, it would not have been safe. Over the next few days, Raizen continued traveling.
Sometimes he walked, sometimes he stopped to train. He never neglected his practice. After five days of intermittent travel, he finally arrived at a large town.
By this point, he only had eight Magic Crystals left. After some hesitation, he exchanged them through the system for local currency.
In total, he received 80,000 ryō.
Thinking about it carefully, the exchange rate seemed reasonable. The value of ryō was probably similar to Japanese yen in his original world. But when Raizen compared it to the value of Magic Crystals…
He felt like crying.
One life equaled eight Magic Crystals. Eight Magic Crystals equaled only 80,000 ryō. This was clearly a terrible deal.
"Never again…"
Raizen muttered to himself.
"Exchanging Magic Crystals for money is a complete waste."
With that thought in mind, he walked into a barbershop. After days of traveling and training in the wilderness, his current appearance was… rough.
His hair was messy, his clothes were worn and dusty. He looked more like a wandering vagrant than anything else.
As he walked through the town, many curious gazes had followed him. The bell above the barbershop door jingled as he entered.
"Welcome—uh…"
A young barber apprentice greeted him with a smile. But when the apprentice looked up and saw Raizen's appearance, his expression froze.
The smile disappeared instantly.
His face darkened.
"Hey!"
"Do you even have money?"
"If you don't, get out!"
The words were rude. But the apprentice had his own worries. If his master discovered that he had wasted time serving a beggar, he would definitely be scolded—and might even lose part of his wages.
Raizen felt a flicker of irritation. Being judged by appearance was unpleasant. But he understood.
He had experienced this kind of treatment before in his previous life. Without arguing, Raizen casually reached into his pocket.
With a small flick of his fingers, a stack of bills appeared in his hand. Even after exchanging Magic Crystals for currency, the money was still stored within the system's inventory.
He pulled out about ten large-denomination notes and waved them lightly in front of the apprentice.
"Is this enough?"
The apprentice's eyes widened.
His expression changed instantly.
"Of course!"
Raizen smiled faintly.
He slipped the money back into his pocket and walked further inside.
As the apprentice prepared the tools, he couldn't help muttering under his breath.
"This guy looks like a beggar… But he actually has so much money."
Half an hour later, Raizen stepped out of the barbershop. His hair was neatly trimmed, and his face looked much cleaner.
He felt refreshed. Before leaving, the apprentice had recommended a nearby clothing store.
So Raizen headed there next. Inside the store, the owner was a middle-aged woman with a warm smile.
Unlike the apprentice earlier, she showed no hint of disdain. Instead, she enthusiastically helped Raizen browse through various outfits.
Raizen politely listened to her suggestions but ultimately chose a sleek black outfit.
The design was simple yet elegant. More importantly, the material looked durable—perfect for training and combat.
"Young man, you have excellent taste!" the owner said with a bright smile.
"This outfit suits you perfectly."
"Go try it on."
Raizen nodded and entered the fitting room.
A few minutes later, he stepped out wearing the new clothes. The outfit fit him perfectly. The owner's eyes lit up immediately.
"See? I told you!"
"Clothes truly make the man!"
"You look very handsome in this!"
She even stepped forward and gently smoothed the folds of the fabric. Raizen felt slightly embarrassed.
"How much is it?"
"20,000 ryō," she replied proudly.
"This is the finest piece in my store. If you like it, it's yours."
Raizen hesitated. Two ten-thousand-ryō notes for a single outfit… That was expensive.
Seeing his hesitation, the owner quickly continued.
"Young man, the fabric is top quality."
"I'm not exaggerating—only my shop has this set nearby."
"It's stylish, durable, and comfortable. You won't find anything like it elsewhere."
Then she leaned closer with a playful smile.
"You don't have a girlfriend yet, do you?"
"I guarantee—wear this outfit, and girls will start noticing you."
Raizen felt a headache coming on.
"Alright," he sighed.
"18,000."
"If not, I'll look somewhere else."
The owner hesitated for a moment.
Her face showed reluctance.
"…Fine."
But the moment Raizen handed over the money, she quickly accepted it with a cheerful smile and rushed to prepare the change.
Watching her reaction, Raizen raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…I've been tricked again."
Still, he didn't mind too much. The money was already paid. Besides, the owner's warm attitude and genuine friendliness had made the shopping experience pleasant.