Chapter 105: Ninja Way?
"Rin, I have to go on a very long mission to the Land of Rain. Can you come with me?"
"Okay."
"No, you can't."
"Why?"
"Obito, I'm already a rogue ninja, aren't I?"
The journey to the Land of Rain was not very long for a ninja. But even if the entire Uchiha clan were soldiers, there would still be the old, weak, sick, and disabled. These people slowed down the entire group's pace, but the Uchiha who had left Konoha were unprecedentedly united. Even though they might be pursued by Konoha, not a single clansman suggested abandoning anyone.
Obito Uchiha led the way at the front. Beside him was a child of about five years old, calmly observing the unfamiliar environment.
With short brown hair and a pair of large, dark brown eyes, wearing dark red knee-high boots and red bracelets on her hands, the most striking feature was the two purple patterns on her face. This girl seemed out of place among these Uchiha clansmen who had been forced to move out of Konoha and held a wait-and-see attitude. She moved back and forth among the wounded, providing the last line of defense for the Uchiha, who had no medical ninja.
A little girl who had been lightly injured by an explosion when leaving the village watched this gentle older sister with wide, blinking eyes. Seeing that she clearly did not belong to the Uchiha clan, she asked in a soft, childish voice.
"Big sister, my mom told me that we can't go back after we leave the village. Are you still going to walk with us?"
Rin's hands, which were bandaging the girl, paused for a moment.
"What's your name?"
"You can come and play with me in the future. I'll teach you medical ninjutsu."
"Really?"
After finishing the bandaging, Rin smiled and said goodbye to her, then walked towards the other wounded. The little girl was already lost in the fantasy of being able to learn medical ninjutsu, having long forgotten her initial question.
Obito watched the girl's movements from time to time, wanting to go over and help, but he was stopped by the child beside him, Itachi Uchiha.
This eldest son of the clan head was very smart, a rare genius by the Uchiha clan's standards. The nasolabial folds on his face made him look a bit mature for his age. Obito, having promised the clan head he would take care of Itachi, would not forget his promise.
"What's wrong, Itachi? By the way, don't call me 'sir.' It makes me sound old. Call me 'big brother.'"
"Big Brother Obito." A polite child is always likable. Itachi reconfirmed his form of address.
"Where are we going?"
"Will we still be Konoha ninja in the future?"
"Itachi, you're still young. Listen, there are some things you don't need to pursue too deeply. From the moment we walked out of Konoha, we are no longer Konoha ninja."
"But why did we have to leave Konoha?"
"It was your father's decision, and the decision of the entire clan. Konoha took the clan's Sharingan, and the Sharingan is the Uchiha clan's bottom line."
Does this kid really understand these things? Obito was doubtful, but that didn't stop him from instilling his own knowledge into this little guy.
"This is just the surface phenomenon. The deeper reason is that the Uchiha are seeking a better way out."
Recalling the look in Fugaku Uchiha's eyes, Obito couldn't be sure.
"If he doesn't come back, does that mean he's dead?"
"How can you talk about your own father like that?"
"Was I wrong? If father doesn't come back, doesn't that mean he's dead?"
Children speak without filters. Obito had now seen it firsthand. He looked seriously at Itachi Uchiha. The problems this guy thought about were always inconsistent with his age.
"Not coming back could also be because he's missing, on a mission, lost, or other reasons. Death is just the worst-case scenario."
Itachi nodded, deep in thought, digesting the information Obito had given him word by word. To him, death was a very vague concept. His father had once taken him to the battlefield, and those who couldn't wake up were dead.
Death, it sounded quite scary.
But what was the meaning of being alive?
Being inquisitive is the sign of a good child. Little Itachi didn't dwell on it for long. With such a good teacher and answerer around, he could just ask directly.
And so, he spoke again.
"Mister Obito, what is the meaning of being alive?"
"I told you to call me 'big brother,' not 'mister.'"
This was a good question. If someone else had asked, Obito might have hesitated to speak, but since it was just a child, he could speak the truth buried in his heart.
"I live for Rin, for Kakashi, for the various partners I might meet in the future. They once gave me strength, and I will use that strength to protect them until I die."
"Protect... can a person live for others?"
"Of course. Living for oneself alone is meaningless. It's like... a ninja way."
"A purpose, a belief, a symbol, whatever you want to call it."
Obito was getting a little annoyed by the questions. This child's questions came one after another, feeling like they would never end. He came up with an idea and pointed to the little girl Rin had just bandaged.
"See that? That child is about the same age as you. She is your ninja way. In the future, if you have brothers and sisters, then she and they... will be your reason for living."
Itachi looked over blankly and happened to meet the little girl's eyes.
Persistence is something foreign to children. The young boy was eager to find his own ninja way and meaning. He walked over to the little girl and posed the question to her.
"What's your name?"
"Izumi Uchiha. And you?"
"...Itachi. Is something wrong?"
"He told me that you are my ninja way. You might be my reason for living in the future."
"What are you talking about?"
Izumi Uchiha clearly hadn't thought as much as Itachi. She was a little bewildered by his profound words, but that didn't stop her from being interested in the only person her age here.
The hearts of children quietly connected. Itachi looked at the other's eyes, hair color, and the cherubic, round face, which were the same as his own.
Cute.
Itachi understood the meaning of this word, and the little girl in front of him indeed, as Mister Obito had said, made him feel a protective urge.
"I will protect you."
Izumi Uchiha hesitated for a moment, then chose to refuse.
"No."
"Why?"
"What's a ninja way?"
Itachi pointed to himself, following the example.
"I am your ninja way."
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