"Before we leave, let's take as much food as we can."
Shiratori and the others entered the cave and began gathering their things. Once everything was packed, each of them carried a bag filled with food as they set off.
"Let's go."
He tucked his katana into his bag. The four of them, wearing makeshift raincoats, trudged across the fields. Their steps were uneven, leaving a trail of footprints in the muddy ground.
"I'm not scared at all."
Not long after they started walking, Nagato suddenly spoke.
Shiratori looked at him in surprise, wondering what had gotten into him.
The next second, a different warmth appeared in the palm of his hand.
Nagato gave him a shy smile.
"..."
He just couldn't reconcile this Nagato with the one who would later go around calling himself "God."
That damn Hanzō, always causing trouble!
Nagato then took both his and Yahiko's hands. Yahiko beamed with a bright smile and took Konan's hand beside him. The four of them held hands and walked forward together.
"As long as we walk together, I'm not afraid of anything," he blushed slightly and spoke with his head lowered, shyly.
For someone as reserved and introverted as Nagato to say something like that, clearly today had shaken him quite a bit.
Shiratori, of course, wouldn't let this chance to deepen their bond slip by. He gripped Nagato's hand firmly and said:
"I'll protect you all."
"I'll protect you all too."
Nagato echoed him, not wanting to fall behind, making a solemn promise.
"Hahaha!"
Yahiko couldn't help laughing as he looked at their serious faces.
"Even though I don't have strength like you two, I'll still protect our family!"
"Me too!"
Konan quickly chimed in beside Yahiko.
Somehow, the rainy day didn't feel quite so gloomy anymore.
"Do you have a dream?"
Halfway through the walk, Yahiko suddenly turned to ask Shiratori.
"A dream?"
Shiratori's dream was simple: to live a better life, to escape this kind of existence.
It was too harsh. Not only did they face constant threats to their lives and had to keep hiding, but they were also hungry, cold, and sleep-deprived. He had never lived so miserably before. If he could just have a steaming bowl of instant noodles right now, he'd consider it a rare delicacy.
"I won't die in a place like this."
Before Shiratori could answer, Yahiko declared firmly. He went on eagerly.
"I have a huge dream!"
"To conquer the world!"
He clenched his fists, eyes looking forward.
"..."
What a grand dream!
Shiratori mentally applauded him.
"If I could stand at the top of the world, I wouldn't have to live this kind of harsh life anymore, right?"
Shiratori nodded in agreement.
That's right! As long as we can live well, nothing else matters!
"And if I just died like this, how could I face my mom and dad who gave me life? Right?"
After saying that, Yahiko turned to Konan, seeking her confirmation.
"Mm."
Konan smiled gently and nodded.
"..."
Shiratori observed them for a moment.
Yahiko's plan to win Konan over, looks like it's already beginning to show results!
"If you stand at the top of the world, you can do whatever you want," Yahiko said excitedly, rubbing his fists together, as if eager to take action immediately.
"Isn't that just like being a god?" Nagato asked.
Shiratori immediately looked at Nagato.
The kid knows how to draw conclusions!
No wonder he'd eventually see himself as a god.
"Can a god get rid of war?"
"..."
Shiratori couldn't help but break the boy's naive fantasy. "But we're only human."
Yahiko scratched the back of his head.
"…Oh, right!"
Nagato seriously explained, "But if we become powerful, so powerful that we can do anything, wouldn't that be the same as being gods?"
Yahiko's eyes lit up. He nodded eagerly.
"That makes sense!"
Before Shiratori could say anything, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air near them.
He looked up.
A shuriken was falling from the sky. Not only that, he keenly noticed that an explosive tag was tied to the shuriken.
When you were unlucky, even drinking cold water could give you a toothache.
He immediately shouted at them, "Run!"
All of them were children born in wartime. Of course, they recognized it as a weapon used by ninjas. The four of them took off in different directions, running for their lives.
BOOM!
A loud explosion echoed.
He felt a wave of heat surge from behind him. The blast wave knocked him to the ground. His head spun, his ears ringing with a constant buzzing sound. He sat on the ground, clutching his head. Once his body recovered, he looked around at the others.
"Are you okay?"
"Mm."
Konan responded with difficulty.
Just as they stood up, another violent shockwave swept over them. It made them stagger, nearly knocking them down again. As the wind and shock faded, the sound of explosions continued to echo from a nearby ravine.
Thick smoke mixed with flames repeatedly lit up in front of them. The ground kept trembling.
"What's happening?" Yahiko looked ahead in shock and asked.
"It must be a ninja battle!" Shiratori replied.
"Ninjas are fighting this close to us?"
When Shiratori turned to look at Yahiko after hearing this, he saw that the boy had somehow already climbed up a large boulder and was watching the battle in the ravine.
This reckless kid!
He quickly climbed up to join him.
"That one's Hanzō…" Yahiko whispered in his ear. "The ones on the other side are Konoha ninjas…"
His eyes sparkled with excitement.
Shiratori saw Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. He slowly came to his senses, they had arrived at a key moment in the story.
It was no surprise Yahiko recognized Hanzō, he was the leader of Ame and currently regarded as a god-like figure there.
"We need to get out of here."
He pulled Yahiko down. Right now, the Jiraiya trio weren't a match for Hanzō. He couldn't guarantee that he and Yahiko wouldn't get caught up in the battle, and if they did, it would surely be a one-way ticket to death.
"What's wrong?"
On the way out of the ravine, Shiratori asked Yahiko, who had gone unusually quiet.
Yahiko walked with a heavy heart. When he heard the question, he suddenly stopped and, as if making a firm resolution, said, "I want to change this world!"
"..."
How about starting with changing your own living conditions?
"So how do you plan to do that?"
Shiratori encouraged him with interest.
"I want to learn ninjutsu!"
The scene of the recent battle had left a deep impression on Yahiko. If one had enough strength, maybe they could change the world. The idea of becoming stronger began to take shape in his mind.
"Who do you want to learn ninjutsu from?"
Shiratori guided him. He thought of his own cursed technique, Copy. He could copy simple jutsu. Wouldn't learning ninjutsu be a piece of cake for him then?