Through his own chakra perception, Uchiha Hikaru could clearly feel the malice radiating from the people around them.
The vendors along the roadside thought:
"These damn kids are so annoying. They're alive but have no one to support them. Why don't they just die already? All they do is steal all day. How are we supposed to make money?"
The orphans hiding in the alleys thought:
"These damn vendors… they have so much food. No matter how much we beg, they won't share a single bite. They'd rather we starve to death. So I'll steal!"
A passing ninja muttered to himself:
"Hanzo-sama is right. The Five Great Nations are the true cause of the war in the ninja world. They all deserve to die."
Only a very small number of people gave off any hint of kindness. Some were just trying to support their families, some struggling to survive, others seeking to protect the land they lived on.
This strange form of perception felt eerily familiar to Hikaru. It resembled the Kagura Mind's Eye technique used by the Uzumaki Clan — the ability to sense malice and goodwill from others.
It was likely a side effect of the chakra from the Dragon Vein fusing with the Yachihoko marks carved into his soul, producing this unique ability.
As they walked up to one of the food stalls, the lady vendor caught sight of Hikaru's waterproof cloak and mask. She immediately assumed both Hikaru and the masked woman beside him were wealthy and was quick to greet them with a greedy smile.
"Dear customer, what would you like to buy?"
"The Land of Rain has been in chaos lately. Not many people are lucky enough to still sell food like we do."
She pointed enthusiastically at her wares as she introduced them.
"These apples are from Konoha, this boneless fish was caught fresh today, and we also have steaming hot rice balls…"
She rattled on, doing her best to pitch the items on display. A few steps away, a middle-aged vendor at a neighboring stall scoffed at her endless chatter and waved at Hikaru.
"Hey, kid! That woman won't stop yapping. Come buy from me instead. My goods are just as good as hers—and I'll give you a 10% discount!"
The woman's face immediately darkened.
"You stinking fishmonger! You reek of fish and you'll never find a wife! Why are you even talking? Go back to catching fish like you're supposed to! With that filthy mouth of yours, who'd ever buy anything from you?!"
The uncle's eyes dimmed for a moment as if recalling something painful. He silently turned and sat down, untying the thick rope wrapped around his bald head.
Hikaru's chakra sense picked up a mixture of sadness and kindness from the man.
"Please give me four rice balls and two pounds of apples," Hikaru said.
After paying for the food, he walked to the fishmonger's stall.
"Uncle, how are these fish? What do they cost?"
The old vendor woman turned away in a huff when she saw Hikaru buy fish from the man instead of her. Her face was stiff with displeasure, and she muttered under her breath:
"Tch… stinky fishmonger. So what if I sell thorn fish as boneless fish? What's it got to do with him? Always meddling…"
The uncle, now tying his gray headband back in place, forced a smile.
"Haha… these fish are cheap, but they've got a lot of bones and a strong smell. Fifty ryō per pound."
"This one's a boneless blackfish — meat's a bit firm but tastes great. One hundred fifty ryō per pound."
"And this here is a flowertail fish — tender, rich in flavor, the best-tasting fish in the Land of Rain. But it's hard to catch, so it's three hundred ryō a pound."
Hikaru noticed something immediately. The so-called boneless fish the woman sold looked a lot like this blackfish, but the pattern was off — in fact, it was identical to the thorn fish next to it.
So that woman was painting thorn fish to pass them off as boneless.
That explained why this old man had snapped when she mentioned fish.
"I'll take all these flowertail fish."
The uncle's face lit up. He eagerly packed up the seven or eight flowertail fish and handed them over.
"That's a little over eleven pounds, but I'll round it down to ten. That'll be three thousand ryō."
Hikaru handed over three thousand-ryō notes, took out a scroll, and sealed all the goods into it.
Then he turned and walked off with Guang.
The uncle stared at Hikaru's back, touched his smooth head, and muttered in disbelief.
"A ninja from another village? This is the first time I've seen one actually pay…"
It was a long-standing treaty among the major ninja villages not to attack civilian populations unprovoked. Civilians were the foundation of a nation. That's why ninja forces typically avoided villages during battle — and if a battle was inevitable, villages would at least be warned to evacuate. It was the reason so many refugees existed during times of war.
As Hikaru walked with Saya to the edge of the street, he noticed a small figure following them.
Only when they stepped beyond the village did that figure come running forward, panting, and blocked their path.
"Ninja-sama! Please, I'm begging you… give me something to eat!"
Hikaru glanced down at the child — thin limbs, bare feet trembling in the rain, short light-purple hair clinging to her face from the drizzle.
He assumed at first it was just another starving orphan. He was about to hand over food and leave… until something about her voice and hair color struck a chord of familiarity.
He squatted down, gently pushed aside the wet hair covering her face, and met her eyes.
"What's your name?"
The girl instinctively flinched and stepped back, her voice trembling.
"N-Ninja-sama… please… please don't kill me…"
"My name is… Konan…"
"I'm really hungry… please…"
Before she could finish her plea, Konan's legs gave out and she collapsed backward.
Am I going to die…? I don't have the strength to stand anymore…
That was her last thought before everything went black.
Hikaru caught her in his arms, wrapping her in his raincloak. He enveloped her body with chakra and activated healing techniques, stabilizing her vital signs.
Saya stepped forward, looking down at Konan in Hikaru's arms. Her expression softened with emotion.
"Lord Hikaru… you're going to save her?"
"Of course," Hikaru replied. "The whole reason we came here was to find her."
"I didn't expect fate to deliver her right to us."
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Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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