Chapter 3
For the next few days, Yahiko stayed close to the cave, teaching Konan and Nagato about surviving in the wilderness—what berries and plants were safe to eat, how to make fire, and all the other things he had picked up over time.
"Don't even touch colorful mushrooms, I can say with confidence none of them are good," Yahiko instructed. "There are pretty good, sure, they feel slimy outside, but that's just a protective layer that wards off any worms, so they are very good and plenty."
"What about these berries?" Konan asked.
"Nope, even though they look like blackberries, but they don't grow in bundles, but alone, they aren't deadly, but they will clean up your stomach quite aggressively. I wouldn't suggest eating them."
It wasn't that hard to explain things to them, as they seemed to trust Yahiko fully, so they didn't question it when he said that something was bad or not. So, they learned quickly.
After a few days wandering around the nearby places and showing the places where he frequently went to forage, Yahiko noticed that it was quite quiet in the area. It didn't seem like there were any more shinobi coming through.
Once he was sure there wasn't much to worry about in the surrounding area, he resumed his fishing trips. At the same time, he showed the two children how to craft a fishing rod and suggested the best bait to use.
"The best way to fish is to set up a net upstream and let the fish come to it by themselves. But sometimes, some bigger ones break the nets, or animals get to them first and steal everything before you can even check. So, a fishing rod is the safest and most reliable way to fish."
Konan and Nagato might have been young, but they weren't stupid. Both were eager to learn everything Yahiko could teach them. After they got the hang of cooking, Yahiko decided it was time to take them into the nearby town.
Not only did he want to learn more about the war and what was happening beyond the forest, but he also had a decent amount of ryo now. He could finally buy a few essentials that they were still missing. That said, he was careful not to bring too much or attempt to sell any of the weapons he had looted.
Getting greedy only brought trouble. Life as a war orphan was already dangerous enough, and he had to stay cautious at all times so that he could avoid unnecessary risks.
…
Yahiko tried his best to inform them more about the town they were going to visit, but he didn't know much either. Konan said she had been here before she found Yahiko's cave. From her perspective, the people there weren't very nice.
Yahiko understood better why they acted the way they did towards Konan. People didn't like outsiders. One had to earn their trust before they started even looking at you. But once you show that you aren't some beggar and no good thief, the people can be quite kind towards you, too.
"Remember, always haggle with the merchants," Yahiko explained as they browsed one stall after another. "Even one ryo matters. And people here will like you more if you haggle."
"Why's that?" Nagato asked.
"If you don't, they get suspicious. They'll think you're trying to get rid of the money too quickly. And that makes them wonder how you got it in the first place. Same thing when you're selling something—if you don't haggle, they assume it's stolen and you are just trying to get rid of it as quickly as you can."
Yahiko had seen it happen before—people trying to offload something fast, only to be ignored. These vendors weren't wealthy merchants. They were just ordinary folks trying to survive. The last thing they wanted was trouble. Losing a few ryo was better than getting caught up in something dangerous.
In times like these, when tension hung thick in the air, keeping your head low and staying quiet was the safest course of action. Decent people didn't want to start trouble. So, every troublemaker couldn't be a decent fellow in their eyes.
People had already suffered enough. Bandits and soldiers, opportunists and looters—they all preyed on the smaller and weaker. But even the weakest ones had strength when bound together.
Therefore, most vendors in the market were familiar with one another. Informed each other about troublesome people and ensured that none of them got involved in anything dangerous. Helping each other as much as they could.
Yahiko didn't feel the need to explain all that to Konan and Nagato. They were too young to understand the nuance, and it wouldn't help much anyway. What mattered was that they were polite and honest to the townsfolk.
Of course, that didn't apply to everyone. There were always a few arrogant or conniving merchants lurking around, the kind no one liked. With them, it was a fair game. You could scam or steal, and no one would bat an eye. They had hoarded wealth while others starved—Yahiko didn't feel guilty taking what he needed from them.
"Yahiko, my boy!" A familiar voice called as they approached the fish market. It was the vendor Yahiko visited most often and one of the few people in town who recognized him. "I see you brought a couple of friends with you today."
"Six hands are better than two," Yahiko said with a grin. "What can you give me for this?"
"Hmm, not bad, not bad," the vendor said, inspecting Yahiko's catch. "How about seven hundred?"
"Bah, bullshit," Yahiko replied. "This is worth at least a thousand."
"A thousand? You little racketeer! Seven-fifty."
"Like hell anyone believes a scammer like you. Nine-fifty."
"You think I'm buying this to eat myself? I've gotta make a profit, too. Eight hundred."
"With a belly like yours, I wouldn't be surprised if you ate half your stock." Yahiko didn't give an inch. "Eight-fifty."
"Eight twenty-five."
"Eight thirty."
"Eight twenty-seven."
"Eight twenty-nine."
"Fine, fine! No winning with you, brat. Eight twenty-nine," the vendor grumbled, handing over the money. "But listen, kiddo. Don't linger too long. Word is, there are shinobi in town. You know how it is with their kind."
"Nothing good ever comes from shinobi," Yahiko muttered.
"Exactly. Best head back before nightfall."
"Thanks, but I still need to buy a few things. I doubt those mighty shinobi would care about a bunch of kids."
"Maybe not, but I've heard bad things. People are missing, boy, and kids like you are easy to target."
Most of it was exaggerated—rumors always snowballed. Still, Yahiko couldn't deny that shinobi rarely cared about civilian casualties. And he noticed how Konan and Nagato froze at the mention of them. Ninja had destroyed their homes. It wasn't hard to imagine what horrors they'd seen. So, they probably would believe every bad rumor they hear.
Even so, he couldn't let that stop him. He needed clothing, seasoning, soap, and a few other things. Most importantly, he wanted to grab some candy before it sold out.
...
"One-thirty," Yahiko finally haggled down the price for a full bag of goods.
The old lady running the sweets stall had been a nightmare to deal with. But he couldn't blame her—candy was rare, and even adults hoarded it. Still, he needed it. Mental health mattered, especially for Konan and Nagato.
They hadn't asked for it, but their eyes had lit up when he handed them pieces of caramel. That moment alone was worth every coin. Yahiko wasn't a therapist, but he figured a little sugar might help them heal, even just a bit.
Besides, he wanted some for himself. As much as he liked to act older than he looked, this body loved sweets. Sometimes the cravings were just too strong to ignore.
"We should go," Yahiko said as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
It would take two hours to get home. By the time they arrived, it'd be pitch dark. Their bags were heavy, their legs tired, and no one complained when Yahiko led them toward the edge of town.
He was in a good mood, humming quietly, still watching for danger—shinobi, thieves, anything suspicious—as they neared the outskirts. But it seemed he wasn't as attentive as he wanted to be and let some slip his notice before it was too late.
"Yahiko."
The voice made him freeze.
A cold shiver crawled down his spine. Someone had called his name.
"Long time no see."
Three boys stepped out of the alley—teenagers. Thugs. Not organized criminals, just local bullies who preyed on smaller kids.
Yahiko had hoped to avoid such a thing. But luck wasn't always on his side.
"I'll scream," Yahiko warned, watching them closely as they approached. "All I have on me is sixty ryo."
They wouldn't be able to sell most of the supplies they stole anyway—not without raising eyebrows. These weren't hardened criminals. They lived with their relatives, played tough, but Yahiko doubted they'd ever hurt anyone for real.
When he screamed last time about being attacked, they did get in trouble—at least according to the gossip. Apparently, they'd been grounded for a week. Still, he had been hit a few times by them before, and they were still bigger than him, so he would rather lose some pocket change than risk anything.
"Give it here," one of them said, and Yahiko handed over the money without fuss. It was just pocket change.
"I see you've got a pretty girl with you."
Konan lowered her head, her face tense and fearful. Yahiko could have let the insult slide—but then the idiot reached toward her. Yahiko was sure the leader of the group only wanted to scare them and look tough to his friends, but Yahiko couldn't risk it either.
"Don't move an inch," Yahiko said coldly, pressing a kunai to the boy's neck.
The teen froze.
"Put the toy down, Yahiko, before I—"
A drop of blood welled on his throat as Yahiko slightly pushed the kunai into his skin. Making the teenager shut his mouth and gulp down his fear.
"Take the money. Go brag to your friends about how you let us go easy today."
"Yes. Please."
The boy pleaded with his last word, as fear now completely took over him, so when Yahiko let the kunai down, he staggered back, clutching his neck, eyes wide. He didn't dare look at Yahiko again as he rejoined his friends.
Yahiko let them go and ushered Konan and Nagato out of town without another word. He hadn't wanted to hurt anyone. The kid wasn't a monster—just a fool trying to act tough. A little danger was all it took to scare him straight.
He tucked the looted kunai back into his sleeve and said nothing. He'd told Konan and Nagato they weren't allowed to carry weapons. It was safer that way. A defenseless child might be ignored. An armed one invoked fear, and fear made people do stupid, violent things.
Still, Yahiko decided he'd never let either of them go into town alone again.
Not because of thugs. Those kids never seriously hurt anyone. What worried Yahiko was the shinobi.
Until recently, there hadn't been any in the town. Most passed through without issue. But after finding those dead shinobi by the river, and now hearing rumors of them lingering in town... Yahiko had a bad feeling.
If the war were creeping closer, they'd need to leave. A stray ninja stumbling into their cave would be a disaster.
From now on, he'd need to stay vigilant. Keep trips short. Keep an ear to the ground.
And the moment something felt wrong—anything at all—they'd be gone before anyone knew they were even there. Well, like with each well-thought-out plan, this one would be a failure, sadly. It seems that it was too late.
Then again, who would have thought that the moment Yahiko returned to the cave, a blade would be put to his throat without him even being able to do anything? Well, it was just his luck.
A.N. As always, thanks for reading and supporting me, so I can continue writing without any concerns, and if you want more, up to 7 more chapters and 28 chapters in total with all my other stories, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852.