After weighing the pros and cons, Leo finally agreed to Yahiko's suggestion and temporarily joined their little group.
Though the group currently had only three members including him, Yahiko was confident that it would grow stronger in the future!
"Awesome!"
Yahiko laughed heartily, turning to Leo. "I'm Yahiko, and this is Konan."
"Leo."
Leo didn't bother to hide his name; he wasn't worried it would cause any problems. After all, his name hadn't yet reached the level where ordinary people of the Land of Rain would recognize it.
"From now on, we're comrades. Come on, I'll show you our base!" Yahiko said generously.
He slapped Leo on the shoulder with a carefree grin and led the way ahead.
Leo followed, feeling slightly out of place.
The image he remembered of Yahiko was very different—the man who became Pain Tendo.
That eternally calm face… the one who once said with an air of absurd coolness, "A bag of rice must be carried up several flights, spicy heaven-stunned," and then proceeded to blow up the entire Hidden Leaf Village in an instant!
Konan gave Leo a gentle nod, then walked beside him.
Before long, Leo followed Yahiko and Konan into an abandoned cavern.
The place was piled with supplies they had scavenged or stolen—food, clothes, and other daily necessities.
Leo looked around with mild interest. For a bunch of orphans, their "foundation" wasn't bad at all. Not exactly well-off, but definitely not destitute.
From this alone, he could tell that Yahiko was indeed a capable person.
"This is our home now," Yahiko said grandly. "From here on, it's the three of us against the world. As long as I've got food, you two will never go hungry—Konan, Leo."
With that, Yahiko handed Leo half an apple he'd apparently picked up somewhere.
"It's still fresh—here, you eat it."
As he spoke, Yahiko's eyes lingered reluctantly on the apple. In the Land of Rain, fruit like apples were luxuries only the wealthy could afford. Commoners didn't even dare dream of them.
But to celebrate Leo joining them, he was willing to make the sacrifice.
Leo glanced at the apple—it was fresh—but he couldn't bring himself to eat it. He handed it back and said lightly, "I'm not hungry. You should have it."
Yahiko instinctively took it back, but immediately realized how eager he must have looked. Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head.
Konan smiled softly from the side, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
She seemed genuinely happy. Maybe she didn't ask for much—just warmth, stability, and everyone's safety.
Trying to cover his awkwardness, Yahiko climbed onto a crooked stool and began to speak with the zeal of a preacher, describing his "grand strategy."
"The first thing we need to do is stockpile supplies—lots of them! You never know when we might lose access to food.
"And when we steal, we have to be smart about it. There are some people we must never steal from—like those ninjas with metal plates on their heads. Those guys are terrifying. If you mess with them, you might not live to regret it!"
At that point, Yahiko's eEXPression shifted, a trace of fear crossing his face—he had clearly witnessed ninjas kill before.
Konan fell silent. Her eEXPression dimmed, remembering how her village had been destroyed in the war—her parents killed, leaving her an orphan drifting through the ruins.
"As for stealing food, that's only when we have no other choice. And even then, do it where there are crowds—plan your escape route, make sure you've got cover! But above all else—don't ever provoke a ninja. That's as good as signing your own death warrant."
Yahiko spoke passionately, brimming with conviction—the very charisma that would one day make him the spiritual leader of the Akatsuki.
Leo, however, wasn't impressed. He'd heard the same kind of speeches countless times back in the Leaf Village.
That old man, the Third Hokage, loved this kind of talk—idealistic words that somehow made people's blood boil.
Leo couldn't help but start nodding off. For once, he actually felt relaxed.
When Yahiko finished, he noticed Leo had fallen asleep mid-speech. His face twitched with exasperation.
"Hey! Were you even listening? Don't come crying to me if you get yourself killed out there!" he shouted, shaking Leo's shoulder.
"Yahiko's right," Konan said softly. "Those ninjas—we must never cross them. Remember that, Leo."
"Even if we get caught stealing, the worst that happens is we get beaten or hurt. But if we anger a ninja… it'll be much, much worse. We don't have the power to fight them."
Leo looked at the two of them, touched by their concern. "What if I told you I am a ninja—would you believe me?"
"...Huh?"
Yahiko and Konan froze.
Then Yahiko burst into laughter. "Haha! Yeah, sure—and I won't pretend anymore either! Truth is, I'm a ninja too! A jonin, no less!"
Konan giggled, her smile soft and wistful. "It would be nice to be a ninja… at least then we could protect ourselves."
"You really want to become a ninja, Konan?" Leo asked.
"I'm just a commoner," she said quietly. "That's impossible."
"Yeah," Yahiko said fiercely. "If I could learn ninjutsu, I'd beat up all those rich, heartless bastards!"
"Learn ninjutsu, huh…" Leo murmured, remembering their words.
Night fell. The rain above never seemed to stop.
Elsewhere, a seven-man squad of Sand shinobi was traveling along a remote path.
Their leader glanced at the darkening sky and said, "It's getting late. Don't go further—we might run into Rain-nin ambushes. Search for a place to rest nearby. If we can't find one, we'll use Earth Release to build a shelter."
The team spread out to search.
Before long, one returned. "Captain, there's a small abandoned cavern up ahead. We can stay there for the night."
"Let's move," said the captain—Sasaji.
Inside the cave, Leo, Yahiko, and Konan sat around a fire.
Though the Land of Rain was perpetually damp, daytime temperatures were tolerable. But at night, the chill became bone-deep.
"The firewood's running low," Yahiko said, rubbing his hands for warmth. "Should we add more?"
"There's still some by the entrance—I'll get it," Konan offered.
She walked toward the entrance, picked up some firewood, and happened to glance outside—
—and froze, her body going rigid in place.
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