Part 3 — Questions About War
The words came out so softly that Haruto almost didn't hear them properly.
Ayame looked toward Kaito immediately.
But Kaito himself kept staring downward.
"…One day they're there…"
A pause.
"…Then they aren't anymore."
Haruto's chest tightened slightly again after hearing that.
Because he understood exactly what Kaito meant.
And somehow—
that understanding scared him too.
For several moments—
none of the three spoke afterward.
The house remained dim and quiet around them.
Three children sitting together while the world outside slowly kept changing.
The quiet inside the house lingered for several more moments.
Only distant movement outside occasionally broke the silence.
Footsteps across rooftops.
Faint alarms somewhere farther away.
The village still hadn't fully settled.
Haruto slowly stared at the floor while holding the half-empty glass.
"…Do you think it'll become a real war?"
No one answered immediately.
Because all three already knew this probably wasn't just a small conflict anymore.
Ayame finally spoke first.
"…I think it already is."
Haruto's fingers tightened slightly around the glass.
Kaito quietly lowered his gaze again.
"…Then why are they attacking now…?"
Ayame shook her head slightly.
"…I don't know."
Haruto leaned back slowly against the sofa.
"…It doesn't make sense…"
"…If they already attacked once, why keep attacking again?"
Ayame remained quiet briefly before answering.
"…Maybe they want shinobi moving around."
Haruto looked toward her.
"…Why?"
"…To exhaust them."
That answer made the room quieter again.
Because even children could understand what exhaustion during war meant.
Less people.
Less protection.
More danger.
Kaito's voice came quietly afterward.
"…Then Renjiro and Aka…"
He stopped there.
Unable to finish properly.
Ayame looked down slightly.
"…They're probably both near dangerous places now."
Haruto immediately looked away after hearing that.
The image alone made his chest tighten again.
Kaito slowly spoke afterward.
"…What if the barriers break?"
Haruto's breathing slowed slightly again.
Not panicked yet.
But close.
Ayame noticed immediately.
So before Haruto could spiral further—
she answered calmly.
"…The barriers won't fall easily."
Kaito still looked uncertain.
"…But explosions already happened…"
Ayame stayed quiet briefly.
Then softly answered:
"…That's why shinobi exist."
The room fell silent again afterward.
But this silence felt different now.
Not confused.
Heavy.
Like the three of them were finally beginning to understand something together.
War wasn't just stories adults talked about anymore.
It wasn't just deployments.
Or tension.
Or rumors.
Now there were explosions.
Deaths.
People disappearing.
And the terrifying part was—
none of it stopped the world from continuing normally afterward.
Academy still opened.
Restaurants still served food.
People still walked through streets.
But underneath everything—
fear had already spread across the village.
Haruto quietly spoke again after a long silence.
"…Do you think people are gonna die?"
The question felt small.
Childish even.
But somehow—
that made it hurt more.