novelraw Chapter 364 - 364 We Are Nagato's Relatives
Chapter 364 - 364 We Are Nagato's Relatives
Two days later, Land of Rain.
Endless dreary rain shrouded this land ravaged by war, as muddy trade roads wound forward under the grey, overcast sky.
The air was filled with the damp smell of earth and a lingering sense of oppression.
Kanon was draped in a slightly oversized straw raincoat, her bright red hair faintly visible beneath the wide rain hat.
She stood in the middle of the road, facing five bandits holding crude weapons, their faces fierce and menacing.
These bandits were shabbily dressed, but the greed and ruthlessness in their eyes were unmistakable.
"Hand over the food and money! Or don't blame us for being impolite!" The leader brandished a rusted machete, roaring fiercely.
Kanon took a deep breath of the cold air, recalling Menma's teachings over the past two days.
She raised her hands in front of her chest, somewhat clumsily urging her chakra.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Hum—!
Two brilliant golden Chakra Chains instantly shot out from behind her like living serpents, carrying a powerful sealing aura, accurately striking the five bandits!
"Ah!"
"Thud!"
"Ow!"
The bandits didn't even see what happened, only feeling an immense force hit them, sending them flying into the air before crashing down into the mud with screams, their weapons flying from their hands, a pathetic sight.
Struggling to get up, their faces etched with terror, they looked at Kanon as if she were a monster.
"Spare us! Ninja-sama!"
"We were wrong! We won't dare again!"
"Please let us go! We had no choice, our children are starving at home, we just wanted to find some food..."
One bandit wailed, begging for mercy, tears and snot streaming down his face, looking utterly miserable.
Looking at their wretched state, especially hearing words like 'starving children', Kanon's heart softened.
She was kind by nature. Though Menma had taught her the cruelty of the Ninja World over the past two days, personally deciding someone's life or death was still too heavy a burden for her.
She instinctively turned back to look at Menma, who had been standing silently in the shadow of a large tree by the roadside, her eyes carrying inquiry and a hint of pity.
Menma's expression remained calm. Raindrops slid from the tree branches, yet strangely did not wet his clothes at all, as if an invisible force kept the rain at bay.
Seeing the hesitation in Kanon's eyes, he spoke in a plain voice that clearly pierced through the curtain of rain into Kanon's ears:
"Kanon, remember, this world is chaotic. The strong prey on the weak, truth is hard to discern. I can teach you the Uzumaki Clan's secret techniques and basic Ninjutsu knowledge, giving you power. But how to use this power, how to judge whether the person before you is a vicious criminal or a poor soul forced by circumstances... this requires you to observe, to think, to make decisions yourself. This is a growth you must experience."
His words held no accusation, no guidance, only stating the cruelty of the Ninja World, leaving the power of choice entirely to Kanon.
Hearing this, Kanon felt a weight lift off her shoulders, yet simultaneously felt a heavy responsibility settle on them.
She turned back to look at the bandits still begging for mercy in the mud. Biting her lip, she finally waved her hand, her voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor: "You... you can go! Don't do this kind of thing again!"
The bandits felt as if granted amnesty. Scrambling to their feet, not even bothering to pick up their dropped weapons, they fled the scene in panic, quickly disappearing into the rain curtain and the roadside shrubs.
Kanon watched the direction they disappeared in, softly sighing in relief, but the lingering unease in her heart did not fully dissipate.
Menma said no more, stepping forward to continue along the muddy trade road towards Amegakure at an unhurried pace.
Kanon quickly gathered her thoughts, tightened her raincoat, and hurried to catch up.
The two figures gradually receded into the distance amidst the pattering rain.
...
Night fell, the rain still unceasing.
The two took temporary shelter in a dry tree hollow by the roadside.
Menma lit a small campfire. The orange-yellow flames dispelled the chill and dampness inside the hollow, illuminating his calm face and Kanon's focused expression.
"You've grasped the basics of the Adamantine Sealing Chains. What you need now is continuous practice and improvement in Chakra Control to increase the number, strength, and flexibility of the chains." Menma said to Kanon as he skewered two cleaned fish on sharpened sticks, propping them by the fire to roast.
"With your Chakra Reserves, combined with the Adamantine Sealing Chains, unless you encounter an experienced Special Jonin or a team specifically targeting Sealing Techniques, ordinary Chunin and Genin are no longer your match. This gives you initial survival capability in this chaotic world."
He slightly turned the roasting fish for more even heating, continuing: "Next, you need to systematically learn detailed Chakra Extraction and fine control techniques. This is the foundation for all high-level Ninjutsu. At the same time, mastering some basic elemental Ninjutsu will give you more ways to handle different situations."
As he spoke, Menma took out three somewhat aged scrolls from his clothes and handed them to Kanon.
Kanon received them with both hands, looking at them by the firelight. The scrolls were respectively titled Essentials of Chakra Extraction, Introduction to Chakra Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation, and Compendium of Basic Five-Element Ninjutsu (D/C-Rank).
She understood clearly that such knowledge was valuable wealth not easily disclosed in any Ninja Village, especially for a wandering ninja like her without any background.
Kanon raised her head, her red eyes filled with gratitude, but also carrying a deep sense of bewilderment.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking up: "Menma-sama, I've always had a question. Why... are you willing to teach me so thoroughly? Teaching me this precious knowledge unreservedly, is it simply because... we are both of the Uzumaki Clan?"
She paused, carefully observing Menma's expression, her voice softer: "And... I always feel that you seem... to be in a hurry? As if preparing for something, or... looking for something?"
Menma's hand, which was turning the fish, paused slightly, then resumed.
The dancing firelight reflected points of light in his deep black eyes.
He didn't answer immediately, just looked at the campfire until the aroma of roasting fish began to spread.
Menma picked up a stick with roasted fish, carefully examined the golden color of the fish, confirmed it was cooked, then slowly spoke, his voice calm and even: "Because you resemble someone I know. Is that reason enough?"
He didn't look at Kanon, nor did he answer the second question about time.
Kanon was slightly taken aback. Looking at Menma's profile, though she didn't understand who that 'someone I know' he spoke of was, or what their story might be, she could sense a sincerity in Menma's calm tone.
She nodded firmly, holding the scrolls tightly to her chest, her heart filled with a warm current.
This unreserved teaching, this bond of shared Uzumaki blood, gave her an unprecedented sense of belonging and warmth in this cold, cruel ninja world.
"I understand, Menma-sama!" Kanon's voice became firm, her eyes flashing with determination. "I will study hard! I will absolutely not disappoint your expectations!"
She understood that Menma not answering the second question was an answer in itself.
He was indeed in a hurry, had important things to do.
Then, what she could do was become strong as quickly as possible, not become a burden to him, and perhaps even be able to help him in the future.
In the time that followed, Kanon immersed herself in the knowledge from the scrolls, occasionally asking Menma questions.
Menma patiently answered, pointing out key points.
Inside the tree hollow, only the crackling of the campfire, the sound of rain outside, and the occasional low exchanges between the two remained.
The aroma of the roasted fish grew stronger.
Menma tasted the one in his hand, confirmed the flavor was acceptable, then handed the other perfectly roasted fish to Kanon.
The two enjoyed their simple dinner in this crude tree hollow.
Just then, the silence outside the hollow, which had consisted only of rain, was broken by a commotion.
The sounds of arguing, crying, shouting, and scolding mixed together, drawing nearer.
Curious, Kanon walked to the entrance of the hollow, pushed aside the hanging vines, and looked out.
On the muddy main road, a merchant caravan of considerable size was surrounded by a large group of ragged, sallow-faced and emaciated refugees.
The refugees stretched out their thin, withered hands, pleading desperately for food.
The caravan leader, a portly, rotund middle-aged man, stood on a cargo cart, his face full of impatience and disgust, waving his arms and shouting at the caravan guards: "Hey! Chase them away! Quickly chase these dirty beggars away! Blocking the road, what a sight!"
Several caravan guards stepped forward, roughly shoving the refugees, causing a wave of wails.
However, among the caravan guards, there were a few young men dressed in black robes, wearing Amegakure's forehead protectors. Their behavior was completely different.
They silently took out some dry rations and water from their own packs, distributing them to the children and elderly who looked the weakest.
Seeing this, the caravan leader stamped his feet in anger, pointing at those Amegakure ninja and cursing: "Yahiko! What are you doing? What's the use of giving this precious food to these refugees?! They'll eat this meal today, but they'll still starve tomorrow! What a waste!"
The young man addressed as Yahiko had spiky orange hair, a resolute face, and clear eyes.
He looked up at the caravan leader, his voice gentle yet firm: "We are just doing our part. Perhaps this bit of food cannot change their fate, but at least it can let them live one more day. One more day alive means one more day of hope."
"Hope? Hmph!" The caravan leader sneered, turning his head away, unwilling to bother anymore.
However, right in the midst of this chaotic scene, a sudden change occurred!
From the crowd of refugees, five robust, fierce-eyed men suddenly leaped up!
Their movements were swift, clearly premeditated. They held hidden short knives and clubs, pouncing like leopards straight towards the caravan leader standing on the cart!
"Protect the boss!" The caravan guards exclaimed, but the incident was too sudden, their reactions a step too slow.
The caravan leader was scared out of his wits, his feet slipping, causing him to fall straight from the cart, landing right in the middle of the five men. A cold short knife was instantly pressed against his throat.
"Ah! He... help!" The caravan leader turned pale as a ghost, screaming like a slaughtered pig.
The surrounding refugees were frightened by this sudden turn of events, scattering in all directions.
The leader of the five assailants, holding the knife to the caravan leader's throat, shouted sharply at the chaotic caravan: "If you don't want him dead, hand over all the food and money!"
"Yahiko! I hired your Akatsuki, not to have you stand there watching the show! Save me quickly!" The caravan leader cried out hoarsely towards Yahiko and the others.
Yahiko's eyes sharpened, the aura around him instantly turning keen.
"Konan!"
The young woman with light bluish-purple hair beside him was already prepared.
Konan formed hand seals, her clear, cool voice ringing out: "Dance of the Shikigami!"
In an instant, her body seemed to lose its substance, transforming into countless pure white paper sheets, fluttering like a swarm of butterflies stirred by the wind, light and swift as they drifted towards the five assailants!
The paper sheets fluttered and combined in the air, sometimes forming resilient ribbons to entangle and restrain the assailants' limbs, sometimes forming sharp blades to knock the weapons from their hands.
Her movements were fluid, carrying a strange sense of beauty.
In the blink of an eye, all weapons in the five assailants' hands were knocked away, their limbs bound by paper ribbons, rendered immobile.
The caravan leader was also cleverly scooped up by Konan's paper sheets and pulled back to safety.
"Well done! Konan!" Yahiko praised, then turned a stern gaze towards the five subdued assailants.
Seeing their action had failed, the five men immediately switched to pitiful expressions, the previous ferocity gone without a trace. They knelt in the mud, kowtowing like pounding garlic:
"Spare us! Ninja-sama!"
"We were forced into this!"
"Our wives and children haven't eaten for days at home, we really had no choice but to resort to this!"
"Please be merciful, let us go! We won't dare again!"
Watching their tearful performance, a flicker of hesitation passed through Konan's cool gaze. She looked at Yahiko.
Yahiko looked at these wailing 'poor souls', his brow deeply furrowed, an internal struggle raging in his heart.
He was kind by nature, dedicated to changing the Land of Rain through peaceful means. For these people who claimed to be forced by circumstances, it was truly difficult for him to strike them down.
He sighed, seeming to have made a decision, and began to say, "Let them go..."
"Don't let them go!"
A clear, angry female voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Yahiko.
Konan, Yahiko, the quiet, red-haired young man Nagato behind them, and the other Akatsuki's members all looked towards the source of the voice.
They saw a red-haired girl in a straw raincoat walking out angrily from behind the roadside bushes. She pointed at the five kneeling, begging assailants and said to Yahiko and the others: "These are the same bandits from this afternoon! They ambushed us on the road! After I defeated them, they used the same story, saying their children were starving and begged me to let them go! My heart softened and I let them go! I never expected they weren't refugees at all, but professional bandits! Specializing in using people's sympathy to commit crimes!"
Kanon grew angrier as she spoke, feeling a mix of annoyance and fury at having been deceived by these guys' skilled acting in the afternoon.
Her words struck the Akatsuki's members like a thunderclap!
Konan and Yahiko's expressions instantly turned extremely unpleasant. The look they directed at the five bandits was filled with the anger of being deceived.
An Akatsuki's member with a fiery temperament abruptly drew a kunai, stepping forward angrily: "How dare they exploit our kindness! Leader, since you can't bring yourself to do it, let me finish off these scum!"
"Spare us!"
"We were wrong! We won't dare again!"
Seeing their lies exposed, the five bandits were terrified out of their wits. No longer caring about pretense, they leaped up from the ground one after another, like startled rabbits, fleeing desperately in different directions!
"Don't let them escape to harm others!" Seeing this, Yahiko immediately ordered Konan and the other members.
"Trying to run?!" A flash of fierceness passed through Kanon's eyes. The frustration of being deceived in the afternoon and the anger of the moment intertwined, making her hesitate no longer.
She raised her hands, giving a sharp shout:
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Two golden Chakra Chains shot out again!
This time, the chains were faster, more precise!
Like two golden bolts of lightning streaking through the rain, they instantly caught up with the five fleeing bandits. Like nimble snakes, they wrapped around, bound them tightly, then yanked them back, slamming them heavily into the center of the muddy road. They were knocked senseless, crying for their parents, with two even soiling themselves in fear, a pitiful sight.
Yahiko looked at these bandits struggling and crying for mercy in the mud, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. He finally waved his hand and said to the member holding the kunai: "Tie them up. Tomorrow, take them to the nearest town and hand them over to the security team."
"Yes, Leader."
After dealing with the bandits, Yahiko turned his attention back to Kanon. A sincere, friendly smile appeared on his face as he stepped forward, extending a hand, saying: "Hello, my name is Yahiko, leader of the Amegakure's Akatsuki. Thank you for the warning just now, or we would have been fooled by these guys. May I ask who you are?"
However, Kanon's gaze seemed magnetically drawn, passing over Yahiko and landing directly on the quiet red-haired young man behind him.
Her eyes were filled with surprise, inquiry, and an indescribable sense of familiarity.
Yahiko and Konan also noticed Kanon's unusual focus, following her gaze to Nagato.
Kanon walked step by step to stand before Nagato, looking up at his hair, as vividly red as her own, her voice carrying a tremor of uncertainty: "You... you are also..."
Nagato looked at the girl standing before him, especially at the red hair and eyes so similar to his mother's, causing ripples in his usually calm heart.
He lowered his head somewhat awkwardly, replying in a soft voice: "I... I am Nagato. I..."
"His mother was called Uzumaki Fuso, also an Uzumaki clan member who drifted abroad."
A calm voice came from the rain curtain, completing the sentence Nagato couldn't finish.
Yahiko, Konan, and the others looked towards the source of the voice. They saw a young man in black casual clothes, with black hair and black eyes, standing silently not far away at some unknown time.
Astonishingly, the dense raindrops falling on him seemed to encounter an invisible barrier, sliding off automatically, not wetting a single corner of his clothing.
He stood composedly in the rain, seeming out of place with this damp, cold world.
Menma walked leisurely up to the Akatsuki's members, his gaze calmly sweeping over Yahiko and Konan before resting on Nagato for a moment. Then he introduced himself: "Hello, my name is Uzumaki Menma. Strictly speaking, we should be distant relatives of Nagato."
His words were clear, yet they left the members of the original Akatsuki stunned.
Yahiko and Konan instinctively looked at Nagato and Kanon's identically striking red hair, then at Menma's jet-black short hair.
Konan couldn't help but murmur softly, her eyes filled with confusion:
"Relatives...?"