Chapter 9
Winter had come in the blink of an eye. The cold rain had now turned freezing, and it was genuinely dangerous to go out of the shelter the warehouse provided. The training had to be cut off, as it was simply too cold to run or be outside.
Jiraiya hadn't come back in three months. Yahiko had become worried about him. He knew that Jiraiya would have already come back if he could, as he was probably worried sick. So, something unexpected was keeping him away.
But he didn't have the leisure to worry about one of the strongest shinobi in the world while they were running low on food. Yahiko was forced to go to the nearby town to buy supplies. At least Jiraiya had left more than enough money for them.
All he needed was to walk a few hours to reach the town, buy all they needed, and then return. Sadly, in this country, the weather never cleared out. The rain and the wind would pound him every step he took, and he didn't know how long he could take it.
He still didn't know how to use chakra, even though he had gotten the hang of meditation and grown stronger after an enormous amount of training. But he was still just a kid, and Yahiko didn't fancy himself facing nature yet.
"You sure about it?" Konan was always worried about Yahiko and Nagato.
"It isn't that bad," Yahiko got used to lying. "The cloak you fixed should protect me enough to get to the town, and once there, I will be able to buy everything we need. A new cloak, an umbrella, and even new boots. So, getting back will be a piece of cake."
As much as he didn't fancy getting out in this weather, he didn't know when Jiraiya would come back, and it didn't look like it would get any better out here. So, he had no choice but to do it.
"Nagato, no," Yahiko could only sigh as he saw Nagato also getting ready to go out. "I told you that I don't need you to go out with me. I'll take care of it."
"But I can help."
"No." Yahiko didn't like to use his harsher tone on them, but they wouldn't listen otherwise. "Just stay here and look after our home. Don't worry about me. If a bear couldn't take me out, the measly rain won't either."
Yahiko could tell they didn't believe him. Even inside, with the fire burning, it was quite chilly. And they weren't stupid enough not to know how cold it could get. But they also knew they needed supplies, which were running extremely low.
Damn it, Yahiko hated seeing them like that. They were just kids; they shouldn't risk their lives just to get some food. And they wouldn't—Yahiko would take it upon himself.
…
The town was bigger and smaller than he thought. It seemed to be one of the most populated towns Yahiko had seen. But it wasn't that big. So, it wasn't a surprise to find plenty of people hiding from the rain, sitting on the ground in alleyways between buildings.
From men to women, from the old to the children—everywhere Yahiko went, he saw them. He wished he could ignore them, but seeing those feeble people who now had nothing to their names made it harder.
Especially when he was freezing to the bone after a couple of hours of walking. And thinking how difficult it would be to sleep on the cold and wet ground made him understand how lucky he was to have a home.
This was war. No matter the time or where one would go, it was all the same. Yahiko could only wonder how many of those hundreds of people would survive this winter. How many would survive tonight?
The marketplace was filled with beggars, thieves, and very angry vendors. Yahiko didn't waste time as he went through the market, getting bags of rice and bread with other food supplies that would last for some time.
By the time he was done, his hands were already full and his money significantly lessened. This town couldn't be any more different from the one he had started in. There was no bargaining with the vendors, and he had to be careful of pickpockets with every step he took.
But he still had to buy more blankets and cloaks. If not for his physical training over the past three months, he wouldn't have been able to carry everything back. He could barely do it even now.
"Give me everything you have."
Just as Yahiko left the marketplace, he was met with a group of kids barely older than him. One in the front pointed a crude knife at Yahiko as she salivated over the bags Yahiko was carrying.
"Let's not rush; it could get dangerous," Yahiko said calmly.
"Drop everything you have. And money, all your money, give it to me."
"It is pretty cold, and you are starving, but is it worth killing someone for it?" Yahiko asked as he did as he was instructed. "And what will you do with all of this? You have nowhere to go; others will just steal it from you, just as you will steal it from me."
The girl in front turned to the rest of the group of children, and when she turned back to Yahiko, her eyes were firm. He guessed that killing someone else so she could provide for her friends was a far easier decision than Yahiko had thought it would be.
"Just leave everything behind and run along," the girl said. Her hands stopped shaking as she prepared to do what she had to do.
"I can't do that. I have people who also rely on me to come back with these supplies. As much as you are willing to kill to protect and provide for your friends, I am prepared to die to do the same."
"Then die!" she yelled out and lunged at Yahiko.
"I can't do that either," Yahiko replied, sidestepping and catching her wrist before elbowing her in the face.
She fell to the ground hard, dropping her knife and clutching her bleeding nose while trying to hold back her sobs of pain and fear. The other kids, seeing this, turned around and ran away, leaving her alone at Yahiko's mercy.
"Don't blame them too much," Yahiko said to the girl. "They're just kids. Scared kids. Not everyone can be as brave as you are."
Yahiko could leave her and get out of the town before someone else—someone bigger and knowing what they were doing—tried the same. But there was no hesitation in Yahiko's action, as he made sure the girl was alright and gave half of the food he had to her, along with a couple of cloaks and blankets.
"Why?" She looked terrified at Yahiko's action.
"I was just luckier than you to get my hands on something that you are lacking," Yahiko replied. "And I hope if our situation is reversed, you will do the same for me. Don't think too much about it, maybe I am just an idiot, and try to survive. I hope you will."
With his load significantly lighter, Yahiko quickly left the town. He couldn't help everyone, and there was nothing he could do to give others a home or protection. At least now he wouldn't feel so guilty of having a place to return.
…
The first thing that Yahiko would learn after he could use his chakra would be water walking. Even with the new boots, his feet were drenched in water, and he could feel his toes freezing off.
If that wasn't enough, then the amount of water inside his boots was killing him. There was no path free from the flooding. Yahiko would rather have a freezing winter than this wet nightmare.
Even without the rain, it was extremely hard not to fall into one of the numerous holes hidden under the water. He surely wouldn't want to get all his supplies drenched in water. And knowing how much easier it would be if he could just walk on the water made him want to learn how to use chakra even more.
As he dragged his feet back home, Yahiko could only dream of the time when he would be running on top of it. He also wondered if he could run up the rain and see what was hidden behind those damn grey clouds.
As he daydreamed about it, he stumbled back home, somehow instinctively remembering the safe path that wasn't riddled with traps set by Jiraiya. Crashing through the doors, he saw Nagato and Konan patiently waiting for him.
Before he could even say anything, they forced him by the fire, took away the supplies, undressed him, and wrapped him in a bundle of blankets. And before Yahiko could even comprehend any of it, he already had a hot tea at his lips.
"You are cold as ice," Konan said as she pushed Yahiko closer to the fireplace, touching his body and making sure he wasn't hurt.
She probably wasn't lying since Yahiko could feel his cracked and probably blue lips. His fingers and toes were turning purple, and for a second, Yahiko feared he would get frostbite and might even lose some of his fingers.
But in the end, it wasn't that bad. In a couple of hours of resting, he had already regained most of his original color, even if he had started to have a runny nose and sneezed at least a couple of times every minute.
"Here," Nagato quickly made warm porridge.
As expected from the cooking of someone who wasn't Yahiko, it was way too salty and clumpy. Yahiko didn't even want to know what Nagato put into it. Still, he ate it all before he was forced to lie down, with Chibi resting right next to him.
"I am fine," Yahiko finally managed to mumble, but he was too tired to argue with two very worried and stubborn children.
Before he even realized it, he had already fallen asleep. And he wondered how lucky he was to sleep on a warm mattress with people who worried to death about him. And he wondered how unfair it was that there were so many others who didn't have what he did.
…
Yahiko opened his eyes to see Nagato studying and Konan folding paper and making butterflies from it. Another three months had just passed in the blink of an eye. Meditation had become second nature to Yahiko by now, and with all the physical training he had done, he was sure he should be able to use chakra at any moment.
"Are you leaving again?" Konan asked, as by now she could guess what Yahiko was thinking.
"Master still hasn't returned," Yahiko commented. "I need to make sure if anyone has heard about him. And our supplies again are running low. Sorry for worrying you two."
Now, Yahiko was a bit worried about his stupid master. The winter was rough, but it had passed. So, he hoped that Jiraiya would come to at least check on them. Not only were all the supplies he had left gone now, but the money was running low, too.
He should know that, and if Yahiko remembered at least half of what kind of person Jiraiya was, he was probably worried sick by now. Yahiko couldn't help but want to check in the nearby town to see if he could get any information.
Even if news traveled slowly, if something were to happen to one of the Sannin, he was sure he would hear about it. He was also worried about those kids in the town. Every time he went there, he would buy some stuff for them so they were able to survive the winter. And each time there seemed to be fewer of them than before. They said nothing about it, and Yahiko didn't ask.
Yahiko knew well that they were using him and calling him an idiot for doing something that stupid, but he couldn't help it. When he saw someone suffering, he had to help them out in any way he could. Even though it never seemed to be enough.
"I will be back by sunset," Yahiko replied.
Of course, there were barely any signs of sunrise or sunset when they couldn't see the sun. The only time it was somewhat noticeable was when the sun was high in the sky before noon, and the afternoon was the same. Only when it had completely gotten dark did they notice that the sun had completely set.
That was just how it was in this country of grey skies. And just like there was nowhere to hide from the everlasting rain, there was nowhere to hide from the ever-going war. It left its mark on this country.
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.