I hadn't felt like eating all day. Watching the crow devour the fruit it had brought back, Hayashi felt his stomach twist with hunger.
Just as he was about to reach for the fruit, the crow's black eyes flashed with disdain, clearly holding a grudge for not being offered any sake.
"Hayashi, come to my house tonight. My sister has something to ask you," the crow seemed to imply.
"I'm not going. I don't want to see her right now," he replied, shaking his head, then paused. "Wait… isn't Mikoto away today?"
The crow tilted its head, as if confirming his suspicion.
"You went to my house to steal sake, didn't you?" it seemed to ask.
"Not at all. All the sake Grandma Mito left was drunk by Mikoto. Kushina can vouch for me."
Nawaki, curious as ever, wanted to discover the hiding place, but Hayashi and Kushina kept silent.
After sitting for a long time, Nawaki's legs went numb. Stretching them out, the two slowly made their way toward the village. The crow hesitated for a moment, unwilling to leave its fruit behind, but finally followed them around the corner.
"Can this be eaten?" Nawaki asked, gesturing toward the crow, as if gauging whether it would fit in their pot at home.
Once perched firmly on Hayashi's shoulder, the crow glared fiercely at Nawaki.
"Do you want to come back with me?" Hayashi asked.
The crow nodded immediately, then cried twice toward the sky as if saying farewell. Seconds later, a chorus of caws echoed from the forest depths.
The creatures of the ninja world were fascinating. Some were enormous, others cunning, and a few could even communicate. Master these abilities, claim territory, and you could earn the lofty title of Summoning Beast. If luck favored you and you mastered some Senjutsu techniques, your value could double, and you might rise to the status of a Holy Land.
Consider a certain toad, shrewd and cunning. From the Sage of Six Paths to the Child of Prophecy, it had fooled countless people, focusing on a simple target: descendants of foreign blood. From a survival standpoint, it had achieved perfection, elevating itself from obscurity to fame, with security and status to match.
In contrast, the nine adorable Tailed Beasts had been fighting for survival for millennia, and even now, their freedom remained constrained, their reputations tarnished.
Hayashi and Nawaki walked along the sycamore-lined road, admiring the leaves tumbling in the cold wind. At first, the falling leaves seemed poetic; soon, they fell in great swathes.
Nawaki pushed aside two large leaves covering his face, only to have two more drift over him.
"What are you using ninjutsu for?" Hayashi asked with a smile, observing the small swirl of chakra in Nawaki's palm, carrying the leaves away with graceful airflow.
The sight jogged Nawaki's memory. "You promised to teach me the Rasengan. When will you teach it?"
His tone was confident, though Hayashi knew he had his sights on someone else earlier.
"Tomorrow. Come find me with Minato. I'll explain everything then."
Looking up at the gray, cloud-filled sky, Hayashi noticed the wind intensifying, scattering leaves into the air.
Just as they approached the cemetery gate, a girl walked along a parallel path.
Her worn shoes made a crisp sound on the ground, drowned almost immediately by the howling wind, and her yellow braids swayed like golden threads.
The distance between them closed rapidly, until finally, they nearly passed each other. In that instant, a thought struck Hayashi—where had he seen her before?
The girl stopped. Their eyes met.
Nawaki looked puzzled. He hadn't recognized this girl who had stolen his backpack months ago.
She was still thin, her height unchanged, but now her features were unmistakably feminine. Her worn clothes made her shiver in the cold, evoking a pitiful image.
Who was she? How had she entered Konoha? Why here?
Hayashi's mind raced. Outsiders rarely entered the village, especially during wartime. This girl, though in a kimono, was clearly a ninja of Konoha—but from which division? She was a potentially valuable source of information.
Hayashi extended an invitation. "We can consider ourselves acquainted, perhaps even destined to meet. How about catching up over a meal?"
"I have no money," she replied flatly.
"No problem. You don't need to pay. And see this crow? We'll stew it tonight."
The crow fluffed its feathers proudly, its plump body a testament to its value as a wingman.
Nawaki stared blankly, bemused at Hayashi's casual charm.
As they entered the Senju clan grounds, Kushina, sharp-nosed as ever, appeared from seemingly nowhere.
"Who is this girl?" she whispered.
Kushina seemed to recognize the isolation in the girl—the same sense of alienation she had felt arriving in Konoha years ago.
"We met her in a small town on a mission in fifth grade. I didn't expect to see her here," Hayashi explained.
Kushina nodded. "Let's let her eat here. She's far too thin."
The girl, malnourished and smaller than Kushina, could still be considered a child.
Hayashi gestured politely. "My name is Hayashi, and this is Nawaki. The red-haired girl just now is Kushina. May I know your name?"
Sitting down, he offered her tea.
"Nono Yu, Yakushi Nono Yu," she replied.
Pfft! Tea sprayed across Nawaki's face.
"Hayashi, what are you doing?!"
"Sorry," Hayashi muttered, stifling a laugh.
Nawaki retreated to change clothes.
"Have you heard my name?" Nono Yu's eyes were sharp, filled with youthful observation.
Hayashi shook his head. "No, it's the first time I've heard the surname Yakushi. Very unusual."
"Is that so?" Nono Yu remained noncommittal.
Just as Hayashi studied the so-called "Walking Shrine Maiden," Nawaki returned, eyes wide with sudden realization.
"I remember! You're the thief who stole my backpack!"
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