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The Hidden Rain Village night was shrouded in an unceasing rain, and the damp air was filled with the smell of fish and mildew.
Uchiha Chiye was hiding in a dilapidated seafood warehouse.
A few trickles of rain leaked through the damaged roof, splashing tiny drops onto the waterlogged wooden floor.
He leaned against a row of rusty iron shelves, his Mangekyo Sharingan already closed, but his keen perception still kept him on high alert.
The side effects of the Mangekyo Sharingan hit, and Chiye felt as if his entire body was falling apart.
When he had previously fought Tsunade, his legs had only felt weak.
Using the Mangekyo Sharingan a few times felt like being completely drained.
Though Chiye complained about this in his heart, he also gained a new understanding of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
He needed time to recover now, and this place was secluded enough, at least for the time being.
First came the Sannin, then death (after the Sannin title, still in war) (timeline).
However, less than ten minutes after he closed his eyes to rest, faint footsteps suddenly mingled with the sound of rain outside the warehouse.
Chiye abruptly opened his eyes, his figure flickering as he silently melted into the shadows behind the shelves.
Creak.
The rusty iron door was gently pushed open, and three small, thin figures stealthily slipped inside.
By the dim light from outside the window, Chiye clearly saw the newcomers.
An orange-haired, spiky-headed boy walked in front, followed by a scrawny boy with red hair covering his eyes, and finally, a bright-eyed girl with short blue-purple hair.
"Yahiko, Nagato, Konan?"
Nagato, Yahiko, Konan.
Chiye's pupils constricted; he hadn't expected to encounter the future founders of the Akatsuki Organization here.
Chiye raised an eyebrow, and just as he was pondering, something unexpected happened.
"Ah!"
Yahiko stepped on a puddle, slipped, and stumbled forward.
In his panic, he grabbed a shelf to steady himself, but instead pulled the entire iron shelf down.
Clang!
The loud crash of the collapsing iron shelf was particularly jarring in the silent warehouse, scattering various rusty fishing tools across the floor.
"Which little thief dares to steal my goods?!"
Immediately, the angry shouts of the shop owner came from outside the warehouse, and heavy footsteps rapidly approached.
Chiye's eyes narrowed, and he instantly made a decision.
He raised his hand to form a hand sign.
Two Shadow Clones appeared simultaneously, and before Yahiko and the two others could react, they had already grabbed their shoulders.
"Don't make a sound."
Chiye's original body whispered.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
Whoosh.
He swiftly vanished from his spot.
The next second, the enraged shop owner kicked open the door and rushed in, his flashlight beam sweeping across the empty warehouse, only to see the collapsed shelves and the mess on the floor.
"What the hell..."
The shop owner mumbled, looking around warily.
Meanwhile, Chiye had already appeared with the three children in a deserted sewer hundreds of meters away.
Under the dim light, Yahiko and the two others sat on the ground, still reeling from fright, staring with shock at the unfamiliar Ninja before them.
Konan was the first to react, cautiously shielding her two companions behind her.
"Who...who are you?"
Chiye put away his kunai, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"That question should be mine to ask you, three little brats, what are you doing in a seafood warehouse in the middle of the night?"
Chiye put away his kunai and crouched down to be at eye level with the three children.
In the damp sewer, only the distant drip-drip of rainwater seeped in.
"You..."
Chiye deliberately slowed his tone.
"Were you going to steal food?"
Despite his legs still trembling, Yahiko stubbornly held his head high.
He said angrily, "Last time we bought fish from that boss, and we got stomachaches and threw up several times after eating it.
We saved up our money so hard, but he cheated us!"
"Yahiko!"
Konan hastily pulled his sleeve.
The red-haired Nagato, meanwhile, silently lowered his head, his Rinnegan beneath his bangs shifting uneasily.
Chiye's gaze swept over Nagato, and he understood.
At this time, the Rinnegan had not fully awakened, but the latent oppressive feeling was already subtly discernible.
He suddenly reached out and pulled three military rations pills from his Ninja tool pouch.
"Eat these."
He distributed the military rations pills to the three of them.
Although military rations pills didn't taste good, they could at least fill one's stomach.
The three children froze.
Konan was the first to react, carefully sniffing them before her eyes suddenly lit up.
"It's...it's military rations pills!"
A look of joy appeared on the three children's faces, then they suddenly thought of something.
They forced themselves to resist the urge to swallow them.
"Why...why are you helping us?"
Yahiko remained wary, but his stomach grumbled uncontrollably.
Chiye pointed to the Konoha symbol on his forehead protector.
"Just passing by."
As he spoke, his face paled, and he suddenly coughed.
Konan gasped in surprise.
"You're injured!"
She hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a faded, well-worn handkerchief from her tattered sleeve.
"We...we won't take your things for free; we can help you..."
"Konan!"
Yahiko tried to stop her, but Nagato gently pulled him back.
The red-haired boy spoke for the first time, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"He...has no ill intent."
Chiye shook his head, then suddenly asked, "Do you have any other companions?"
All three small faces simultaneously dimmed.
"No, everyone...died."
Silence fell in the sewer.
Chiye looked at the three, all with crestfallen faces, like children who had made a mistake.
The three thin figures before him still had warehouse dust on their tattered clothes.
Konan had a fresh scrape on her knee, and Nagato's wrist was so thin that the outline of his bones was visible.
Who wasn't an innocent child in the beginning?
"Mission triggered: Intercept Konan."
"Reward: Paper Ninjutsu or a random Bloodline Limit."
Intercept Konan?
Looking at the small child in front of him, she was only six or seven years old.
This system was a bit too advanced.
He would have to raise her for ten years!
After complaining internally, Chiye looked around.
"How about you three come with me from now on?"
Chiye crouched down, bringing his gaze to their level.
"Before long, I can take you out of the war-torn Land of Rain."
Yahiko's eyes brightened for a moment, but then he cautiously stepped back half a pace.
He pointed to the mark on Chiye's forehead protector, his voice young and firm.
"We can't go with you. Jiraiya-sensei said he would come back for us after his mission is over!"
Chiye's eyes flashed; it seemed Jiraiya had already begun teaching them at this time.
"The white-haired Toad Sage, huh…"
"In that case, at least let me take you home."
The three exchanged glances.
"Okay!"
Then, led by the three, Chiye arrived at what they called their home.
Their "home" was a half-collapsed wooden hut, its leaky roof barely covered with rags.
In the corner, several moldy cushions were piled up, and a few hand-drawn portraits were crookedly pasted on the wall.
They weren't of them and Jiraiya; Chiye thought they must be the images of their parents from their memories.
"You just eat this?"
Chiye frowned and kicked an empty can, from which a few ants crawled out.
Yahiko's face turned red.
"We...we were supposed to today..."
"Wait."
Chiye suddenly turned and went out.
The three looked at each other.
Less than half an hour later, heavy footsteps were heard outside.
Chiye carried a wild boar on his shoulder, a string of fish hung from his waist, and fresh mud still clung to his boots.
"What are you staring at?"
He threw down a bundle of firewood.
"Make a fire."
As night deepened, the long-absent scent of roasted meat wafted from the dilapidated hut.
Chiye disinfected his kunai with alcohol and skillfully butchered the wild boar meat.
Konan squatted nearby, helping to skewer the meat under Chiye's direction, Nagato silently added firewood, and Yahiko stared longingly at the sizzling roasted meat.
"Why are you helping us?"
Konan suddenly asked in a low voice.
"Even though you're still injured..."
Chiye turned the roasted meat, the firelight casting dancing shadows on his face.
"Just because..."
He paused.
"I was also hungry once."
This sentence touched the three children somewhat.
They naturally couldn't imagine that this powerful Ninja before them would also have such a past.
After eating their fill, exhaustion finally overcame their wariness.
Yahiko and Nagato leaned against the wall and fell into a deep sleep, while Konan struggled to stay awake, staring blankly at Chiye, who was helping to repair the roof.
"You don't have to do this; sleep if you're tired."
Chiye looked down at Konan, who was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open.
Konan, however, stubbornly shook her head, her blue-purple short hair glowing warmly in the firelight.
Konan.
"You hunted for us, and you're helping us repair the roof..."
Her voice grew softer and softer.
"Ninja-sama, thank you."
Chiye finished repairing the last hole and came down.
He bent down, looking at the girl's serious profile, and suddenly took out a scroll from his Ninja tool pouch.
"This is for you."
Konan unrolled it to see basic Chakra training methods and a few common Ninjutsu.
"Before Jiraiya returns..."
Chiye lowered his voice.
"You and your companions should at least learn to protect yourselves."
"Go get some rest!"
Konan lowered her head and took it, then found a clean spot and leaned against the wall.
She clutched the scroll tightly, a strange glint in her eyes.
She looked up at Chiye and asked in a low voice, "Sir."
"Um, what's your name...?"
"Uchiha Chiye!"