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Because the Hagūgen Clan possessed no risk-resistance capability, after gathering all clan members, they moved along the stream toward the primeval forest's deeper reaches.
For wandering shinobi like them, trusting in compartmentalized geographical units and natural environmental barriers for protection was more reliable than believing their shinobi strength could ensure safety.
Frankly speaking, given current circumstances, Shin Hagūgen could blend into the ninja world with far greater flexibility, freedom, and safety by acting alone. However, he harbored no such thoughts.
During this year living in the ninja world, these ordinary clan members had provided him tremendous assistance. Without living within the clan, he couldn't have survived until now.
Human nature can be indifferent, but it cannot be negative. Bottom lines can be lowered, but they cannot be absent.
Since everyone called him Clan Leader, Shin Hagūgen accepted that role for himself.
The deep mountains and ancient forests offered no paths, making their journey extremely difficult—truly embodying the spirit of "pioneers blazing trails through hardship."
Five days later, they crossed a mountain. After two more days, they stopped in a valley nestled among rolling foothills.
This was nearly the forest's very center. The valley was surrounded by dense woodland, shielded by mountains and trees—even ordinary sensory ninja would struggle to detect their presence.
With only a dozen people, even extended activity here would leave minimal human traces.
Shin Hagūgen stood atop massive tree roots rising like sinew, carefully observing the surrounding environment.
He then patted the thick trunk beside him—solid as a wall—and declared:
"This is the place."
Such primeval forest conditions naturally weren't suitable for permanent settlement. Fortunately, the Hagūgen only needed a temporary rest point, not a permanent home.
Facing the seemingly all-consuming greenery and the surrounding wilderness's constant wild aura, the Hagūgen shinobi showed no dissatisfaction.
Conversely, only places where primates rarely appeared could provide them any sense of security—casting off days of panicked flight to finally feel relief in their hearts.
After determining the camp's location, the Hagūgen shinobi began constructing simple dwellings.
They searched for raised massive tree roots, dried hollow trunks, or half-fallen dead trees, utilizing elevation differences—clearing low areas of dead branches and leaves while building rooftops on higher ground.
This wasn't complex: weaving vines into mesh networks, then layering leaves atop for wind and rain protection. Soon, temporary structures emerged one after another.
Well, they were essentially building shanties.
Just after completing their shelters, moderate rainfall descended from above, but they lacked time for rest and rain avoidance.
Except for the wounded, the remainder split into two groups: some hunting animals and gathering wild fruits nearby, others fishing from the neighboring stream.
They'd long exhausted supplies, surviving only through the forest's abundant natural resources.
What ultimately enables shinobi survival isn't superior strength over enemies or extreme endurance, but skilled hunting and fishing techniques.
Various freshwater fish, large animals, and wild fruits provided essential energy and nutrients for survival.
With autumn just beginning and temperatures still mild, they needn't worry about severe cold yet.
As Clan Leader, Shin Hagūgen received certain preferential treatment even in such harsh conditions.
First, he needn't participate in hunting activities. Second, clansmen arranged his dwelling in a slightly elevated, dry location with broad visibility.
He now sat beneath his crude shanty, observing the rainfall while contemplating their future path.
Where should the Hagūgen Clan collective go? Honestly, with their remaining members, becoming powerful in the ninja world was impossible.
Not just these ordinary-born, capability-insufficient, micro-scale ninja—even given ten Kakashis...
Well, ten Kakashis could indeed accomplish great things. Ten such elite shinobi could stir the ninja world most of the time.
In short, for small forces like theirs, the most rational approach was depending on stronger powers. However, attachment lacking trust would only make them cannon fodder for other forces.
Rather than that, surviving in the cracks was preferable—at least controlling their own destiny.
Regarding the future, Shin Hagūgen wasn't particularly pessimistic. This wasn't due to strong will or knowledge of the ninja world's future, but simply because they'd already hit bottom—whatever came next would be recovery.
Or conversely: I'm already in this state—there's no need for shame or endurance. At worst, it's just "dying for you to see"—what's there to fear?
After contemplating, he reached a certain decision.
The rain came quickly and departed just as fast. Near evening, rainfall ceased, and shinobi returned with food supplies. They began processing ingredients and lighting cooking fires.
Shin Hagūgen found relatively dry ground, igniting a campfire. When everyone began eating, he summoned the remaining sixteen clan members around the fire.
After surviving desperate straits, everyone appeared somewhat dispirited, though overall mental states remained acceptable. Regardless, living beat dying.
The sorrow of near-clan extinction, with most members dead, hid within everyone's hearts.
Shin Hagūgen sat on a tree stump, beside him a freshly-made, roughly-shaped wooden bowl containing fish pieces and broth.
He lifted the bowl, hot soup moistening his lips and teeth. Rather than tasting fish oil, he detected faint pine fragrance—the bowl's natural flavor.
No one spoke; everyone savored this momentary tranquility.
In such difficult circumstances, unifying everyone's thoughts was necessary. Shin Hagūgen set down his bowl, cleared his throat, and began:
"Though we've escaped enemy pursuit, our survival environment remains extremely harsh."
"Combat between ninja clans has continued extensively. In the foreseeable future, such chaotic warfare will persist. Weakened as we are, we could be completely destroyed in an instant..."
"However, today I don't wish to describe survival's difficulties, nor complain or despair. I simply want to say survival requires methods—choosing correctly gives us greater preservation probability."
"We seek survival, not mere existence."
"People must possess some spirit—not the arrogance of 'everyone's drunk but I'm sober,' just that we're human beings, absolutely not ambulatory carrion."
"Our Hagūgen Clan... In fact, with only us few remaining, I believe the Hagūgen Clan has been effectively destroyed."
"To survive as long as possible, maintaining autonomy without becoming cannon fodder, we must absorb other living forces and seek expansion."
"We must exercise restraint—possessing self-protection capability without becoming major clans' targets."
"For us now, the clan itself no longer matters."
"The Hagūgen Clan has neither ancient history nor so-called family glory, much less noteworthy bloodlines... Our clan's honor certainly deserves protection—many clansmen died precisely for this."
"What I mean is: let what should perish do so. Abandon certain things merely to obtain something entirely new."
"I've decided: starting today, we no longer operate under the Hagūgen Clan name. Hereafter, I'll call myself 'Yūshin,' and you'll nominally no longer belong to the same clan—just wandering shinobi who've gathered by chance and shared purpose, struggling to survive together..."
Speaking thus, Yūshin suddenly stood:
"We...
Seek not victory, but survival; Fear not death, but strive for continuation; Contend not for supremacy, but follow the current; Display no violence, but move with timing; Harbor hope while hiding in darkness; Preserve embers within the ashes!"
"From today onward, we call ourselves Ashes."
While speaking, Yūshin removed his forehead protector and cast it into the campfire before him.
Within the blazing flames, the Hagūgen Clan symbol grew increasingly bright, until finally...
It slowly melted away.
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