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Half a year passed in a flash. The war had been raging for six months.
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Konoha, Suna, Iwa, and Amegakure were locked in a bloody conflict.
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Even Konoha''s Genin were being deployed to the battlefield.
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Shin and his team were also on the front lines. If even Genin were being sent, Chunin like them were indispensable.
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"War is so cruel. These people are so unfortunate."
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Mikoto looked at the gaunt and fearful civilians of the Land of Rain with pity.
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The Land of Rain was already impoverished due to its harsh climate. Now, ravaged by war, it was filled with refugees.
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Even as refugees, they had to hide, afraid of encountering Shinobi. To them, ninja were no different from demons.
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"Everyone knows war is cruel, but the rewards are too tempting," Shin said softly. Without conflicts of interest, there would be no war.
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"What are you guys sighing about? Aren''t you hungry?" Kushina complained. "I''m starving!"
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"We have rations."
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Kushina took out the rations and glared at Shin. "You eat one and show me."
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"Ahem, I''m not hungry."
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Shin looked away. The rations were rock-hard.
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"This is what they gave us? How are we supposed to eat this? Use it to sharpen our teeth?" Kushina grumbled.
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Konoha seemed to be low on funds. They had to make do with these for now.
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If they wanted decent food, they''d have to wait for the Land of Fire''s Daimyo to provide more funding.
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"Let''s go find something to eat."
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If they wanted good food, they had to hunt for it themselves. They entered the forest, the drizzle soaking their clothes.
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Shin wasn''t sure if there were any animals left in this forest. They weren''t the only ones hunting.
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"This damned weather. It rains nine days out of ten, and the one day it doesn''t, it''s cloudy."
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Shin looked up at the overcast sky. He had been on the battlefield for half a month and hadn''t seen the sun once.
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After searching for a while, they finally found a rabbit. A scrawny one, but it was better than nothing.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
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Mikoto roasted the rabbit, ending its miserable life.
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"Smells good!" Kushina''s eyes sparkled.
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"Kushina, you''re drooling," Shin teased.
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Kushina quickly wiped her mouth, then realized there was no drool. "You tricked me!" she glared at Shin.
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Shin shrugged. It was her fault for being so gullible.
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Roar!
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A roar echoed through the forest. Shin''s eyes lit up. It sounded like a bear.
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"I''ll go check it out. Maybe we can have bear for dinner." Shin informed Kushina and Mikoto, then vanished in a flash.
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"Hey, I want to come too!" Kushina jumped up.
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"Kushina, stay here," Mikoto said, gently pushing her back down.
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Shin followed the sound of the roar and found the bear. It was charging towards a small, dirty girl.
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The girl stood frozen in fear, her eyes wide with terror.
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The bear wasn''t that big, but it was more than capable of killing a child.
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"Lucky for you, I happened to be passing by."
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Shin threw an ice-blue Kunai. It embedded itself in the bear''s head, and the bear collapsed.
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Shin appeared next to the bear. It wasn''t small, but it was thin, almost malnourished.
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Most of the edible resources in this forest had been hunted by Shinobi. This bear probably hadn''t eaten a decent meal in a while.
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"Are you alright?"
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Shin turned to the girl, who was still cowering with her eyes closed. She was covered in dirt, but her light blue hair was beautiful.
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"I-I''m fine..."
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She opened her eyes, looking at Shin with a mixture of gratitude and fear. She was grateful he had saved her, but she was also afraid of him. He was a Shinobi.
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Shinobi were feared and hated in the Land of Rain.
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"Don''t worry, I''m not going to kill a child," Shin reassured her.
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He ignored her and picked up the bear carcass, preparing to leave.
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"W-wait..." the girl called out weakly.
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"Here... this is for you... thank you for saving me."
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She offered Shin a mushroom she had been holding.
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Shin smiled. "What''s your name?"
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"Konan."
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She spoke softly, her head lowered. She was both grateful and terrified of Shin.
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"You''re Konan?"
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Shin''s mind flashed to Konan, the "Angel" of the Akatsuki.
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He looked at her light blue hair, then stepped closer and wiped the dirt from her face.
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Her young features seemed vaguely familiar. It really was Konan of the Akatsuki.
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She hadn''t met Yahiko and Nagato yet, or she wouldn''t be alone.
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Konan looked at Shin, her eyes filled with fear.
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"Come with me."
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Shin picked her up with one arm and the bear with the other, then vanished in a flash.
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The heavy bear didn''t slow him down at all.
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"You''re finally back! We were about to come looking for you! Who''s this little girl?"
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Kushina looked at Konan curiously.
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"I found her. She looked pitiful, so I brought her back," Shin said.
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Of course, Konan''s identity was also a factor. He was quite fond of Konan, the Angel of the Akatsuki.
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"She does look pitiful. And cute."
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Kushina examined Konan, then looked at Shin suspiciously.
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Had he brought her back because she was cute? Why else would he be so compassionate?
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