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