Konan said to Haruki, a faint smile gracing her lips.
Haruki looked at them as if they were his own children, a kind and bright smile on his face.
"I’m Nagato." Nagato’s voice was small and faint.
By the time Haruki’s clothes dried, deep night had completely fallen outside the cave.
Haruki suddenly heard a rumbling from his stomach.
The normally faint sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet cave.
He glanced at Yahiko and the others.
Yahiko’s face was red, and he couldn’t even lift his head.
These small children were so hungry their bones were protruding.
’System, conjure four steamed buns for me.’ Haruki fiercely called out to the system in his mind.
[This system doesn’t have that ability.]
[You can work hard yourself.]
’Useless, as expected.’ Haruki sighed in his mind.
"Are you hungry?" Haruki asked, knowing full well the answer.
Yahiko gulped, shook his head, as if trying to shake his brain into resisting hunger. "I’m not hungry."
After answering, Yahiko asked Haruki in return, "Haruki, are you hungry?"
Haruki nodded honestly. "I’m hungry, let’s go eat."
Yahiko’s eyes widened instantly, and he stammered. "But...we don’t have any money."
[Where did you get the money to eat?]
The system was greatly alarmed.
In front of Yahiko and the others, Haruki pulled out a bulging money pouch. "I have money."
Yahiko looked at him nervously and asked, "Where did you get the money?"
Konan also looked at Haruki in surprise.
Nagato’s eyes were hidden by his long hair, so his emotions couldn’t be seen, but from his facial expression and actions, his shock was no less than Yahiko’s and Konan’s.
The system let out a sharp screech in Haruki’s mind.
[Where did you get the money?]
[Do you have another system?]
Haruki automatically blocked out the system’s voice and explained to Yahiko and the others, "I got it from dead ninjas."
"But aren’t you afraid of the ninja’s revenge?" Yahiko asked worriedly.
"I wasn’t the one who killed them, I just took their money." Haruki, the madman who killed ninjas and picked their pockets, declared with certainty.
Haruki rubbed his stomach, looked at Yahiko and the others’ hesitant expressions, and coaxed, "Let’s go. Let’s go eat something warm."
Children’s emotions are pure, and gaining their affection is simple, let’s give them some warmth first.
Who could refuse warmth offered on a cold, rainy day?
Yahiko gulped. He looked at Konan and Nagato beside him, they hadn’t had a good meal in a long time.
Yahiko gritted his teeth and said, "Okay."
Led by Yahiko and the others, Haruki followed them to the town. Haruki immediately smelled the simple, unadorned scent of large white steamed buns.
Ninja couldn’t be said to be poor, but they weren’t particularly rich either. However, the money in the bag was more than enough to buy as many large white steamed buns as they wanted.
Haruki stood in front of the stall, waved his hand, bought a bag full of large white steamed buns, and also bought two boxes of fragrant meatball stew.
The two boxes of meatball stew cost almost half of his money, meat was indeed expensive during wartime. But not eating meat wouldn’t do either. They were at a critical age for growth.
Only after all the money in the money pouch was spent did Haruki and the others leave the street.
The three of them, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, snuck back into the cave, hiding from people as if they had a guilty conscience.
Yahiko had deliberately added some firewood before they left, so the fire was still burning when they returned.
Haruki and the others sat around the fire. He distributed the steamed buns to Yahiko and the others.
Then he opened the box filled with meatballs, revealing the still-steaming meatballs.
Haruki gulped. He hadn’t eaten in so long, he was starving.
After Haruki swallowed a meatball, he noticed that Yahiko and the other two were quietly biting their large white steamed buns, making no move to eat the meatballs.
"Why aren’t you eating?" Haruki looked at the meatballs, then at Yahiko and the others, and asked.
Were the meatballs not appealing enough?
Konan gulped, her big eyes wide, forcing back her craving, and whispered, "This was bought with your money."
However, since they were so innocent, it was even more beneficial for Haruki to act.
Upon hearing Konan’s words, Haruki immediately put down his chopsticks.
His gaze seriously swept over Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, and he solemnly said, "Didn’t Yahiko ask me to follow you? I no longer have any family, and I’m already very happy that you let me follow you. We’re already friends, and friends should share."
At this point, he revealed a bright and hearty smile. Haruki’s smiling face was reflected in Konan’s pupils.
"Since we’re friends, there’s no ’yours’ or ’mine’."
Haruki gazed intently at the three of them with his large eyes, which were filled with sincerity.
"If you don’t eat, then I won’t eat either."
Seeing that Yahiko and the other two still didn’t react, Haruki pursed his lips in disappointment, resolutely put down his chopsticks, and began biting his plain steamed bun, bite by bite.
This trick wouldn’t work on adults, but it was more than enough for children.
How could young minds understand the convoluted ways of adults?
Yahiko and the others, who had endured the cold realities of human nature during wartime, were instantly moved beyond words.
[System detected Konan’s affection value +1000.]
[System detected Yahiko’s affection value +1000.]
[System detected Nagato’s affection value +1000.]
[Currently collected affection value: 3000. Would you like to feed your companion Cursed Spirit, Rika Orimoto?]
Such adorable children!
Haruki rejoiced in his heart and immediately clicked [Yes] in his mind.
[Your companion Cursed Spirit, Rika Orimoto, has been relieved of her hunger, and her rank has risen to 13%.]
[Your companion Cursed Spirit, Rika Orimoto, sends feedback: Yuta, so yummy.]
How twisted had it become?
Haruki’s lips twitched.
Under Haruki’s persistence, Yahiko and the others finally gave in, picked up their chopsticks, and reached for the meatballs.
Having not eaten meat for a long time, the three of them, upon tasting such fresh and delicious meatballs, had tears welling up in their eyes.
Haruki pretended not to see anything and buried his head in his food.
The four of them finished a satisfying meal, their bellies round and full.
Yahiko and the others exchanged glances, then stood up as if having made a decision.
Yahiko said to Haruki, "Haruki, come with us."
Haruki was bewildered but still followed them.
What Haruki hadn’t expected was that the cave actually contained a hidden space. At the very back of the cave, hidden by a rock wall, there was an even smaller cave.
He followed them inside and found it filled with wooden crates larger than a child’s body. Not only that, there were also quite a few candles for illumination.
After Yahiko pulled Haruki closer, he opened a wooden crate beside him and showed him what was inside.
Haruki looked at the box full of bread, then at the large white steamed bun in his hand.
I treated you like my sons, and you played mind games with me? I was just tricked like that.