The Changes Brought by Dada

In the Land of Lightning, within a simple apartment in Kumogakure, Kuroki Ryosuke snapped his eyes open. He instinctively reached for the weapon at his side and scanned the room for enemies, only to freeze for a long moment before reality set in.

"Just a dream, then."

Kuroki Ryosuke touched the back of his neck and found it drenched in cold sweat, so he decided to take a shower first.

After showering and dressing neatly, Kuroki headed to the Mission Assignment Office.

His rare leave had not yet ended, but Kuroki was already feeling bored. He had no friends in the Village, so his so-called vacation was nothing more than sleeping and eating every day.

The squad he previously led had encountered an uncontrollable mission escalation, with the difficulty jumping from A to S. Although they completed the objective, he lost two teammates, and the Village had granted him an extended leave—though Kuroki intended to end it early today.

Sometimes, a vacation is harder to endure than a mission.

His squad hadn't been replenished yet, so he decided to just pick any solo mission; anything would do.

In the crowded Mission Assignment Office, Kuroki spotted a strange task.

Mission Rank: (D)

Mission Reward: 200 Ryo

Mission Content: Head to the orphanage on the west side of the Village, take a child out, and accompany them as they explore the Village. Time limit: one day. Mission history verification required.

For details, please consult the person in charge of the orphanage.

"200 Ryo? Is that serious? Is that even enough for a meal?" Kuroki found it strange.

This had to be a new record for the lowest reward for a D-rank mission...

"Whatever, I'll just do it to kill time." Kuroki ultimately accepted the mission.

But when he arrived at the orphanage with the mission documents, he felt a twinge of regret.

Dozens of children were playing in the courtyard, and Kuroki felt his mind go blank.

He suddenly felt that this was a perfect place for an ambush; even the most brilliant ninja would have their head spinning in a place like this.

"Teacher Morita, when is brother Dada coming back?"

"Yeah, yeah! Dada hasn't been here for days!"

"Teacher, is Dada sick?"

Several children crowded around Morita Keiko, asking about the person they cared for.

"Dada had some business outside the Village. You have to be patient. I believe he will come to play with you as soon as he returns!" Ever since Dada left the Village, the children at the orphanage asked about him every day. After patiently explaining, Morita Keiko noticed Kuroki Ryosuke standing to the side.

"Are you here to accept the mission? Please, come in." Morita Keiko led Kuroki into the courtyard with practiced ease and found a quiet corner. The children they passed along the way cast longing gazes at Kuroki, leaving him feeling somewhat bewildered.

"You must be accepting an orphanage mission for the first time, right? Would you like me to explain?"

"I'd appreciate it." Kuroki nodded.

"I've reviewed your profile; you are an excellent Jonin with no disciplinary record. Most of the children are here. Your task is to take one of them out to explore the Village. You must bring them back to the orphanage before dark, and you are not allowed to leave the Village. Here is the 200 Ryo fee." Morita Keiko handed a small bag containing coins to Kuroki.

Kuroki weighed it in his hand and felt how light it was. He could only say that it lived up to the 200 Ryo price tag—perhaps just enough for a meal with a little change to spare?

"What do I need to do with them?"

Morita Keiko smiled and said, "There are no extra requirements. Just walk around, eat something good, or even just let them play in the park for the afternoon. As long as you stay within the Village and ensure the child's safety and that they don't go hungry, it's fine. The children are very sensible. Not many people accept this mission right now, but they are really looking forward to going out for a bit."

Kuroki looked at the group of children who were sneaking glances at him, wondering what they were thinking.

"Do you need me to give you a recommendation? There are a few little ones who are quite mischievous; if you take them out, you might find it a real headache."

Kuroki thought it didn't matter, but then his eyes landed on a small figure with tea-colored hair.

"That child with the tea-colored hair is..."

"Uemaru, Ninomiya Uemaru. That child is quite shy. If it's him, you might find it a bit troublesome," Morita Keiko replied.

"Ninomiya..." Kuroki recalled a blurry figure with tea-colored hair.

"Captain, I heard you had a son? Have you picked a name yet?"

"Uemaru. I'm planning to name him Uemaru."

"Eh? Isn't that the name of your sword..."

"Heh heh, Uemaru has saved my life many times. I want to pass that luck on to my child."

"The missus is probably going to be mad, haha."

Kuroki snapped out of his memory, and the little boy before him was looking at him timidly.

Captain Ninomiya, it feels like such a long time ago. Was it only seven years? Or six?

Back then, he had just become a Chunin.

Everyone in the squad was so close back then. But when did it start?

The point when he stopped wanting to get close to his teammates, stopped daring to make new friends.

He only knew the names of the teammates who had sacrificed themselves in previous missions, and at the time, he felt that was just right. That way, no one would be missed, and when danger struck, he could justify putting the mission above all else.

He hadn't been in touch with his old friends for years. So, Captain Ninomiya had sacrificed himself too?

Then, what about the child's mother?

Kuroki did not dare to overthink it.

"If it's possible, let's go with that child..."

"Understood, please wait a moment." Morita Keiko prepared to take the mission documents back to the office.

She was also wondering in her heart how Young Master Dada was doing at this moment.

If he knew that the reforms she had made to the Orphanage had already achieved significant results, would he be happy?

Dada was very unhappy.

No one would be happy about passing out twice in a single day.

Before he had even opened his eyes, Dada felt as if his body had just been scorched by fire and then thrown into a bucket of ice.

It felt as if his entire body had been ground into dust.

No... I'm only six years old, I don't want to be a "dust man," I can still be saved.

The clearer his thoughts became, the more severe the physical discomfort grew, but Dada still struggled to open his eyes, only to be met with an unfamiliar ceiling.

"Are you awake? Do you feel any discomfort?" The one speaking was the Third Raikage sitting by the bed.

I feel uncomfortable everywhere right now, so uncomfortable I want to pass out again.

"Water, Father, I want to drink water."

Meizi, who was to the side, immediately brought over a bowl of water, making Dada's burning throat feel slightly better, though his body needed much more water and food.

In the end, Dada consumed an amount of food equivalent to that of three adults before he felt significantly better. Although his cheeks were sunken and he looked as miserable as Sanji on a deserted island, he at least had some spirit back.

From A, he learned that Dada had been unconscious for three days. After Dada passed out at the critical moment, it was Yotsuki Ki who carried him to a safe place, sparing him from being caught in the crossfire of the battle between the Third Raikage and Torifu Akimichi.

According to Yotsuki Ki, the ground in that area had sunken several meters, and the trees were snapped; it was estimated that it wouldn't return to its original state for over a decade. Torifu Akimichi's size had once reached nearly a hundred meters, yet he had become as thin as skin and bone.

But Torifu Akimichi died in the end; even after exhausting all his methods, he was ultimately no match for the Third Raikage.

After all, his own Father was someone who could engage in hand-to-hand combat with Tailed Beasts. In this era, aside from Madara Uchiha, who was hiding somewhere unknown, his Father should be hard to find a match for.

If he were a bit bolder, even the decrepit Madara might not necessarily...

No, no, that's too arrogant; one still has to give respect to the old rose of the battlefield.

"As for the few who escaped, we chased them to the border of the Land of Fire, but unfortunately, we only caught one..."

Oh! That's a given, if they had caught them all, the plot would be a mess...

Wait!? They caught one?

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