Kaiyuan really had no idea about this. So Yahiko and Konan were from the Land of Rain?
He'd thought they were from Konoha.
"How strange. Other than fate, I can't think of anything else to explain it. In a place like the Land of Rain, how did anyone even notice two wandering children?"
Yahiko and Konan felt much the same way. Everything had been the work of fate. After all, the Land of Rain was such a backward place, and it had just been conquered. Everything had been thrown into chaos.
Why would anyone go out of their way to look after two wandering children?
"Speaking of which, Kaiyuan, how did you and General Mifune become master and pupil? We've come up with all kinds of stories about it in private, but I doubt any of them are true."
Kaiyuan scratched his head. "There's really nothing to it. It wasn't anything special. I just put a lot of effort into practicing Bushido, and I progressed much faster than others my age. Before long, people started talking about it."
"It happened that the Land of Fire was undergoing reforms at the time. Lord Mifune brought Konoha's craftsmen to our village, and later he took me on as his pupil."
Kaiyuan gave them a bashful smile. Yahiko and Konan hadn't expected Konoha's craftsmen to have played a part in Kaiyuan becoming the general's pupil.
But with Kaiyuan's talent, even if the craftsmen hadn't gone to his village to build a Signal Tower, he would have made a name for himself sooner or later and become Mifune's pupil.
The three children stood not far from the group and chatted for half an hour. Then Mifune called out to them.
Kaiyuan knew it was time to leave.
"Yahiko, Konan, I'm heading back to the