First Meeting Nagato

And so, through hardship and warmth, Chiba lived with Yahiko and Konan for several months.

What puzzled Chiba, however, was that even now, there was no sign of Nagato.

Sometimes, Chiba even wondered whether his arrival had changed the story and caused Nagato never to show up.

But after giving it only a little thought, Chiba dismissed the idea.

Chiba didn't think any changes he'd made could affect whether Nagato came here.

Though his arrival might have changed this world to some extent, those changes should still be localized for now. They couldn't possibly be so far-reaching as to affect Nagato, who was somewhere far away.

For one thing, there was no telling whether Zetsu had secretly found this place for Nagato.

Even if Nagato had really come here by chance, it was unlikely they would have missed him.

Chiba hadn't forgotten that Konan was the one who found Nagato.

Normally, the few of them wouldn't go off on their own when traveling to a town for food.

They only had a chance to wander off by themselves when they were nearby, looking for wild vegetables and fruit or gathering firewood.

If Nagato had really collapsed somewhere nearby, as he had in the original story, then even if they hadn't found him right away, there was no reason they would have missed him altogether.

Once they found him, it would have been only natural for them to bring him back and live together.

Sometimes Chiba wondered whether Yahiko and Konan would have lived peacefully if Nagato had never come along.

But no matter how he looked at it, the answer was no.

Yahiko had ideals of his own. He wanted to change this country, and he had never hidden that.

Even without Nagato, they would still have set out in search of power.

But without Zetsu secretly protecting and guiding them, could they really have lived in safety?

The answer was obviously no. In these chaotic times, orphans like them could die at any moment, especially with Yahiko seeking out dangerous ninja in pursuit of power.

Thinking of how close Yahiko and the others had come to death several times on their way to find a teacher, Chiba knew that without someone like Zetsu helping them, they might all have died before getting very far.

And even if they somehow survived, they would probably have little chance of learning any powerful techniques. They would have Yahiko's grand ideals and ambitions, but none of the strength to realize them. No matter how he looked at it, their fate would be tragic.

So in any case, even if they became someone else's pawns, they would still have value as pawns.

Until they had been used up, at least they wouldn't have to worry about dying.

Besides, becoming pawns was the only way they might gain true power and get a real chance to change their fate.

Suddenly, while Chiba was lost in thought, Yahiko couldn't help cursing.

"Damn it, this awful weather."

It had been raining unusually often lately, and now it had been pouring for three days straight.

Without a doubt, this made it much harder for Chiba and the others to get food.

Moving around in the rain was difficult to begin with, and with so few people on the streets, they would stand out immediately. There was no chance to sneak around.

Yahiko glanced back at the food shelves, which were already nearly half empty, his eyes full of worry.

"We can't keep this up. Even if it's still raining tomorrow, we'll have to find a way to get food."

In fact, the group still had plenty of food. If they rationed it, it would last at least ten more days. But Yahiko clearly had a strong sense of caution. Unless they had enough food stored for twenty days or so, he couldn't put his mind at ease.

None of them objected to Yahiko's suggestion. They all nodded in agreement.

A moment later, unable to sit still, Yahiko suddenly spoke again. "Oh, there's one more thing."

He turned to glance at the food they had stored, and something suddenly occurred to him.

"If this keeps up, all this food will probably get moldy. We need to dry it by the fire."

Yahiko really did have a level of foresight and attention to detail far beyond his years. He might seem carefree, but he often noticed little things that even Chiba would overlook.

"Since we're free right now, let's all gather some extra firewood. It'll take time to dry the food, so if we wait until it's urgent, it might be too late."

Once Yahiko suggested it, they got right to work. Soon, they all walked out of the cave with umbrellas and split up.

"Oh, what luck."

As Chiba busily gathered firewood, he suddenly spotted a small wild-fruit tree.

From what he had learned from Yahiko and the others over the past few days, these fruits were edible.

And that wasn't all. Now they'd have another reliable source of food.

Chiba couldn't help feeling excited.

Just as he was about to pick some fruit to take back, a lonely bark from a dog in the distance caught his attention.

Following the sound, Chiba made his way toward it. A moment later, he stopped.

Sure enough.

The small figure before him, along with the little dog anxiously barking by his side, confirmed the boy's identity.

It was Nagato.

At last, what was meant to happen had finally come to pass.