First Meeting with Nagato

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

However, what puzzled Chiba was that, even now, there was no trace of Nagato appearing.

Sometimes, Chiba even speculated whether his own arrival had altered the plot, causing Nagato to never show up.

But after a moment of thought, Chiba dismissed this notion.

Chiba did not believe that any changes he had made could influence the event of Nagato coming here.

Although his arrival might have already caused certain changes to this world, in any case, such changes were currently only localized; it was unlikely they were significant enough to affect Nagato, who was somewhere far away.

Not to mention whether this shelter of theirs had been specifically found for Nagato by Zetsu in secret.

Even if Nagato had arrived here purely by luck, it was unlikely they would have missed him.

Chiba had not forgotten that Nagato was found by Konan alone.

Generally speaking, if they were going on a long journey to a town to find food, it was impossible for them to act alone.

Only when they were nearby looking for wild vegetables and fruits, or gathering firewood, did they have the possibility of acting alone.

If Nagato had truly fainted nearby as in the original plot, even if they hadn't discovered him immediately, there was no reason they would have missed him.

As long as they found him, picking him up and living together would have been a matter of course.

In fact, sometimes Chiba wondered if, without Nagato, Yahiko and Konan would have continued to live peacefully.

But no matter how he thought about it, the answer was negative.

Yahiko possessed his own ideals; he wanted to change this country, a thought Yahiko had never concealed.

Even without Nagato, they would still have embarked on the path of seeking power.

And without Zetsu's secret protection and guidance, could they really have lived safely?

The answer was, of course, impossible. In such chaotic times, as orphans, they could die at any moment, especially since Yahiko had to approach dangerous ninjas for the sake of power.

Thinking of the several near-death experiences Yahiko and the others had while seeking a master, without the help of someone like Zetsu, they might have all died before going very far.

Moreover, even if they had managed to survive by luck, it would likely have been difficult for them to find an opportunity to learn powerful skills. Without strength, yet harboring such grand ideals and ambitions as Yahiko's, the outcome could only be tragic no matter how one looked at it.

Therefore, regardless of everything, even if they became someone else's pawns, there was ultimately the value of being a pawn.

Before their utility was squeezed dry, at least they didn't have to worry about death.

Furthermore, only by becoming a pawn could they possibly obtain true power and have a real chance to change their fate.

Suddenly, just as Chiba was deep in thought, Yahiko couldn't help but curse.

"Damn it, this weather."

The rain had been abnormally frequent lately; it had been raining continuously for three days now.

This undoubtedly added great difficulty to the food-gathering plans of Chiba and his group.

Moving in the rain was already difficult, and the fact that there were few pedestrians on the street made their positions obvious, leaving them no chance to act stealthily.

Looking back at the food rack, which was already half-empty, Yahiko's eyes were filled with worry.

"We can't go on like this. Even if it's still raining tomorrow, we must find a way to get food."

In fact, the group still had plenty of stored food; eating sparingly would last them at least ten days or more. However, Yahiko clearly possessed a strong sense of anxiety; he couldn't settle his mind without having at least twenty days' worth of food stored.

Regarding Yahiko's proposal, no one in the group had any objections, and they all nodded in agreement.

A moment later, the restless Yahiko suddenly spoke again: "Right, there's one more thing."

Turning back to look at the stored food again, Yahiko suddenly thought of something.

"If this continues, I'm afraid this food will get moldy. We must put it all by the fire to dry."

It had to be said that Yahiko truly possessed meticulousness and foresight far beyond his age. Although he always appeared carefree, in reality, he could always notice small details that even Chiba found hard to think of.

"Since we have nothing to do right now, let's all go collect more firewood to keep in reserve. After all, it takes time to dry them out; it will be too late if we wait until then."

Action followed thought. Under Yahiko's suggestion, the group soon raised their umbrellas and walked out of the cave, splitting up to act.

"Huh, good luck."

While working hard to gather firewood, Chiba suddenly discovered a small wild fruit tree.

According to the knowledge he had learned from Yahiko and the others over the past few days, these wild fruits were edible.

Moreover, with this, they would have a stable source of food in the future.

For a moment, Chiba couldn't help but feel a bit excited.

And just as Chiba was preparing to pick some fruits to take back, a lonely dog's bark in the distance caught his attention.

Following the sound, Chiba searched all the way, and a moment later, he stopped in his tracks.

Sure enough.

The thin, small figure before him, along with the puppy constantly calling out anxiously by his side, proved the identity of the person in front of him.

It was Nagato.

Finally, what was meant to come had arrived.