Growth

Although there were two more mouths to feed, life for the group was not as difficult as they had imagined.

With a larger labor force, the group changed their method of theft.

"Hey, you mangy dog, get lost!"

Just as the stall owner was shooing away Little Dot, Chiba and the others appeared quietly from behind, pulling out a large sack and frantically stuffing it with all kinds of fruit from the stall.

By the time the stall owner realized what was happening a moment later, Chiba and the others were already running off into the distance, carrying the bag together.

"Haha, there's so much! This is enough to last us for many days."

"Little Dot, well done."

"Here, this is your reward."

"Woof!"

Their faces were filled with joy and excitement.

For them, being able to eat their fill was perhaps their greatest happiness.

Half a year had passed since Nagato joined them, almost without them noticing.

During this period, they were constantly getting beaten up and going hungry at first, but they had gradually moved past that situation.

They no longer felt much pressure regarding their food supply, and the number of times they were beaten had decreased significantly.

On one hand, their thieving skills had improved daily, but more importantly, their bodies had become increasingly agile and strong.

The daily desperate sprints and enduring beatings for over half a year had not been without results.

Even Chiba, who was originally quite thin, had developed a sturdy frame, while the naturally gifted Yahiko and Nagato highlighted their physical advantages at this time, progressing noticeably faster than Chiba and Konan.

Sometimes, Chiba couldn't help but have a certain suspicion.

Perhaps the foundation for them to become strong in the future was being laid right now.

This necessity to be more agile and swift for the sake of survival, combined with the day-after-day of enduring beatings and healing injuries, was perhaps no less effective than the training received by ninja children of the same age.

If there was any difference, it was likely just that they lacked chakra.

At night, Chiba, Yahiko, and the others enjoyed a sumptuous feast together.

The simple table was spread with a variety of foods that were enough to whet anyone's appetite.

Although they were no longer short on supplies lately, a feast as grand as today's was still very rare.

As for why it was so lavish today, it was entirely because it was Nagato's birthday.

"Happy birthday, Nagato!"

"Let's dig in!"

Their faces were full of excitement.

However, Nagato, the guest of honor, was noticeably silent.

"Nagato, what's wrong?"

"I... I miss my mom and dad..."

A trace of sadness suddenly appeared on Nagato's face.

"Every time I had a birthday before, Mom would make my favorite grilled fish."

As he spoke, Nagato looked at the grilled fish in his hand, his expression becoming even more sorrowful.

"No one else can make it taste like that."

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

A deep sense of sadness couldn't help but appear on each of their faces, and suddenly, the food that had been quite appetizing lost its appeal.

"Drip. Drip."

Amidst the silence, Nagato was the first to lose control, tears streaming down his face.

Soon, Konan was affected as well, silently covering her mouth and sobbing.

Chiba, too, turned his head away involuntarily.

After another moment of silence, Yahiko suddenly stood up abruptly and shouted loudly.

"What are you crying for? I hate people who cry the most! Only cowards shed tears; tears are completely useless!"

With that, Yahiko ran out alone.

"Yahiko!"

After a brief moment of hesitation, Chiba was the first to follow, and Konan and Nagato quickly grabbed their umbrellas and followed suit.

They didn't have to go far before Chiba and the others saw Yahiko kneeling alone in the rain.

At this moment, he was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Yahiko."

Tears and rain mixed together, streaming down Yahiko's face.

Seeing Yahiko like this left Chiba and the others stunned.

Because no matter the circumstances, Yahiko had always appeared incredibly strong, and he was the one who detested tears the most; they had never seen him cry like this before.

"Damn it, I clearly swore that I would never shed tears again. Things like tears are completely worthless."

Despite what Yahiko said, he simply could not stop the tears from flowing.

"Yahiko."

Chiba watched Yahiko in silence, suddenly reminded of someone else.

In Hokage, Kakashi once evaluated the protagonist, Naruto, in this way.

He had cried enough, which was why he understood the meaning of strength better than anyone else.

As someone so similar to Naruto, Chiba could roughly understand how Yahiko felt.

He, too, had once wept bitterly, but in the end, he realized that tears were useless, so he chose to stop crying.

"Yahiko."

Chiba gently placed a hand on Yahiko's shoulder.

No matter how strong or mature he acted, appearing more like an adult than an actual adult, Yahiko was, in the end, only a six or seven-year-old child.

Even if he acted like he didn't care, it would still hurt when it was time to hurt.

Clearly, Nagato's words had stirred up his longing for his parents, and even someone as strong as Yahiko could not hold back any longer.

"It's embarrassing, isn't it? I told you all not to cry, yet here I am, crying non-stop."

Yahiko choked out in a low voice.

"Not at all. In my eyes, you are very strong, Yahiko."

Chiba, Konan, and Nagato continued to comfort Yahiko.

After a long while, Yahiko finally calmed down.

Watching them silently, Chiba could not help but feel a complex mix of emotions.

Perhaps it was precisely because of so much pain and hardship that they were able to grow enough to survive in such a chaotic world.

Whether it was physical strength or mental fortitude.

Perhaps it was because of all the pain they endured today that they would eventually grow to such great heights in the future.