Orphanage

Yakushi Nonō won, and she won without a shred of suspense, even though the one-eyed bandit leader was a samurai capable of killing a hundred men—a top-tier warrior whom an ordinary person could never hope to defeat.

Yet, when faced with the strongest force in this world—a ninja—he couldn't even hold his ground for a few exchanges.

After clashing a few times, his kusarigama was severed by her sharp Chakra Scalpel. Just as the one-eyed bandit leader prepared to launch a counterattack, the right hand of Yakushi Nonō, already condensed with a Chakra Scalpel, was pressed against his throat!

The entire scene fell into a deathly silence.

The bandits gulped in secret, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. The leader they deemed so powerful hadn't even lasted ten moves against this female ninja. Looking at the severed kusarigama, no one believed their own neck was harder than steel.

"We're leaving."

The one-eyed leader took one deep look at Yakushi Nonō, turned, and walked away.

The bandits didn't say another word. Like a flock of defeated hens, they followed the one-eyed leader in a massive, disorganized retreat, heading toward the distant mountains. Their footsteps were frantic and hurried; not a single one dared to look back.

"Thank you so much, Ninja-sama. Our village is too small to afford a high ninja commission, but we can scrape together half... what do you think..."

The white-haired, wrinkled old village chief leaned on his wooden cane, trembling as he approached Yakushi Nonō, speaking with extreme caution.

Samurai already held the power of life and death, and ninjas, who stood above samurai in status, possessed even greater authority and strength. While regular ninjas from hidden villages were bound by rules and wouldn't kill indiscriminately during peacetime, some rogue ninjas without such constraints were no better than bandits when it came to slaughtering commoners.

The strength and authority of ninjas had been deeply ingrained in the hearts of every commoner!

Sato Hideaka looked at Yakushi Nonō with burning eyes. Being a ninja meant power; it meant controlling one's own destiny. In his past life, he couldn't control his fate due to cancer, but in this life, he absolutely would not allow that to happen again...

"I was just passing by and didn't accept a mission, so according to the rules and regulations of the ninja village, you don't need to pay me any reward."

Yakushi Nonō revealed a smile as bright as the sun. The dark, sunless Root could not extinguish her true nature; perhaps she was, at her core, a gentle and resilient person.

"That, that wouldn't be right. We... we still have some wild boar meat. It isn't worth much, but we hope you'll accept it as a token of our gratitude."

Just as Yakushi Nonō was talking to the village chief, a man stepped out from the group of young men who had resisted the bandits. He pushed past his companions, came to Sato Hideaka's side, and asked excitedly:

"Hideaka, why are you here?? Are you hurt!!"

"Uncle Eisuke, I'm not hurt. Sister Nonō saved me." Sato Hideaka pointed at Yakushi Nonō, flashing an "innocent" smile as he spoke excitedly.

Ida Eisuke bowed twice to Nonō, saying with immense gratitude: "Thank you so much... Hideaka's parents passed away early, and they entrusted him to me, but I've been useless and failed to take good care of him."

"Hideaka is an orphan??"

A change came over the expression in Yakushi Nonō's eyes as she looked at him, and she couldn't help but ask.

Ida Eisuke nodded and said: "Yes! The child has no adults at home, and he can't take care of himself. Our family has been busy with farm work, sigh... I really feel sorry for his late parents."

The village still had to tally the financial losses for each family, and most importantly, the injured needed treatment. Some of the wounds inflicted by steel blades were deep enough to see bone. Yakushi Nonō used the Mystic Palm Technique to heal the villagers with lighter injuries.

As for those more seriously wounded, Yakushi Nonō had already used hemostasis and the Mystic Palm Technique to curb the worsening of their wounds before wrapping them in medical bandages, promising they would recover within half a month.

After finishing this, the village chief wanted to keep Yakushi Nonō for dinner as a gesture of thanks, but she declined, citing that she still had a mission to complete!

Just as Yakushi Nonō reached the village entrance and prepared to leave, Sato Hideaka, who had been waiting there for a long time, grabbed her clothes and looked up at her with eyes filled with glowing hope.

Yakushi Nonō crouched down, placed her hands on Sato Hideaka's shoulders, and looked him in the eye. "What's wrong, Hideaka? You don't want Sister to leave? If I have the chance, I'll come to see you..."

"Sister Nonō, can you take me away from here? I want to learn ninjutsu and become a ninja so I can protect everyone. I already talked to Uncle Eisuke, and he agreed."

"Is that so??"

Yakushi Nonō looked at Ida Eisuke, who was standing beside Sato Hideaka. Ida Eisuke nodded and said: "Yes, this child is very stubborn. Although it's very presumptuous, I still hope you can take him as your apprentice!"

Yakushi Nonō looked at the two hopeful people, revealed a warm smile once more, and nodded in agreement. "Alright. I founded an orphanage near Konoha, and there are many playmates there the same age as Hideaka. If Hideaka wants to go, he must be a good boy and listen to Sister from now on!"

"Mm, mm..."

Having finally obtained the chance to become a ninja, Sato Hideaka nodded vigorously with excitement.

After a reluctant farewell to Ida Eisuke, Sato Hideaka took Yakushi Nonō's hand and headed toward Konoha. The setting sun shone upon them, casting one large and one small shadow on the ground...

They traveled for two days in total. Although the journey was arduous, the two shared in the hardships and built a deep bond. They ate and rested together, and Sato Hideaka felt a profound sense of gratitude toward Yakushi Nonō.

On the first day of the journey, after Yakushi Nonō washed the dirt off Sato Hideaka, she was surprised to find that this fellow had a face as delicate as a girl's. His features were natural, soft, and clean, especially his large, azure eyes, which were like natural gemstones.

In short, in Yakushi Nonō's heart, the dainty Hideaka was as cute as a little girl.

Everyone loves beautiful things, and Yakushi Nonō naturally felt a sense of favoritism toward the girl-like, dainty Sato Hideaka. Even when sleeping, she would generally ignore his strong protests and insist they sleep together.

The orphanage was located at the edge of a forest. It was a large, Japanese-style wooden structure with no other buildings nearby. While not particularly prosperous, it possessed a unique elegance and tranquility.

Several children, ranging from five, six, seven... up to twelve years old, were playing in front of the orphanage. Upon seeing Yakushi Nonō, they all jumped and bounded over excitedly, chirping away:

"Ah, it's Sister Director... Sister Director is back."

"Sister Director... where did you go? Mai missed you so much..."

"Sister Nonō, Sister Nonō. Tell us about the fun things you saw while you were out..."