A Chill From Behind

The sky had only just begun to brighten when Yuehua Ai and his three companions rose early, shouldering heavy packs to embark on their journey in search of the Sannin.

As the group traveled further and further, the village, still faintly shrouded in the morning mist, vanished completely from the youths' sight. Yuehua Ai walked side-by-side with Konan at the rear. Before setting out, he hadn't felt anything in particular, but having traveled this far into the desolate wilderness, watching the village disappear over the distant horizon, he couldn't help but feel a touch of melancholy.

Once I leave, perhaps I will never return, Yuehua Ai thought silently. After all, having lived in that nameless town for so long, it would be a lie to say he felt nothing for it. Life in that small village had been the first time since his rebirth that Yuehua Ai had experienced what could truly be called a peaceful life; though still impoverished, he no longer lived in constant fear of the next day.

Even though it had only been half a year, for someone like Yuehua Ai, who had long been dragged around by an old man in a constant state of flight, this was the first time he had stayed in one place for so long. It was the first time he had possessed a place to call his own. Although they lived outside the village and didn't even have a proper house, he had felt the warmth of a home within that dark cave, because Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan were there.

Konan sensed Yuehua Ai's sadness but said nothing, merely reaching out to take his slightly cold hand in hers.

Yuehua Ai looked up, meeting Konan's encouraging smile. Though her smile was beautiful and warm, the deep-seated loss and confusion hidden in her eyes could not escape his gaze.

Indeed, when it came to feelings for this land, Konan and the others, who had lived here longer, had more of a right to speak. Yet, war and displacement had forced the youths to mature early; they were more accustomed to hiding their sorrow and weakness, bearing it alone.

Just like Yahiko, who walked at the front of the line—he would not look back, nor did he dare to. Having made the decision to pursue the Sannin, he had to shoulder the responsibility of leading the three of them forward. Any sign of weakness would be an obstacle on their path. In this country that never stopped weeping, the weak would eventually become nothing more than corpses by the roadside.

Yuehua Ai composed himself, scratched Konan's palm, and flashed her a brilliant smile.

Yuehua Ai was never one to be overly sentimental. The reason he had felt such melancholy was simply that the gloomy weather and the persistent drizzle made it all too easy to stir one's emotions while walking in silence.

As they continued their trek over the next few days, the initial melancholy that had permeated the group vanished without a trace. The youths were filled with anticipation for a bright future, and in this regard, Yuehua Ai truly had to admire the optimistic spirit of Yahiko and the others.

On the seventh day of their journey, by following their planned route, they successfully discovered a second battlefield.

This battlefield was vastly different from the one they had found two days prior. The previous area had only been a jungle region where a small-scale skirmish had broken out, leaving behind nothing but a mangled forest. What appeared before the youths now, however, was a large-scale battlefield where the fighting had been so intense it had leveled a city.

A vast expanse of urban ruins sat upon the rare plain before them. The once-level, wide streets were littered with rubble, bricks, and the remains of buildings. The structures that had once stood here were largely destroyed; as far as the eye could see, there were traces of explosions and charred marks everywhere.

Had this been before the war, it would undoubtedly have been a bustling metropolis. Unfortunately, the fires of war had swept through, the villagers had been relocated, and now, it was a ghost town devoid of human life.

Yuehua Ai looked at the battlefield in surprise. The dilapidated high-rises and the reinforced concrete visible throughout the ruins suddenly gave him the feeling of having returned to his previous life. Indeed, due to the unique geography of the Land of Rivers, the large cities within its borders were constructed using steel and cement, which caused the architectural style to bear many similarities to the cities of his past life, hence his sudden sense of bewilderment.

The group searched through some of the relatively intact buildings, but they found not only a lack of food but also a lack of basic daily necessities. Seeing this, Yahiko frowned and analyzed, "Nothing was left behind. It seems the people here had already evacuated before the war broke out."

Yuehua Ai nodded in agreement with Yahiko's words. In truth, when one thought about it, there couldn't have been many large cities like this in the Land of Rivers.

Major cities like this were not like ordinary villages with small populations. It was highly likely that before the war erupted, the leaders here had received word and had time to organize the evacuation of the citizens. Only in this way would these ruined buildings be devoid of food and daily essentials.

"There isn't a single person left. What should we do now?" Konan asked Yahiko.

Yahiko scratched his head and sighed. They had come up empty-handed all day. There wasn't a shadow of a person in the city, and while that meant safety to a certain extent, it was definitely not good news for them. After a week, not only had they failed to find a trace of the three Konoha ninja, but the dry rations they carried were also running low.

"Let's find a place to rest first. We'll expand our search radius this afternoon. I refuse to believe that in a city this big, we won't find anything at all."

Nagato and Konan nodded; that was all they could do for now.

Yahiko thought of a good spot to shelter from the rain they had discovered earlier and led the group through the ruins. Their pace was always swift, and Yuehua Ai followed closely behind Konan as usual. However, Yuehua Ai was frowning deeply, muttering to himself, Is it just my imagination?

In fact, shortly after entering these ruins, Yuehua Ai had begun to feel a strange sensation. In his subconscious, he felt several times as if a pair of cold, icy eyes were watching them from behind, the malice in that gaze making him feel as though he were being pricked by needles. Yet, every time he turned to look, that cold sensation would instantly vanish.

At first, Yuehua Ai thought it might be a hallucination, but after it happened several times, he became convinced that their group had been targeted by something. This ruin was by no means as empty as they had perceived, and now, it was highly likely that they had become prey in the eyes of the other party.