The Chill from Behind

The sky had only just begun to brighten when Yuehua Ai and the others rose early and set out in search of the Sannin, their heavy packs on their backs.

As they walked farther away, the village, still faintly shrouded in the morning light, soon vanished from the boys' sight. Yuehua Ai and Konan walked side by side at the rear. He hadn't felt anything in particular before they left, but after traveling so far and entering the deserted outskirts, he couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness when the village disappeared beyond the distant horizon.

Once we leave, we might never come back. After all, it would be a lie to say he felt nothing after living in that nameless town for so long. Since his rebirth, life in that little village had been the closest thing to a truly peaceful life he had experienced. It was still hard, but at least they no longer lived from one day to the next, never knowing if they would survive.

Though it had only been half a year, Yuehua Ai had never stayed in one place for so long before. The old man had kept him on the run for years. That place had been the first home of his own. Though they had lived outside the village, and hadn't even had a ramshackle house, he had still felt the warmth of home in that dark cave, because Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan had been there.

Konan noticed Yuehua Ai's sadness but said nothing. She simply reached out and clasped his slightly cold hand in hers.

Yuehua Ai looked up and met Konan's encouraging smile. It was lovely and warm, but he couldn't miss the sadness and confusion hidden in her eyes.

That was right. When it came to their feelings for this land, Konan and the others, who had lived here much longer, had far more reason to feel attached. But war and displacement had forced the boys to grow up early. They were more accustomed to hiding their sadness and weakness and bearing them alone.

Just like Yahiko, walking at the head of the group. He wouldn't look back, and he didn't dare to. Having decided to seek out the Sannin, he had to shoulder the responsibility of leading the others onward. Any weakness would become an obstacle on the road ahead. In this land that was always weeping, the weak would eventually become bones by the roadside.

Yuehua Ai pulled himself together, scratched Konan's palm, and flashed her a bright smile.

Yuehua Ai had never been one for melancholy. He had only let his sadness show because of the gloomy weather and the steady drizzle. When everyone traveled in silence, it was hard not to be swept up in the mood.

After several more days of traveling, the gloomy mood that had settled over the group at first faded away. The boys were once again filled with hope for a brighter future. Yuehua Ai really couldn't help admiring Yahiko and the others' optimism.

On the seventh day of their journey, following the route they had planned, they found a second battlefield.

This battlefield was completely different from the one they had found two days earlier. That earlier site had been a woodland where a small battle had taken place, leaving behind only a wrecked forest. What now lay before the boys, however, was a vast battlefield where the fighting had been fierce enough to destroy a city.

A huge city lay in ruins across the rare plain before them. The once broad, level streets were strewn with rubble, bricks, and the remains of buildings. Most of the structures that had once crowded the area had been destroyed. Everywhere they looked, they saw signs of explosions and scorch marks from fires.

Before the war, this must have been a prosperous city. But the fighting had spread here, and the villagers had been evacuated. Now it was a ghost town, devoid of life.

Yuehua Ai stared at the battlefield in astonishment. The shattered high-rises and the reinforced concrete scattered throughout the ruins suddenly made him feel as if he had returned to his previous life. The Land of Rivers had a distinctive geography, and the larger cities there had been built with reinforced concrete. Their architecture bore many similarities to the cities where Yuehua Ai had lived in his previous life, which was why he had been so taken aback.

The group searched some of the relatively intact buildings, but they found no food—or even basic household supplies. Frowning, Yahiko analyzed the situation. "They left nothing behind. It looks like everyone had already been evacuated before the war broke out."

Yuehua Ai nodded in agreement. It made sense. There probably weren't many cities this large in the Land of Rivers.

A major city like this was nothing like an ordinary village with only a small population. The local leaders had likely received word before the war broke out and had time to organize an evacuation. That was the only explanation for why these ruined buildings contained no food or necessities.

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

Yahiko scratched his head and sighed. They hadn't found anything so far today. There wasn't a soul in the city. Though that meant they were relatively safe, it certainly wasn't good news for them. They hadn't found any trace of the three Konoha Ninja in a whole week, and the food they had brought was almost gone.

"Let's find somewhere to rest first. This afternoon, we'll search a wider area. I refuse to believe we can't find anything in a city this large."

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

Yahiko remembered a good sheltered spot they had found earlier, so he led the others through the ruins to look for it. The group usually moved quickly, and Yuehua Ai stayed close behind Konan as usual. But now his brow was furrowed as he wondered to himself, Is it just my imagination?

Not long after entering the ruins, Yuehua Ai had suddenly begun to feel that something was wrong. Several times, his subconscious had warned him that a pair of cold eyes was watching them from behind. The hostile gaze had made his skin crawl. But whenever he turned to look, the icy feeling vanished at once.

At first, Yuehua Ai thought it might be his imagination. But after it happened again and again, he was certain that something had set its sights on them. The ruins weren't as empty as they had seemed. They had likely become prey in the eyes of whatever was out there.