Konan and Chiba

Two months after Konan and Chiba had been left to rely on each other

One day

The rain still wouldn't let up

In Konan's dilapidated home

Uchiha Chiba tried to gather chakra

Waves of intense pain came from his abdomen

"Do I really have to wait a whole year? No... There has to be another way... Right, that map... I'll take a chance." Uchiha Chiba wiped away the cold sweat beading on his forehead from the pain in his abdomen and muttered to himself.

Suddenly

Konan's voice rang out

"Chiba, were you trying to gather chakra again? You said yourself you couldn't gather chakra for a year!" Konan angrily flicked Chiba on the forehead.

"Sorry, Konan... I was just..." Uchiha Chiba held his forehead.

"Just what? Hmm?" Konan huffed. Then, seeing that Chiba had fallen silent, she took a steaming bun from her clothes.

"Here, a bun. I picked it up in the village. Eat it while it's hot." The bun in Konan's hand was covered in water droplets. Chiba narrowed his eyes; the little girl's sleeve seemed to hang lower than usual.

Chiba reached out

Whoosh

The speed of a genius young Chunin was naturally beyond what a little girl who wasn't even a ninja could detect.

Chiba grabbed Konan's arm.

Konan bit her lip.

Then he rolled up her sleeve.

A bluish-purple bruise lay on her arm.

"This... I... I accidentally fell, and then... then..." Konan didn't seem to be very good at lying. She spoke in a panic.

Whoosh!!!

A cold killing intent radiated from Uchiha Chiba.

"This... Actually, a kind granny gave me four buns today... But a bunch of kids older than me took all of them..." Konan bit her lip. Her voice trembled slightly, but she didn't seem afraid—only guilty. After all, the shock of seeing Chiba with two Root shinobi that day had been more than enough for the little girl to process.

"I'll go with you tomorrow... I can't gather chakra anyway, but my taijutsu isn't affected." Uchiha Chiba's pupils kept contracting, but unfortunately, his Sharingan remained locked away as if behind a shackle.

Then

Chiba didn't know what came over him.

As if possessed, he hugged Konan, then gently blurted out, "I'll protect you. Forever."

Feeling the girl's still-developing body and the faint fragrance coming from her, Uchiha Chiba suddenly came to his senses. He and Konan weren't old enough for this—they were only children!

Chiba: That was close. I almost got shot...

Konan nodded, her face red, and softly murmured in agreement. She naturally nestled her head against Chiba's chest, as though this boy, a head taller than her, could bring her endless warmth.

After a long while

"I picked some herbs on Black Mountain outside Amegakure. Wait a moment." Chiba took two herbs from his pocket: Bruise-Clearing Herb and Rot-Dissolving Flower. From Uchiha Chiba's few memories, he recalled that these had been his food for two months in the forests of the Land of Rain, after he'd been hunted during the war against Amegakure...

Then

He put the herbs in his mouth and chewed them a few times.

"Huh?" Konan's face flushed slightly.

Smack!

He pressed the wad of herbs against Konan's bruise, then took out a strip of cloth and wrapped it around her arm. It was a clean strip he'd scavenged from the battlefield, usually used as a bandage.

"If these herbs are crushed into juice, they'll damage the skin. I chewed them a little, so most of the juice is gone. They won't leave a mark." Chiba wiped his mouth, then began cleaning the two kunai he had left in his tool pouch.

"But... if that's the case, won't it hurt your mouth too?" Konan looked at Chiba with concern.

"That? It's fine. I'm used to it by now." Chiba shook his head.

Konan's eyes trembled. No one knew what she was thinking at that moment.

"By the way, Chiba, the reason I didn't get hurt too badly was that a boy about my age protected me..."

The next day

It was still raining

The Land of Rain was a strange place. It had ten months of rainy season and two months of dry season every year. Most merchants didn't like doing business there. The damp weather was uncomfortable, and some goods could even be damaged by the moisture.

Although hardly anyone did ordinary business there, the black market thrived in Amegakure. Its black market was the largest in the entire Ninja World, and the underground of Amegakure was controlled by black-market operations and bounty stations. Countless desperadoes came here, hoping to find an opportunity.

At the temporary hideout

Uchiha Chiba tore the outer coat of a Konoha Ninja into strips and wrapped them around himself, making sure to cover the Uchiha Gunbai on his back. He wound the tool pouch on his arm with more strips of cloth.

"Let's go." Chiba held out his hand.

Konan nodded and took it.

Inside Amegakure

"Hot buns! Get your buns here!"

"Today's odds are 1 to 2.5! Come on in and try your luck!"

"Kunai and Explosive Tags! Selling out and moving on! Get them while you can!"

The vendors and black-market merchants called out without pause.

Chiba and Konan wore battered straw raincoats.

"Hey, is that Konan?" A weak voice came from an alley.

Chiba and Konan turned toward it.

"Just as I thought." Chiba smiled in relief.

In the alley, a boy with orange hair and a slightly swollen face trembled faintly.

"Yahiko? Why are you back here again? I remember taking you to Granny Reina yesterday. Your injuries couldn't have healed in a day." Konan sounded angry.

"Hello, I'm Yahiko." Yahiko stepped out of the alley and looked at Chiba.

"Hello, Yahiko. I'm Chiba." Uchiha Chiba smiled. At a time like this, it was better for as few people as possible to know he was an Uchiha. After all, he was a ninja who couldn't use ninjutsu.

"Chiba, this is Yahiko. He helped me yesterday. If it weren't for him, I..." Konan pressed her lips together.

"It was nothing. But, Konan, why are you back here? That bunch of bastards are in the back alleys of the village. Stray kids like us don't even have the right to take food out through the village gate. Those shinobi will kill us... Come hide from the rain here first. We can talk." Yahiko drew a sharp breath, then led Chiba and Konan into the alley.

The alley was piled with old crates and scraps of cloth. In this world, because of Chiba, Yahiko and Konan hadn't met earlier; they'd only met a week ago. Still, perhaps because of the will of the world, Yahiko seemed to trust Konan.

"What? You're saying Chiba wants to teach them a lesson? No, absolutely not!" Yahiko shook his head, firmly opposed.