The Zero-Cost Shopping Trio (Seeking Reads)

As his vitality and chakra were consumed, a certain [feeling] arose within him.

Indra looked toward the Hidden Rain Village, shrouded in a hazy drizzle, and casually made up an excuse to head out into the streets.

Although Tsunade had led the team to successfully occupy the Hidden Rain Village, the disparity in strength had been too great. The village's defending ninja had put up almost no resistance, so there had not been much damage or many casualties.

Most of the Hidden Rain Village's residents probably did not even know their village had been occupied yet.

Indra wandered aimlessly through the streets of the Hidden Rain Village, his thoughts already drifting to the [Heavenly Register].

"My invocation actually succeeded." Indra murmured thoughtfully. "The previous price was being led toward an unlucky future, while this time, it was myself."

This successful experiment opened the door to a whole new world for Indra. "My understanding of the [Heavenly Register] is still far too shallow."

"If an invocation powered by my own strength can succeed, then the true ability of the [Heavenly Register] is to replace Heaven's will with one's own."

Indra suddenly felt enlightened. It was precisely because his cultivation of life was insufficient that the [Heavenly Register] required the world's cooperation for its invocations.

Like a mosquito sucking blood, every invocation made the world pay a price. Naturally, the world would not look kindly upon him.

Only when his cultivation of life was sufficient could the [Heavenly Register] truly wield its power of making words become law.

"It was only because my cultivation was insufficient that using extraordinary techniques harmed me in return."

"The [Heavenly Register] was like this, and so were the [Six Treasury Immortal Thieves]."

Indra withdrew his thoughts. Now that he understood the essence of the [Heavenly Register], there was much more he could do with it.

With the Dog Talisman and Horse Talisman on him, he could endure the side effects and forcibly activate "Invocation," saving him a great deal of effort—such as right now.

Having arrived at the Hidden Rain Village's commercial district, Indra raised his eyes and looked ahead.

Outside a bakery by the street, two children in raincoats ran out of the shop.

"You dare steal my bread? I'll chop you into eight pieces!!!" The shopkeeper charged out after them, waving a club in fury.

As soon as the shopkeeper left, a little girl with blue-purple hair immediately poked her head out from around the corner.

She warily looked around. After confirming no one was inside, she carried a bag and slipped into the shop.

"With moves that practiced, she's definitely done this plenty of times."

Indra recognized her. Wasn't this little girl Konan?

It seemed the fortune provided by the [Heavenly Register] had guided him to Konan. She should have the secret Paper Release technique on her.

The panting shopkeeper happened to return just then. "Those two little thieves sure ran fast."

When he looked toward his shop, he happened to come face-to-face with Konan, who had just made off with a bag of bread without paying.

"My bread!!"

The shopkeeper shouted, veins bulging on his forehead as he sprinted toward Konan.

"Ah!" Panicked, Konan hoisted the bag of bread and immediately ran in the opposite direction.

Without watching where she was going, she slammed straight into Indra, who stood at the street corner.

Konan fell to the ground with a thud and looked up, her face pale.

Beneath his tousled black hair was a fair, delicate face that could only be described with the words "strikingly handsome."

He wore a high-collared uniform that Konan could not recognize. A ninja tool pouch was fastened around his waist by a pristine white belt, and the blades and other weapons he carried gave him an exceptionally valiant air.

A faint blush quietly appeared on Konan's cheeks.

Konan, just beginning to experience the first stirrings of love, simply could not withstand such top-tier looks.

"I finally caught you!"

The shopkeeper panted as he caught up, snapping Konan back to her senses.

She hurriedly scrambled to her feet and was about to flee when the shopkeeper grabbed her by the collar.

"If I don't teach little thieves like you a lesson, I won't be able to keep this shop open!"

The shopkeeper glared angrily at Konan, frightening her until her entire body trembled like a leaf.

Indra reached out and gripped the shopkeeper's wrist. "How much was the bread she stole? I'll pay for it."

The shopkeeper glanced furtively at Indra, who was about the same height as him.

The Hidden Leaf forehead protector on Indra's right arm, the ninja tool pouch at his waist, and the blades on his back all revealed his identity.

He had not paid much attention before, but upon taking a closer look now, the shopkeeper's heart leaped into his throat.

Could this be a Hidden Leaf ninja? How had they already fought their way into the Hidden Rain Village?

The shopkeeper's legs went weak, and he immediately dropped to his knees, forcing a smile even uglier than crying.

"N-No money needed. I'll leave right away. Just spare my life, sir."

"Take it!" Indra could not be bothered to say more. He casually used the Monkey Talisman to conjure one thousand ryo, stuffed it into the shopkeeper's hand, then pulled the timid Konan away.

Once he saw Indra had gone far away, the shopkeeper rushed back into his store and immediately shut the door.

After walking with Indra for a while, Konan was still carrying that bag of bread in her hands.

She blinked her amber eyes and cautiously asked, "Big brother, thank you for helping me. Are you a ninja?"

"I'm a ninja from the Hidden Leaf, too. Are you scared now?" Indra stopped walking, with no intention of hiding his identity.

Konan stubbornly shook her head. "Big brother, you must be a good person. I'm not scared."

Having said that, Konan visibly relaxed and took the initiative to introduce herself. "My name is Konan. What's your name, big brother?"

"Uchiha Indra. Remember it, okay?" Indra smiled and ruffled Konan's hair.

Konan showed a surprised expression upon hearing the name.

It was not because she knew of the Uchiha Clan. Rather, in the Hidden Rain Village, people basically did not have surnames. She simply thought Indra's name was very long.

"Big brother, your name is so hard to remember. Can I keep calling you big brother?"

"Haha~ Of course."

Just as Indra responded, an angry roar came from behind him.

"Hey, you over there, let go of Konan!"

Indra turned around and saw two children in raincoats standing behind him. They were the two children who had lured away the bakery owner earlier.

Yahiko, with his orange hair, pulled out a kunai he had picked up and stared at Indra nervously.

Nagato's red hair hung down over his eyes. He pressed his lips together, his expression unreadable.

Before Indra could speak, Konan explained, "Yahiko, don't be so fierce. This big brother is a really good person."

"Huh?" Yahiko lowered his hand involuntarily, and Nagato's tense body relaxed as well.

The four of them spoke openly and cleared up the misunderstanding. Yahiko immediately bowed in apology. "I'm sorry! I thought you were someone trying to hurt Konan. I'm really sorry!"

Seeing him press his palms together and apologize so sincerely, Indra did not hold it against him.

After learning that Indra was a ninja from the Hidden Leaf, Yahiko not only showed no hostility, but instead displayed extraordinary enthusiasm.

He had long heard that the Hidden Leaf Village was the strongest ninja village, so the ninjas who came from there naturally had to be the strongest as well.

Yahiko wanted to learn ninjutsu from Indra and master a few skills.

"You're asking a Hidden Leaf ninja like me for guidance. Aren't you afraid of me?"

Indra raised an eyebrow slightly, quite surprised by Yahiko's courage.

Seemingly misunderstanding what Indra meant, Yahiko explained, "I know Hanzō of the Salamander started this war. I just want to survive."

Nagato remained silent, lowering his head and refusing to look at Indra.

His parents had been killed by Hidden Leaf ninjas. He hated the Hidden Leaf, and he hated war even more.

Therefore, Nagato could not give an answer, nor did he want to speak.