Haku, Needed

In the shower room, hot water gave rise to white mist.

Naruto stood beneath the showerhead, letting the warm stream wash over his body as an unprecedented warmth surged through his heart.

This was the first time he had experienced such tangible, intimate care—not mere verbal concern, but hands-on instruction; not scolding after making mistakes, but patient guidance.

"Did you see that?"

The voice in his mind spoke at just the right moment, interrupting his thoughts.

"Someone who truly cares about you will teach you how to solve the problem after it happens, so you will not make the same mistake next time."

Those words were like a key, unlocking the floodgates of Naruto's memories.

He remembered how the Third Hokage Grandpa would occasionally visit him, give him some living expenses, and remind him to take good care of himself.

But whenever he truly turned his home into a mess, or went hungry because he did not know how to cook, the Third Grandpa would only sigh, pat his head, and say, "Be more careful next time."

Yet he had never personally shown him, like Aunt Mikoto had, how to tidy a room or clean stains.

Naruto had always felt that he had let the Third Grandpa down, but every "be more careful next time" only led to the same mistakes and chaos repeating themselves.

"Trumpet Nine..."

Naruto muttered as droplets slid down his soaking wet hair.

"Third Grandpa... does he not really care about me?"

"If he cares about me, why has he never taught me what to do?"

"He only tells me, 'You cannot do that,' but never tells me, 'What should you do instead?'..."

Once that thought arose, it wrapped around his heart like creeping vines.

All the vague grievances and confusion from the past suddenly became clear.

All the mistakes he had repeated because no one taught him, all the difficulties he had faced alone because he did not know how.

Even the warm bathwater could not drive away the chill gradually rising in his heart.

He began to realize that perhaps there was a kind of "care" that only stayed on the surface and had never truly touched the root of his helplessness.

Naruto was using his own head for the first time, but no matter how he looked at it, the Third Hokage did not seem to truly care about him.

Trumpet Nine, why? Does Third Grandpa really not care about me?

Hehehehehe...

Within Naruto's consciousness, Trumpet Nine let out a string of laughter.

You did not fulfill our agreement, so I will not tell you what you want to know today.

But you have learned to think. That is a good thing, so I have decided to give you another chance.

You can observe the teachers at the Ninja Academy, and the parents picking up their children at the school gate.

See how they treat children.

I will contact you again in seven days.

As it spoke, the voice gradually faded away.

Naruto called out several times in a row, but there was no response.

He silently made up his mind. Over the coming days, he would definitely fulfill his agreement with Trumpet Nine.

Land of Water.

A small town permeated by dampness and poverty.

Shien, who had been casting a technique with his eyes closed, opened them.

They were inside a somewhat shabby little shop. The food on the table was equally simple: pan-fried fish, tofu, and some dried vegetable soup.

"How was it, Clan Head?"

Akabane was not picky. He had nearly finished everything in front of him.

Shien gave a quiet grunt without saying more, lowering his head to finish the food in his bowl.

"The temperature here is too strange. We are not even that far away, yet it is at least twenty degrees colder."

"The Land of Fire is still better."

"At this rate, my hair will get greasy again soon."

Akabane complained as he hooked a finger through his hair. "Our Land of Fire is definitely better."

Shien lifted his eyelids. "Once we find him, we can leave."

Akabane propped his chin on his hand. "There are way too many towns Zabuza could have passed through. This workload is enormous."

Based on the route Zabuza had provided, Shien and Akabane had already searched three towns along the way, but found nothing.

Shien quickly finished his meal and wiped his mouth.

"A promising seedling is crucial to a clan's development. Be patient."

He truly was not impatient. Back when he played Chinese Paladin, he could wander around a maze for days without getting frustrated.

Now, this was for his own gains and the clan's future.

Patience could be contagious. Seeing how composed his clan head was, Akabane also quieted down.

After paying, the two quickly resumed their search.

They searched garbage dumps throughout the towns, as well as anywhere with bridges.

Fortunately, Haku's features were still quite distinctive. If he saw him, Shien would definitely recognize him.

Finally, after another two days of searching, they spotted that figure at the end of an alley piled high with rotting garbage, where flies buzzed incessantly.

A child so frail that a gust of wind seemed capable of knocking him over was curled up beside the rubbish heap, rummaging through it in an attempt to find the tiniest scrap of food among the leftovers.

His hair was filthy and tangled, its original color nearly unrecognizable. The worn, thin clothes on his body had long since been stained beyond recognition.

The exposed skin was covered in chilblains, scrapes, and... old bruises that looked as though they had been left by ropes.

Most striking of all was the crude, rusted iron collar around his slender neck.

The flesh around its edges was red and swollen. It seemed he had used some rough tool to grind through the chain attached to it and escape.

Just then, an equally emaciated stray dog bared its teeth and approached with a low growl, trying to fight over that pitiful bit of food.

There was no ripple in Haku's empty eyes. He merely kicked the stray dog away on instinct, the movement weak but carrying an indifferent apathy born of habit.

Whimper...

The stray dog whimpered and retreated, but two even smaller, trembling puppies stumbled out from a broken box in the corner. Cowering in front of the larger dog, they let out childish whines at Haku, using every ounce of strength they had.

Haku's raised hand froze in midair. He lowered his eyes, which were filled with surging emotions.

He watched the two puppies protecting their mother, terrified yet still stepping forward.

Something immensely complicated seemed to churn in the depths of Haku's eyes.

Even stray dogs were needed.

But what about me?

He looked down at the sour-smelling garbage in his hand, then at the mother and pups huddled together, shivering.

In the end, that faint turmoil settled into silence, leaving behind only deeper exhaustion.

He silently tossed what was in his hand back where it had been, rose to his feet, and staggered away from the garbage heap.

He did not spare the food another glance, as though even the strength and desire to fight over it had long been exhausted.

A bone-deep emptiness and weariness clung to Haku. Never being needed by anyone, he felt as though he had been born to be discarded like trash, inferior even to a stray dog.

Shien and Akabane quietly watched everything from a distance.

His heart was deeply moved. He gestured for Akabane to remain where he was, then slowly walked over.