Light That Dispelled the Darkness

The era of samurai had long since faded, and ninjas were now the mainstream of the world. Wars broke out endlessly until one day, the two most powerful clans in the Shinobi World, the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan of the Sharingan, joined forces. Under the leadership of their two leaders, Hashirama and Madara Uchiha, they ended the chaos and ushered in a new era of "one village per country".

Among these countless countries and ninja villages, large and small, five are the most powerful and are known as the "Five Great Shinobi Countries!"

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When the boy awoke from his coma, the previously lifeless, dark green vertical pupils of the Little Black Wolf lying beside him immediately lit up, and it let out a low, excited whimper. Touching the Little Black Wolf's head, a smile appeared on the boy's face.

The boy knew he was saved, but he didn't know he was in a place called Konoha Ninja Village, and he had no idea what he would face in this place in the near future.

Whether it's sorrow or joy, fortune or misfortune, who can truly know?

The place is called War Orphanage. Simply put, it is a shelter for orphans who have lost their parents due to war, to prevent them from becoming homeless or even losing their lives.

Most of the people here are children, some as young as one or two years old, and the oldest no more than five. There is a rule that once they reach the age of six, they can enter the Ninja Academy for free to learn and become a capable ninja. In addition to these children, the people responsible for looking after them are some middle-aged women who are not strong enough to kill a chicken, and a few low-ranking ninjas.

During the war, most of the ninjas had gone to the front lines, leaving only the bare minimum in the village. Of course, the boy knew nothing about these circumstances.

He'd been living here for about a month now! The boy couldn't count, so he naturally didn't understand the concept of time. All he knew was that here, he didn't have to worry about food, he didn't have to be on guard against attacking wild beasts all the time, and he could finally sleep well.

Well, it wouldn't be accurate to say he was completely unprepared, because the boy knew that he and the Little Black Wolf were always different from these guys.

The boy had never interacted with anyone before. Of course, being unable to speak and understand what others were saying, he was also unable to communicate. Here, he was the only one who didn't fit in, and the source of ridicule. Because he had been raised by wolves since childhood, his demeanor and behavior were extremely different from others. Although he was the subject of much discussion, few people dared to say it outright.

The boy thought this was fine. He never caused trouble and only showed up when it was time to eat. He would leave immediately after finishing his meal and would never linger. The boy wasn't afraid; he just wanted to survive and live well with the Little Black Wolf.

But······

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"Bell······"

The crisp sound echoed far and wide throughout the vast orphanage; it was the sound of dinner being eaten. This was the only thing the boy had understood after living there for so long.

Holding the Little Black Wolf, the boy leaped down from the tree and ran into the house on all fours. Some time had passed, and everyone seemed unfazed by his wild, animalistic running. There was no great surprise, but strangely, everyone's expressions were... well, there was something odd about them.

As he approached his dinner, the boy's running figure suddenly froze, his handsome brows furrowed, and a barely perceptible fierceness appeared on his face.

The plate was empty, and the edges covered in food scraps clearly indicated that something had been taken. The boy turned and looked around, his sharp teeth bared in anger. The boy had a bad temper; the orphanage never provided food for the Little Black Wolf, and the amount for one person wasn't enough for the boy and the Little Black Wolf, who were both big eaters. Now, someone had taken his food, which undoubtedly ignited his fury.

"You brat, what are you looking at? That's right, it's the one I took to feed my Big White! What can you do about it!"

Seeing the boy's gaze, a chubby boy of about five or six years old shouted arrogantly. After speaking, he patted the large brown dog next to him and laughed loudly, clearly not taking the boy seriously. He didn't think about why the boy knew in an instant that he had taken it. Besides, what kind of wisdom could a child have?

"Awoo!"

Before the boy could react, the Little Black Wolf beside him howled and pounced on the chubby boy, but before it could get close, it was knocked away by the big brown dog.

Regardless of size or age, although wolves are stronger than dogs, at this moment, the Little Black Wolf, who was less than a year old, was clearly no match for the adult brown dog.

Seeing the Little Black Wolf being knocked away, the chubby boy laughed even more triumphantly. The big brown dog seemed to sense its master's excitement, howled, and lunged at the Little Black Wolf that had just stood up. But in that brief moment, a figure leaped onto the big brown dog even faster and bit its throat.

Amidst the struggle, the large brown dog gradually calmed down. The figure, the boy, jumped off the dog's body, turned his head, and stared intently at the frightened chubby boy with his chilling black eyes. Bright red blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and the soft sound was so distinct in the quiet space where one could almost hear a heartbeat.

Not only was the chubby boy frightened, but everyone present was stunned. The children who came to their senses burst into tears and ran outside.

The boy ignored the reactions of the others; his gaze was fixed solely on the chubby boy. Wolves are wild beasts that act on impulse and are proud beasts, and the boy also had his own inviolable bottom line. Clearly, the chubby boy had crossed that line.

"Awoo!"

With a low growl, the boy pushed off the ground and leaped onto the chubby boy, knocking him to the ground. Just as his sharp teeth were about to reach the chubby boy's throat, an angry roar came, and a figure rushed in, kicking the boy.

Although the force was considerable, the boy, who had been raised by wolves since childhood and had fought to the death with wild beasts, reacted quickly. He flipped over and landed steadily on the ground. Just as he landed, he pushed off with his feet and slammed his head into the figure rushing towards him.

Staggering back a few steps, he saw a boy who looked only eleven or twelve years old, dressed in ordinary clothes. However, the Konoha headband he wore on his forehead clearly indicated his identity as a ninja. Judging from the fact that he was able to be knocked away by the boy, he was obviously just a genin, perhaps even the lowest-ranking genin.

"You're driving me crazy, you monster!"

The boy's face turned pale and then red. He gritted his teeth, pulled out a slightly worn kunai from his body, and charged at the boy. He seemed to be trying to kill the boy because he was so angry.

Unable to understand what the boy was saying, the boy's animalistic instincts clearly detected the hostility and killing intent. As the wolf king's child, the boy always believed in the principle that enemies should be killed, and pounced.

Although they were genin, their skill level was only similar to that of an ordinary adult. They were not from a clan and had no teachers. Although they were called ninjas, they were actually just cannon fodder. They could only swing their weapons and use chakra in a simple way. They couldn't even understand the most basic Three Body Technique.

So, after only a short struggle, the boy tore off a piece of flesh from the young man's leg. Wolves are cunning; they know their strengths and weaknesses very well, and they use their strengths to counter their enemies' weaknesses, then deliver a fatal blow.

Just as the boy was about to bite the young man's throat, another figure flashed in, so fast that the boy was kicked away before he could even react.

That was also an eleven or twelve-year-old boy, also a genin, but compared to the previous boy, this one was clearly much stronger.

The boy growled defiantly and charged forward again, but in the blink of an eye, he was firmly grabbed by the boy behind him and could not move at all. Even if he struggled, it would be useless and would only increase his pain.

"Monster!"

"Kill him quickly!"

"Kill him!"

"·····"

Upon seeing the boy being caught, the crowd cheered and shouted all at once. The boy who had been knocked down earlier glared at him with venom, determined to kill the boy if given the chance.

"Stop arguing!"

The boy holding the boy kept shouting impatiently. He took a few steps forward, picked up the Little Black Wolf, turned around and walked towards the door. With a "bang!", he threw the boy and the Little Black Wolf out the door.

"Get out of here!"

The boy spoke coldly, and without even glancing at the boy, closed the orphanage gate.

Frowning, the boy still couldn't understand the boy's words, but he struggled to his feet, picked up the Little Black Wolf, and left the place without looking back.

The boy wanted to leave and return to the jungle, but even if he could find the gate, the people of Konoha probably wouldn't let him leave.

The sky grew increasingly dark, and the last ray of light gradually disappeared into the horizon, shrouding the entire Konoha Ninja Village in darkness.

The boy, holding the Little Black Wolf, found a corner, sat down against the wall, and looked up at the moon in the sky, lost in thought.

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How much time had passed since he was driven out of the orphanage? The boy didn't know; he only knew that it seemed like a very, very long time...

Having eaten nothing and not had a proper rest, the boy didn't know what was keeping him going, what was sustaining him to survive.

The news from the orphanage seemed to have spread. The way everyone looked at him reminded him of the disgusted looks he had received back then, especially from the boy who had been beaten up by the boy. The boy always came to cause him trouble, and since he didn't dare to come alone, he would call a lot of people to come with him.

The repeated verbal abuse and beatings had made the boy somewhat accustomed to the physical pain. He had considered fighting back, but if it really came down to it, how could these ordinary people, or even those only slightly stronger than ordinary people, possibly be a match for him? But in the end, the boy would suffer even more severe beatings, whether from adults, children, or even ninjas.

The cause and who was right or wrong were irrelevant to the people. In their eyes, the boy was a complete beast, a monster that everyone wanted to beat. If it weren't for the village's established rules, it wouldn't have been just a beating; the boy might have been beaten to death long ago.

In the end, he was powerless to resist, or rather, too lazy to resist. The outcome was already predetermined, wasn't it? He wasn't a ninja; he didn't have that kind of ability.

The boy felt that all he could see was darkness, and there would be no more light.

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The wind was strong today, and the weather was still frighteningly cold despite the approaching spring. Although it was daytime, the sky was covered with a thick layer of dark clouds.

Cornered in the corner, the boy curled up on the ground, clutching the Little Black Wolf, his eyes closed, letting the thick wooden stick on his body swing and fall heavily...

It hurt, of course it hurt, how could it not hurt? The boy gritted his teeth, enduring all the beatings, stubbornly protecting the Little Black Wolf in his arms.

"You monstrous monster!"

Standing to one side, the boy who seemed to be the leader kept cursing, showing a determination to beat the boy to death. He was the same guy who had been knocked down and injured by the boy earlier.

On the open ground outside, many adults stood, not only failing to stop it, but some even adding fuel to the fire, laughing as if watching a spectacle.

The boy didn't understand what it meant, but he was familiar with the tone and had heard it too many times; he figured it couldn't be anything nice.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Heavy sounds rang out one after another, but the boy gritted his teeth and remained silent. Perhaps this was the end.

His consciousness completely blurred, and the boy thought that this was enough.

"Hey! What are you doing? Why are you hitting people? Stop it right now!"

A crisp, clean sound, unlike anything I'd ever heard before, suddenly rang out, and at the same time, the swung wooden stick stopped.

Regaining a sliver of consciousness, the boy slightly raised his head. Before him stood a little girl, about the same age as him, blocking his way. Her black hair was tied in a short ponytail at the back of her head, and her slightly childish face was puffed out as she glared angrily at the crowd that had stopped because of her appearance.

"That pattern belongs to a prestigious family!"

"I've seen her before; she seems to be Mitarashi Zixiao Shishou's niece!"

"What? It's that person? So, she's the young lady of the Mitarashi Clan!"

"How did you end up here!"

"······"

Everyone immediately started whispering among themselves, especially the boy who was leading the group. Upon hearing the girl's identity, he swallowed back the curses he was about to utter. He couldn't afford to offend her. His face turned pale and then red. He didn't know why the girl was here, but he didn't have the courage to ask.

"I am Anko Mitarashi from the Mitarashi Clan!" The little girl stood up straight, her childish voice carrying an indescribable meaning; "I don't know why you hit him, but from now on, he is my little brother, he belongs to me, Anko Mitarashi. If any of you dare to touch him again, you are going against me, do you understand? You know the consequences!"

As soon as Anko Mitarashi finished speaking, three Mitarashi clan members wearing Konoha ninja headbands instantly appeared behind her, silently watching the crowd opposite them.

"But, Mitarashi, he's just a monster, he..."

The boy who was leading the group was still trying to say something, but before he could finish speaking, he was glared at by a member of the Mitarashi clan who was looking over. He broke out in a cold sweat, turned around and ran away, and the rest of the crowd also scattered.

Seeing that everyone had left, Anko Mitarashi blinked, turned her head, and looked at the boy who was staring at her silently. The clothes he had changed out of when he was taken back to the orphanage were already tattered and torn, revealing the scars all over his body.

"Can you still stand up?"

"······"

"Will you come with me?"

"······"

What is your name?

"······"

"No name?"

Startled for a moment, Anko Mitarashi tapped her chin with her finger, then reached out her hand to the boy, a bright smile spreading across her youthful face.

"Then, I'll take the liberty of naming him Luoshan! Mitarai Luoshan!"

The thick, dark clouds in the sky had somehow dissipated, and the warm sunlight shone on the earth once more, stinging the boy's eyes for a fleeting moment.

At that moment, for some reason, and unable to describe the feeling, the boy—no, Mitarai Luoshan— found that he seemed to understand what all that waiting had been for: just for this ray of sunlight, to dispel the loneliness and darkness in his heart.