An encounter

A border town in the Land of Rain, year 33, early spring.

The chilly morning wind swept through the drizzle. Early risers hurried along beneath their rain hats. There were still few people on the streets, and every face was as bleak and numb as the overcast sky.

It had been almost a year since the Second Shinobi World War began. A land beset by war on every side, the Land of Rain had little to expect from the new year beyond corpses and famine. Apart from numbly clinging to life, all people had left was their hatred and disgust for Ninja, and their prayers for the war to end soon.

In a room that let in drafts from every direction and offered barely any shelter from the rain, several young children huddled together for warmth. They were all orphans left behind by the war, surviving each day on handouts or scavenging through rubbish.

But in these war-torn times, even the adults never knew where their next meal would come from. How could they spare food for the children? Sallow and emaciated, the children could only dig up grass roots and eat a little bark when their hunger became unbearable, barely keeping their stomachs filled.

Ria opened her eyes weakly. As the oldest child there, she was the only one who could usually find odd jobs outside and look after the others. At first, there had only been one child, but as she saw more and more children by the roadside who were close to giving out, she could not bear to leave them. She had no choice but to take them in, despite her own difficulties. Life had already been hard, and now it was harder still!

There was nothing else she could do. Looking at the younger boys and girls who depended on her more with each passing day, Ria silently told herself that she had to work even harder today. She would look farther afield and see if she could find a few more odd jobs!

She woke the children and assigned them their tasks. Some would beg, others would scavenge, and the slightly older ones would go outside town to dig up wild greens, strip bark, and gather grass roots.

She knew Ninja were fighting everywhere, with no regard for whether civilians lived or died. But without doing this, the dozen or so children would never survive!

"Axel, Rich, be very careful outside town today! If you come across Ninja fighting, stay far, far away!" Ria said worriedly.

"Don't worry, big sis! We'll gather even more wild greens today. If we're lucky, we might even catch a few fish by the river!"

Axel, who was slightly older, forced himself to perk up and spoke brightly.

"Yes, we definitely will!" Rich nodded firmly in agreement.

"Mm-hmm, I believe in you. But you must stay safe."

Ria stroked Axel's spiky blond hair, her gentle words full of worry.

"Mm-hmm. You be careful out there too, big sis. Don't come home too late. Those thugs out at night are all bad news. They specifically rob kids our age."

Axel clenched his fists. Seeing his big sister grow thinner by the day hurt him too. He only wished he could grow up faster so he could help the girl who looked after him.

"All right! I'll keep that in mind!"

The other children also watched worriedly as Axel and Rich prepared to leave. Compared with scavenging and begging in town, going outside was truly dangerous. In the countryside around this frontline town, Ninja could be fighting at any moment. If they were unlucky enough to get caught in a battle, a single misstep could leave them crippled. Worse still, some twisted Ninja took pleasure in torturing civilians to death. A few days ago, Ironhead and Xiao Jie had gone out and never returned, leaving Ria heartbroken for days.

As she watched the two boys recede into the distance, Ria's disgust for Ninja deepened, along with her helplessness at her own weakness. If only she were stronger, could she protect them better?

The children said goodbye to Ria one by one. Looking around the empty room, she tidied up a little, then prepared to head out and find work.

Ria was fourteen that year, with her blond hair tied in a simple ponytail. Prolonged malnutrition had left her once-delicate face sallow and gaunt, but her eyes, like black gemstones, remained unusually bright. Only a meter and twenty centimeters tall, she was as skinny as a bean sprout, yet her steps were light and nimble. A gentle smile always graced her face, and even in her patched clothes, she seemed wonderfully approachable-a stark contrast to the numb faces around her!

Ria greeted the vendors she knew warmly, asking whether they had any temporary work. But after several of them simply shook their heads without a word, unease crept into her heart. Was I not going to find any work today?

While Ria was looking around anxiously, an old man called out to her.

"Little girl, are you looking for work?"

"Yes, sir!" Ria nodded hastily.

"Perfect. It's almost mealtime, and my shop needs someone to serve dishes. Are you quick on your feet, little girl?" the old man asked with a smile. He knew she was a good child and that she had taken in a whole bunch of little ones. Though his own life was far from comfortable, he had no children of his own and did not mind helping her out!

"Don't worry, sir. I certainly am!" Ria answered quickly.

"All right, then! Come in and get to work!"

Time passed. After a busy day, Ria diligently finished cleaning the shop and put down her apron.

"Uncle Coco, I've finished cleaning. Would you like to check?" Ria called toward the counter, her face flushed and a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"Girl, if you're done, go on home! Oh, stop by the kitchen before you leave. There are some leftovers today, and I had Chef Xitai pack them up for you. Take them home to eat! And here's your pay-one hundred ryo. Keep it tucked away safely!"

"Thank you, Uncle Coco!" Ria said gratefully. Though she had only worked one job today, it paid well and included meals, and she even had leftovers to take home that evening. If she spent the money carefully, it would buy each of them a white-flour steamed bun every day for two or three days. At that thought, Ria felt especially grateful to the old man before her!

After saying goodbye to Uncle Coco, Ria carried three packed portions of leftovers and walked briskly home. The sky had grown darker still, and the narrow path was exceptionally quiet late at night, with scarcely anyone in sight.

This was the first time Ria had ever gone home so late. The Land of Rain was covered in clouds most of the time, and at night, not even a glimmer of starlight shone through. It was pitch-black. But thinking about the leftovers in her hands made Ria so happy that even the dark road seemed a little less frightening!

Ria carefully felt her way along the road. The cold night wind, mingled with drizzle, was especially biting. Suddenly, footsteps sounded up ahead. She gave them little thought, assuming they belonged to a passerby. Pulling the raincoat Uncle Coco had given her tighter around herself, she felt the warmth of the leftovers in her hands and imagined how happy the children would be tonight. The corners of her mouth rose slightly!

"Heh, you look pretty happy, little girl! Must've had a good haul today! Heh heh. Are you going to hand it over yourself, or do I have to beat you first?"

At the low, somewhat stifled voice, Ria instantly tensed.

"Who... who's there?" It was so dark that Ria could only make out a black figure blocking her way. Gripping the food containers tightly, she held both hands against her chest and stared ahead warily.

"Who? I'm your daddy, hahaha! Give me that!" The shadow snatched the food containers from Ria's hands, then swung his hand and slapped her across the face.

Ria felt her hands empty, followed by a wave of pain across her face. She lost her footing and toppled sideways into the rain-soaked mud, sending water splashing up. Her head rang relentlessly, and she struggled to catch her breath!

Looking at the figure sprawled on the ground, the shadow crouched down without a trace of pity.

"Come on, let Daddy see how many ryo you earned today. Heh heh!"

As he spoke, a large hand reached toward Ria's chest.

"Oh, not bad at all!" The shadow weighed the money pouch in his hand, making a quick estimate.

"Pretty good. Looks like about a hundred ryo. That'll keep me living it up for the next few days." With that, he turned to leave.

He had barely taken a step when he felt a tug behind his leg. A pair of small hands had gripped his trouser cuff tightly.

"Please, don't take it all, okay? Leave me twenty ryo-no, just ten will do. Everyone's been so hungry lately! If this keeps up, the two youngest boys won't be able to hold on much longer!"

The shadow turned and stared impassively at the girl on the ground, too weak to stand. Hearing her speak in that feeble voice, still worrying about others, stirred an inexplicable irritation in him.

"I fucking hate bleeding hearts like you. Who do you think you are? You think I care whether a few little bastards live or die? Fuck you!"

He kicked the girl hard in the stomach. Watching her fly a meter away, the shadow felt nothing but pleasure. Bullying the weak felt so damn good. Whistling, he turned and strolled away, disappearing into the pitch-black night without the slightest concern for whether the girl on the ground lived or died.

Ria felt pain all over her body. She wanted to cry, but could not muster the strength. Enduring the pain, she tried to get up, but failed several times. Looking at the starless night sky, she felt utterly hopeless. She worried about whether Axel and Rich had returned safely, and thought of the little boys, only six or seven, who would go hungry again tomorrow. She could not stop worrying about them.

Ria gritted her teeth and continued crawling toward home. Covered in mud, she struggled forward for several dozen meters. Growing weaker and weaker, she finally collapsed heavily into a puddle with a splash.

I'm so tired. I want to rest. I want to go home and see them... I want them to grow up safe and sound. I miss Mom and Dad so much! In the pitch-black night, just as her eyes were about to close, Ria seemed to see a light in the distance, dreamlike and unreal.

At that moment, the darkness swallowed everything. The tiny figure no longer moved, lying quietly in the drizzling night...

A long while later, a streak of light flashed across the sky!

Was I too late? Li Ming seethed with anger. Looking at the skeletal figure below, covered in mud and wounds, his soul surged violently!

"Who did this? You wouldn't even spare a little girl? Just you wait! I won't let you get away with this!"

Fortunately, there was still time. Sensing the faint fluctuations of her soul, the sphere of light trembled.

"Child, you've endured so much. Now, form a pact and find life through death! I will be with you!"

"Miracle of Light, Greater Resurrection!"

A brilliant light pierced the heavens, sweeping away the dense clouds overhead. A pair of enormous, snow-white wings unfurled within the pillar of light. The sphere between them shone with exceptional brightness and holiness. Slowly, it sank into the body of the girl below, gradually merging with her.

After a little while, the pillar of light suddenly shattered into specks of starlight that drifted slowly toward the town, so long ravaged by war. The full moon, unseen for so long, joined the sky full of stars in a moment of extraordinary beauty. Dreamlike and unreal, it was as though heaven had come to earth.

At that moment, whether asleep or awake, everyone felt a long-forgotten sense of peace!