Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, Nagato, who had been mostly silent, spoke up, " Yahiko, it's already noon. Your behavior is making Yusuke- nii go hungry with us. That's very impolite."
Nagato's words were indeed effective; upon hearing this, Yahiko stopped insisting.
He knew that if he insisted, his benefactor would really have to go hungry with them, but Brother Yusuke couldn't accept such a way of expressing gratitude, so he decided to find another way.
So Yahiko said, "Well then, it's already noon, why don't you join us for lunch, Yusuke?"
Seemingly afraid that Yusuke would refuse, Konan chimed in, "Yes, Yusuke, why don't you eat with us?"
Finally, under Yahiko and the others' earnest invitation, Yusuke had no choice but to agree.
And so, the four of them began to build a stove and start a fire to cook.
" Yusuke, speaking of which, you know so much about edible ingredients in the wild, so why did you get lost in the forest?" Yahiko asked curiously as he ate from a bowl by a fire with cooking utensils.
He didn't suspect that Yusuke had any other motives, but looking at Yusuke's simple yet luxurious clothes and his noble demeanor, he clearly felt that he was not an ordinary person, and it was very strange for such a person to appear in the forest.
Upon hearing Yahiko's question, Konan and Nagato, who were eating, stopped what they were doing and looked at Yusuke curiously. Yahiko's question was also what they wanted to ask.
Seeing the three people's curious gazes, Yusuke, sitting by the fire, put down his bowl and chopsticks and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Actually, all the knowledge about wild food came from books. I've only seen it in real life once, so even though you know a lot, I haven't actually experienced much of it."
"I see." Yahiko and the others looked enlightened. They didn't doubt it, after Yusuke, Yahiko looked very knowledgeable.
Then, Yahiko asked curiously, "Why is Yusuke here? This place is quite remote; few travelers pass through."
It's important to understand that this place is extremely remote, and the surrounding villages have very few resources and are quite barren, with the people living here living in extreme poverty.
That's why they came here, wanting to change the villagers' impoverished situation and bring happiness back to the people living here.
Upon hearing Yahiko's question, a faint blush appeared Yusuke Yusuke's fair, jade-like face. "Actually, I'm not very good with directions. I was originally heading to the Land of Fire using a map, but I don't know how I ended up here. To be honest, I don't even know where this is. Do you guys know where this is?"
Although Yusuke's words were full of embarrassment, his expression remained gentle, without the slightest awkwardness, and he didn't seem to care at all that his shortcomings were known to others.
"Eh!!! Yusuke is going to the Land of Fire? Then you're completely going the wrong way. This is the Land of Rain, which is the opposite direction from the Land of Fire." Upon hearing Yusuke's destination, Yahiko exclaimed in surprise and quickly said.
Yusuke's gentle expression crumbled, and he asked awkwardly, "Is this the Land of Rain? It's completely in the opposite direction from the Land of Fire?"
As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Yahiko and the other two beside her. When they saw Yusuke turn his head to look at them, Konan and the other two nodded repeatedly, looking as if there was no doubt about it.
Yusuke seemed dumbfounded, and said with a wry smile, "It seems my sense of direction is really terrible."
This left Yahiko was standing to the side, at a loss for words.
Looking at Yusuke, who exuded a gentle and refined air, a few black lines appeared on his forehead. He couldn't help but think to himself, "So this must be the legendary terrible navigator, right? I never expected that someone as outstanding Yusuke would have such an incongruous flaw. This is too unexpected!"
However, this completely dispelled Yahiko's last doubts and gave him more trust in Yusuke.
So, upholding the goodwill of a friend, he suggested, " Yusuke, aren't you going to the Land of Fire? Why don't we escort you there? If you go alone, who knows when you'll reach the Land of Fire. Our mission here is almost complete."
"Is this really okay? Won't this be too much trouble for you?"
Upon hearing that Yahiko was going to offer help, Yusuke, who had been feeling down, quickly looked up and gave Yahiko and the other two a grateful smile.
That smile looked so warm and sunny that it made the three of them, including the shy Yahiko, blush for a moment.
"No, it's alright. We happen to be free, right, Konan, Nagato!" Seemingly infected by Yusuke's warm smile, Yahiko spoke somewhat haltingly, completely losing his previous straightforward manner.
"That's right, we haven't had much to do lately, so we can help Yusuke." Konan nodded in agreement.
"Thank you so much. I'll come to Amegakure to properly thank you after I finish my business in the Land of Fire."
And so, after some discussion and thanks, Yahiko and the other two packed up the cooking utensils and began escorting Yusuke to the Land of Fire.
On the way, Yusuke seemed to remember something, looked up at Yahiko, and asked, "Then how did you end up here, Yahiko? Someone as powerful as you, working for free in such a remote place, doesn't seem like the style of a ninja at all."
Yusuke paused for a moment at Yahiko's words, then lowered his head to think for a moment before suddenly breaking into a bright smile, "I want to change this country, so I've decided to start making changes from the most impoverished areas."
After listening to Yahiko's words, Yusuke adjusted his glasses and asked thoughtfully, "So, this is your ideal, Yahiko?"
"Yes, I want to bring sunshine back to this country that has been shrouded in darkness for so long. I want the people of this country to be happy, and I want them to be free from the suffering caused by war. I want great powers to understand the pain of small nations, and I want the world to be at peace."
As he spoke, Yahiko's dark pupils seemed to gleam with a dazzling light, and he exuded an astonishing charm that made people believe in him.
So, after he finished speaking Konan and Nagato looked at him with expressions of admiration.
"This ideal is extremely difficult to achieve, Yahiko, are you really prepared?"
At this moment, white light reflected off Yusuke's glasses, obscuring the meaning hidden in his eyes. His expression also carried a strange undertone, as if he were trying to convey something.
However, Yahiko didn't seem to notice and confidently stated, "Of course, I've always been prepared, even if it means death."