CHAPTER 128: [BONUS] THEY ALL DIED

[System detected Yahiko’s Affection value +5000.]

[Your Love Curse growth value has increased to 31%.]

Yahiko looked at Haruki, and the memory of them holding hands while searching for Jiraiya flashed through his mind.

So much time had passed in the blink of an eye, and he felt a little dazed.

[Ding!]

[System detected Yahiko’s Nostalgia value +3000.]

[Your Cursed Spirit Choso’s rank has increased to 62.6%.]

Recalling his grand ambitions from back then, a smile involuntarily appeared on Yahiko’s face.

He nodded heavily and said, "Of course I remember."

And his dream had never changed. A peaceful and happy life had not eroded his initial resolve. His dream of changing this terrible world had never changed.

Haruki smiled as he looked at Yahiko. "Isn’t this a good opportunity now?"

Yahiko stared at Haruki, stunned.

Yes, Jiraiya was gone, and there was no need for them to stay in this small wooden house forever. Since he had chosen to change the world, he should start now.

It’s just...

Yahiko felt a little lost. How should he do it?

How could he change the world?

This dream was too grand, and he couldn’t find a specific direction for a while.

Yahiko looked at Haruki, and his intuition told him that Haruki had a way.

"Although Amegakure has achieved peace, there are still many rogue ninjas, and samurai hidden within Amegakure. They use their strength to oppress the people of the Land of Rain. Even though the war has stopped, the people are still suffering." Haruki’s voice carried a deep allure.

"Yahiko, don’t you want to save them?"

A light flickered in Haruki’s eyes.

He understood Yahiko. Yahiko was a person with heroism.

"We can be like Jiraiya-sensei back then, saving others and passing on kindness."

Yahiko pursed his lips. He hated Hanzō, that was true. Hanzō was the culprit who started the war. But the people of Amegakure were innocent, they were victims of the war. Yahiko was also someone who had suffered the ravages of war, and he could empathize with that pain. Of course, he was willing to save them.

But...

Yahiko did not answer Haruki directly.

He stared intently at Haruki, and after a moment’s pause, he asked, "What about you, Haruki? Are you coming with us, or do you choose to continue working for Hanzō?"

Anyone could leave!

Only Haruki could not!

Haruki was the only one who could understand his dream. If he chose to leave and continue working for Hanzō, what meaning would his dream have?

Yahiko’s breathing became rapid. He stared fixedly at Haruki, waiting for the answer.

Haruki raised an eyebrow imperceptibly. He looked into Yahiko’s eyes and said seriously, "I’ll go with you all."

Anyway, this was also his mission. He believed that during the mission, Yahiko would change his opinion of Hanzō.

On the way, Haruki could complete his mission, strengthen his power through battles, and collect emotional values from Yahiko, the other two, and the rogue ninjas.

Killing four birds with one stone!

Yahiko smiled and tightly gripped Haruki’s hand.

He knew it! Haruki would not give up on their dream!

[Ding!]

[System detected Yahiko’s Affection value +3000.]

[Your Love Curse growth value has increased to 31.3%.]

"That’s great!"

Konan didn’t care about any dreams at all. Changing the world or anything like that, she didn’t care about any of it. She just wanted everyone to be together forever. As long as everyone was together forever, anything they did was fine.

"So, when do we leave?"

Yahiko was now full of power. He felt like he could do something big. He had already begun to fantasize in his mind about the scene of driving away bad guys and saving people from distress with everyone.

Just thinking about such a scene made his heart surge with emotion. He couldn’t wait to leave now.

Konan looked at Yahiko and Haruki, smiling. "I’ll listen to you two."

Nagato nodded gently. He was the same as Konan.

Haruki looked at the heavy rain outside the window and said, "Tomorrow. We’ll leave tomorrow morning when the rain stops. If it doesn’t stop, we’ll put on our raincoats."

Yahiko nodded heavily. "Okay."

Night.

Haruki and the others took the thick futons off the beds and placed them on the tatami mats in the living room.

The four of them lied together in their respective futons, looking at the wooden ceiling of the house and listening to the rain constantly beating against the roof.

"The rain has gotten lighter." Nagato said softly.

Haruki turned his head slightly and smiled at Nagato. "Maybe tomorrow will be a rare good day."

Nagato’s lips curved into a smile.

Konan turned her head to look at Haruki and Yahiko. She looked past Haruki’s profile and saw Nagato’s red hair. She made a wish in her heart, hoping that every day in the future would be as beautiful as today.

Konan closed her eyes and asked softly, "Haruki, can you tell us about what happened to you on the battlefield?"

Yahiko’s eyes immediately widened. He held his breath slightly, his heart filled with anticipation. He also really wanted to hear, but he didn’t want to hear anything related to Hanzō at all. He hoped Haruki wouldn’t mention Hanzō.

Tonight was indeed a good time for storytelling.

Haruki stared at the somewhat moldy wood on the ceiling and slowly began, "At first, I left the wooden house just to save people..."

"Too many people died in the war. I wanted to save their lives."

"On the way out of the wooden house, I met a dying ninja. I saved him. His name was Suzaku."

"He was a very good person. Although he looked cold, he had a warm heart. He took me back to Amegakure. In Amegakure, I saw many injured ninjas."

"They lied in the dark tower, unable to even let out painful groans. I could never forget their eyes. So, I decided to stay."

"..."

The story went on for a very, very long time.

Haruki looked at Nagato and Konan beside him and found that they had already closed their eyes.

He thought Nagato and Konan were asleep, so he quieted down, and the story abruptly ended.

The silence lasted for almost three minutes.

Konan’s voice suddenly rang out, "What happened next? What about Suzaku?"

Haruki replied, "He died."

Konan was silent for a moment, then asked again, "What about Kurogaya?"

Haruki again answered, "He also died."

"What about Yuma? The Amegakure ninja who helped you make puppets?"

"He also died."

Haruki said, "They all died, died on the battlefield protecting the Land of Rain. They used their lives to stop Sunagakure’s attack and earned a truce agreement from Sunagakure."

"Alright, it’s late. We should go to sleep."