CHAPTER 129: SEARCHING FOR CROWS

The sound of rain had stopped at some point.

As Haruki was about to close his eyes, he saw tears rolling down Konan’s cheeks. He closed his eyes as if he hadn’t seen anything.

[Ding!]

[System detected Konan’s affection value +5000.]

[Ding!]

[System detected Nagato’s affection value +5000.]

[Ding!]

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

[Currently, a total of 15,000 affection points have been collected. Your Love Curse growth value has increased to 32.8%.]

With his goal achieved, Haruki sank into a sweet dream. He completely disregarded the trauma his story had inflicted on the remaining three.

Konan knew that Haruki must have had a very difficult year. But she hadn’t expected it to be this difficult.

He had to fight while healing, and accept the sacrifice of his comrades while fighting.

Yahiko’s feelings were complex. In his heart, the Ame ninjas led by Hanzo were all thugs, just like Hanzo. But the Ame ninjas Haruki spoke of were completely different from what he had imagined.

The Ame ninjas in Haruki’s story were loyal and righteous. Some had even sacrificed themselves on the battlefield at an age not much older than them.

A small crack was chiseled into the wall of prejudice Yahiko had built high in his heart. Sooner or later, this wall would collapse in his heart.

Nagato’s hands, hidden in the quilt, clenched into fists.

Amegakure was too weak, which was why it was wantonly bullied by powerful ninja villages.

Haruki didn’t know what the three of them were thinking, he was already in his second dream.

...

The next day, Haruki groggily opened his eyes.

Dim daylight seeped into the wooden house from outside the window. A hint of coolness drifted in through the cracks in the window. The air was fresh.

Haruki took a deep breath, snuggling in the warm quilt. His pupils moved, and he saw that the quilts on both his left and right sides were already empty.

"Haruki, you’ve woken up."

Konan sat kneeling beside Haruki, a gentle smile on her face.

"Where are Yahiko and Nagato?"

Haruki struggled to get out of the quilt, looking at Konan in front of him as he asked.

"They went to prepare ingredients for breakfast." Konan smiled at Haruki.

Haruki nodded, tidying up the tatami, and then unexpectedly saw the paper cards on the wall. He paused, then moved a little closer, looking more carefully.

Jiraiya’s name was written on the topmost paper card.

Below Jiraiya’s name card were paper cards with Haruki, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan’s names, respectively.

Even more unsettling was the pile of wild flowers beneath the name cards.

Haruki: "..."

He didn’t need to look to know whose masterpiece this was.

He slowly looked at Konan beside him.

"We’re leaving, and I thought we should leave our mark in this wooden house." Konan’s smile was terrifyingly innocent.

Haruki’s feelings were complex.

Had no one told Konan that the name cards in front of them looked exactly like memorial tablets?

It was too inauspicious!

Haruki covered his face.

"Haruki, what’s wrong?"

Konan looked blankly at Haruki, who had suddenly covered his face.

Haruki took a deep breath, lowered his hands, and smiled at Konan. "Nothing, I’m just very touched."

Konan shyly pursed her lips.

Soon after, Yahiko and Nagato returned.

After a hearty breakfast, the four of them, clad in raincoats, set off lightly.

...

On the hillside.

Their footsteps paused. They turned to look back at the wooden house standing by the sea, their eyes filled with deep reluctance.

"Let’s go."

Yahiko took a deep breath and strode confidently in the opposite direction from the wooden house.

Haruki glanced at Yahiko’s back, then caught up to him and asked, "Yahiko, do you know where there are crows nearby?"

Although he already had twenty crows, it was still not enough. One crow was sent to monitor Kenjaku, and three crows remained in Amegakure. As soon as there was any movement in Amegakure, he would discover it immediately. Five crows were sent to patrol the borders of the Land of Rain, and the remaining crows flew to various parts of the Land of Rain to search for the hiding places of rogue ninjas, and samurai.

Although the Land of Rain was a small country, the efficiency of finding people with only eleven crows was still too low.

"Crows?"

Yahiko scratched his head in confusion and asked, "Haruki, what do you need crows for?"

Haruki said, "We can have the crows help us find those hidden ninjas from other villages."

"Ah?"

Yahiko looked at Haruki in surprise and asked, "Can you communicate with crows?"

He, Nagato, and Konan certainly couldn’t.

Haruki nodded. "Something like that."

The profound Black Bird Manipulation Technique was not just about controlling crows for surveillance and finding people, but he didn’t need to explain it in detail to Yahiko and the others.

"I know where there are crows." Nagato’s voice cut in.

"Really?"

Haruki looked at Nagato in surprise. "Then let’s go quickly."

The more monitors and bombs, the better.

Nagato nodded and walked towards the edge of the distant forest, leading the way for Haruki. Haruki followed behind Nagato, with Yahiko and Konan following behind them.

Yahiko asked curiously, "How do you do it? Can you communicate with all small animals? What an amazing ability!"

Haruki shook his head, a lie readily spilling out, "Only with crows. Maybe it’s because I saved a crow on the battlefield. Ever since I saved an injured crow on the battlefield, I found that I could communicate with crows."

"What?!"

Yahiko looked at Haruki in astonishment.

Konan was the most accepting of such things. She smiled and nodded. "It’s very possible. After all, crows are very spiritual animals. They must have felt the kindness in Haruki."

Haruki nodded frantically inwardly.

Yes, yes!

Propagate him like this!

"We’re here."

Nagato stopped.

Haruki looked at the surrounding environment, this area was indeed a suitable habitat for crows.

Crows like to live on the edges of forests, woods, or small patches of woodland. This way, they can easily fly to nearby grasslands or riverbanks to forage. This area not only had beaches and grasslands but also a lush forest.

Nagato pointed to the branches above his head.

Haruki looked up and, sure enough, saw a crow’s nest. He looked along the rows of tall trees and found many crow nests.

He rubbed his fists together.

...

Half an hour later.

Dense flocks of crows circled Haruki, like a small black tornado. Without exception, Cursed Energy had been injected into all of their bodies.

Yahiko and Konan watched this scene in wonder.

At Haruki’s command, the crows scattered, flying in different directions.

He had acquired 48 new crows in total, greatly improving the efficiency of finding people.

"Let’s go to the town ahead first."