Chapter 141 Caring for Left-Behind Children Starts with You and Me
“There’s no one here…” Haruko Hayama said with a serious expression as she carefully looked around.
Suddenly, a thin mist rose around her and Hyuga Neji, growing thicker as they watched, and a dark figure gradually appeared in the mist directly in front of them.
"Ninjutsu: Mist Concealment Technique".
This is probably the enemy's way of confusing us. Asahi Haruko asked Neji, "Neji, can you see the enemy's location?"
“We can’t see anything.” Hyuga Neji’s tone turned cold. “There shouldn’t be any ninjutsu that can break the Byakugan.”
Before they could investigate further, the enemy's voice rang out from the mountaintop again: "Thunder Burial - Feast of Thunder!"
A series of flashes of lightning fell from the mountaintop, rushing towards Hyuga Neji and Hayama Haruko, knocking them unconscious before they could dodge.
Raiya landed on the mountaintop and looked at the two unconscious people on the ground, laughing triumphantly.
But a childish voice came from behind him, "Watch out for Raiga!"
The moment the voice fell, Rock Lee rushed towards him from the thick fog, suppressing him with taijutsu. Naruto Uzumaki, who arrived later, also joined the battle. They beat Raiga to a pulp, while Tenten rushed over to wake the two unconscious men.
When Haruko woke up in the morning, she saw the two of them knock Raiga's black robe away, and the bag that Raiga always carried on his back also flew away.
"Neji!"
At Haruko's prompting, Neji Hyuga used his Byakugan to probe inside and discovered a pair of eyes staring at him. Moreover, fine dust was emanating from the tightly sealed bag, simulating chakra pathways and misleading them into not being able to identify the enemy's location.
"Naruto, use Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Neji Hyuga immediately called out to Naruto Uzumaki, "His eyes are here!"
While they were fighting, Haruko Hayama, with Neji Hyuga's approval, unzipped the bag, and unexpectedly, a youthful face was revealed inside.
"Oh! You were the one who fought me in my dream!" Rock Lee, who had just finished fighting, squatted down next to him and recognized him at a glance.
The purple-haired boy answered with a blank expression, "It wasn't me, it was me and Raiga together."
The purple-haired boy recounted that Raiga, as an ANBU member of Kirigakure, had previously been tasked with eliminating spies. However, since they couldn't find the spies, Kirigakure's direct approach was to kill everyone in his village.
Unable to go out due to his illness, he was disliked by the villagers and could only peek at the outside world from his bed. But Raiga, whom he touched, took him away.
He became Raiga's eyes and ears, and Raiga became his brother.
"So, if Raiga is gone, I will lose the meaning of my life."
Haruko's lips twitched. Why did this version of the story sound so familiar?
Isn't this just a beautified version of the story of Haku and Zabuza?!
"I am powerless to resist, so complete your mission."
Even facing certain death, the purple-haired boy showed no expression, simply staring straight at the sky interwoven with dark clouds.
The surrounding fog had dissipated, and Naruto Uzumaki showed a reluctant expression.
Haruko Hayama, meanwhile, was deep in thought, contemplating the possibility of having Tsunade establish a comprehensive healthcare system for people with disabilities.
"Haruko! Haruko!" Tenten patted her on the shoulder.
Haruko snapped out of her daze and realized they were all watching her, seemingly waiting for her to make a decision.
The purple-haired boy realized from their reactions that Haruko Hayama must be their leader, so he focused his gaze on her and said, "Kill me now."
"I'm telling you, why do you keep thinking that life is meaningless and who you can rely on all day long?" Haruko sighed and squatted down so he could see her more easily. "Can't you get treatment if you're sick? Wouldn't it be better to discover your abilities to help yourself and the people you care about live better lives?"
The purple-haired boy was taken aback when he met her gentle gaze. "What exactly are you talking about..."
Haruko Hayama had no intention of comforting the sick and weak children anymore; instead, she stood up and gave them instructions.
"The most urgent task is to deal with those leaderless guys. Tenten, Neji, and Lee, you go to the village and take care of the remaining Kurokuchi family members."
Haruko looked at Naruto Uzumaki, who was still upset, and said, "Naruto, go and dig out that guy you knocked away. I'll go find a place to keep an eye on this kid."
They found an empty cabin not far from the village. To prevent him from committing suicide, Haruko tied him up with white thread.
“You are still young and your values have not yet been established, but that is not a reason for you to aid and abet evil.”
Haruko gazed at the purple-haired boy with his eyes lowered, deeply feeling the low level of education in the ninja world.
The purple-haired boy slowly spoke, "For me, who was born weak, the poor little house was my whole world. I have no memory of my parents and survive numbly on the meager food that the villagers occasionally brought me."
Measures to care for left-behind children also need to be discussed.
“Even so, I have an extraordinary power that allows me to see outside through the house. But this frightens everyone. So, the villagers never came to visit me again. They were all waiting for my death.”
It seems that villagers need to be educated about the boundaries of bloodline limits.
"It was at that time that Raiga saved my life. Raiga showed me the outside world that I had never encountered before. Losing Raiga is like losing my body."
...Okay, the most important thing now is to establish the right values for teenagers.
"Perhaps Raiga started being called one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist because he acquired your abilities?" Haruko Hayama wondered.
"Hmm." The purple-haired boy readily admitted, "Good and evil are no different to me, who only has sensory organs."
Haruko looked at him seriously, "So you think it's okay to live like this for the rest of your life?"
The purple-haired boy was stunned, and finally raised his head to meet her unbiased gaze.
"What kind of life is it to rely on others? The real meaning of living is to strive, explore, and discover on your own."
Haruko untied the white thread binding him and smiled at him, "Would you like to come back to Konoha with me? I know a very powerful person who might be able to heal your body."
"Once you've recovered and atoneed for your mistakes, you can experience the feeling of living on your own!"
"Oh, by the way, I still don't know your name?"
Feeling the warmth of her embrace and the sweet scent that enveloped him once again, the purple-haired boy's eyes reddened.
"...Ranmaru, my name is Ranmaru."
"What a lovely name! Let's go then, Ranmaru!"
As Haruko carried Ranmaru out in the morning, she encountered Naruto Uzumaki carrying Raiga.
"Haruko! I brought him here!"
Naruto laid the injured Raiga flat on the ground. Haruko first handed Ranmaru to him to hold, then released white threads to bind Raiga on the ground before she felt relieved and knelt down to perform a healing jutsu on him.
"Let me make this clear first, I won't heal him completely. If he wakes up and tries to attack again, I will not hesitate to take you hostage." Haruko Hayama gave Ranmaru a heads-up.
Ranmaru watched her careful actions, secretly wiping away her tears with her sleeve, and replied with a relieved tone, "Yes!"
After all, Raiga killed so many people. For Ranmaru's sake, he sincerely repented to the villagers under Naruto's escort. Haruko Hayama also promised the villagers that she would send him to Konoha's Heavy Prison, where he would atone for his sins in the future.
After completing their mission, the group bid farewell to the villagers. Rock Lee grabbed the rebellious teenager Mustard Seed and excitedly prepared to teach him the correct way to gain power.
Ranmaru, who was lying on Raiga's body, gripped his clothes slightly and whispered something in his ear.
"Raiga, I don't know why, but I have a feeling that we will truly live in the future."
Raiga, bound by white threads, glanced at Haruko Hayama, who was talking to Tenten, and sighed softly, replying, "Perhaps."
******
The list of recipients of gratitude as of March 13, 2024:
grateful--
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Flowers given by Uchiha Yuki
Yun Cheyun of Ancient Desert Island, Xiao Shixin, Lanling Yue, Hongyi Xiangyi Saigao, Tang Xiaoyu of the North, Sermu who is gradually fading away, Yue..., Zero the Working Emperor, Green and Blue Invincible, Early Summer. Starry Sky, Xuan Chun, Lin Laoji, Super Loves to Eat Little Liang, Lin Chenlin who likes wild geese, Lin Chenlin's gift of love
Thank you so much for the gifts! The author is so touched! Ranmaru sends you all a loving hug (....)
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