SEC Chapter 426 First Cry
Chapter 426 First Cry
The three turned around, their backs to the small figure, and ran once again into the depths of the ruins.
Yahiko's steps were heavy and resolute, each step feeling like stepping on burning coals.
The stubborn gaze behind him, forcing a smile, burned him more than any enemy's ninjutsu.
He transformed this burning pain into a near-boiling rage and determination.
We must... drive all those bastards away!
Xiao Nan followed closely behind him, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
She dared not turn around, afraid that if she did, she would rush back without hesitation, hug the little girl, and tell her not to be afraid, that she would take her away.
But she couldn't.
They are ninjas, the vanguard of Konoha, and the sharp blades that pierce the hearts of their enemies.
A sharp blade must not have any soft attachments.
Nagato walked at the back, his senses spreading out like a spider web, covering the entire ruins.
The faint yet tenacious flame of life behind him always flickered in his world of perception.
He could hear her rapid heartbeat, see her small, thin figure clutching the compressed biscuits and water tightly, and sense the immense fear and sorrow suppressed beneath her feigned maturity and strength.
Konan and Yahiko remained silent, a silence spreading between them. But this silence did not represent estrangement; rather, it was a deeper resonance.
They all saw a reflection of their past selves in that little girl, and they also saw more clearly the significance of their journey.
The three ran, passing through rows of cold corpses and avoiding pools of congealed blood.
The scenes of death in the village flashed before their eyes, intensifying the anger rising in their chests.
The figures of the Xiao team gradually shrank in the girl's sight, eventually disappearing behind the broken walls and ruins.
Once she was sure they were really far away, the girl's strength and stubbornness crumbled instantly, like a sandcastle blown away by the wind.
She could no longer hold back, and tears silently streamed down her face.
Instead of eating the cookies in her hand, she carefully tucked them into her bosom.
Then, she bent down and pulled a small, mud-covered paper cutter from the crack in the stone pillar where she was curled up. It was something her father used at his workbench; it was unremarkable, but it was the only thing she could find that could be called a "weapon."
She looked up at the sky, where a light drizzle was falling, blurring the entire world.
"Kassan..."
She sobbed softly, her voice filled with endless grievances and longing.
"I want to avenge you... but... I'm so scared..."
"Niu Niu is here to find you..."
"Let me tell you, I just... met some really nice older brothers and sisters..."
"Niu Niu also didn't want to worry them or become a burden to them... so..."
The cold blade pressed against her slender wrist.
A sharp, stinging pain came from within.
The girl's body trembled violently, and more tears welled up in her eyes.
"Waaaaah... I'm still... so scared..."
She cried, taking one last look in the direction where the three figures disappeared, as if trying to etch their images into her soul.
Then, she closed her eyes and used all her strength.
……
Just as they were about to leave this core area and prepare to return to their unit to report back.
As I walked towards the last gate, my steps suddenly faltered.
His body stiffened, and for a moment his eyes, which had been quietly gazing ahead, went blank.
In his perception, the candle flame that had been burning so stubbornly, representing the little girl's life, flickered violently for a moment...
It went out silently.
Just like that, abruptly and decisively, he completely disappeared from his sensory network.
It's as if it never existed.
"Nagato? What's wrong?"
Yahiko noticed something was wrong, stopped, and turned around to ask.
Xiao Nan also looked over with concern.
Nagato slowly raised his head, his face showing no extra emotion, and simply shook his head gently.
"It's nothing."
He said in a low voice.
"But... the wind seems to have stopped."
A wave of indescribable bitterness and heaviness choked him.
He desperately wanted to tell Yahiko and Minami what had happened, but he couldn't.
He knew that the little girl had made her own choice.
The moment they turned to leave, that stubborn child, with a maturity beyond her years, made the most resolute and also the saddest decision.
—I don't want to be a burden.
Nagato could hear her last words.
These silent last words struck his heart like a heavy hammer.
He couldn't judge whether the choice was right or wrong; he only felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
It turns out that the cruelest part of war is not just plunder and killing, but that it forces a child who should be running and laughing in the sun to extinguish the flame of their own life, just so as not to cause trouble for "good people".
If we tell Yahiko now, his anger will completely spiral out of control.
If I were to tell Xiaonan now, her gentleness and kindness would be completely crushed by this heavy burden.
Therefore, this secret can only be borne by oneself.
Nagato forcefully suppressed his surging emotions, took another step, and caught up with his companions. But his back seemed even more silent and heavy than before.
……
A temporary camp for the Konoha Peacekeeping Force.
The atmosphere was tense, but orderly.
The new generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, along with the Hyuga brothers and other squad leaders, are gathered around Commander-in-Chief Minato Namikaze, listening to the intelligence gathered from all sides.
Nara Shikaku yawned, looking like he hadn't woken up yet, but his brain was working at an astonishing speed, piecing together scattered pieces of information into a complete battlefield situation map.
"According to the Hyuga clan's reconnaissance, the enemy's main force has not gathered here; it is more like a detachment of raiding troops."
Hiashi Hyuga's voice was as meticulous as ever: "They acted swiftly and with a clear objective."
Holding a bag of potato chips, Choza Akimichi added seriously, "These bastards are simply unforgivable!"
Yamanaka Inoichi is responsible for long-distance communication and perception, constantly monitoring the flow of chakra in the surrounding area.
Just then, three figures rushed back from the distant ruins; it was the Akatsuki squad that had gone to scout.
"Captain Minato!"
As soon as Yahiko landed, he immediately stepped forward to report, his voice filled with barely concealed anger.
"Judging from the traces at the scene, it was a complete looting and massacre!"
Minato Namikaze listened quietly, his gaze moving from Yahiko and Konan before finally settling on Nagato, who remained silent.
He could clearly feel the overflowing sadness and anger emanating from these three young people.
Especially Yahiko, the boy who always radiates light and heat like the sun, now had a gloomy expression on his face.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Minato's voice was gentle, yet it carried a calming power.
He didn't ask any further questions, nor did he offer any empty words of comfort. He knew that for a young ninja who had witnessed the hellish scene firsthand, any words would seem inadequate.
Only action speaks louder than words.