Inside the Market

  The rain continued to pour relentlessly, showing no sign of letting up. Passersby huddled under cloaks or held up oiled-paper umbrels, while the market stalls were covered with bck tarps to shield from the downpour.

  “You’re too short! This is ridiculous. Why don’t I just carry you on my back? Wouldn’t that be better?” The boss, Jūbei, muttered to the side, addressing Hayami Reina.

  Since there was only one cloak to shield them from the rain, Reina and Jūbei each grabbed a corner to lift it up. But due to the height difference, Jūbei had to bend down awkwardly.

  “If you're not worried that I might lose my mind and slit your throat, just let me know. And if you're worried about being tired or embarrassed, you can just walk in the rain,” Reina shot Jūbei a sideways gnce.

  “This is my cloak! And even if you’re using honorifics, don’t act so smug while borrowing someone else's cloak to keep dry!” Jūbei pouted in irritation.

  “Tsk, these kids nowadays are really messed up. You’ve definitely got some issues.” Jūbei sighed, his spiky hair trembling in the wind.

  Just then, one of the thugs responsible for maintaining order in the market approached. “Ah! Boss, you're back! What happened to you? You’re hurt... and this little brat... you caught him?”

  No, no, no, this is all wrong. What’s going on here? Why do the boss and this kid look so… friendly, chatting as they walk? Wait, no, they look friendly, but their injuries...

  The thug’s face was full of confusion.

  “You’re just in time. Get me another cloak!” Jūbei’s mood lifted as soon as he saw the thug, eager to stop sharing the same cloak with Reina.

  “Got it, Boss.” The thug quickly fetched another cloak and casually added, “Funny thing—there was this red-haired brat with a dog who came running at us, shouting about saving everyone and taking us down.”

  “…?” Reina fell silent. What was Nagato up to?

  “…So, what happened to that kid?” Well, it seemed not all kids were as messed up as this brat. Jūbei let out a quiet sigh of relief.

  “Over there, all tied up. Just waiting for you to get back and deal with him,” the thug pointed deeper into the market.

  Jūbei waved his hand dismissively. “Let him go. From now on, these kids will be in charge of patrolling the market.”

  “What? These kids? Just them?” The thug’s huge frame tensed. “That’s not gonna work. What if they end up stealing everything themselves?”

  “They won’t. I’ll make sure to give them food every day,” Jūbei spoke with finality, already set in his decision.

  They reached the market’s center, where Nagato was bound with thick hemp rope and tossed aside.

  “Nagato, you alright?” Reina ran forward and began trying to untie the ropes.

  “Reina, what are you doing here…? Your face… your body...” Nagato’s eyes widened as he saw the bruises covering Reina.

  “Ahhh! These bastards did this to you, didn’t they?! I’m gonna—!” Nagato's emotions surged, and his eyes began to glow with an intense heat. The dormant power inside him began to stir once again.

  The ropes, as thick as a forearm, snapped apart with a loud crack.

  The thugs: “???”

  Jūbei: “!!!”

  Reina: “…Nagato, calm down. I made a deal with them.”

  At that moment, there was a commotion nearby. The group turned to see Yahiko carrying a colpsed thug, a skewer meant for grilling meat in hand, aimed at the thug’s throat. “We won’t steal again! Let go of my friends, or I’ll make sure you regret it, even if it costs me my life.”

  “Boss” Jūbei’s voice was cold. “Don’t get worked up. Your friend has already made a deal with us.” So these kids were all monsters! Is this what the world’s become? It’s like the new generation is pushing the old one out of the way. If a few adults can’t even stand up to them, it’s embarrassing to call yourself a wanderer.

  “A deal?” Yahiko’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as he gnced at Jūbei. Nagato, too, turned his head toward Reina, eyes filled with questions.

  “You won’t need to steal for food anymore. I’ll give you food every day, but in exchange, you’ll help us maintain order in the market, prevent thieves. You’re more familiar with the tactics of thieves than anyone else.” Jūbei met Yahiko’s gaze, speaking firmly.

  “You can maintain order yourselves. Why waste food to hire us street rats?” Yahiko was unconvinced. Living on the streets had taught him not to trust easily.

  “The war is escating. The great nations are using our home as a battlefield, completely ignoring the lives of us civilians. This town will soon become a battleground for ninjas. We need to set up a perimeter around the town. As soon as we detect any ninja presence, we’ll retreat. But if that happens, no one will be left to keep order in the market.” Jūbei’s eyes remained calm, but his voice carried a suppressed fury as he spoke of the great nations turning their homes into war zones.

  This was the tragedy of small nations. The tragedy of the common people.

  Hearing this, Yahiko and Nagato clenched their fists in anger. War had already destroyed everything they had, and now they were going to trample over their st sanctuary? How could the great nations fight over their interests at the cost of everything the small nations had?

  At that moment, even Reina—who was originally a foreigner to this world—felt a deep resentment. Watching it in an anime and living through it firsthand were two entirely different things.

  Reina’s desires had shifted. It wasn’t just about surviving anymore. He wanted to become stronger—strong enough to surpass even the Six Paths of Pain and reach the peak of this world. That was now his new dream.

  “Where’s Konan? You didn’t capture her, did you?” Yahiko looked around, frowning as he noticed Konan’s absence.

  “Didn’t she head back to the base first?” Nagato asked, a sense of unease creeping up in his chest.

  “You guys should check the alley. Who was responsible for capturing the girl with the bluish-purple hair?” Jūbei turned to the thug who had chased the four-man group down the alley earlier.

  “Looks like it was Kuma. He hasn’t come back yet. Also, we don’t know where Keiji went.”

  Just then, a middle-aged, bruised thug with a receding hairline, Keiji, came stumbling back. “I’m back, Boss! But I didn’t see Kuma or the girl… Wait, hold on, Steel Wire Boss, what happened to you? Finally got cut down for being so loud?”

  “What’s this about ‘Steel Wire Boss’?” Jūbei’s face darkened as he raised his hand and flicked the little hair left on Keiji’s balding head.

  “Ah, no! Don’t do it! I’m down to just this little hair! If you mess with it, I’ll go completely bald!” Keiji yelled in protest.

  “Enough. We need to find the girl and that idiot Kuma.” Jūbei barked, then turned to the bald thug. “You’re coming, too.”

  “Huh? Why find the girl? What happened when I wasn’t around? And why do we have to leave right away? It’s my day off, dammit!”

  With Yahiko’s thug still unconscious, the group set off into the alley to search.