In Naruto With Pocket Hunting

Sunday, August 10th.

The Hidden Rain Village is known for its rainy climate.

However, on this particular day, the rain was heavier and more intense.

At a certain location, far from the inhabited area, in a muddy open field, there was a huge beast with a man atop the creature's head. The beast's body was brown, with a white underside.

This beast was none other than Hanzō's summoning beast, also known as Hanzō of the Salamander, because of this creature.

Hanzō had long blond hair, a scar on his right cheek, and wore a helmet-shaped respirator that concealed the lower part of his face. The black hat on his head bore the village's symbol, surrounded by four engravings on his mask.

His outfit included something resembling a diving suit, bandages on his wrists and ankles, an artillery jacket, shinobi sandals, and a black cloak. Underneath, he wore a black short-sleeved shirt, exposing part of his abdomen.

In front of Hanzō, three ninjas from the Hidden Leaf Village struggled to stand, while the ground around them was littered with bodies, and the blood of the victims mixed with the rain, turning the water a dark red.

The three ninjas, visibly exhausted, breathed heavily but maintained a fire in their eyes that wouldn't extinguish, even in this storm.

The tallest one, with long, spiked white hair tied in a low ponytail, looked visibly weakened, leaning on the kunoichi beside him.

The woman, with blonde hair and a distinct fringe framing her face, seemed to support some of his weight while both remained armed and protected by typical Konoha armor.

Next to them, a striking ninja with long, straight hair as dark as the night stood out with his pale skin, like the wax of a candle. He wore a black cloak that seemed to fight against the wind and rain, while his eyes held a threatening intensity, despite his exhaustion.

"I foresee that the Leaf will emerge victorious from this war," Hanzō said with his deep, dignified voice. "Therefore, I will let you three live."

His words were like a jab to the egos of the three ninjas, especially the white-haired one, who looked visibly insulted.

"We don't want your pity; we can still fight!" he shouted.

The woman helping him stay upright shouted as well, "Jiraiya, stop!"

"You three are strong," Hanzō said arrogantly, his words contrasting with his demeanor. Ignoring Jiraiya's remarks, he looked at them as though he were the master of their fates and declared, "You survived even in this battlefield. I, Hanzō, hereby name you the 'Legendary Ninjas of the Leaf.' In exchange for your lives, tell me your names."

- -

- -

Just as Hanzō had "prophesied," the Hidden Leaf Village won the war.

But not without casualties—many talented ninjas perished in this war. Numerous families who had been waiting for the return of their children, wives, and husbands, wept upon learning that they had died in battle.

On the morning of Friday, August 15th, a large memorial was held in the Hidden Leaf Village for those who fought for the village.

It was also during this time that the world came to know the names of the three Legendary Sannin ninjas: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. All three were disciples of the Third Hokage.

--

--

[P.O.V – Nawaki: August 10th]

As I walked through the village, I could feel the subtle change in the atmosphere.

The weight of the war was enormous. It was rare to see anyone smiling.

I saw this firsthand; I lost many friends and battle comrades in this war. There were nights when I even had nightmares about their deaths, or that I was still fighting someone.

Closing my eyes, I shook my head from side to side.

What hurt the most to see were the children who became orphans. Their expressions were as if their worlds had shattered.

I could feel that because I too lost my parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts because of the war.

Fortunately, I still had my Oneechan. But not everyone is as lucky, and many became orphans. Many of them were sent to the orphanage.

[Hidden Leaf Orphanage]

Standing in front of what seemed like an old wooden mansion, I sighed, but then entered, carrying some shopping bags.

Beside me, Kushina, who was also carrying some bags, looked downcast.

I could understand. For someone who had lost everything, even the village of their origin, places like this brought painful memories. But she still wanted to come with me.

'Mm, she's a strong girl,' I thought.

--

--

I got home around 8 PM.

My heart wasn't at ease. Whether because of what I saw in the village or because I had just returned from the orphanage.

I don't know if it's right to feel this way, but when I see those children, although it brings me a little happiness to see them smile and play, it also leaves me downcast when I see them sad. Especially those who just joined the orphanage because they became war orphans.

"Sigh~"

"Slap!"

With both hands, I slapped my cheeks, making the loud sound of the slaps echo.

I know it's not good to stay depressed like this, so I forced myself not to think about it for now.

Seconds later, I felt a slight discomfort in my stomach and gently rubbed my belly.

'Okay, I'll eat something before bed,' I thought.

In the hallway connected to the yard, I saw that it had started to rain.

What began as a light rain intensified to the point that the sound of rain on the roof grew loud enough to echo.

My steps became less audible, and I walked to the middle of the hallway and opened the sliding wooden door.

Even the sound of the door being slid was muffled by the sound of the rain and thunder.

"Kyahh!"

In the thunderclap, I heard a scream, and then I walked faster to see Kushina with her hands on her ears and a piece of bread in her mouth.

"..."

I was left speechless by this scene. The same could be said for Kushina, who blinked as she opened her eyes and saw me staring at her.

All the fear she had shown seemed to vanish like magic.

Kushina lowered her hands, taking the bread out of her mouth with her right hand, and coughed twice, bringing her free hand to her mouth.

All my depressive mood disappeared. I turned my face, trying to hold back a laugh: "Pfft!"

Coughing, with one eye open while a tear escaped from her eye, Kushina said between her coughs: "You... Nawaki! You laughed, didn't you?"

I looked away from her and said, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't try to fool me, Dattebane!" She raised her voice while clenching her fists, crushing the bread in her right hand as her crimson hair seemed to come alive. "I know, you laughed at me!"

"Sigh, you're overthinking it, Kushina." I slowly approached, with a small smile, and said, "I just found your reaction adorable. I didn't know you were afraid of thunder."

"W-Who's afraid of thunder!?" She stammered, biting her tongue. "Ouch..." Groaning in pain, she continued trying not to move her tongue too much. "Anyway, I'm not afraid, do you hear me, Dattebane!?"

I closed the distance to less than four steps and said, "Yes, actually, it was me who was afraid." I asked, "How about giving me a hug to comfort me and get rid of my fear?"

"Seriously?" She seemed skeptical, crossing her arms, glancing at me sideways.

It was fun how one moment she was extremely frightened, then embarrassed, angry, and now cautious with me.

Kushina was one year younger than me, now 15, and was starting to develop into a beautiful lady.

Because of this, I've been having trouble controlling myself when she shows so many interesting expressions.

But, a hug wouldn't hurt, right?

Seeing me stretch out my arms, she still looked at me to see if I was lying, but even so, she approached from the side and put some of her weight into my arms. Soon, her arms circled my body, and she laid her head on my chest.

'She can't hear my heartbeat, right?'

But, seeing how her face began to turn red, the same color as her hair, I knew it was already too late for many things...

I took a deep breath and returned the hug, pulling her closer as I wrapped my arms around her.

--

--

In my room, I remembered I hadn't eaten.

I ruffled my hair but didn't want to go back.

'Oh well, a night without eating won't kill anyone…' I thought.

I lay down on the bed, and guess what?

I couldn't sleep.

Sitting up, I reached for the nightstand, opened the drawer, took out a wooden box, and opened it.

Inside were four orbs of faint red light.

This time, I took the first one and put it in my mouth, followed by the second, and so on.

I sweated a bit again when I finished.

The persistent scent of apple and cinnamon from Kushina, which had been lingering on my body, weakened a little.

I got up and went to the bathroom to take a cold shower.