Escape from Konoha.

A member of Akatsuki cried pitifully to their leader, a boy named Yahiko who was only a teenager.

"Listen up, you people! A true ninja must not only learn to endure pain, but also to bravely endure hunger. What is mere hunger? Look at me, I don't feel hungry at all."

After saying that, the boy named Yahiko's stomach started growling louder than the others'.

Yahiko blushed immediately.

The others burst into laughter, which dispelled much of the somewhat somber atmosphere.

They weren't truly unable to persevere; after all, when Xiaochu was first established, the situation was far more difficult than this.

At least they still have a skill, have made a name for themselves, and can help their country more.

One day, the storm will pass and the sun will shine again.

They all firmly believed that day would come.

This country will be bathed in light.

This belief taught them resilience and patience, and they knew that their voices would resonate throughout the world, truly changing this impoverished country.

To ensure that the people here are no longer apathetic, no longer in pain, and no longer shedding tears.

Mere hunger...

Immediately afterwards, the rumbling of stomachs echoed throughout the cave.

"Brother Yahiko is right. A ninja must endure everything. What is a little hunger?"

"Oh!"

The others all agreed, and they got along very well.

A cute girl with blue hair, while folding origami, looked at her companions who were forcing smiles and smiled back.

The red-haired boy, who sat silently in a secluded spot and attracted no attention, also smiled sincerely.

Changing this country and bringing true peace is not only their dream, but also the mission they were born to bear.

No matter how poor or suffering this country is, it is still their homeland.

They will never abandon this country.

No matter how painful the days are, there will always be a day when you get through them.

Just as they were talking and laughing, footsteps were heard entering the cave.

The Akatsuki ninjas all looked serious as they gazed towards the cave entrance.

They were able to approach this place silently, and only now have they been discovered... no, it must have been their footsteps that were deliberately made visible.

The person who came was extremely powerful.

There are five people standing at the entrance of the cave.

Wearing a raincoat that smelled of rain and a wet straw hat, with only his eyes showing, he silently watched the Akatsuki ninjas.

Who are you?

As the leader, Yahiko stepped forward with a hearty smile, seemingly unaffected by the strange aura emanating from the five individuals.

"Are you the leader of Akatsuki?"

The leader of the five ninjas asked in a low voice.

He took off his straw hat, revealing an unfamiliar male face, about thirty years old, with withered white hair.

"Yes. I am Yahiko, the leader of Akatsuki."

Yahiko observed the white-haired ninja, noting that he had no aura whatsoever and was very good at concealing his strength.

Very strong.

"Nice to meet you."

The white-haired ninja smiled slightly and extended his hand in a friendly manner.

Yahiko was taken aback, then smiled and extended his hand to shake hands with him.

"It may be a bit presumptuous of me to ask who you are...?"

"Just call me Bug Man."

"Insect Man, what a strange name." Yahiko wondered whether he should make a comment.

"Mr. Insect Man, is there something you need to see us about?"

"Yes, we want to obtain your power."

The insect-man stated his purpose clearly, his eyes were very serious, and he did not try to hide anything.

Yahiko and the rest of the Akatsuki ninja were stunned.

"What you mean by 'you can't' is..."

A member of Akatsuki asked, frowning.

"The five of us belong to an organization. After learning about what you did in the Land of Rain, our leader became very interested in you, Akatsuki, so we've come to invite you to join the organization."

After a brief silence, Yahiko shook his head and politely declined with a smile, saying, "I'm sorry, Akatsuki has no intention of joining any other organization."

The other Akatsuki ninjas nodded in agreement with Yahiko's point of view.

They were immediately asked to join an organization whose background they didn't know. It all seemed very abnormal.

Don't you want to hear our terms?

The insect man never expected that he could win Xiao over with just empty words.

"condition?"

"Yes. The leader knows you want to change this impoverished country, and he will give you weapons and food, and even quell the chaos in this country."

"What do we need to give in return?"

"Because the organization's base is not in the Land of Rain, after joining, you will need to temporarily leave the Land of Rain and return at the appropriate time to reform the country. At that time, you can mobilize the organization's armed forces, food, and even more resources. I can assure you of this."

The insect-man acted as if it were business, without showing any personal emotion.

They simply conveyed the original meaning of the orders given by their organization's leader.

"While it is very appealing, we regret to decline. We will not abandon this country."

Yahiko said this with absolute certainty.

"It's not about asking you to abandon the Land of Rain, but about sending you to our organization to learn advanced technology and important ideas, and then bring them back to change this impoverished country."

"That would be no different from abandoning us. Now is the time when the country needs us the most, and we will not leave."

After Yahiko finished speaking, he stared at the insect man.

After a minute of silence, the insect-man gave a wry smile and sighed, "Alright, everyone has their own ambitions, we won't force you. Consider this a small gift."

As he spoke, he took out a scroll and placed it on the ground.

"This is?"

“There is some food and winter supplies sealed inside. I know you don’t want to accept charity, but remember, this is not charity. Nor is it public funds of our organization; it is my personal assistance to you.”

Yahiko looked at the insect man with surprise.

The insect-man looked at the torrential rain outside and sighed softly, "I was once a member of this country, but I am also a member of an organization. I cannot act on emotion. Therefore, this is not a charity I give to you, but merely a small repayment to my former homeland."

Yahiko and the others showed slight expressions.

Yahiko stepped forward and said, "In that case, why don't you join Akatsuki? Let's change this country together."

After Yahiko finished speaking, the insect man and the other four looked at him, their eyes revealing their rejection.

The insect-man pondered for a moment and said, "While your dreams are admirable, I don't believe you have the power to change this country. You haven't yet grasped the core essence of the matter... That's enough for now. We should be going; we have other tasks to complete."

The insect-man turned to leave.

"and many more!"

Yahiko called out to him.

"Is there anything else?"

"Who is your leader?"

Yahiko asked earnestly.

The insect-man paused, smiled, and said, "I can't reveal his real name. If you have the chance to meet our leader, just call him 'Doctor'."

After saying that, he left with his four companions, leaving the Xiaozhi group looking bewildered.

doctor?

who is it?

I've never heard of this person in the ninja world.

"Hidden codename?"

Yahiko stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Clearly, this is not a person's name, but a code name used internally by their own people.

Next, Yahiko picked up the scroll left behind by the insect man, and the others also looked on with curiosity.

Yahiko then unrolled the scroll, checked it to make sure there were no problems, and then deciphered the incantation on it.

They saw several sealed, heavy wooden crates, about a dozen in total.

Upon opening one of them, I was stunned by the abundance of grains inside, and my mouth began to water.

Not only food, but also a lot of medicine and excellent ninja tools.

This was undoubtedly a timely help for Xiao.

"Brother Yahiko, how should we distribute them?"

“Take some, and give the rest to those who can’t afford to eat.”

Yahiko also coveted the food, but compared to them, there were many more people who needed these supplies to survive the year.

No one else objected. They were used to this kind of hardship. If they wanted to enjoy a better life, they would have left this country long ago and gone to another country to find a stable job where they would have no problem making ends meet.