As dawn approached, Nibi no Utsu was still deep in slumber.
A sliver of pale light appeared on the horizon, and the streets were so quiet that not a sound could be heard. Every household had its doors tightly shut, immersed in sweet dreams.
A figure walked through the streets of Nibi no Utsu, covered in morning dew. His footsteps were silent, his figure lean and strong, and a long katana was strapped to his back.
"The morning air is truly refreshing." Haruki stretched and yawned.
Haruki had chosen to sneak away early. He didn't even say a proper goodbye to everyone else.
Why did he do that?
Emotional Points.
'When they wake up and find I'm gone, the emotional impact will be much stronger. Maybe I'll even get another surge of emotional points.'
Thinking of his destination, Haruki rubbed his fists together.
Land of Grass, here he comes. He was here to harvest emotional value.
Nibi no Utsu was built on the border of the Land of Rain, close to Land of Grass, so the distance to Land of Grass was very short.
Stepping out of Nibi no Utsu, a vast grassland stretched before him, with grass growing so tall it almost reached his calves.
The green grass undulated gently with the wind, like rolling green waves.
If he kept walking straight, he would soon reach Land of Grass but Haruki didn't move.
He stood in place, slowly turning around, and as expected, he saw a familiar figure.
Nagato's red hair was blown by the wind, and he stood ten meters from Haruki, looking at him with resolute eyes.
Haruki: "..."
Nagato had changed. He was no longer as obedient as before.
"Haruki, I'm coming with you."
Nagato walked step by step until he was in front of Haruki. His voice was not loud, but it was as firm as a rock.
Haruki stared at him, a little at a loss. "Nagato, the battlefield is very dangerous…"
His words were cut off before he could finish.
"I know." Nagato nodded.
He was ready to accept everything. He wouldn't be a burden to Haruki. He just wanted to help Haruki, and he also wanted to become as strong as Haruki. This strength wasn't just physical power, but also mental fortitude.
"But Yahiko and Konan…"
Haruki's words were interrupted once more.
"I believe Yahiko will take good care of Konan, and I also believe they will take good care of Nibi no Utsu. Isn't that your and his dream?"
This was the first time Haruki had seen Nagato speak so many words in one breath.
"Sigh." Haruki let out a helpless sigh.
His gaze fell on Nagato. Having Nagato accompany him wasn't without its benefits. At least he could copy Nagato's Rinnegan abilities. And he could also absorb Nagato's emotional value along the way.
Nagato looked at Haruki stubbornly and firmly stated, "I won't leave."
He had already prepared to follow Haruki yesterday. He was different from Yahiko and Konan. He didn't have the same deep emotional attachment to Nibi no Utsu as Yahiko and Konan did.
He didn't want to stay in Nibi no Utsu forever. He wanted to be with Haruki. He knew that as long as he followed Haruki, he would find the direction of his heart and grow.
This was something he found difficult to achieve by staying with Yahiko and Konan.
"Since you've caught up, what else can I do?" Haruki put his arm around Nagato's neck and led him forward.
"Did you leave a letter for Yahiko and Konan?" Haruki asked, looking at Nagato beside him.
Nagato nodded.
"Then let's hurry up. We don't want them to wake up and chase after us." Haruki quickened his pace.
Nagato nodded seriously.
Their speed increased, and by the time the sun was overhead, they had entered Land of Grass.
Haruki looked around. There wasn't a single person on the grassland at the border of Land of Grass.
[Ding!]
[System detected Yahiko's Anger value +3000.]
[Ding!]
[System detected Konan's Anger value +3000.]
[Total Anger points collected is now 6000. Your Cursed Spirit Jogo's rank has increased to 56.35%.]
Haruki paused in his steps.
It seemed Yahiko and Konan had already discovered that he and Nagato were gone.
Haruki quickly put Yahiko and Konan out of his mind and, with Nagato, ventured deep into the heart of Land of Grass.
Finally, in the hottest part of the afternoon, a small cluster of buildings appeared before them.
Haruki said to Nagato, "Let's go in and take a look."
Nagato nodded.
Though called a cluster of buildings, it was actually just five or six small bungalows.
A crow flapped its wings and soared overhead.
Haruki frowned and said, "No one, not a single person."
Since there was no one, that meant there was no danger.
Haruki pushed open the door closest to them. The wooden door let out a creaking, old groan, and dust fluttered down.
Haruki quickly stepped back and fanned the air with his hand. Dust covered every part of the room, which had become a spider's nest.
Haruki and Nagato continued to explore the other houses, and the situation was the same as the first room.
"Perhaps they left Land of Grass to flee the war." Haruki speculated.
A crow swooped down from high above and landed on Haruki's shoulder. He reached out and stroked the crow's soft feathers.
"Take us to a populated town."
The crow pecked his palm, then flapped its wings again and flew high, heading into the distance.
He looked at Nagato and said, "Let's keep going."
Although they had been traveling for most of the day, he and Nagato were both ninja after all. For ninja, traveling for two days and two nights straight was not a problem.
Haruki and Nagato followed beneath the crow high in the sky, continuing their journey.
In the distance, three ninja appeared on the path Haruki and Nagato were destined to take.