The Sunagakure shinobi hadn't taken the situation seriously at all. They were already preparing to enter the limestone cave and settle in for the night.
The ninja who had released the Fire Release technique didn't even bother to look back after spewing flames—he had already turned around, utterly unconcerned with the outcome.
But in the very next instant—
Everyone froze.
Their bodies went rigid, and expressions of sheer horror and disbelief spread across their faces.
Because the might of Yuya's punch had already arrived.
The air shattered, breaking apart like a mirror exploding into fragments—an overwhelmingly shocking sight.
Even before that terrifying, violent force reached them, the Sunagakure ninja could already feel the suffocating terror of death closing in.
"What kind of power is this?!"
"No way! That brat actually—"
"This is bad—run!!"
But before they could defend themselves or retreat, the shockwave slammed into their bodies.
At this moment, they were no different from Yahiko and Konan just moments earlier.
In front of Yuya, they were utterly fragile—completely unable to resist, forced only to watch death approach.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
In an instant, horrifying explosions erupted from the bodies of the ninja.
Fear and despair filled their eyes.
More than that, there was shock—absolute disbelief.
Their minds were still replaying the image of Yuya's fist coming down, as if it had swept across heaven and earth, flattening everything in its path.
When the震荡 force finally passed and dispersed—
Every single one of the Sunagakure ninja lay sprawled on the ground.
Not one of them was alive.
Even jōnin would struggle to face Yuya's serious punch head-on—let alone them.
For a brief moment, all the rain in front of him had been completely swept away, leaving behind an eerie, empty void.
A few breaths later, the rain began to fall once more.
Behind Yuya, Yahiko and Konan stood frozen in place, as if trapped in a dream.
Unbelievable.
That single punch had nearly flattened everything in front of them.
Those powerful ninja—beings they had always viewed as untouchable—had been annihilated in an instant.
"Yu… Yuya, you…"
Yahiko's voice trembled. His eyes were still filled with disbelief as he stared at Yuya.
Konan was no better, her beautiful eyes also shimmering with shock.
"Yes. I may be an orphan like you," Yuya said as he turned to face them,
"but… I'm also a shinobi."
"You—you really are a ninja?! I thought you were joking earlier!"
Yahiko's face was full of disbelief.
"And even among ninja, the gap is way too big!"
Looking at the corpses of the ninja—killed in a single punch—and the ground ahead that had been reduced almost entirely to rubble, Yahiko couldn't help but mutter that complaint.
Then, suddenly, something occurred to him. His face turned pale once again.
If Yuya was this strong, then his identity was definitely extraordinary.
Wouldn't that mean… they'd seen something they shouldn't have?
Would he kill them to silence them?!
Konan had the same thought. The relief she'd just felt after surviving drained away instantly, her face turning pale.
Yahiko took two steps back instinctively.
Konan, however, remained where she was. She knew that retreating was meaningless.
Noticing their reactions, Yuya remained expressionless for a moment—then suddenly chuckled softly.
"Go pack your things. We can't stay here anymore."
"Hah—!"
Seeing that Yuya was still the same Yuya, and hadn't turned cold after revealing his identity as a shinobi, Yahiko finally let out a long breath of relief.
Even so, he no longer dared to sling an arm casually over Yuya's shoulders like before.
After nodding, he turned and headed back into the cave.
Beside them, Konan's face regained some color. She pressed her lips together, then looked at Yuya with gratitude.
"Thank you…"
She knew Yuya had no obligation to stay with them—
and no obligation to save them.
But he had.
The image of that overwhelming punch, sweeping everything aside with absolute dominance, was still burned into her mind.
Yuya smiled faintly.
"There's no need to thank me. Even without me, you wouldn't have been harmed."
What Yuya meant was that if he hadn't appeared, Yahiko might not have lit that fire in the first place—and that Sunagakure unit would never have found them.
Then Yahiko and Konan would have met Nagato, and later encountered the Three Legendary Sannin—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—eventually being taken in by Jiraiya.
But now, ever since Yuya's appearance, the course of events had already begun to shift.
After wiping out an entire Sunagakure unit, staying here was no longer an option.
With Yuya's help, relocating supplies became effortless.
Before long, they built a small wooden cabin in a well-hidden location.
Yuya didn't know whether they would still meet Nagato this way—but no matter what, Nagato wouldn't die.
With the Rinnegan, and White Zetsu surely watching him in secret, even Yuya didn't believe otherwise.
Inside the wooden cabin—
"Yuya, here."
Konan handed him a cup filled with water, her expression carrying a hint of reverence.
Yuya took the cup and couldn't help but smile.
The treatment really is completely different now.
"Sit down first," he said.
Konan obediently sat to the side.
"Mm."
Seeing how well-behaved she was, Yuya chuckled inwardly, feeling slightly unaccustomed to it.
But Konan had always been gentle and obedient.
And in this world, strength naturally brought status—
Yuya was no longer an insignificant ant.
Yahiko sat across from Yuya, hesitating several times before finally speaking.
"Yuya… um… please teach us ninjutsu."
Yahiko's eyes were filled with hope and earnest pleading.
In this chaotic era, it was almost impossible for ordinary people to protect themselves.
And becoming a shinobi without guidance was even harder.
Now that an opportunity stood right in front of him, even if Yuya refused, Yahiko had to ask—otherwise he'd regret it forever.
Yuya looked at Yahiko, his gaze flickering slightly, then turned to Konan.
Seeing the same hope reflected in her eyes, Yuya made his decision.
Since the story had already changed—
He might as well change it completely.
Looking at the two of them, Yuya spoke calmly.
"Becoming a shinobi isn't an easy or pleasant path. The process is extremely harsh."
"We've already been through harsher things."
Yahiko's eyes dimmed slightly with emotion, yet his tone remained firm. Konan's gaze mirrored his resolve.
Indeed—nothing was more brutal than becoming an orphan and struggling to survive in a world torn apart by war.
Even Yuya, who had grown up in Konohagakure, understood that deeply.
In the end, Yuya nodded.
Seeing him agree, Yahiko finally relaxed and smiled, while Konan's eyes shimmered with gratitude as she looked at Yuya.
"Alright. Then we'll start with the basics."
Yuya took a sip of water, set the cup aside—
And began to teach.
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