Reborn in the Shinobi World with an Arceus Inside

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: The Sanctuary



"Yuto, do you have any idea what you've done? This is treason against Konoha!"

Hyuga Aozora stared at his former comrade in disbelief, his voice raised in a shout.

"Aozora, I'm not like you. You're from a great clan. I'm just an ordinary orphan, a chunin with mediocre skills." Yamabiko Yuto stumbled over to Kaito's side. "Without me, Konoha won't be affected at all. But if I lose my life, I lose everything. Aozora, I'm only twenty-four years old. I don't want to die just yet."

"..."

"Well, it's only human to think that way," Kaito said, placing a hand on Yuto's shoulder.

A white light flowed, and a soft bell chimed. The color gradually returned to Yuto's face.

"That's… medical ninjutsu?!" The Rain ninja captain's pupils contracted. He decided he couldn't just stand by and watch any longer. He took two steps forward and raised his voice. "Konoha ninja, I don't care if you're fighting amongst yourselves or what, but I suggest you give up struggling and come with us obediently. Otherwise, the only path for you is death!"

With a wave of his hand, the wolf-like Rain ninja charged forward, quickly restraining Hyuga Aozora and the downed Iwanami Ken.

"And you!" The Rain captain turned his attention to Kaito. "You're a medical ninja. Regardless of your previous identity, as long as you hand that Konoha ninja over to me and come back with us, the Village Hidden in the Rain will give you everything you desire!"

"Heh, you should spare me the empty promises," Kaito said, shaking his head. "I want the position of leader of the Rain Village. Can you give me that?"

"I certainly can't make that decision, but if you join the Rain Village and perform well, you'll have a good chance at becoming the next leader," the Rain captain said with sincerity.

"It seems medical ninja are quite rare in the Rain Village." Kaito stopped his healing and gestured with his eyes for Yuto to step aside. He looked at the Rain captain and said, "Unfortunately, I have no desire to serve under anyone, and you are not qualified to order me around."

"If you want my help treating your wounded, that's not out of the question. The condition is that you bring them here, and you are not to enter the village. And of course," he added, "my treatment is not free."

"Is that all?" The Rain captain was puzzled. "What's in it for you?"

"I want to preserve one last piece of pure land in the Land of Rain, untouched by the ravages of war. That is all." Kaito spread his hands, speaking in a leisurely tone. "There are no ninja here, no conflict. Only ordinary people trying their best to survive. My name is Kaito, and this place is under my protection—a sanctuary for civilians in a time of war."

"..." Everyone was stunned.

Hyuga Aozora and Yamabiko Yuto both had complicated expressions on their faces.

"Kaito, is it? Hmph. A naive idea. Even if we Rain ninja abide by this rule, the Leaf and the Sand won't pay you any mind," the Rain captain said, shaking his head. "In war, the strength of one person is but a single drop of rain. It cannot decide anything. Sooner or later, you will come to understand this fact."

"Let's go!"

The Rain ninja began to withdraw.

"Captain, there's still one more Konoha ninja. Aren't we going to do anything about him?"

"Forget it. The one who defeated that Konoha squad was probably that young man, Kaito. His strength is unknown. We don't need to take a loss just to capture a rogue ninja who has already abandoned the Leaf." After a pause, the captain added softly, "If he can truly protect the civilians, that would be a good thing."

'I hope he can really pull off this miracle.'

After the ninja left, only Kaito and Yamabiko Yuto remained at the village entrance.

Yuto didn't look good. After all, his three comrades were likely dead or captured, and he himself had betrayed Konoha. He had no idea what his fate would be.

"Hey, you're Yamabiko Yuto, right? Then I'll call you Yuto from now on." Kaito patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Stop making that long face. You weren't that handsome to begin with, and now you look even worse."

"..."

"So what if you betrayed Konoha and might be killed by their ninja at any moment? Oh, I hear Konoha's ANBU are pretty strong. With your skills, it would probably be hard to escape their pursuit. When you think about it that way, it is pretty worrying."

"..." Yuto could have done without Kaito's "comforting." His mood only sank lower.

"Unless you get lucky and latch onto the leg of an incredibly powerful and handsome master. Only then could you turn your crisis into safety. But there are very, very few people with the courage to stand against Konoha. It would be hard for you to find someone like that. Really, you should probably just kill yourself."

"..." Yuto finally understood the meaning behind Kaito's words. After careful consideration, he realized he truly had no other path to take. Even if he went back and turned himself in, Konoha would not forgive someone who had abandoned his teammates.

Since that was the case, he might as well see this path through to the bitter end.

He sighed silently and bowed his head to Kaito, a deep, respectful bow. "Lord Kaito, please take me in. I am willing to protect this sanctuary with you, even if… even if it costs me my…"

"Let's not go that far. Our relationship hasn't reached the point of life-and-death devotion yet," Kaito said, cutting him off. "Every person's life is equally precious. There's no rule that says you must sacrifice yourself to save someone else. To fear death and cling to life is human nature. You don't need to be ashamed of it. I only hope that one day, in the future, you will find a person, or a cause, for which you are truly willing to give your life from the bottom of your heart."

"Lord Kaito…" For some reason, Yuto felt his eyes begin to burn uncontrollably.

In Konoha, he had been taught from a young age to give everything for the village, for his comrades. No one had ever told him to live for himself. It was as if his own existence was insignificant.

But as he watched ninja fall one after another before him, the resentment in his heart grew.

'Why do we have to sacrifice ourselves? I don't want to die, either.'

He knew it was wrong to think that way. Konoha had given him everything; he was supposed to repay the village, his life included. In everyone's mind, that was only natural. So, he could only suppress this incredibly "selfish" thought, burying it in the darkest corner of his heart.

Until today, when someone had told him, "You don't need to be ashamed for your fear of death, nor do you need to sacrifice yourself for others."

The emotions he had suppressed for so long were finally released.

Yuto fought back his tears and bowed deeply to Kaito once more.

"I, Yamabiko Yuto, pledge my service to you, my lord!"

"Welcome," Kaito said with a smile. "You can use Earth Release, right? Then your first mission is to help me build a sturdy house. Oh, right, and that outfit of yours—change it. Otherwise, I might accidentally mistake you for an enemy and finish you off."

"...Yes, sir!"

"So, what brings all of you over here?"

Kaito turned to see several villagers slowly approaching the village entrance. From the looks of them, they were all able-bodied men.

"Sir, we heard what you said just now." A middle-aged man with some gray in his hair stood at the front and spoke in a clear voice. "I am the chief of this village. On behalf of all the villagers, I thank you for your benevolence. We are willing to assist you, sir! All we ask is that you protect our families!"

'Heh, isn't this turning out nicely?' Kaito flashed his trademark, gleaming white teeth and said happily, "Don't you worry. I'll do everything in my power!"


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