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Chapter 119: Pain
Yahiko was stunned.
He could feel the warmth and strength transmitted from the other's palm.
It wasn't perfunctory, nor was it mocking.
It was recognition.
It was an oath between comrades.
"Heh, that's great!"
Yahiko grinned again, smiling like a fool, and squeezed Dragon's hand back with force.
"Then it's settled!"
"Dragon! From today on, we are brothers through life and death!"
...
The rain was still falling.
But in this dark and damp underground pipe, two young hands were tightly clasped together.
The spark of revolution had been ignited.
"Grrr..."
An untimely sound broke the solemn moment.
Yahiko clutched his stomach somewhat awkwardly and chuckled, "Um... brother, since we've formed an alliance, can we solve the ally's food and clothing problem first?"
"I haven't eaten for two days."
Dragon looked at his distressed appearance, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly in an extremely faint arc.
"Let's go."
Dragon let go of his hand and turned to crawl toward the other end of the pipe.
"Where to?"
"My home."
Dragon's voice came from ahead.
"Although it's not much, it should be enough for you to eat."
"Really?! That's great! Dragon, you really are a good person!"
Yahiko cheered and followed using both hands and feet.
A rusted manhole cover was pushed open a crack, allowing muddy rainwater to pour in.
An oil-stained hand grabbed the rim and exerted force, flipping the cover completely aside.
Dragon climbed out of the ground first, taking deep breaths of the air that, while cold, was still relatively fresh.
He looked around vigilantly. After confirming there were no traces of ninjas, he turned and pulled Yahiko up from below.
"Whew... I'm alive again."
Yahiko lay spread-eagled on the muddy ground, letting the rain wash away the filth on his face, his chest heaving violently.
"The smell in that godforsaken place is worse than dead fish."
Dragon didn't reply. He bent down to replace the manhole cover, then kicked some trash over it to cover the traces.
"Can you still walk?"
He looked down at the orange-haired boy on the ground.
Yahiko sprang up with a carp kip-up. Although his body swayed slightly, that carefree smile remained on his face.
"You kidding? I'm the future God of the Ninja World; what's a little walk like this?"
Just then, his stomach let out another thunderous protest.
The smile on Yahiko's face froze for a moment, and he scratched his head awkwardly.
"Cough, Gods need to eat too, you know."
Dragon stopped walking and pointed to a teetering tin shack ahead.
"We're here."
It was a crude dwelling on the edge of the slums. The walls were covered in patches, and the tin roof rattled noisily under the beating rain.
Dragon walked to the door and knocked rhythmically three times.
Thump, thump-thump.
"It's me."
Hurried footsteps came from inside, followed by the sound of the lock turning.
Creak—
The door opened a crack, revealing a haggard face filled with worry.
Seeing Dragon standing at the door, soaked through and covered in grease, the woman's eyes instantly reddened.
"Arashi! Where did you run off to? You scared Mom to death!"
The woman pulled the door open. Ignoring the filth on Dragon, she dragged him inside and looked him up and down, terrified he was missing a piece of flesh.
"It's so chaotic outside, those ninjas are still arresting people... If something happened to you, how would I live..."
Dragon allowed his mother to check his body, a trace of helpless warmth flashing in his usually cold eyes.
"I'm fine, just went out for a walk."
"Fine? Look at the state of you..."
As the woman chattered and scolded, she suddenly noticed Yahiko standing somewhat awkwardly at the door.
"This is..."
"Picked him up."
Dragon took off his soaked jacket, casually wringing out a puddle of black water. "A runaway stray. Let him stay for a couple of days."
Yahiko poked his head out from behind Dragon, looking at the dilapidated yet lived-in scene inside. Then he looked at the blue-haired little girl shrinking into her mother's arms, staring at him with wide, curious eyes.
That was Konan.
Yahiko's gaze instantly softened. He tried hard to squeeze out what he thought was a kindly smile, but the mud on his face made it look somewhat comical.
Dragon walked to the table, poured a cup of hot water, and handed it to Yahiko.
"Drink it."
Yahiko cupped the chipped mug with both hands, the scalding heat spreading through his palms to his whole body.
He took small sips, but his eyes stayed fixed on Dragon.
"Hey, you said your name was Dragon just now?"
Dragon pulled out a chair and sat down, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.
"That's a code name."
"Huh?!"
Yahiko's eyes went wide with indignation at being deceived. "Aren't we brothers through life and death? You won't even tell me your real name?"
"Given what we're going to do, having a few aliases is normal, right?"
The retort Yahiko was about to make instantly got stuck in his throat.
Thinking about it carefully... it seemed to make sense.
"Besides, a name is just a code."
Dragon sat there, fingers lightly tapping the table.
"What's important is what we are going to do, not what we are called."
Yahiko held his cup, his eyes rolling around a few times.
Suddenly, he slapped the table hard, startling Konan beside him into shrinking back.
"Makes sense!"
Yahiko's face lit up again with that goofy smile, even brighter than before.
"If that's the case, then I want a code name too!"
He stood up, planted one foot on the stool, and struck a pose he thought was cool.
"From today on, the name Yahiko is reserved only for friends."
"But in the eyes of those enemies..."
He paused, frowning deeply as if racking his brains for a code name dominating enough.
Dragon watched him quietly without interrupting.
The sound of rain outside the window remained noisy, like countless people weeping in low voices.
In this country full of pain, happiness was a luxury, and suffering was the eternal main theme.
Yahiko looked at Dragon, the playfulness on his face gradually receding.
"What do you think we need?"
"We need something the world will remember."
Dragon extended a hand and pointed out the window.
The rain beat against the tin, creating a cacophony like the wailing of countless wronged souls.
"Here, whether commoner or ninja, old or young, everyone is experiencing the same thing."
"Hunger, cold, losing loved ones, being trampled upon."
Dragon's voice wasn't loud, but it struck Yahiko's heart like a hammer, blow by blow.
"This feeling is collectively known as—Pain."
Yahiko froze.
He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but it felt like something was blocking his throat.
Pain.
Yes.
He was an orphan. His parents died in the chaos of war; their bodies were never even found.
He had wandered for so many years, beaten half to death for snatching a piece of moldy bread, diving into stinking ditches to escape ninja pursuit.
He had seen too many people die by the roadside, their corpses gnawed by wild dogs.
This country was built of pain.
Yahiko lowered his head, looking at his own scarred and calloused hands.
After a long time.
He suddenly raised his head. The confusion in his eyes was gone, replaced by an unprecedented determination, even carrying a trace of fanaticism.
"Then let's go with that."
Yahiko stood up, one foot on the chair, and in this leaky, broken house, issued an oath declaring war on the world.
"Since this world has given us only pain, then I will return this pain to it!"
"I want those high-and-mighty great nations, those bastards who start wars, to experience the same pain we do!"
"Only by understanding pain, and due to the fear of pain, will people stop fighting."
The boy clenched his fist, knuckles turning white.
"From today on, my code name is—Pain!"
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