Chapter 78: The Last Night, The First Wish
In the quiet hut, a small fire crackled in the hearth, painting the rough wooden walls in dancing shades of orange and gold. The space, usually damp and chilly, held a rare, fragile warmth.
Glug-glug-glug…
A stone pot, nestled in the coals at the edge of the fire, bubbled contentedly. Inside, a rich stew simmered—chunks of rabbit meat, wild mushrooms, foraged greens, and tomatoes Ragnar had bartered for. The savory aroma filled the cabin, a promise of comfort.
But Yahiko and Konan found no comfort in it. They sat on the floor across from Ragnar, their bowls full, their appetites absent. The impending departure hung over them like a physical weight. They were orphans, experts in loss. Yet, the loss of Ragnar—their teacher, their protector, the one who treated them not as burdens but as people with potential—felt uniquely acute.
"Teacher Ragnar," Yahiko began, his usual bravado subdued. "When… when do you leave?"
Ragnar looked at them, their downcast faces illuminated by firelight. "Tomorrow morning. At the latest." He stirred the stew with a wooden spoon. "And you don't need me to teach you much more. You've crossed the threshold. You're shinobi now. You have the tools to protect yourselves."
"…Oh." It was a small, defeated sound from both of them. Konan stared into her bowl, her small hands gripping it tightly. Her eyes felt hot, but she refused to let anything fall.
"Eat," Ragnar said, his voice firm but not unkind. He ladled generous servings into their bowls. "I went out of my way for this meat. To become strong, to be a shinobi who endures, you need a strong body. That starts with good food."
They ate, the delicious stew tasting like ash, washed down with unshed tears.
After the meal, they drifted off to their separate sleeping mats, but sleep didn't come. Ragnar stepped outside into the cool, damp night, only to find both of them already there, standing like lost sentinels.
"Why aren't you sleeping? My leaving is no excuse to neglect your training tomorrow," he said.
"Teacher, we can't sleep," Yahiko admitted, scuffing his foot in the mud.
"Teacher Ragnar…" Konan's voice was barely a whisper. She took a deep breath, courage mustering in her small frame. "When will you come back? How long will you be gone?"
What she really meant was, Will you come back at all? Will we ever see you again?
"If nothing goes wrong," Ragnar said, looking into the dark forest, "I will be back."
The Second War would grind on for years. The Land of Rain was his theater of operations. After completing a mission—like the one waiting for him now—returning to this secluded spot to regroup was a logical, even likely, possibility.
A tiny, fragile smile touched Konan's lips. It was enough. A thread of hope.
Ragnar looked at their young, troubled faces. "Since you're awake," he said, sitting down on the cabin's worn threshold, "tell me your dreams. What do you want for your future? You can ask me mine, too."
"Alright!" Yahiko agreed, the somber mood lifting slightly at the prospect of conversation.
They sat, the warm light from the cabin spilling out around them, the endless dark and rain waiting beyond.
"Yahiko," Ragnar prompted. "Your dream first."
Yahiko sprang to his feet, pacing in front of them, his orange hair catching the light. "I'm going to change this world!" he declared, his voice ringing with conviction. "I want a world without pointless wars. Where people can live in peace, work their fields, raise their families without fear. A world that greets the dawn with hope, not dread!"
"An ambitious dream," Ragnar said, nodding. "But dreams that size require power to build. Unimaginable power."
"Of course!" Yahiko said, thumping his chest. "That's why I'll train harder than anyone! I'll become the strongest shinobi! Maybe I'll even surpass you one day, Teacher!"
"Yahiko, you're boasting again!" Konan chided gently, a small smile on her own face. "How could you ever surpass Teacher Ragnar?"
"I'm not boasting! I'm setting a goal! It would be embarrassing if I didn't aim to surpass my teacher!" Yahiko retorted, his eyes sparkling with mischievous challenge.
Ragnar let out a short, genuine laugh, a rare sound that softened the harsh lines of his face. "I'll be waiting for you to try, Yahiko," he said. "But don't forget—your teacher won't be standing still either."
"Then it's a promise!" Yahiko exclaimed, thrusting out a hand.
Ragnar grasped it firmly. "A promise."
He then turned to Konan, who had been watching quietly. "And you, Konan? What is your wish?"
Konan flinched, caught off guard. She looked down, fingers twisting in the fabric of her dress. "Xiaonan, tell him!" Yahiko urged.
Finally, she looked up, her violet eyes meeting Ragnar's in the half-light. Her voice was soft but clear. "I… I don't have a grand dream like Yahiko's. I don't want to change the whole world." She took a breath. "I just want… for you and Yahiko to be safe. That's my greatest wish."
The simple sincerity of it hung in the air. Yahiko's triumphant grin faded. He sat back down beside her, uncharacteristically quiet, a solemn understanding passing between them.
"And you, Teacher?" Konan asked, turning the question back on him. "What is your dream?"
Yahiko leaned forward, curiosity burning in his eyes.
Ragnar looked up at the starless, cloud-choked sky. "I have so many dreams," he said after a moment, his voice distant, "I couldn't list them all in one night." He stood up, breaking the spell. "Now, everyone. To bed."
"Teacher, you cheated! You didn't tell us!" Yahiko protested, jumping up.
"Did I?" Ragnar said, a faint, teasing smirk on his lips. "So what?"
Yahiko deflated, realizing he'd been outmaneuvered. "Fine," he grumbled, but there was no real heat in it.
Konan covered her mouth, a soft giggle escaping. If only this moment could last, she thought, the warmth of the fire, the sound of their voices, the feeling of being part of something.
It was very late when they finally parted for the night.
Back in his section of the cabin, Ragnar didn't rest. The mission to extract Tsunade would be a battlefield extraction against elite Iwa forces. He needed every edge. It was time to consolidate his gains.
He focused inward, calling up his system interface.
[Host: Ragnar]
Abilities:
Conqueror's Haki Lv3 | Observation Haki Lv3 | Armament Haki Lv4
Navy Six: Shave Lv3 | Moon Walk Lv3 | Tornado Fist Lv2
(Upgrade to next level requires 10,000 EXP per Haki type)
Devil Fruit: Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix Lv4
(Upgrade to next level requires 50,000 EXP)
Weapon: Yama (Great Grade Sword)
Experience: 12,200 / 50,000
The recent skirmish with the Sand-nin squad, plus the steady trickle from his solo hunts, had added up. He'd also received a Silver Treasure Chest during that time but had been too focused on training the children to open it.
Now was the time. First, he needed to spend. He had 12,200 EXP. One major upgrade was within reach.
He considered. Conqueror's Haki was a trump card, a terror weapon. But for a battlefield rescue, operating in hostile, unfamiliar territory, awareness was paramount. Knowing where the enemy was, where the traps were, where his allies were—that could mean the difference between a successful extraction and walking into a massacre.
Observation Haki.
"System. Upgrade Observation Haki to Level 4."
Ding!
Expending 10,000 EXP.
Observation Haki: Level 3 → Level 4.
Remaining EXP: 2,200 / 50,000.
The change was immediate and profound. It wasn't a surge of power, but an expansion of perception. A shudder ran through his body, not of pain, but of revelation.
The world… opened.
The gentle crackle of the dying fire wasn't just a sound; he could feel the heat differential in each ember. The rustle of a mouse in the thatch three houses away was a clear, distinct event in the tapestry of the night. He could sense the slow, deep breaths of Yahiko and Konan in the next room, the slight worry that still creased their dreams. Further out, the chakra of insects, of the trees drinking the rain, of the very earth itself, hummed at the edge of his awareness.
And the Natural Energy—the Senjutsu Chakra he could sense but not yet safely use—it was no longer a faint background hum. It was a roaring, vibrant river flowing through everything. He could feel its currents, its ebbs and flows around the hills, the streams, the living things. The connection was no longer nascent; it was a clear, undeniable channel.
He closed his eyes, not to block out the world, but to immerse himself in this new, vast sensory ocean. For a long time, he simply sat, listening to the symphony of the night through the god-like perspective of Level 4 Observation.
One step closer to being ready. One step closer to bringing Tsunade home.
(End of Chapter)
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