Bab 85: Chapter 85: Welcome Home
After hearing Natsuro's words, the three of them felt a bit relieved. However, Hyena suddenly had a thought and asked:
"Since neither the enemy nor you are at fault, then whose fault is it?"
Natsuro looked at Hyena with some confusion. What kind of question was that? Did normal people ask such things?
But the question reminded him of a famous dark anime, which seemed to address this very issue.
"Ha, who knows? Maybe the one at fault is… this world."
Natsuro's words, spoken with a mix of levity and doubt, caused the three to pause, their bodies tensing at the profoundness of the remark.
Although they didn't fully understand what it meant, it sounded… quite impressive.
Having said this, Natsuro found it somewhat amusing. Although he still couldn't bring himself to smile, he was finally starting to relax a bit.
The three of them, seeing the blood-soaked stronghold behind them and reflecting on his earlier words, no longer saw him merely as a twelve or thirteen-year-old child. Instead, they regarded him as an equal teammate.
"Ink, you should take a break. I'll handle the cleanup," Tenzo said. They couldn't leave the corpses exposed; it would be troublesome if any disease broke out.
"Don't you need help? There are quite a few bodies," Natsuro asked, puzzled.
"Don't worry, Ink. The Captain's skills are perfect for this kind of task," Hyena said, patting him on the shoulder.
Natsuro nodded and looked at Tenzo, who had already begun forming hand seals. Next, with Natsuro watching in awe, countless trees began to grow from the ground, quickly covering and burying the bodies. He understood now why Hyena said Tenzo's skills were suitable for this—indeed, they were very effective.
"The Captain is impressive, isn't he?" Hyena asked from the side.
"Yeah, very impressive," Natsuro replied, his eyes flashing. It was a very useful and powerful ability. If he were an opponent, he might have had a chance only if Tenzo didn't know he was using the Flying Thunder God technique…
"Well, let's head back," Tenzo said as he finished.
"Understood!"
That night, Natsuro had intended to stay up again, but all three teammates insisted that he rest more. They thought it was best for him to get as much rest as possible.
Reluctantly, he returned to his resting place.
"Ink, are you really okay?" Tenzo asked with genuine concern. As his captain, Tenzo felt responsible and somewhat guilty for any earlier oversight.
"I'm fine. It's not like I'm unaffected," Natsuro said after a moment of silence. "But don't worry, Captain. I'll be alright and ready for the next mission."
Although he wasn't just an ordinary ten-year-old, he was still a regular person in his past life, and facing such situations inevitably caused some psychological impact.
He even wondered if he was naturally cold-blooded; otherwise, he shouldn't be so calm and able to maintain such composure.
Sometimes, you don't know what you're capable of until you try.
Natsuro was in that state now.
Tenzo, upon hearing this, didn't know what to say. Even though they had only worked together for a short time, he could sense his exceptional talent. The Hokage's decision to entrust such a prodigy to him must be a sign of trust.
This made Tenzo feel a stronger sense of responsibility. He also shared Hyena's words with Natsuro.
Upon hearing this, Natsuro was momentarily surprised but then shook his head. "It's fine, Captain. I actually think the same way. Besides, I'm okay, aren't I?"
"Sleep well and rest up," Tenzo finally sighed. Even if the mission itself was not life-threatening, the mental strain could be significant. It was important to rest properly, or he might revert to his old self…
"Mm."
Fox had remained silent but was pleased. They might indeed have gained a great teammate!
---
The Next Day
Natsuro opened his eyes, showing a rare hint of fatigue. He hadn't rested well; he had been plagued by nightmares all night.
Looking around, he realized he was the last one to wake up, which was unusual for him.
"Hehe, it's still early. You can rest a bit longer," Tenzo said as he approached.
"No, we should head back to the village sooner," Natsuro replied.
"Alright, that's fine. Nightmares on the first night are normal. Things should improve," Tenzo agreed, thinking that returning to the village and seeing his family might help him recover better.
"Mm." Natsuro nodded, not questioning how Tenzo knew this. It was probably something everyone went through at this stage.
"Here's breakfast for you," Tenzo said, handing him a bowl of rice porridge.
He was surprised and then remembered Tenzo's Wood Release abilities. It made sense; while other ninjas might not always carry such things, Tenzo would have them readily available.
"Hyena, Fox, we need to speed up," Tenzo said after Natsuro finished his breakfast.
"Understood."
-----
Natsuro had separated from the team and returned to his empty home. His mother was likely still at work.
He thought about how happy his mother would be to see him. She must have been very worried about him, but he had no choice—he couldn't stop being a ninja.
These were matters that time would eventually smooth over.
Thinking of Shinai, he recalled the time when her salary suddenly increased significantly, and how she was initially flustered, feeling she didn't deserve such a raise.
In the end, he explained that the extra money was from the Third Hokage as a favor, which calmed her down and made her accept it as natural.
Natsuro smiled, knowing that in his mother's eyes, he was the best. Even extraordinary treatment seemed normal to her.
However, he advised her not to mention the salary increase, as it might lead to workplace jealousy.
Shinai agreed, though she was somewhat disappointed as she wanted to show off her son to her colleagues.
Natsuro found it amusing that his mother loved to brag about him. He needed to keep working hard to give her more reasons to be proud!
"It's nice. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to continue like this…"
He murmured as he lay down on his bed, closing his eyes.
This time, he didn't have any nightmares. His sleep was comfortable and sweet.
In the evening, after Shinai finished work and returned home, she looked troubled, clearly still worried about something.
However, upon opening the door and seeing Natsuro's familiar figure, her face lit up with an unprecedented radiance. All her fatigue vanished, and for the first time since seeing his letter, she smiled—gently and joyfully.
"Welcome home, Mom," Natsuro said, standing there with a smile.
"Mm, son, welcome home as well."
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