"It's a far cry from the Land of Fire's capital," Kakashi remarked.
"Naturally, the Land of Water can't compare to the Land of Fire in terms of population or infrastructure," Mei replied.
Night reluctantly receded, giving way to the proper appearance of early morning. More lights flickered on along the streets. Kakashi and Mei walked down a road thick with the smell of damp earth, the wet ground beneath their feet uneven and pitted. It was hard to believe this place was the capital of the Land of Water.
"Let's find an inn first, rest and resupply," Kakashi decided.
He dispelled his transformation, reverting to his original appearance. Kakashi wasn't afraid of being found by other ninja here. His proficiency in urban combat meant even veteran Jōnin wouldn't gain an easy advantage against him. Besides, large-scale ninjutsu was impractical here, making escape much simpler.
"Do we still have enough money?" Mei asked, shaking their coin pouch before opening it to count.
"Enough for us to stay here for about ten days," she concluded.
"That's plenty."
Mei led the way. The streets weren't crowded; the recent war had clearly taken its toll on the Land of Water. There were quite a few ordinary patrols, but they didn't seem to have received the missing-nin notices from Kirigakure, or perhaps the notices simply hadn't reached this area yet. These guards paid the young duo no mind, treating them like ordinary civilians without any sign of stopping them for inspection.
After walking for some time, Mei's expression soured as she gazed at the small, dilapidated houses ahead. "We're in the slums now."
"You know this area?" Kakashi asked.
"I was born here."
Kakashi didn't press further. Being born in a place like this couldn't hold pleasant memories. The Land of Fire had similar districts, just as harsh and desolate. He wondered if the people here could even be considered targets for rescue in the context of war.
He still hadn't figured out who exactly this 'system' meant by 'saving people'. The scope of war was vast. If anyone could be saved, the task would be too simple. If only ninja counted, it would be incredibly difficult.
"I want to go see my old home..." Mei murmured.
"Alright."
Relying on childhood memories, Mei navigated the labyrinthine alleys, weaving past one cramped dwelling after another until she found a tiny wooden shack. Covered in moss, it looked long abandoned. The door was firmly shut, locked tight.
Kakashi stepped forward, slicing through the handle with a crackle of Lightning Release. Amidst a grating screech that set their teeth on edge, the door swung open. A wave of dust and the stench of decaying wood hit them, forcing both to take a step back.
Inside, there was almost nothing: just a few glass bottles, two chairs, and a table.
Mei opened a window to air out the small space. She picked up one of the glass bottles, studied it for a moment, then tossed it outside.
"I was abandoned when I was very young," she explained quietly. "An old scavenger took me in. I still don't know his name. Later, he sent me to Kirigakure."
"He sent you there voluntarily?" Kakashi clarified.
"Mhm. Doing so provided some food and money."
"Is he not here anymore?"
"Probably dead," Mei said flatly. "I only came back to see if he was still alive. Since he moved away, there's nothing left to see."
Kakashi walked outside and picked up a shard from the bottle Mei had discarded. Faintly etched onto it were crooked characters. He could just make out the name: Terumi Mei.
"Maybe he's doing well now," Kakashi offered softly, trying to comfort her. Together, they left the dilapidated shack.
There were many children like Mei, sent to Kirigakure from a young age because their guardians couldn't afford to raise them. They became ninja, forced into deadly struggles, while their guardians received resources as compensation.
It wasn't the Village of the Bloody Mist that created these people; rather, these people created the Village of the Bloody Mist.
Leaving the slums, they rented a room at an inn. Neither Kakashi nor Mei felt awkward about sharing; it was primarily for easier vigilance. Mostly, though, it was because they really didn't have much money.
They had the innkeeper send up some food. After eating, the young ninja lay down on the single bed, Kakashi on the far left, Mei on the far right. A comfortable silence settled between them. Mei had her own thoughts to process, while Kakashi, having only slept for half an hour earlier, took the opportunity to rest while it was still relatively early.
Mei felt lost. Lying on her side, facing the door, she wondered where to go next, what to do, whether she would even survive. She hated this precarious existence, hated being a missing-nin. She felt something was deeply wrong with the people here, with the village itself, but felt powerless to change anything.
Ultimately, she knew, she wasn't strong enough.
The girl spiraled into helpless introspection. Just as she pinpointed the root of her feelings, cries erupted from the street below, jarring memories of her own childhood – the day she was sent to Kirigakure.
Kakashi sat up instantly. He checked the time; it was nearly noon.
"It's them!" Mei whispered, lips tight, shrinking into the corner of the bed.
"Who?"
"Those... ninja... who come to trade for children."
Kakashi glanced impassively out the window. A crowd of raggedly dressed people surged forward, many clutching infants, eagerly presenting their children.
A tall ninja at the forefront looked down on them with disdain, then stomped his foot hard. "Everyone quiet!"
Two other ninja, dressed in the attire of the medical corps, moved quickly through the crowd, scanning the infants and small children with handheld devices. When a device emitted a 'beep', they would take that child and toss the parent a small token. The parents, overjoyed, would then rush to a nearby shop to exchange the token for food.
"Bastards," Kakashi muttered, raw killing intent surging within him. Lightning flickered faintly around his hands. These parents were condemning their own children.
Two attendants brought forward horse-drawn carts, and the selected children were immediately loaded onto them for registration.
Without a sound, the silver-haired ninja slipped out the window. He located one of the parents who had just handed over their child heading down a deserted alley. Using Shunshin, he appeared instantly, slamming the man against the wall, his right hand clamping around the man's throat.
"Why did you send your child to Kirigakure?!"
Terror choked the man, preventing even a scream from escaping. His throat bobbed. Kakashi slightly eased his grip.
"To... Kirigakure... to learn... The ninja-sama... will teach them..."
"Do you have any idea you might be sending him to his death?"
"Ninja-sama... said... they'd treat... our children well..."
"Treat them well? Hmph!" Kakashi released the man, who immediately gasped desperately for air.
"They'll put your child in an academy with a survival rate below ten percent. You didn't know that?"
"N-No... didn't know."
"Even if you didn't know, how could you entrust your child there so easily? Just based on their word?"
"If... if the child stays with me... he'll starve..." The man collapsed to his knees, tears squeezing from his eyes. Kakashi couldn't tell if he was genuinely crying or just putting on an act.
Returning to the inn, Kakashi found Mei still curled in the corner, arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders. He stood silently before her for a moment, then reached out and gently stroked her long hair.
"I'm going to save those children."
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