Rumble!
A thunderous roar resounded through the forest, causing three small figures to shiver intensely.
"Yahiko, maybe we should forget about it. We were so far away just now, and by the time we got there, that person might have already left," said the only girl among the three, with blue hair.
Yahiko, the boy leading the group, didn't even turn his head and responded firmly, "No, we can't. We've finally encountered a powerful ninja. You all saw the earth-shattering power just now. Besides, we've come this far; how can we easily give up? Right, Nagato?"
Nagato, the boy with vibrant red hair, strangely covering his eyes, simply replied with a nod, "Hmm."
There was no need to elaborate on who these three children were. Yes, they were the future founders of the Akatsuki. However, due to the appearance of Asahi, their destinies seemed to have taken a different turn.
Konan watched the two of them with resignation, sighed, and said, "Alright, then. But we need to hurry; otherwise, we really won't catch up."
"Haha, I knew you'd support us, Konan. Don't worry, once we learn ninjutsu, we'll bring brightness to this country," Yahiko laughed heartily, his sunny disposition even outshining the drizzly rain of the Hidden Rain Village.
Konan and Nagato watched him quietly as if drawing boundless warmth from his positive and optimistic attitude. After all, this upbeat mindset was the Yahiko they knew, wasn't it?
Asahi had naturally already noticed the presence of the three youngsters.
Or rather, it was when Asahi was using the Sage of Six Paths Experience Card that he discovered the three youngsters weren't too far from here.
Of course, as the effect of the Experience Card faded, he lost track of their location.
However, this didn't stop Asahi from being conflicted at this moment.
He knew that the three youngsters would definitely come this way; it was the path of fate, not easily altered.
So, he was in a dilemma about whether to take them as disciples or leave them to Madara.
After all, Nagato was originally intended for Madara, and Madara hadn't died yet.
Moreover, even if Madara did die, Black Zetsu was not to be underestimated.
As an ancient and cunning figure in the ninja world, there was almost nothing he wouldn't do to achieve his goals.
Thinking that he might attract the attention of Black Zetsu, Asahi couldn't help but shudder.
In his state of indecision, Asahi silently pondered the consequences of various choices.
If Black Zetsu were to focus on him right now, would he be killed outright or simply ignored?
Asahi was currently very conflicted, but his inner turmoil wouldn't change the imminent reality.
Because of Asahi's lack of movement, the three youngsters, who weren't far away to begin with, quickly arrived at this location.
Upon seeing the scene of devastation around them, the three youngsters were stunned, their mouths hanging open.
Although they had witnessed various spectacular scenes earlier, it wasn't until they saw the actual battlefield that they realized the power of ninjutsu.
The uneven and charred terrain, the still-burning trees—everything indicated how devastating the battle had been.
Were all ninjas this terrifying?
The three youngsters marveled inwardly and then gazed intently at Asahi, who stood in the midst of the battlefield, dressed in attire not befitting the scene.
At the very moment when the three youngsters appeared, a notification rang out, [Ding! Suitable apprentices detected. Long-term mission activated: Apprentice recruitment. Seeking disciples with talent of at least B-rank or higher. Rewards will be given to the host based on the disciples' aptitude.]
With that, Asahi didn't need to be conflicted anymore. It was said that wealth and danger often went hand in hand.
The whole ninja world didn't have many individuals with talents surpassing those of the three youngsters, so the choice was rather obvious.
As for Madara and Black Zetsu, they probably wouldn't bother Asahi because of this.
The main reason was Asahi's current weakness; he simply wasn't worth their attention.
"Kids, don't you know that the battlefield is a very dangerous place? It's not a good habit to be so reckless," Asahi said, feigning indifference to the three youngsters.
Gulp
The three youngsters were so scared that they collectively swallowed hard. Even though they had made up their minds, facing a ninja directly was still frightening.
Feeling their trembling legs, Yahiko bit his lip forcefully and shouted, "Sir, are you a ninja?"
As soon as Yahiko spoke, Konan and Nagato hurriedly pulled him back, afraid of angering Asahi.
Seeing the small actions of the three youngsters, Asahi suddenly felt mischievous. "Hey, kids, don't you know about manners? Before asking someone a question, you should use polite language, and maybe add a 'please.'"
With Konan and Nagato pulling him back and Asahi's words, Yahiko realized his own impetuousness and quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry, I was too impulsive. May I ask, are you a ninja?"
Asahi nodded in apparent satisfaction and replied, "Yes, I am a ninja. What's the matter?"
Hearing Asahi confirm that he was indeed a ninja, the three youngsters were overjoyed. They happily ran up to him and bowed, saying, "That's fantastic, ninja sir! We hope to learn ninjutsu from you."
Asahi's forehead twitched a few times. This time, he wasn't pretending; he genuinely felt quite speechless.
When Asahi used to watch the anime, he didn't find anything wrong with it. But now that he was experiencing it firsthand, he suddenly felt like complaining about the three youngsters.
Come on, kids, do you even know who I am? You're saying you want to learn ninjutsu from me. I'm genuinely curious—how did you manage to stay so innocent in such turbulent times?
"Hey, hey, kids, do you even know who I am? What if I'm a bad person?" Asahi raised his head and said, "We don't know who you are, sir, but this is our only chance to learn ninjutsu, so I earnestly request you to teach us. If you don't intend to teach us, please let my two companions go, and I'll accept whatever punishment you see fit!"
"Yahiko!!" Yahiko's resolute words made Konan and Nagato behind him feel distressed.
As Asahi looked at the innocent three youngsters, he suddenly felt sorrow for their past. He had seen many children before, all of them retaining their innocence, but that was usually due to the protection of a loving family.
However, these three had grown up amidst constant conflict, without any support. The fact that they still held onto their innocence was truly remarkable.
For a moment, Asahi felt a surge of pity for them.
"System, can you help me check the talents of these three?"
[Ding Identifying individuals based on the host's cognition. Identification complete. Talent assessment in progress. Talent assessment complete.]
"Konan, talent level A, leaning towards Paper Creation."
"Yahiko, talent level B, leaning towards Water-Element techniques."
"Nagato, talent level S, leaning towards Five Element Techniques."
Hearing their talents, Asahi decided to go with his gut feeling. After all, these three kids had been through a lot. As for Black Zetsu, what did he matter? Sooner or later, his days were numbered.