Yahiko looked at Asahi with unease, his expression somewhat peculiar. Nervously, he asked, "Ninja, sir, may I ask if you are willing to take us as your disciples?"
Hearing Yahiko's voice, Asahi snapped back to reality. He chuckled lightly, "Kid, you should know there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If you want to gain something, you must be prepared to give something in return."
The eyes of the three youngsters sparkled with determination. They were well aware that there was no free lunch, and even if there were, they'd likely end up getting beaten for it. As orphans, they understood this reality all too well, so they weren't afraid to make sacrifices. As long as they could learn ninjutsu, they were willing to endure whatever it took.
"Don't worry; we are prepared for this. As long as you teach us ninjutsu, we are willing to repay you, even if it means risking our lives!" Yahiko declared loudly, while Nanako and Nagato stood behind him, slightly bashful but equally determined.
Asahi smiled and shook his head, "What use would I have for your lives? Let me think... I can't just give you ninjutsu for free."
With that, Asahi stroked his chin, contemplating what kind of test he should give these three younglings to be accepted as his apprentices.
Gurgle
Suddenly, the three kids' stomachs let out a loud rumble. Asahi was taken aback for a moment, but then he burst into laughter. This made the previously nervous trio turn beet red with embarrassment.
Asahi reached into his pocket and found two pieces of candy. He had brought them along just in case because they had physical education class before the transmigration, and he was worried about children experiencing low blood sugar. It was a precaution in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
Otherwise, Asahi probably wouldn't have had a single piece of candy on him. Despite the continuous rain, the candies remained dry inside their sealed packaging.
He took out the two candies and looked at the familiar characters on them. Asahi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
However, Asahi didn't pay too much attention to it. He believed that if things went smoothly, he would definitely have a chance to return home in the future.
"Here~"
Asahi casually tossed the candies in his hand to Konan, startling her as she hurriedly caught them. To her surprise, she found two candies inside.
Although many of the characters on them were different from the ones she recognized (due to the differences between Chinese and Japanese), she could still identify the character for "candy" (which was similar in both languages). It was a word her mother had taught her when she was young.
"I have two candies left on me. Let's give them both to the girl. You two boys don't need to eat," Asahi said.
"That's perfect. I'm a bit hungry myself. How about I give you a task for becoming my apprentices? Go east for three miles, there's a small river. Catch a few fish for our dinner."
"If you can do that, I'll agree to take you as my disciples."
After handing the candies to Konan, Asahi spoke to the three youngsters.
He had scanned the river with his divine sense before and had confirmed the presence of many fish in it. As for this simple task, it was just a formality.
"Don't worry; we will definitely complete the task!" Yahiko declared loudly. He didn't mind that only Konan had received candy.
Konan, like a comrade to him and Nagato, would receive candy from him even if he had received it initially. Nagato remained silent, clearly sharing Yahiko's sentiment.
As Konan received the candies, she looked at them with hesitation. First, she felt embarrassed because she was the only one who received candy. Second, she didn't know how to open them.
The candies Asahi gave her were sealed in plastic, which was different from the oil-paper-wrapped candies she was familiar with in this world.
Upon hearing Yahiko's assurance, Asahi nodded in satisfaction. Then he noticed Konan's predicament.
He paused for a moment, understanding her dilemma: she didn't want to keep it all to herself, didn't know how to open it, and wanted to share with her companions.
Asahi walked over to Konan, crouched down, and tore open one of the candies. He then held it up to her lips, offering it to her.
"Open your mouth!" Asahi said with a warm smile.
Konan, looking somewhat bewildered, gazed at this older brother with deep and mysterious eyes and obediently opened her mouth.
"Ah~ Mmm," Asahi directly placed the candy in Konan's mouth, causing her to exclaim in surprise.
Konan's face turned red. She felt the warmth of being cared for, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. Moreover, the candy tasted incredibly sweet, even sweeter than the ones her mother used to give her when she was a child.
After finishing this act of kindness, Asahi stood up and clapped his hands. "Let's get going; the journey is quite a distance!"
"Alright!!" Yahiko shouted excitedly and rushed out without any restraint, with Nagato quickly following him.
Only Konan took a moment to carefully pick up the candy bag that Asahi had thrown on the ground earlier. She wiped off the dirt stains, treasured it, and placed it in her pocket.
Afterward, she briskly caught up with Yahiko and Nagato, but her smile was even brighter than usual.
Asahi had noticed Konan's actions, but he didn't stop her. That candy wrapper was probably a precious memento for her.
Watching the three youngsters run ahead, a smile appeared on Asahi's face. This feeling was rather nice.
As they walked briskly, the benefits of their training quickly became evident. Although the three youngsters had been wandering around since childhood, their stamina ran out surprisingly fast due to their enthusiastic sprint.
On the other hand, Asahi continued to effortlessly keep pace with the three of them, showing no signs of exhaustion. Of course, it was thanks to the assistance of the system. If it were anyone else, after such training, they wouldn't be in such good shape.
The three young ones, whose stamina had been significantly drained due to their efforts, began to slow down. Asahi continued to stroll leisurely beside them. In just a short three-mile journey, it took the four of them a little over ten minutes to arrive.
"Hehe, we finally made it. Nagato, Konan, let's hurry down and catch some fish!" Yahiko exclaimed with an optimistic attitude, his voice filled with cheerfulness.
Perhaps Yahiko's positive and cheerful attitude was infectious, as the continuous rain had finally stopped, and the sky was gradually clearing up.
"Yeah!" "Sure thing!"
Nagato and Konan readily agreed, and then Yahiko rolled up his pants and jumped straight into the river.
However, the river turned out to be deeper than expected, causing Nagato and Konan to scream in shock. But Yahiko quickly resurfaced, spat out some water, and shouted to the two of them, "Konan, Nagato, don't come in. The water is a bit deep. Stay by the riverbank and help me catch the fish!"
Relieved to see that Yahiko was unharmed, Konan and Nagato obediently waited by the riverbank as instructed.
Yahiko dived back into the water. After about thirty seconds, he surfaced to catch his breath and then continued his task. Almost every time he resurfaced, Yahiko had managed to catch a fish, bringing smiles to Konan and Nagato on the shore.
Even Asahi couldn't help but smile. Despite having the lowest talent among them, Yahiko was proving to be quite skilled at catching fish.