Konan didn't dare to take matters into her own hands, and she didn't have the capability to help the mother and child on her own.
Asahi lowered his head to look at Konan, who was holding onto his arm, and then glanced at the other two disciples, who were looking at him with hopeful eyes.
With his free hand, he gently ruffled Konan's hair. "You should understand that we can help them for a moment, but we can't change their lives."
Konan nodded and said, "I understand, Master. But if we don't help them even for a moment, they will truly have no hope."
Asahi looked at the other two disciples. "Do you both feel the same way?"
"Yes," Yahiko and Nagato replied solemnly.
"Master, they are truly pitiable. If we don't help them, they won't be able to survive," Yahiko added.
Seeing the determination of his three disciples, Asahi felt reassured. He wasn't heartless, and he also wanted to help when he saw people in such dire circumstances.
However, it was Konan who had brought up the matter first, and Asahi saw this as an opportunity to train their leadership skills.
He nodded at the three disciples. "Alright, since you've made your decision, go ahead and help them."
"Really?!" The three disciples were overjoyed and looked at Asahi with gratitude.
"Of course, do you think I would lie to you three little devils?" Asahi shrugged.
"Master, you're the best! I'll go call them over right away!" Konan exclaimed with excitement and ran toward the mother and child.
Yahiko and Nagato quickly followed her.
Asahi stood in place, watching his disciples run off, feeling somewhat helpless.
With the support of their chakra, it took only a few seconds for the three disciples to reach the mother and child.
The woman became instantly wary when she saw the three young ninja suddenly appear before her.
In this world, she couldn't afford to underestimate anyone, even though the three youngsters appeared quite young.
Young ninjas were abundant in this world, and they had been trained for war since childhood.
Moreover, their earlier speed was anything but ordinary.
Pulling her child protectively behind her, the woman looked at the three disciples warily and asked, "May I ask what business three esteemed ninja have with us?"
Watching the cautious woman, the three youngsters exchanged glances.
Suddenly, it dawned on them that they were completely different from the woman.
Back in the day, they used to be just as wary of shinobi, fearing that they might take their lives.
In the end, it was Yahiko who broke the tension with a cheerful smile. "Haha, no need to be afraid, ma'am. We're not the bad guys here."
"Look, that's our sensei over there. We want to help you," Yahiko added, pointing towards Asahi.
The woman followed Yahiko's gaze and indeed spotted a young man in his early twenties. His looks and demeanor were top-notch, far beyond what an ordinary person could compare to.
Yahiko's conversation with the woman didn't go unnoticed by Asahi. As for Yahiko using himself as a guarantee, Asahi had no objections whatsoever.
A joke, really. Asahi was the most reliable person around; what could be the issue with him vouching for them?
With a light chuckle directed at the woman, Asahi remained where he was. While he liked teaching disciples, he wasn't very fond of socializing with people. Unless it was necessary, he preferred to be left alone.
After seeing Asahi smile at her, the woman blushed inexplicably, and her anxiety seemed to vanish.
Turning to Yahiko, she said, "I want to thank all of you for your kindness, but..."
The woman didn't know how to refuse, even though she was certain that Asahi and his group meant no harm. However, they were shinobi, and the world of shinobi was always perilous. She didn't want to involve her child in it.
Seeing the woman hesitate, Konan became a bit anxious. "Sister, we really have no ill intentions. You don't have to worry. We want to help you because we've been through something similar."
Hastening to reassure her, Yahiko chimed in, "Yes, you don't know, but just a few months ago, we were wandering and had no place to go. If our sensei hadn't taken us in as his disciples, we might have met a gruesome end in the wilderness."
"We feel a connection with you, which is why we want to help. Please don't overthink it!"
"Yeah, we genuinely mean no harm," added Nagato, who was typically a man of few words.
Clearly moved by the sincere words of the three young shinobi, the woman felt somewhat embarrassed as she said, "Well, it would be quite troublesome for you all."
"No problem at all. Come with me to meet our sensei. Besides, we're here to buy some things too."
The three youngsters were delighted to have gained the woman's trust, and they led her towards Asahi.
"Master, we're back."
The three youngsters greeted Asahi happily, and he nodded, then turned his gaze toward the woman and her child.
The young boy was clearly very shy, staying timidly hidden behind the woman.
On the contrary, the woman was quite striking in appearance, and she exchanged a glance with Asahi.
Seeing Asahi sizing her up, the woman's face unconsciously reddened, and she didn't know what to make of it.
"Noble shinobi, I'm extremely grateful for your help."
Collecting her thoughts, the woman knelt directly in front of Asahi, with her child beside her.
Asahi could have stopped her, but the gesture caught him off guard. When had he ever seen someone kneel so easily? He couldn't react in time.
However, in fact, this was a common practice in the ninja world nowadays. To survive, ordinary people from war-torn countries would almost always kneel when they saw shinobi.
Compared to their lives, saving face was really insignificant.
Asahi quickly reacted and signaled to the three youngsters to help the mother and child up.
"You don't have to do this. We just arrived here, and we're not familiar with this place. You can be our guide and help us with our purchases. In return, we'll prepare something for you as well."
Asahi spoke calmly; he didn't advocate charity toward them.
There was no karmic connection between them. If he gave charity, it would create a connection.
Although Asahi didn't believe much in the law of karma, ever since he had acquired the system and inherited the Tazuna Clan, he started to believe in those mythical stories.
So, it was better to avoid unnecessary connections.
Moreover, offering rewards to the woman would likely be more acceptable to her than simple charity.
Indeed, as soon as the woman heard Asahi's words, her heart became much clearer.
"I'm really grateful for the opportunity, sir," the woman said with gratitude.
Asahi nodded and said to the three youngsters, "It's getting late, and there's no rush with the shopping. Let's find an inn and have a meal."
"Sure, Master. We're also quite hungry," the three youngsters agreed.
However, the woman seemed a bit hesitant. She had thought they would immediately go shopping and get food supplies. Now, Asahi's suggestion to have a meal first left her unsure about what to do next.
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