Chapter 10: An Impossible Dream
At the front of the group, chaos reigned as panic set in.
A group of armed men with hostile expressions approached in the distance, their presence sending ripples of fear through the refugees.
Especially intimidating were the armored riders at the front of the bandits' group, whose imposing aura left the refugees frozen in place.
However, as soon as Natsuki arrived, the chaos subsided almost instantly.
The refugees, previously trembling, now looked to him with hope and trust. Without hesitation, Natsuki mounted a small, scruffy donkey and rode out to meet the bandits.
Seeing this, the bandits burst into mocking laughter.
But their laughter didn't last long.
To Chiba's astonishment, Natsuki's face turned cold as he nocked an arrow to his oversized bow. With one swift motion, he loosed the arrow, striking the bandit leader and sending him tumbling off his horse, his fate uncertain.
Natsuki didn't stop there. With precision and speed, he fired several more arrows, felling four or five bandits in quick succession.
Finally, Natsuki raised his bow and pointed it at the remaining bandits, his expression icy and unyielding.
For a moment, silence hung over the battlefield.
Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the bandits scattered in terror, fleeing in all directions.
Cheers erupted from the refugees as relief washed over them.
Natsuki lowered his bow, his breaths coming heavy but steady.
A burly youth from the group excitedly retrieved a few horses abandoned by the fleeing bandits. He spoke to Natsuki with enthusiasm, but Natsuki's face remained indifferent, his mood inexplicably somber. Without a word, he returned to the rear of the group.
After dinner, Chiba noticed Natsuki sitting alone by the campfire, staring into the flames. Quietly, he approached.
Watching Natsuki, Chiba's thoughts churned.
He realized he didn't understand this man at all.
Until now, Chiba had seen Natsuki as a gentle and kind-hearted leader, perhaps even overly so—someone who could be easily challenged by his own people.
But after what he had witnessed today, he realized Natsuki was far more complex.
The man who had effortlessly taken down multiple bandits with icy precision wasn't someone easily trifled with. His earlier claim that no one dared challenge him now seemed entirely believable.
Chiba couldn't help but feel that he had wasted time worrying about the group's discontent. Clearly, Natsuki was more than capable of keeping them in line.
Lost in thought, Chiba was startled when Natsuki noticed his presence.
"What's on your mind, Chiba?" Natsuki asked with a faint smile.
That same warm smile made it impossible for Chiba to reconcile this man with the cold and ruthless archer from earlier.
After a long silence, Chiba finally voiced the question that had been weighing on him.
"Um… Natsuki… do you know how to use chakra?"
Natsuki looked at him in surprise. "Chakra? You know about chakra?"
His gaze flicked briefly to the ninja pouch at Chiba's waist, and understanding seemed to dawn.
"So, you've encountered ninjas before."
Chiba nodded slightly but didn't elaborate.
Natsuki didn't press for details. Instead, he sighed and said, "I'm afraid I don't know how to use chakra."
"You don't?" Chiba asked, puzzled. "Then how were you able to kill those bandits so easily today?"
Instead of answering directly, Natsuki posed a question of his own.
"You've seen the power of ninjas, haven't you? So, tell me—how do my skills compare to theirs?"
Chiba opened his mouth to reply but stopped short as memories of the battle between Kuroshin and his enemies resurfaced.
Even the mid-level Chunin had moved so fast that Chiba couldn't keep up, their techniques incomprehensibly advanced.
The answer was obvious.
Chiba fell silent, and Natsuki let out a soft sigh.
"Now you understand the gap between me and real ninjas. To be honest, in most situations, I couldn't even beat a single Genin."
Chiba lowered his head, knowing Natsuki wasn't lying.
Bows and arrows were practically nonexistent in the ninja world, except for a few minor characters in small nations. For ninjas, such weapons posed little threat.
Chiba vividly recalled how even novice ninjas in the Chunin Exams could unleash barrages of hundreds or even thousands of projectiles, often with techniques far more complex than simple archery.
Even the most basic ninja techniques, like the Transformation Jutsu or the Clone Jutsu, gave them an overwhelming advantage over ordinary people.
Against a ninja, someone like Natsuki—despite his skill—was just another target.
Chiba's earlier hopes of learning chakra techniques from Natsuki evaporated, leaving him feeling deeply disappointed.
Seeing the boy's dejection, Natsuki sighed again.
"You want to learn how to use chakra, don't you?"
Chiba didn't deny it, nodding slightly.
Natsuki's expression grew even more complicated. After a long pause, he said softly, "Give up."
"What?"
Chiba looked at him in confusion, unable to understand why he would say such a thing.
Staring into the campfire, Natsuki seemed lost in thought. His voice carried a mix of bitterness and regret.
"I once had the same dream as you. I wanted to learn chakra, to gain power. I even left the Land of Rain and traveled to other countries, hoping to achieve it.
"But in the end, I realized… for ordinary people, learning chakra and ninjutsu is simply an impossible dream."
Chiba's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible? Why would you say that?"
---