Chapter 12: This Damn World

The last meal was tasteless and ended hastily.

Shinsuke is not a saint who feels compelled to avenge someone just because he ate a meal at their expense. At most, he would leave some money for the meal and travel expenses when he left.

Hidan didn't think much of what the old man said either. Just the death of a son? So what? In this world, people die every day.

After the meal, Shinsuke and Hidan went back to their rooms to rest. The old man's daughter-in-law took her child back to her parents' home, probably to avoid gossip.

Before they knew it, it was late at night.

Shinsuke suddenly opened his eyes, preparing to sneak out quietly.

To his surprise, someone was sitting outside the door, seemingly waiting for him.

"It's late at night. Where are you going, young man?"

"Hmm? Were you waiting for me?"

Shinsuke was puzzled, and under the moonlight, the old man's face was calm.

"You and your companion are both ninjas, right?" The old man didn't answer Shinsuke's question but asked one of his own in a certain tone.

"Our village is very remote. Even merchant caravans rarely pass by, so it's unusual to see strangers. As soon as you entered the village, I hid and started observing you."

Shinsuke raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

The old man sighed, "I was scared."

Shinsuke seemed to understand something.

The old man continued, "I wasn't sure if your arrival would bring harm to this village, so even though I knew you might be dangerous, I had to come and ask, then pretend to know nothing and bring you home."

"You're afraid the tragedy will happen again?"

"Yes, we've had a few peaceful years. Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of a well rope. How could I not be afraid?"

"So you're here to stop me?" Shinsuke was curious.

"An old man like me can't stop anything," the old man shook his head. "I'm just gambling."

"If I win, I go back to sleep. If I lose, I just sleep forever. At my age, I've come to terms with it."

Shinsuke nodded, "No wonder you found an excuse to send your family away after dinner. You didn't want to implicate them?"

The old man was silent. He had originally planned to keep the two strangers stable, then take his daughter-in-law and grandson to hide for a few days.

But outside wasn't safe either, with wild beasts and bandits. The group was composed of the old, the young, and the only able-bodied adult was a woman. If they encountered any danger, they wouldn't survive.

After spending half a day with Shinsuke and Hidan, he observed through several deliberate tests that the situation might not be so bad.

Although Hidan didn't seem like a good person, Shinsuke showed restraint and several times stopped Hidan's outbursts, proving he was someone who could communicate and wasn't prone to senseless killing.

So the old man decided to stay and find out their intentions.

Old but wise, this was a courageous man!

That was Shinsuke's evaluation.

In this world, the most annoying thing is that ordinary people can't control their fate; it depends on whether the "uninvited guests" bring goodwill or malice.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in your village. We'll leave at dawn."

"That puts my mind at ease. Ah, it's so late. Time to sleep," the old man finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As for why Shinsuke suddenly went out in the middle of the night, the old man didn't ask. The more he knew, the quicker he might die.

He only needed to know that Shinsuke meant no harm.

Just then, Shinsuke asked, "Was the story you told at dinner true?"

"Every word."

"Do you hate those ninjas? Have you thought about revenge?"

"At my age, does it matter if I hate? How can an old man like me seek revenge with a widow and an orphan?"

The old man gave a bitter smile. "I never thought about revenge. I only want to spend my remaining years peacefully and help raise the child."

"I see."

Shinsuke nodded and left in a certain direction.

Watching Shinsuke's departing figure, the old man's eyes flashed with pain.

The pain of losing his son was not as light as he had said.

After the tragedy, the old man had indeed found out the identities of the ninjas involved, but what then?

One group was Mist ninjas from the Land of Water, and the other was Leaf ninjas from the Land of Fire, who had come to chase them.

The giant fireball that killed his son was released by a Leaf ninja to protect his comrades.

What could an old man do against the protectors of his own country?

Compensation was given by rebuilding the village and some financial aid. The dead were simply dead.

This is war.

The old man never dared to think about revenge, only fearing ninjas.

Whom could he seek revenge against? The Mist ninjas, or the Leaf ninja who accidentally killed his son?

The Mist ninjas didn't care about enemy villagers, and the Leaf ninja had to fight to protect his comrades, not worrying about collateral damage.

So, who was wrong?

Perhaps, this damn world!

"The moon is so full tonight."

"Move! You're in my way."

The old man's contemplation was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and Hidan's rude voice.

The old man shivered, realizing the "tiger" was gone, and he was left to face a "wolf" alone.

"You... Why are you here too?" the old man asked with a forced smile.

Realizing he needed to appease Hidan quickly, he thought maybe he could talk his way out.

But Hidan wasn't interested in him.

"I've been listening to you two yap for ages. Move, which way did he go?" Hidan demanded impatiently.

The old man pointed in the direction Shinsuke had gone, "That way!"

"Next time you insult my intelligence, I'll kill your family. Got it?"

After a fierce glare, Hidan rushed off, disappearing into the night.

The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead, then suddenly made a decision and headed outside as well.