After undergoing ninja academy training, navigating in the wild was a simple task for any ninja.
Although the two Suna ninja harbored both resentment and hatred toward Nawaki, for some inexplicable reason, they still chose to follow him.
Kushina, like an overly energetic songbird, flitted around Nawaki, bombarding him with questions.
"Big Brother Nawaki, does Big Sis Tsunade know that you awakened Wood Style?"
Why am I 'Big Brother Nawaki' and she's 'Big Sis Tsunade'? Did you two form some strange sibling alliance or something?
"Can you tell me what it felt like when you awakened Wood Style?"
It's not like giving birth, why would there be feelings involved...
"I heard Wood Style is super strong! Big Brother Nawaki, what kind of powerful Wood Style jutsu can you use?"
Kekkei Genkai were different from normal ninjutsu. They relied on control over one's bloodline—methods and forms could be improvised freely.
Pestered endlessly by Kushina's chattering, Nawaki looked helpless.
He really didn't have the patience for bubbly, hyperactive girls. Mature and seductive onee-sans were more his type.
Still, Kushina clearly seemed very close to Nawaki—so much so that even Minato noticed and curiously asked:
"Big Brother Nawaki, are you Kushina's brother?"
"Sort of distant cousins…" Nawaki thought for a moment before answering.
That wasn't a lie. The Uzumaki and Senju clans were distantly related to begin with, and Nawaki's grandmother had been a Senju princess. So it wasn't unreasonable for Kushina to even call him 'cousin.'
Despite his young age, Minato acted far more composed than others his age. Even in this strange situation, he could stay calm and think clearly—quite impressive.
As for Kushina, she probably found a sense of safety by staying close to Nawaki, so she wasn't as affected by what was going on.
Glancing at the blond kid, Nawaki suddenly smiled.
"By the way, I haven't properly introduced myself yet. I'm Nawaki, a Genin from Konoha."
Genin? A Genin that strong—he took down a Chūnin in seconds!
Everyone silently grumbled in their hearts.
Obviously, they had no idea about the running joke—"The Strongest Eternal Genin."
"I'm Uzumaki Kushina, a student at the Konoha Ninja Academy," Kushina said, sticking close to her cousin.
"I'm Namikaze Minato. Also a student at the Academy," Minato added without hesitation now that introductions were being made.
Nawaki turned his gaze toward the three others.
Nagato's group hesitated, but seeing how open Nawaki and the others were, and since nothing crucial would be revealed, they decided to follow suit.
The orange-haired boy stepped forward and spoke.
"I'm Yahiko. This is Nagato. And that's Konan. We… we're orphans from the Land of Rain."
"…The Land of Rain. I'm sorry."
Nawaki fell silent. Most of the orphans from the Land of Rain in recent years had lost their families due to the ongoing war among the Great Nations. During the Second Great Ninja War, the Land of Rain was sandwiched between battlefronts and suffered immensely.
And he—was one of the shinobi who had invaded the Land of Rain.
Kushina, too, was a victim of war. She could empathize with Yahiko and the others and softly added:
"Don't blame Big Brother Nawaki. He's just a Genin… he can't change the decisions made by those above him."
"We understand."
Yahiko nodded, eyes filled with quiet resolve.
They had just recently begun training under Jiraiya, and though they once held deep hatred toward the Great Nations, those feelings were gradually fading. In their hearts, a simple dream had begun to blossom—
A dream of world peace. Laughable, yet noble.
"…I'm sorry. I might not be able to change anything right now, but I promise you this—"
Nawaki suddenly spoke, eyes fixed firmly on the trio, unwavering.
"I will become the Hokage. And with that power, I'll stop the wars from ever starting."
His voice was filled with conviction. In that moment, Nawaki shone.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan couldn't help but believe him. This was someone with the legendary power of that man—he would become the Hokage.
A lump caught in their throats.
"Thank you… Nawaki-san…"
The atmosphere instantly warmed. Though they were still young, the three Ame orphans began to trust Nawaki, or at least feel some goodwill toward him.
Jiraiya's influence probably helped too—after all, their beloved teacher was also from the Konoha. That alone laid a foundation for trust.
Kushina wasn't done being cheeky.
"Big Brother Nawaki, I'm the one who's gonna be Hokage and earn everyone's recognition!"
"Haha, haven't you already gotten me and Big Sis to recognize you?"
Nawaki laughed heartily and instinctively patted her head, catching Kushina slightly off guard.
At that moment, Minato's surprised voice rang out.
"Big Brother Nawaki, come quickly—look over there!"
Only then did the group realize that during their conversation, they had unknowingly emerged from the forest and arrived at a barren, rocky plain.
Wait—no, they hadn't actually left the forest.
Nawaki observed carefully and realized—they were still in the forest. What had changed was that a massive circular crater had appeared before them!
It was nearly a kilometer wide and over a hundred meters deep. Not a single blade of grass grew inside it. Only at the outer edges did a few crooked trees manage to cling to life. The sight was truly awe-inspiring.
At the center of the crater stood a wooden shrine-like building, and nearby, a rectangular structure whose purpose was unclear.
Upon seeing it, Nawaki furrowed his brows and muttered in disbelief.
"It really is the Hoshigakure… This really is the Land of Bears!"
"Big Brother Nawaki, are you saying that the Hoshigakure, the one built around a meteorite, actually exists?" Minato exclaimed in shock.
All the children turned to Nawaki. At some point, he had become the group's unspoken leader—older, stronger, and clearly more capable.
As for the Suna ninja? They had already been mentally sidelined.
Nawaki nodded seriously.
"I read about it in some old intel. The Hoshigakure does exist within the Land of Bears. It was founded a little over a decade ago, but because of its small population, it's rarely mentioned."
No one questioned his words. Anyone capable of awakening Wood Style was surely a carefully groomed elite of the Leaf—having access to obscure intel was only natural.
As he spoke, Nawaki picked up a twig and began drawing a crude map on the ground.
"Look here—this is the Land of Bears, this is the Konoha, here's the Land of Wind, and this is the Land of Rain. To get from the farthest parts of the Land of Wind to here, you'd have to pass through the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire… Even for an elite jōnin, that'd take half a day at least."
"I lost consciousness in the morning, and it's only been about an hour since I woke up. Judging by the sun's movement, whoever brought us here must've only needed a few minutes… or even just a moment."
Continuing his analysis, Nawaki said, "To bring people from multiple nations all the way to the Land of Bears in an instant—there's only one kind of jutsu that could pull that off… a space-time ninjutsu."
"No, Big Brother Nawaki, there's another possibility," Kushina countered seriously. "We don't actually know how long we were unconscious. If that person kidnapped us days ago and only woke us up just now, they could've faked the effect entirely."
~~~~~
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Remove the parentheses btw