In Konoha, I collected corpses on the battlefield for ten years

If it were in my previous life, seeing a story like this would have, at most, elicited a sigh before I moved on to the next piece of content without any emotional ripples.

But experiencing it firsthand is different; the feeling is clearer, more poignant.

At the same time, I know that stories similar to that of the sisters happen almost every day in this Leaf Village.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it offers a glimpse into the weight of the entire iceberg. Beneath the towering ice mass are pairs of yearning eyes, individual ordinary stories.

Soon, the students from the outdoor class returned.

A plainly dressed little girl with a somewhat haggard face seemed out of place among the crowd.

When she returned to her seat and saw the gift box on her desk, along with a card that read, "To Kana, belated happy birthday, I'm sorry," she froze.

What followed was an outpouring of tears, a constant biting of her lips, and trembling hands clutching the gift box.

Silence, yet sadness permeated the entire classroom.

Several close classmates came forward to inquire about the situation, offering comfort and reassurance.

Maruyama Kaze just stood silently outside the classroom, leaning against the wall, watching the scene.

He reached into his pocket, only to remember he didn't have any cigarettes.

He had no intention of going forward.

The girl should have expected this long ago; she was only waiting for a result. Now, she should properly vent her emotions, then keep her sister in her heart, study hard, and ensure that she doesn't end up with the same fate as her sister in the future.

Comfort is for ordinary people.

Ninjas don't need it.

It may seem cruel, but frankly, over fifty percent of the students in the entire Leaf Village probably have had the same experience as the girl.

Even the prodigious Kakashi witnessed the death of his heroic father at the age of five.

The entire ninja world is a distorted world pieced together from sad stories.

"Eh, Senior Kaze?"

Suddenly, a surprised voice entered my ears.

Looking up, I saw a teenager with goggles and a somewhat chuuni (delusional) appearance.

Kaze was stunned, "Obito, is this your classroom?"

Uchiha Obito, the mastermind who would later single-handedly shake the entire ninja world and start the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Now, he's just an ordinary dead-last.

Seeing him, Kaze remembered that Uchiha Obito's descent into darkness was also due to the death of his teammate, Nohara Rin, wasn't it?

Tragedy happens every day.

In fact, some people's tragedies are destined from the very beginning.

"Yeah, what's wrong with Kana?" Obito asked curiously, putting his arm around Kaze's shoulder in a familiar manner.

Kaze just shook his head and didn't say anything.

Students came back one after another. Some recognized him and greeted him politely, while others, who didn't know him, nodded in acknowledgment. Overall, they were very polite.

"Senior Kaze."

Seeing the person coming, Kaze finally moved.

He grabbed the other person, startling him.

"Asuma, a cigarette and a lighter," Kaze said directly.

Asuma's expression froze, and he glanced at a cute girl with red eyes out of the corner of his eye, and said with a dry laugh:

"Uh... cough, cough, Senior Kaze, don't joke around, I don't smoke, where would I get a lighter."

Still don't know you?

Back in the small woods behind the school, you choked while trying to smoke like your old man, Hiruzen Sarutobi, didn't you, Sarutobi Asuma.

After that, you became a regular visitor to the small woods, leaving cigarette butts everywhere, making things difficult for Grandpa Tian Fu, the gatekeeper.

Sure enough, Kaze pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket.

He skillfully flicked one out and lit the match with a "呲" sound.

The red cigarette butt glowed as he took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled, releasing the heaviness in his heart along with the smoke.

That's better.

But Asuma's expression froze.

The familiar gaze behind him made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Uchiha Obito next to him even cheered, "Oh!!! Asuma, you're so young, and you're already carrying cigarettes!"

If Obito knows, that means the whole class, no, the whole school will know.

Asuma shuddered at the thought of his stern old man.

"Kaze?"

The teacher is here.

Kaze threw the cigarette on the ground and inconspicuously extinguished it with his foot, then called out, "Teacher Fukuda."

Fukuda was his former teacher, and also the teacher of Obito and Asuma, so although they weren't very familiar, they knew each other.

Fukuda glanced at the cigarette butt on the ground, then glared at the dejected Asuma, and said with a smile, "You're here just in time. Why don't you tell them about your experience after becoming a ninja, so these little guys know how cruel ninjas can be."

Kaze looked at Kana, who was trembling on the desk, pursed his lips, and shook his head.

"I think... they already know."

Following his gaze, Fukuda also saw Kana. With his experience, he roughly understood the situation with a turn of his mind.

He silently patted Kaze's shoulder, "Smoke less."

Once you become a ninja, you have to be responsible for yourself. Although Kaze wasn't very old, Fukuda didn't reprimand him.

"Yeah," Kaze responded nasally.