Naruto: My Hiddden Village-Chapter 30: The Haunted Hill

The atmosphere of the Takagami clan's journey that morning was truly filled with joy and happiness. The cheerful laughter of the little children – Kotarou, Seiya, and Yumi – broke the silence of the journey, like a cheerful melody adorning the beauty of the countryside.

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"Look, look, Tsubasa-nii-sama! A river!" Kotarou exclaimed, his eyes sparkling, pointing at a small river crossing their path.

"And there's a big bird flying!" Seiya chimed in no less enthusiastically, pointing at a crane gliding gracefully in the blue sky. Yumi just giggled, also amused by her two friends' excitement.

Their eyes twinkled with curiosity, captivated by the sights of the outside world they were seeing for the first time. Every lush tree, clear river, and wild animal that crossed their path became an object of their attention.

"The outside world is really fun, isn't it, Tsubasa-nii-sama?" Yumi asked innocently, looking at Tsubasa with her round, admiring eyes. Tsubasa just smiled, nodding in agreement. "Yes, Yumi. The outside world is full of surprises," he replied gently, also happy to see the children's enthusiasm.

At the beginning of the journey, the scenery around them was indeed beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Lush green trees shaded the road, clear rivers flowed, and the bright blue sky accompanied their journey.

"The scenery here is so beautiful, like a painting," Ozora murmured in awe, admiring the beauty of the surrounding nature, even though his body was an adult, Ozora's memories were still those of a child.

Kyoya, Benkei, and Ginga also seemed to enjoy this journey, albeit with more mature and restrained expressions. "Not bad for a refresh after being busy taking care of the relocation preparations," Benkei quipped, sighing in relief.

However, the monotonous natural beauty slowly began to cause boredom. The scenery that barely changed, only trees and rivers adorning the roadside, began to feel tedious.

"Why does the scenery keep being like this? Isn't there anything else?" Seiya complained, starting to get bored, his eyes beginning to search for other entertainment around them. Kotarou yawned widely, signs of boredom also beginning to befall him. Even Yumi, who was usually cheerful, began to look a little listless.

Even so, their mood remained good.

Togetherness and hope for a better future in the new village made this journey still feel pleasant. Occasionally, Kyoya, Benkei, and Ginga cracked jokes to cheer up the children and dispel boredom.

Ozora also joined in the fun, telling funny stories of his childhood with Tsubasa. "Back then, Tsubasa was smart-alecky even when he was small, he loved drawing plans and this and that on the sand," Ozora recounted while laughing, making Tsubasa's cheeks blush slightly in embarrassment.

"That's called vision, Nii-san," Tsubasa retorted defensively when he heard his brother's teasing.

The day was drawing closer to dusk when the Takagami clan entourage finally arrived at a small settlement that looked shabby and dilapidated. "Looks like we have to stop here for the night," Kyoya said, observing the condition of the settlement.

They decided to stop and spend the night in this place, looking for simple lodgings to rest before continuing their journey the next day.

When they entered the settlement, they immediately felt a stark contrast to the natural beauty they had enjoyed before.

The outside world turned out not to be as beautiful as they had imagined. "This... are all people outside like this?" Yumi whispered in confusion, frowning as she looked at the scenery around her.

They saw many people living in pitiful poverty.

Their clothes were tattered, their bodies were thin and emaciated, and their faces showed the suffering of hunger. Their houses were made of ramshackle huts that were almost collapsing, far different from the comfortable houses in Takagami Valley.

A foul odor wafted in the air, mixed with the smell of garbage and waste piling up everywhere. "It stinks here," Seiya complained, covering his nose with his hand. Kotarou looked pale, his eyes widening as he saw this strange and chaotic scene.

The bitter reality of the Sengoku era world was immediately apparent before their eyes.

The era of civil war had indeed left terrible impacts on the common people. Poverty, hunger, and suffering were rampant everywhere.

"This... is the reality of the outside world, Tsubasa-nii-sama?" Kotarou asked in a faint voice, his eyes glistening as he saw a small child begging on the side of the road.

The three little children, who had grown up in a prosperous and sheltered valley, were shocked to see this scene. Their little hearts were touched to see the suffering of others. "They're so pitiful..." Yumi whispered sadly.

The next day, after they had rested overnight in a simple inn, and as they were about to leave and continue their journey, the children approached Tsubasa.

Kotarou, Seiya, and Yumi approached Tsubasa with sullen faces. "Tsubasa-nii-sama, are we just going to leave without helping them?" Kotarou asked innocently, pointing at some people in tattered clothes sitting listlessly on the side of the road.

Hearing Kotarou's question, Ozora, who was indeed kind-hearted, looked at Tsubasa with hopeful eyes. He also felt sorry to see the condition of the settlement's residents. "Tsubasa, how about we help them a little? We have plenty of food and cloth supplies," Ozora suggested in a soft tone, hoping his younger brother would agree with his idea.

Kyoya, who always acted pragmatically, initially wanted to prevent the children and Ozora from getting involved. "Tsubasa-sama, we should not interfere in other people's affairs. Besides...," Kyoya said in a flat tone, trying to dissuade Tsubasa from granting their request.

However, Tsubasa cut him off, and instead signaled his permission. "It's okay, Kyoya," Tsubasa said briefly, a thin smile etched on his lips.

Understanding Tsubasa's intention, Kyoya finally abandoned his intention to refuse. He believed that Tsubasa had considered things carefully. "Understood, Tsubasa-sama," Kyoya replied briefly, stepping back and letting Tsubasa make the decision.

Finally, their group gathered some of the residents in tattered clothes and distributed some of the food and cloth they carried in the carriages. Happy smiles and sincere thanks from the residents who were helped warmed the hearts of Ozora and the three little children.

"It feels good to help others," Yumi said cheerfully, her smile returning after seeing the happiness on the villagers' faces.

Kotarou and Seiya also looked happy and relieved. "We should help other people more often, right, Tsubasa-nii-sama?" Seiya asked enthusiastically.

Tsubasa nodded, smiling. "Of course, Seiya. Helping others is a good deed," he replied gently, proud of the children's social sensitivity.

After sharing kindness, the Takagami clan entourage continued their journey. Ozora and the three little children looked very happy and relieved.

However, their happiness did not last long. In the middle of their journey, when the day was already approaching noon, they were intercepted by a group of bandits armed to the teeth.

"Bandits! Everyone, be careful!" Benkei shouted warily, drawing his sword and preparing for the worst. Kyoya and Ginga also immediately stood guard, protecting the carriages carrying the children and other clan members.

A more shocking surprise came when they realized that one of the bandits was someone they had helped in the shabby settlement that morning. The bitter betrayal felt like a stab to the heart.

"He... isn't he the person we helped this morning?" Ozora asked in a shocked tone, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at the bandit who had betrayed their kindness. Kotarou, Seiya, and Yumi fell silent, a mixture of shock and disappointment filling their little hearts.

Why were there such cruel people in the world? Why was kindness repaid with betrayal? "How could he... be so cruel," Yumi whispered faintly, tears welling up in her eyes again.

Seeing the disappointed expressions on Ozora's and the children's faces, Tsubasa finally spoke up. He wanted to give them a valuable lesson. "Ozora, Kotarou, Seiya, and Yumi, I will now teach you a lesson," Tsubasa said in a calm but firm tone.

"Helping others is a good deed. But never flaunt your wealth in front of strangers." Tsubasa continued, "Because we never know what kind of people we are helping. Like now, this is the consequence."

He pointed at the bandit they had helped that morning with a cold gaze. "Kindness is not always repaid with kindness. This world is not as beautiful as you imagine," he continued, trying to open the children's eyes to the harsh realities of the ninja world.

"Then why didn't you stop us earlier, Tsubasa?" Ozora asked in a confused tone. He was puzzled by his younger brother's attitude, who seemed to allow them to make a mistake. "That's because I believe keeping a kind heart in an era full of chaos like this is something necessary."

"Besides, there is a second lesson I will give you," Tsubasa replied with a mysterious smile.

"As long as you are strong, such worries can be eliminated." After saying those words, Tsubasa rapidly wove hand seals. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Tsubasa shouted loudly. White smoke billowed, and dozens of Tsubasa's shadow clones appeared, filling the road.

The bandits were shocked to see dozens of Tsubasa's shadow clones appear. Their numbers, which initially looked intimidating, now seemed small in the face of Tsubasa's clone army.

"H-how can there be... so many?" the bandit leader stammered in fear, stepping back as he saw Tsubasa's clone army ready to attack.

Tsubasa's clones moved in unison, swarming the bandits.

A ninja-style battle broke out instantly. The sounds of clashing weapons, whistling wind, and explosions of ninjutsu echoed deafeningly.

One of Tsubasa's clones sped towards the bandit who had betrayed them that morning. "You dare to betray our kindness? Taste this!" shouted the clone while delivering a powerful punch with chakra flowing fiercely into his fist. "Fist of Love!" the clone yelled.

The bandit was shocked and did not have time to dodge. Tsubasa's clone's punch hit his chest squarely, sending him flying far away and falling helplessly to the ground. "Mercy... mercy..." the bandit whimpered in pain, regretting his actions.

Other Tsubasa clones used Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu, launching giant fireballs at the bandit crowd. The bandits panicked and tried to dodge, but some of them were still hit by the flames and screamed in pain.

"Aaargh... hot... so hot!" shouted the bandits who were on fire, rolling on the ground trying to extinguish the flames on their bodies. Some more experienced bandits tried to fight back using swords and machetes.

However, their movements were too slow in the eyes of the trained Tsubasa clones.

One bandit tried to attack a Tsubasa clone from behind with a sword, but the clone easily dodged it with a very fast Body Flicker Technique.

That Tsubasa clone then turned around and kicked the bandit with a powerful Lightning Style chakra-coated kick.

"Lightning Style Shuriken!" another clone shouted, throwing lightning shurikens that hit the remaining bandits.

The bandits were thrown far away and immediately fainted instantly.

Within minutes, the battle ended in a landslide victory for Tsubasa's clones. The bandits lay helpless on the ground, cowering in pain and fear.

Initially, Ginga, Kyoya, and Benkei were ready to step in to face the bandits. They felt it was unnecessary to trouble their lord for such trivial matters.

However, before they could move, Tsubasa had easily subdued all the bandits using his shadow clones.

"Tsubasa-sama... is truly getting stronger," Benkei murmured in admiration, while slightly disappointed that he could not show off this time. Kyoya and Ginga also felt a little disappointed for not being given a chance to fight, even though they were ready to show their prowess in front of their wives and children.

After the battle was over, Tsubasa dispelled his shadow clones.

He approached Ozora and the children, explaining the lesson they had just witnessed. "How is it? Do you understand the lesson I gave?" Tsubasa asked gently, looking at Ozora and the children with loving eyes.

Ozora and the children nodded in understanding, they understood Tsubasa's meaning.

"Strength is important... but kindness should not be forgotten either," Ozora said wisely, although still a little disappointed with the betrayal they had experienced. Tsubasa smiled proudly hearing his brother's words.

"That's right, Nii-san. Kindness and strength must go hand in hand," Tsubasa replied firmly, giving a warm smile to Ozora and the children.

The Takagami clan entourage continued their journey. This time, the atmosphere of the journey felt a little calmer, but also more cautious. There was no more cheerful joy like earlier in the morning, but their spirits did not fade.

There were no more significant obstacles in the remainder of the day's journey, they continued their journey without any disturbance.

Dusk was approaching when they arrived at another settlement, this one appearing more lively and prosperous than the shabby settlement they had stayed in before. "This place seems better than the last one," Kyoya commented, observing the condition of the settlement.

They decided to stay overnight at an inn in this settlement. Tsubasa wanted to rest and prepare himself for the next leg of their journey.

While booking rooms at the inn, the innkeeper warned them not to wander around the hills outside the settlement at night.

"Don't even think about going to that hill at night. That place is haunted," said the innkeeper in a cautionary tone, his eyes widening to scare the children. Then the innkeeper continued his story, pointing towards a hill outside the settlement.

"There used to be a ninja clan there, but one night, that ninja clan disappeared without a trace. All clan members vanished just like that, as if swallowed by the earth. No one knows what actually happened to them. Gone... all gone... not a single one left," recounted the innkeeper in a mysterious tone that sent shivers down the children's spines.

"Ever since that incident, at night, many of the locals here often hear crying sounds coming from that hill. And sometimes, wisps of white smoke can be seen floating around, I myself have seen it too," the innkeeper continued in a hushed tone, further frightening the children.

"Ghosts... so scary," Yumi whispered tremulously, hiding her face behind Ozora's back.

Seiya and Kotarou also looked tense, their eyes wide with fear.

Tsubasa listened to the innkeeper's story carefully, this mysterious story caught his attention.

"A ninja clan that disappeared overnight... so mysterious, is this also the work of that Kurozetsu?" Tsubasa thought curiously.

"This is not just an ordinary ghost story. There is something hidden behind that hill," Tsubasa thought confidently, his curiosity peaking. As a researcher and ninja who is always looking for answers to mysteries, this story is an interesting challenge for him.

"Maybe I should investigate that hill," Tsubasa thought to himself, feeling challenged to uncover the secret behind this story.