"I... I want to change the status quo of the Land of Rain. Without enough power, surely that's impossible!"
Yahiko clenched his teeth and gave this answer.
"I just want the power to protect everyone... If I could help Yahiko too, that would be even better..."
Konan said this hesitantly, seemingly worried her answer might be too unambitious.
"I... me too." Nagato merely echoed like this—unclear whether he meant the same as Yahiko or Konan.
"If you're looking for someone, we can help you too!"
Seeing Hii Kōri's expression unchanged, Yahiko clenched his fists and added as if increase the stakes: "War orphans like us it's not strange for us to appear anywhere, right? We'd definitely be more convenient for finding people than you. So, please don't make us leave the Land of Rain! Let us learn ninjutsu from you!"
"So, you're not afraid I'm a ninja from the village that killed your families?"
Casually pulling out a Suna forehead protector he'd never actually worn himself, Hii Kōri teasingly waved it before them.
"...Even if you were, we have no other choice."
Yahiko grabbed Nagato's hand and responded lowly: "Of course, we hate ninjas from other countries. But mere hatred is meaningless. Without power, we can do nothing let alone revenge, even giving everyone stable lives is impossible."
"Eh... fine."
Hii Kōri pushed his glasses atop his head, raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose where the frames had left marks, and hummed. His gaze swept over Konan and Nagato, making this judgment: "You two... mm, eight points."
Wanting to eat enough, wanting to be warm, wanting peaceful lives, wanting to be happy, wanting to protect important people...
In a word, so-called desire is simply the impulse to 'want' something.
And this seemingly within-reach desire is the most direct motivation for growth. So-called talent must also have motivation to inspire.
"As for you... zero points."
Then, Hii Kōri formed a knife-hand and chopped Yahiko on the head, scolding him: "Change the country? Take revenge on other countries? Ah, certainly aspiration, but that absolutely cannot be your current primary goal."
"Survive. However ugly the struggle, survive. Only the living have the right to discuss ideals and futures. Idealists captivated by overly grand goals, unable to see other things they always die quickly."
Having said this, Hii Kōri had more or less matched these three children to the original work's characters.
Simply put: 'Rinnegan' culture medium and his two little companions. Though not specially prepared, the latter could anytime transform into stimulants for the former's spirit like friends ready with Elder Signs in Call of Cthulhu.
Honestly, in this education-lacking ninja world, twisting someone's spirit was far too easy.
Though for an instant, Hii Kōri considered cultivating Nagato then tricking him into casting Rinne Rebirth to resurrect Mataza, this thought was immediately dismissed.
Whether exploiting such a child was despicable he didn't care, but Hii Kōri felt that if he actually did that, it would be equivalent to admitting defeat himself.
Since techniques for reincarnation and resurrection existed in this world, he could surely research them himself. If he lost even that confidence, Hii Kōri felt he might as well be dead.
As for the number one filial son saving his mother in the ninja world, who should periodically come observe Nagato Hii Kōri wasn't particularly worried. After all, if that little black had any particularly powerful techniques, he'd surely remember them.
Like that long skill list of the Rinnegan.
But apparently, none of the little Black's powerful techniques came to mind. Seemed all its abilities focused on possession, concealment, and mind control.
Thinking about it, the man behind this was actually kind of dish.
"Next: don't simply distinguish ninjas as 'good' or 'bad,' and especially don't foolishly pour out all your thoughts. This is the first lesson I'm teaching you."
By now, whatever Hii Kōri was thinking no longer showed on his face. While scolding Yahiko, he expanded his perception, searching for traces of the little black nearby.
Dish though it might be, the little black's existence was genuinely the most valuable thing in the entire ninja world to Hii Kōri. As something born when the Three-Eyed Girl was sealed, it surely knew and had seen countless things calling it the 'Encyclopedia of the Ninja World' wouldn't be an overstatement. Moreover, it seemed to be a genuine 'Yin–Yang Release' creation—for Hii Kōri, who had been researching Yin and Yang Releases, this was even more rare.
Thinking about it, maybe he shouldn't send these three children to Sunagakure right now.
Wanting to fish out the little black for communication was one aspect; not trusting others' strength in the village was another. If the little black seized the chance to possess someone and infiltrate the village, Sunagakure would have no stable life left.
"First lesson does that mean the teacher is willing to teach us ninjutsu?!"
But what he was thinking, Yahiko had no way of knowing. Hearing this, the orange-haired boy, still somewhat indignant, first paused, then revealed a bright smile.
"Don't call me teacher. This is at best a benefit exchange."
Hii Kōri stood up, rolling his shoulders, casually fabricating a pretext: "What you said makes some sense. Children like you are indeed better suited for intelligence gathering than I. In that case, I need to teach you something as compensation."
"This is also the most basic logic of being a ninja. No good or bad whether killing or trading, as long as it's for your own or your village's interests, anything can be done."
Then, arms crossed against the rock wall, he looked down at the three happy children with a sharp gaze: "Without power, nothing is possible. Wanting revenge just because of such words, you could easily die on the spot. Understood?"
"U-understood! Teacher!"
Feeling that sharp gaze that seemed to pierce him riddled with holes, Yahiko's eyes instead grew brighter.
He had a premonition: this time, the teacher they'd found seemed like he would teach them more than just ninjutsu.
"Tch... told you not to call me teacher. Makes my stomach hurt."
***
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