Chapter Five: The Second Great Ninja War

“Wartime really is desolate…”

After preparing everything, Karn traveled to the world of Naruto through the trading system. However, the landing point was random, and he had to quickly find a trading target to place the trading marker in this world.

“Only two days? And after each traversal, I have to appear within fifty miles of the trading marker, and the trading marker is… the trading target? What a load of crap rules. I have to find someone with a long enough lifespan as my trading target.”

“And I only get this one chance, with no way back…”

As a result, Karn felt anxious. If he didn’t find a trading target within two days, he would lose this world and the trading system would refresh again.

But how difficult was it to find a willing and long-lived person in just two days? What’s more, after binding a world trading marker, you couldn’t change it freely for at least two years.

“Shift, why is this system so troublesome? Wouldn’t it be better if it were simpler? And this damn weather, it’s been raining nonstop!”

Luckily, Karn had brought a full set of supplies, including an umbrella and a raincoat. But there were so few people around, and he didn’t even know where he was. After two hours in the wild, he had yet to encounter anyone.

If he didn’t find anyone for two full days, Karn would have to give up on the Naruto universe.

As a rich young master with all the time in the world, Karn not only practiced firearms but also trained in some martial arts and physical fitness. A few hours’ walk was nothing to him. The real issue was not knowing how much longer it would take to run into someone—and after that, how long before he found a suitable trading target.

“Is my first transaction really going to be this unlucky? The Ponter family puts so much faith in Tyche, yet she won’t even bless the only heir of the family…”

After another hour or two, Karn finally found a place resembling the ruins of a building, which would serve as shelter from the rain for now.

He had no idea how long the rain would last. Along the way, he’d passed traces of war. Karn didn’t know which direction would be both safe and likely to yield a suitable trading target. If he encountered real danger, he would rather return to the Marvel world immediately and abandon the Naruto universe than risk everything for a deal.

“Is anyone here?”

Weapon in hand, Karn called out. After carefully observing for several minutes and sending out a drone to scout the surroundings, he confirmed there was no one else and decided to rest before moving on.

He needed to replenish his energy. If it weren’t for the possibility of wandering onto a battlefield, Karn would have cooked himself a steak; as things stood, he had to make do with some chocolate, energy drinks, and jerky.

As he ate, Karn continued to survey the area using his drone. However, the scouting range was limited, and he didn’t learn anything useful.

“Four hours have passed—forty-four left…”

He checked his watch, but just then a faint sound caught his ear. He immediately dropped the energy drink, gripped his gun with both hands, and shouted toward the source of the noise.

“Who’s there?”

He waited ten seconds or so after calling out, but there was no answer. Deciding not to take chances, he fired a few shots in the sound’s direction. The bullets struck the ground and walls with sharp cracks.

“I’ll say it again: If you don’t come out, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

“Wait, don’t shoot! I’ll come out…”

After Karn’s warning, a somewhat immature voice sounded from behind a large boulder. A boy with orange hair, looking to be about ten years old, emerged—his face stubborn and defiant.

Though it was a child, Karn remained cautious, keeping his gun trained as he interrogated the boy. “Are you alone? What are you doing here? I just checked—there was no one. What’s your purpose for coming here?”

“To find food. I… I’m a wanderer. I was so hungry I came here hoping to find something useful.”

Yahiko answered nervously. The strange blond stranger didn’t look like a ninja, but he was older, and that unknown weapon—whatever it was—had shattered stone when fired at the ground. If it struck them, there’d be no chance of survival.

“There isn’t a single village nearby. You came here alone for food? Kid, you’re not telling the truth, are you…”

Even though it was a child, Karn kept a safe distance. There was no cover for others to approach, and if anything felt off, he’d return to Marvel world at once.

Seeing the black muzzle pointed at him, Yahiko, though unsure what it was, could sense Karn’s hostility.

He hurriedly waved his hands and said, “I’m telling the truth! I just wanted to find some ninja on the battlefield and ask to be their student. I was passing by and wanted to get out of the rain!”

“Looking for a ninja to become your teacher?” Karn repeated, frowning, then looked at the orange-haired boy and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Yahiko. My name is Yahiko!”

So it really was him. That meant it was the time of the Second Great Ninja War—before Yahiko and his companions had become Jiraiya’s disciples. If Yahiko was seeking a master on the battlefield, then this must be the Rain Country front.

Karn felt that Tyche’s influence didn’t reach the shinobi world, hence his bad luck. Still, as it was Yahiko, the risk was somewhat lower, though not completely gone.

If he couldn’t find anyone else, binding the world trading marker to Nagato or Konan would be acceptable—they were at least long-lived. Yahiko, not so much.

“Call your two companions out. This is for you.”

Using his backpack for cover, Karn took out three loaves of bread and three sausages and tossed them to Yahiko.

Yahiko’s eyes widened at the sight of food. He realized that the bread and sausages were in three portions—the stranger had known about Konan and Nagato all along.

And the strange weapon had been lowered. The danger seemed to have passed.

“Konan, Nagato, come out! There’s food. He’s a good person!”

Hearing Yahiko’s call, Karn couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. The definition of a good person was far too simple. He was a businessman and a capitalist—certainly not a good person.

But if Nagato was here, then White Zetsu was probably lurking nearby as well.

He was just a businessman with no chakra. At this moment, White Zetsu shouldn’t be so ruthless as to kill everyone around Nagato, so Karn was relatively safe for now.

After Yahiko shouted, two more ragged children emerged from behind stones or other cover, not far from Karn—just a few dozen meters. They hadn’t made a sound until now; for three children to have survived in a war-torn era with such stealth was impressive indeed.