Konoha’s Black Plague

Renovation

Pah!

"What is wrong with these people? Why do they shut their doors as soon as they see us?"

Yuyan clenched her fists, visibly frustrated. This was already the seventh house. Each time, the result was the same — doors slammed shut at their approach.

"Now you see how xenophobic some rural regions are," Bai Ye muttered, a trace of surprise in his voice. He had expected suspicion toward foreign shinobi — especially during wartime — but he hadn't imagined this level of rejection. They weren't wearing headbands, and on the surface, they looked like nothing more than a trio of tired children.

After traveling for days without rest or spare clothes, all three — Bai Ye, Yue, and Yuyan — looked worse for wear. Their garments were torn and stained from mud and rain. To the average villager, they probably resembled war orphans more than ninja.

Yue looked around, frowning. "We don't look threatening. Why treat us like criminals?"

She had wanted to ask for scraps of cloth to patch her clothes. The frayed fabric clung uncomfortably to her skin, making her feel exposed and restless.

"I'm exhausted," Yuyan groaned, finally lowering her headband. Her Byakugan had been active for nearly two hours — an incredible strain even for a Hyūga. Continuous use of its 360-degree field of vision and telescopic range was physically draining. Her temples throbbed from overuse.

"If no one here is willing to help, let's find shelter from the rain and move on," Bai Ye said. He had a theory about where they were, but needed confirmation.

They made their way from one end of the village to the other, but every door remained barred. Eventually, with no choice left, the trio trudged further down the road.

Fortunately, the girls had packed enough ration pills to keep them from starving, though their spirits were low and fatigue was mounting.

"Look—over there. There's a hut up ahead," Yuyan called, perking up slightly. She adjusted her headband and sprinted ahead toward a dilapidated structure.

"Hey! At least check if it's safe first," Bai Ye called after her, quickening his pace to follow.

Up close, the hut clearly hadn't been used in years. The door was missing entirely, and the wood had rotted from constant exposure to the elements.

"Anyone inside?" Bai Ye called cautiously as he stepped in first. He gave Yue a look, silently signaling her to prepare to restrain Yuyan if things went wrong.

There was no response, but Bai Ye's instincts told him they weren't alone.

"Yuyan, check the place with your Byakugan."

Rubbing her aching eyes, she reluctantly activated it. "Two kids. In the rice jar. Kitchen. Non-shinobi."

She pointed to a room on the right, clearly strained.

Despite her assurance that the occupants weren't threats, Bai Ye unsheathed his Zanpakutō as a precaution and slowly opened the kitchen door. Inside the rice jar, two trembling children — a boy and a girl — huddled together in silence.

"Why are you so scared of us? And why did the entire village act like we were monsters?"

The children didn't respond. They looked about six or seven, but their frail bodies and sunken eyes told a different story — starvation had stunted their growth.

Bai Ye sighed in frustration. He looked just as young as they did. Why wouldn't they speak?

"Hey. If you don't talk, I'll chop you up," he said coldly, pressing his blade lightly against the girl's neck.

"Bai Ye!" Yue snapped, horrified.

Yuyan moved to intervene, but then—

"Don't hurt my sister!" the boy shouted, his voice cracking.

Bai Ye lowered his sword slightly. Finally.

Through the boy's broken, halting explanation, the story became clear. They were originally from the same village the trio had just passed through. Their parents had died recently, and the rest of the villagers — already living in poverty and afraid of strangers — had driven them out.

The boy's name was Ye Yi, and his sister, Ye Yu. Though they appeared young, they were actually around eleven or twelve — victims of prolonged malnutrition.

To villagers barely scraping by, appearances were everything. While Bai Ye and the girls thought they looked like refugees, they were still healthier than the average local. That alone made them targets of fear and suspicion.

"I was scared of him," Ye Yi admitted, pointing at Bai Ye. "The girls… they looked harmless."

"Tch. Look at that — your fault," Yuyan huffed, folding her arms. "They thought we were dangerous because of you."

"Yeah," Yue added, clearly annoyed. "I ruined my clothes for nothing."

Bai Ye scratched his head awkwardly. "Ahem. I just didn't want your identities exposed. You're both from very prominent clans. If anyone recognized the Byakugan or Sharingan, we'd be in more trouble."

After a short argument, the trio decided to rest in the abandoned hut. The Ye siblings initially protested, but folded quickly after Yue offered them some bingan pills.

The food transformed their attitude — at least toward Yue and Yuyan. Ye Yi remained wary of Bai Ye.

"Let's move on once we're rested," Bai Ye said that night, seated on the second floor. "If we stay too long, our pursuers could trace us here. The kids might get caught up in it."

Yuyan nodded. "We confirmed we're in the Land of Rain. Thankfully, we haven't gone too deep into the country. Yet."

The Land of Rain — ruled by Hanzo the Salamander during this era — was notoriously hostile to foreign shinobi. Being caught would mean death.

"Where do we go now?" Yue asked, worried. "If we head southeast, we'll run into Suna patrols. And the way we came is already blocked."

With Hizashi-sensei absent, the burden of leadership had gradually fallen on Bai Ye. Both girls looked to him now.

"We'll try crossing into the Land of Grass," he decided. "From there, we can circle back to the Fire Country. The northern path should be less patrolled."

He closed his eyes, recalling the Ninja World map from memory.

"If we move tonight, we might just stay ahead of them. Konoha will realize something's wrong soon. Reinforcements will come. We just need to hold out until then."