The boy was silent for a bit he was shocked in three different ways, he had not seen them at all in the trees, he was actually watched during the whole process of him trying to steal there food and also absolutely horrificly shocked by the headands they were wearing.

“Ninja“

To call it shock was rather inaccurate it was more like a heavy weight pushed onto his chest slowly pulvarising his bones and leaving him motionless.

“Yes we are. What of it this is neutral territory for now so any nation can interfere here if they want to“ the more reserved with the combed down hair said.

The boy slowly digested the information he was given, he knew that there was not just one kind of ninja and the people infront of him might not be hostile, no they definetely were not hostile afterall he was still alive and they almost seemed...friendly?

Giving them a closer look he noticed the headbands they had been wearing all along.

“Your from Konohhhh..“He grumbled as he used his rosted vocal cords for the first time in ages.“I meant your from Konoha“

“Yes were from Konohagakure and the Country of Fire should that be a problem?“

“NO i just meant, i meant...your not gonna kill me?“

The men looked at each other with a serious expression.

The man with a beany and combed down hair spoke again.

“We wont kill you just because were ninjas my name is Izumo what´s yours?“

The boy noticed that the man was trying to force information out of him, but he doubted he could resist the man if he really wanted to know so he answered honestly

“My name is Shiro Tsukamoto“

Izumo looked at his partner with a worried look.

“Listen here furr man im not trying to pry too much but could you tell us about were you come from?“

“I..i live outside the forest...“

The boy mumbled accidentally giving away some information.

The man glanzed at Izumo as if finally sure of something.

“Hey listen Shiro do you live here all alone or is there anyone looking after you?“

“No“..... an awkward silence followed with the men exchanging glanzes that Shiro didn´t understand the meaning off.

“You can have that rice“. The man with spiky hair said.

“....Thank you.“ Shiro said looking at the rice as if it had magicly turned inedible after there conversation.

The men got some tableware out and let him eat the rice he slodged down his throat while they swolled some pills.

“So im Kotetsu by the way nice to meet you.“

Shiro looked at the man with a wary gaze then back at the rice“Yeah nice to meet you.“

A little bit went by till Kotetsu apearently couldn´t stand it anymore

“You know if you would tell us a bit about yourself i could give you some syrup with that rice!“

Shiro looked shocked“Who would want that?“

“A wise man once said dont knock it tilll you try it“

Shiro chuckled a bit“And who was that, you?“

“Well me just now obviusly“ Kotetsu said completely ignoring that his joke had already been said to him.

Izumo“Kid we wont force you but if you tell us about yourself but that´ll make all our lives a lot easier“

Shiro looked at him then at the rice as he eat another bit and finally at Izumos Ninja headband.

“Fine then but i don´t think there is much to tell“

“Any small bit would help out“

Shiro gazed at him curius why he mattered to someone of another country.

“Fine then im a Tsukamoto that means my village was atacked about 2 years ago I barely noticed anithing when my mother send me and my brother away two different directions from each other after we were atacked by the Earth Nation then i settled down here in the forest.“

Izumo looked at Kotetsu as if struggeling with a heavy burden.

“Listen kid your village didn´t just get atacked it was looted and annihilated by the country of earth im sorry to say but your the last survivor.“

Shiro´s eyes redenned to an extreme even more so then if he actually had cried then he pulled himself together saying“No my brother got sent away with me so..“

Izumo then asked something that hurt more then all the pain Shiro had received since he had made his new home in the forest

“Nishihara Tsukamoto right? About 9 years old so 8 when the village was atacked.“

Shiro only cried as a resonse silence following for a long while till he finally spoke again.

“It was just a year?“

Izumo asked“What do you mean?“

“My brother has his birthday at around the same time as me you said he was 9“

Izumo“....Yes it will be two years in 1 month from now..since the attack“

“I see“

Kotetsu and Izumo again looked at each other as tough communicating with there eyes better than with there mouths...then finnaly speaking.

“Well...the mission“ Izumo finnaly said.

Kotetsu“We can´t just leave him here“

Izumo looked at him for a second then saying“Your right“ as tough it was a fact.

Shiro seemed quite passive while Izumo and Kotetsu were hurriedly using varios means to contact Konohagakure but at least he didn´t cry anymore almost as if just lost in thoughts.

Kotetsu finnaly reached out to him

“Listen Kid it´s gonna take some time for others to come.“

“In the meantime all 3 of us can stay it´s not far from here there will be more good food“he said gesturing at the plate in Shiros hands.

“I...dont care....but ok i don´t mind“ Shiro said.

The men gave each other a satisfied expression“Well then Shiro if you don´t mind could you change in these clothes while one of us gets your belongings.“

“I have none“

“Pardon?“ Katetsu spoke.

“I have no belongings, just what is on me“ he said as he threw the wooden spear still on him on the ground like it was a something that had eternally lost all value.

The men went quiet as Shiro slowly changed in some clothes that were adjustable to different sizes, yet still didn´t fit him at all.

They had somewhat shocked looks on there faces, as they saw his small body that both malnourished and had a few bruises mainly on his legs.

As he seemed ready to move they tugged him along in a direction he had never went before, while taking small brakes inbetween in wich they both men practicly shoved food inside of him.

After 2 days the finally reached there destination.