Ashes (Part 2)
The Yugongyuan clan possessed no defensive ninjutsu or seals that could protect a settlement. After gathering every surviving member, they followed the creek and pushed deeper into the primeval forest.
For wandering clans like theirs, safety depended less on individual strength and more on choosing terrain with natural barriers—ravines, streams, thick undergrowth—places that reduced encounters with hostile ninja clans.
Realistically, if Yu Gong Yuanzhen abandoned the clan and acted alone, he could integrate more easily and safely into the ninja world. But such a thought had never crossed his mind.
During his year in the outside world, these ordinary clansmen had sustained him in countless ways. If he had not lived among them, he would never have survived this long.
Human beings can be indifferent, but not heartless. One's bottom line can bend, but it cannot vanish.
Since they called him clan leader, Yu Gong Yuanzhen bore that responsibility fully.
The deep forest had no trails. Their journey resembled the harsh trek of pioneers rather than fugitives.
Five days later, they crossed a mountain ridge. Two days after that, they reached a valley tucked within rolling hills. This place was practically the heart of the forest, veiled by dense thickets and sheltered by surrounding cliffs. Even skilled reconnaissance ninja would struggle to locate them.
There were barely more than a dozen of them left. Even if they stayed here for weeks, the traces they left behind would be minimal.
Yu Gongyuan stood on twisted, ancient tree roots, surveying the surroundings. He placed his hand on the massive tree beside him and said:
"Here. This will do."
This forest was far from suitable for long-term settlement. Fortunately, they needed only a temporary refuge, not a permanent village.
Faced with the overwhelming greenery and the silent desolation of the deep woods, not one ninja voiced a complaint. In truth, only places where humans rarely visited gave them a sense of safety. Here, at last, they could release the terror of their escape and breathe.
After confirming the campsite, they began constructing crude shelters. They searched for huge exposed roots, dry hollows inside ancient trees, or dead trunks leaning at an angle. Using the forest's elevation differences, they cleared out branches in the low areas and built simple roofs in the higher ones.
The construction wasn't complex. They wove vines into netting and layered large leaves atop it to form makeshift protection against wind and rain. Before long, the shacks were built.
As soon as they finished, a steady rain began to fall. There was no time for rest. Aside from the injured, the surviving men split into two groups—one for hunting and gathering, the other for fishing in nearby streams.
Their supplies had long since been cut off. They survived on the forest's natural abundance: fish, small game, wild fruit. In the Warring States era, victory often went not to the strongest, but to those who could hunt, fish, and endure.
It was early autumn; the weather, though damp, was not yet cold.
As clan leader, Yu Gongyuan received the slight privileges his position afforded: he did not join the hunting parties, and his shelter was placed on a dry, elevated mound with good visibility.
He sat beneath the crude eaves of his hut, watching the rain and contemplating the clan's future. What would become of the Yugongyuan? Given their remaining numbers, they could never become a major force—no matter how valiantly they fought. Even if, hypothetically, they had ten Kakashi-level elites…
Well—yes, ten Kakashis could indeed shake the ninja world. But that was just a fantasy.
For a small, weak group like theirs, the most rational strategy would be to attach themselves to a larger power. But without trust, such dependence would make them nothing more than expendable cannon fodder. Better to survive in the cracks and keep control of their own destiny.
Surprisingly, Yu Gongyuan wasn't pessimistic. Not because of exceptional willpower, nor because he foresaw the future of the ninja world. Rather—because they had already reached rock bottom. What awaited beyond this point could only be improvement.
Or, more bluntly: I'm already in this state. What humiliation is left to fear? At worst, I'll "die in front of you." So what is there to be afraid of?
After thinking for some time, he made his decision.
The rain stopped near dusk. The hunting teams returned with food, and the group set about preparing it and lighting fires.
Yu Gong Yuanzhen found a dry patch of ground and built a fire. Once everyone had begun eating, he gathered the remaining sixteen members of the clan around the flames.
They had narrowly escaped death. Everyone looked drained, but their spirits held. After all, life—however harsh—was still life.
The grief of losing nearly their entire clan hung unspoken between them.
Yu Gong Yuanzhen sat on a tree stump. Beside him sat a roughly carved wooden bowl filled with pieces of fish and steaming broth. He took a sip. The light, clean taste carried a faint hint of pine—the natural scent of the wooden bowl.
No one spoke. They savored the moment of peace.
But in this fragile reprieve, unity was needed more than silence.
Yu Gongyuan set down the bowl, cleared his throat, and began:
"Although we've escaped pursuit, the environment we face remains harsh."
"The battles between ninja clans have continued for generations. This chaos will not end anytime soon. And we—so few and so weak—could be wiped out at any moment."
"But today I do not wish to lament, nor complain, nor give up. I only wish to say this: to survive, one must choose the right strategy."
"We must strive to live—not merely exist."
"Humans require spirit. I don't mean arrogance. I mean simply that we are human—not corpses that can still walk."
"Our Yugongyuan clan… with so few of us left, it is fair to say the clan has already been destroyed."
"To continue surviving with autonomy, we must grow stronger. We must remain cautious—able to defend ourselves without provoking the major clans."
"For us, the idea of a 'clan' is no longer important."
"The Yugongyuan name carries no ancient lineage, no storied glory, no famed bloodline. Though the honor our people died defending is real… some things must be allowed to perish in order for something new to be born."
"I have decided: from this day forward, we will no longer act under the name of the Yugongyuan clan. From now on, I will call myself Yuzhen. And you will no longer be bound by the same clan name, but a group of wandering ninja—united by shared ideals and the will to survive."
He rose to his feet.
"We—"
"Do not seek victory, only survival."
"Do not fear death, only the will to continue."
"Do not compete, but follow the flow."
"Do not act recklessly, but adapt to the times."
"Hold hope in your hearts—hidden in darkness."
"Let the embers remain buried within the ashes."
"From this day forward, we are the Ashes."
With that, Yuzhen removed his forehead protector and tossed it into the fire.
Under the flames, the symbol of the Yugongyuan clan glowed bright red—then slowly softened—then finally…
…melted away.
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