Sensing that someone was watching them, Nagato looked up. The moment his eyes locked onto Xin, he froze, murmuring, "Teacher..."
"Teacher? What teacher? Come on, Nagato, we've got to push this cart!" Yahiko grumbled, noticing the cart had suddenly gotten heavier.
He glanced back, ready to scold Nagato for slacking off, but stopped when he saw where Nagato was looking.
Yahiko's grip on the cart's rope slipped, and Konan, who had been pushing from behind, cheered in delight. "Teacher!" she called out.
"Uh..." Xin facepalmed. "Since when did I become your teacher?"
Still, he waved them over. Even though Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan were only three years younger than him, their malnutrition made them look much smaller-like they were five years old instead of seven.
"Teacher!" Yahiko shouted, running toward Xin, with Konan close behind. Nagato hesitated but eventually followed.
"Looks like you've been practicing what I taught you," Xin said as the three of them stood before him, soaking wet but beaming with excitement. They didn't even seem to care about the rain.
"Heh, it's all thanks to your great teaching, Teacher," Yahiko said, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.
Xin chuckled. "I don't recall ever officially taking you three on as disciples."
He looked them over, frowning at their ragged, dirty clothes, which were soaked through and covered in mud. Sighing, he gestured for them to follow. "Come with me."
As they walked through the streets, Xin noticed a few shops were still open despite the poor weather. There was a clothing store nearby, as well as a restaurant.
Yahiko and Konan didn't seem to care about what Xin said earlier. They happily followed him, while Nagato trailed behind, still cautious but less on edge than before.
"What can I do for you, sir?" the shopkeeper greeted them warmly as they entered.
Xin cut him off, pointing at the three kids behind him. "Get them two sets of your best clothes each." He tossed some money onto the counter.
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up at the sight of the cash, and his face broke into a wide grin. "Right away, sir!"
"Teacher, we don't really need..." Konan began to protest, but one sharp look from Xin silenced her. She lowered her head, obediently following the shopkeeper's instructions as he helped them pick out clothes.
The shopkeeper even let them use the restroom to clean up.
After a good wash and change of clothes, the three of them finally looked more like normal kids, though Nagato still kept his head down, his red hair hiding his Rinnegan.
Once they were dressed, Xin bought them umbrellas and then led them to a restaurant, where he ordered plenty of food.
As they sat down to eat, Xin asked, "So, how did you three end up in Rain Village?"