The two children one boy and one girl—looked no more than three or four years old.
They wore clothes covered in patches, their thin bodies frail and undernourished, yet surprisingly clean.
At this moment, the boy was tightly hugging the girl in his arms, while the girl clutched a chunk of meat against her chest with all her strength.
The butcher shouted fiercely, but the stick landing on the boy's back was clearly restrained—painful enough to scare, but far from injuring him.
"That's enough."
Wen Lan couldn't help stepping forward. He pulled some money from his ninja pouch and said, "Boss, how much is it? I'll pay for them."
The butcher froze for a moment, then glared at the two children and roared,
"Get lost! If I see you again, I'll beat you to death!"
Terrified, the two children scrambled to their feet, bowed deeply to Wen Lan, and ran off as fast as they could.
Inuzuka Hana immediately stormed over, furious.
"How can you be like that?! Wen Lan already said he'd pay for them—why are you still yelling at them?!"
"Hana!" Wen Lan quickly barked in a low voice. He could tell the butcher had done it on purpose.
Hana puffed up her cheeks, clearly unhappy, and folded her arms, turning away.
The butcher didn't get angry. He put away the stick and sighed.
"Those two kids are from the orphanage. I'd like to help them, but I've only got so much ability myself.
A little meat stolen is one thing—but if it becomes a habit, how am I supposed to keep my business running?
"They need to know that stealing is wrong, but I can't really hurt them either.
That's the only way I've got."
He waved his hand.
"As for the money, Ninja-sir, there's no need to pay."
Hana froze, then immediately bowed deeply, her face full of guilt.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know…"
"It's fine," the butcher said gently. "Those who don't know aren't at fault."
He looked toward the direction the children had fled and murmured, "I just hope they can survive."
Wen Lan thought for a moment, then asked,
"Boss, how much for all the meat in your shop? I'll buy everything."
"Huh?!" The butcher was stunned. "There's quite a lot of meat here!"
"It's fine. Just name a price."
Seeing such a big deal, the butcher hurriedly weighed everything. After Wen Lan paid, he asked, "Can you deliver it?"
"Of course!"
"Then take it to the orphanage," Wen Lan said, grabbing Hana's hand.
"Perfect timing—you can show me the way."
The butcher was dumbfounded for a moment, then broke into a wide grin.
"Wen Lan-sir really is a kind man! I'll thank you on behalf of the orphanage children. I'll load it up right now!"
Wen Lan wasn't surprised that the butcher recognized him.
At this point, it would be strange if someone in Konoha didn't know who he was.
The butcher quickly wheeled out a handcart, stacking slabs of meat neatly into a small mountain, sweat dripping from his brow as he worked.
Hana looked puzzled and asked quietly, "Wen Lan, the orphanage receives funding from the village. Why buy so much meat?"
Wen Lan smiled wryly. Children from wealthy families rarely understood real hardship.
"Yes, the village does allocate funds," he said calmly, "but when you're facing a large group of orphans, it's just a drop in the bucket.
"If they could really eat their fill, why would they steal meat in the first place?"
Hana nodded slowly in realization.
When someone steals money, it's that person's fault.
When someone steals food, it's society's fault.
"There's more to it," Wen Lan continued, hands in his pockets as he looked toward the orphanage.
"Kind villagers lose only a little money—but they'll remember it for life.
"A drop of kindness is repaid with a spring, and when the spring runs dry, it becomes a fountain.
"When these orphans grow up, they'll remember today.
If they can't repay the favor with money, repaying it with themselves is still an option."
He smiled faintly.
"You never know—someone you save by chance today might become an extraordinary figure tomorrow."
Hana stared at him, stunned.
For some reason, two words surfaced in her mind:
Deathsworn.
Her heart trembled—as if she had glimpsed both Wen Lan's deep strategy and his compassion.
The butcher pushed the cart over and said cheerfully,
"Wen Lan-sir, everything's loaded."
Wen Lan looked at the mountain of meat, nodded in satisfaction, and patted the cart.
"Let's go. What we're delivering isn't just food—it's hope."
The orphanage was located in a remote corner of the village, consisting of only a few buildings.
Children were curled up in the yard, basking in the sunlight. Their clothes were ragged but clean, and their eyes were bright.
The boy who had stolen the meat sat at the entrance, repeatedly glancing inside.
Inside, a woman carefully spoon-fed meat broth to a pale little girl lying in bed.
She had blonde hair, round black-framed glasses, and wore clothes resembling a nun's habit.
"B-Big brother…"
The little girl who had stolen the meat tugged nervously on the boy's clothes, pointing fearfully at the butcher outside.
The boy's face went pale. He immediately stood up, shielding his sister behind him, his body tense as he stared at the gate.
Standing outside the iron gate, Wen Lan called out, "Could someone open the door? We're here to deliver meat."
When the boy recognized Wen Lan's face, his tense body instantly relaxed—he remembered the man who had helped them earlier.
Three women and two men working inside the orphanage looked over in confusion. One of the men froze, then his face lit up with joy.
He hurried over, opened the gate, and bowed deeply.
"Wen Lan-sir! I'm Rensuke!"
Wen Lan looked at him carefully, feeling he seemed familiar.
"You are…?"
"You saved my life on the front lines!" Rensuke said quickly.
"Three Iwagakure-nin had me cornered!"
Wen Lan thought back for a moment, then suddenly remembered.
"Ah—it's you! What are you doing at the orphanage?"
Rensuke scratched his head sheepishly.
"My injuries were severe. I had to leave the ninja profession, so I came here to work."
"As long as you're alive, that's what matters," Wen Lan nodded.
"These are some meat I bought—just to help the kids eat better."
Rensuke's eyes turned red as he bowed again and again.
"Thank you so much, Wen Lan-sir. The village funds barely keep them from starving—having a full meal is almost impossible.
"I thank you on behalf of all the children."
Wen Lan waved it off.
"I'm part of the village too. Helping is the only right."
He gestured for the butcher to unload the meat into the kitchen.
Nearby, the children's eyes lit up the instant they saw the meat. They gathered around instinctively—yet none dared approach.
Even as saliva dripped from their mouths, they stayed frozen in place.
Only when Rensuke smiled and called them over did they cautiously step forward.
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