Just then, Naruto dug through the soil beneath the marker and unearthed a strip of green cloth.
There were bloodstains on it.
Upon closer inspection, the words had been written in blood.
The color made the writing unclear, but fortunately, the three of them were no ordinary people and could easily make out what was written on the cloth.
Human-Demon Fusion—Danger.
Five words.
Yet those five simple words revealed an enormous amount of information!
"Guests, why have you come out again?"
Before they could fully process the message on the cloth, a voice came from behind them.
The sudden voice startled all three of them, and their bodies stiffened.
If the information on the cloth was correct, then the people in this village might no longer be human.
They were monsters in every sense of the word.
Although the unexpected voice had startled them, they quickly calmed down.
Fear came from the unknown. Now that they knew what was wrong with the villagers, there was nothing left to worry about.
Naruto stuffed the cloth into his pocket. The three of them rose to their feet and faced the village chief.
That was right. The suddenly appearing voice belonged to the village chief.
And it was not just the village chief who had come. The village chief, his son, and the daughter-in-law they had never seen before were all there.
At that moment, a door opened.
The residents of this house had heard the village chief's voice and come out to see what was happening.
Rural houses had poor soundproofing, so no matter what they did, they had to keep their voices down.
"Village Chief? And who are these people?"
"These people..." The village chief's eyes crinkled as he revealed a kindly smile. "These are guests who have come from afar."