"Hehe, delicious!"
Uchiha Nanpu wore an honest, simpleminded smile as he held the roasted wild boar meat Ingetsu had forced into his hands and happily gnawed on it, grease running down his mouth.
He suddenly felt that wild boar meat cut with this Divine Weapon really was different, as if even its flavor had been raised several grades.
Nanpu had originally wanted to stand up and say something, but Ingetsu had assumed he was hungry and expressionlessly stuffed a piece of roasted wild boar meat into his hands.
Seeing how good Ingetsu was to him, Nanpu was so touched that he hugged the roasted meat and started eating, completely forgetting what he had intended to do.
The other Uchiha, including Mikoto, Nonō, and Kurenai Yuhi, also received roasted meat.
This time, Tamao was no longer limited to roasted rabbit heads and rabbit buttocks like last time.
However, Tamao held a roasted wild boar trotter and kept circling around Ingetsu, looking this way and that.
Ingetsu did not reject Tamao's childlike behavior. After simply finishing his roasted meat, he wiped his hands clean with a tissue.
The bonfire blazed.
The Uchiha had witnessed Ingetsu's miraculous Wind Release swordsmanship, and after filling their stomachs, their fatigue gradually faded.
The sorrow in everyone's hearts also gradually lessened.
What puzzled them was this.
After Captain Ingetsu finished practicing his sword, his expression had not changed, and he seemed not to have expended much energy. Instead, their bodies felt as if someone had hollowed them out, leaving them somewhat weak.
Their appetites, however, had greatly increased.
Finishing an entire wild boar was nothing difficult.
Seeing Tamao circle around several times, Uchiha Nanpu said irritably, "Can't you stop and take a rest?"
Tamao said gloomily:
"Don't you want to know where Big Brother usually hides his treasures?"
The scene of Ingetsu flipping his wrist moments ago, causing space to tremble before recalling the Black Blade Dark Moon, had left a deep impression on Tamao.
Everyone was naturally curious.
So they looked toward Ingetsu.
Ingetsu remained expressionless, showing no intention of explaining anything about the Black Blade or "Space Ninjutsu."
Since he did not say anything, the Uchiha naturally did not dare ask more.
Whoosh—
Ingetsu took the border map purchased in Kikyo City from Nanpu and spread it over the grass beside the bonfire, confirming their current location.
The map was very detailed.
Forests, streams, lakes, and mountain ranges were all marked with distances and directions, and even their names were annotated.
The Uchiha Rogue Squad was currently at the foot of Mount Katsuragi, near Mount Kikyo. In these mountains was a small ninja village called "Earth Spider Village."
It was an ally of Konoha.
Continuing northwest.
After crossing Mount Katsuragi, they would reach Mount Xufu, whose terrain was steep and rugged. It contained primeval forests and was rich in natural treasures and rare medicinal herbs.
Beyond that.
They would reach the Valley of Sanction, which was shrouded in mist year-round and had extremely low visibility. It was said that even Jonin would get lost inside. Its terrain was complicated and its dangers extreme; anyone who entered had only a one-in-ten chance of survival.
The Uchiha, along with Kurenai Yuhi and Nonō, gathered around Ingetsu and the map.
Izumi crouched opposite Ingetsu, her small body surrounded by her clansmen, which made her feel very safe.
She blinked her large eyes and followed Ingetsu's gaze toward the map before asking curiously:
"Captain, is our final destination the small-country region near the Land of Earth?"
Beyond the Valley of Sanction lay the most chaotic small-country region in the Shinobi World.
"Yes. We should try to head in that direction."
Ingetsu answered calmly.
Nonō relaxed at this point and raised a hand to adjust her glasses. The person she had to assassinate for her mission would be coming from the Land of Earth.
That meant she could continue following the group.
After speaking.
Ingetsu put away the map and handed it to Nanpu. Now that everyone knew the purpose of their journey, their hearts settled considerably.
At least they knew where they were going, so the confusion in their hearts was greatly reduced.
Ingetsu looked up toward Mount Katsuragi.
Everyone looked over together.
Under the moonlight, they could vaguely see three forked paths leading up the mountain. The nighttime forest was quiet and deep.
"A multiple-choice question..." A thought flashed through Ingetsu's mind. He immediately looked at Izumi, who was playing with a torch behind him, and asked, "Which direction should we take next?"
→
At that, everyone looked at one another. They did not understand why the captain would ask such a delicate young girl about a decision so important.
Caught off guard by the question, Izumi lowered the torch in her hand. Having thought of something, her cheeks turned bright red in the firelight, like apples.
Izumi stammered, "I... I think all three paths are passable!"
She gave a little "hehe" inside.
She had gotten smarter this time.
She would choose all three paths.
Then she would toss the question back to him. Surely nothing could go wrong this time, right?
Ingetsu thought for a moment before saying to everyone behind him:
"All three paths may be dangerous. We'll take the mountain path in the middle. Rest for now. We'll set out in the latter half of the night. Everyone, prepare for battle!"
The Uchiha seemed to ponder this and turned to look at Izumi, whose cheeks had flushed crimson. She stood there at a loss.
They knew there was something strange about Izumi, but surely she could not be used as a standard for deciding their route!
Mikoto also looked at Izumi curiously. She knew nothing about the rumors surrounding the girl.
Izumi's brows drooped as she pouted pitifully and protested in a small voice:
"Captain In... Ingetsu... If we'd taken the water route last time, we probably wouldn't have been ambushed."
She was still somewhat troubled that Ingetsu had not accepted her suggestion, believing that his decision had been the fundamental reason they had ended up in a bitter fight.
At that, everyone turned toward Ingetsu in unison. They all knew about this matter.
The corners of Ingetsu's mouth lifted slightly.
He had not intended to bring up Izumi's sore spot, but since she had chosen to expose herself...
Ingetsu looked up at Kurenai Yuhi.
The Uchiha and Izumi did not understand what he meant.
Kurenai Yuhi thought for a moment, composed herself, and slowly organized her thoughts before explaining:
"That night, the Konoha Jonin pursuing you laid enough Explosive Tag traps in the waters outside Kikyo City to kill all of you three or four times.
"If you had entered the blast zone recklessly.
"Half the people here today.
"Would definitely be gone.
"Later, I split off from them and returned alone to those waters, dismantling all the Explosive Tag traps and ninja-tool traps.
"That was also one of the reasons I arrived late at the refugee stronghold and failed to stop them from committing those atrocities in time."
"Ah, I chose... wrong again!" Izumi looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She stood frozen in place, overwhelmed with shame.
So that night.
Her suggestion had been so deadly!
The Uchiha sucked in cold breaths and looked at Izumi in disbelief, their gazes gradually growing complicated.
They naturally did not dislike Izumi.
They simply felt.
That this was too bizarre.
Mikoto did not take it to heart. Choosing the wrong path was normal enough during a ninja march.
Nonō likewise did not take it to heart.
Ingetsu had also heard about this from Kurenai while traveling behind her.
Ingetsu knew.
There had actually been nothing wrong with Izumi's suggestion. She had made her judgment on the premise that the pursuing squad had failed to catch up with the fleeing Uchiha squad.
However, the method ninjas used most often was not to catch up with their target and immediately engage in battle.
Ninjas were better at and preferred waiting until they were rested, gathering intelligence, and launching prepared ambushes.
"Hmph..."
Izumi pouted and huffed, looking utterly mortified. She silently turned her back to everyone and crouched beside the bonfire, poking at it with a piece of firewood.
The Uchiha now regarded Izumi as their youngest little sister, and none of them could bear to see her so upset.
Nanpu took the initiative to walk over to the girl and gently pat her shoulder, comforting her:
"Izumi, you're just a little unlucky!"
One after another, the Uchiha came over to pat her shoulder and console her:
"That's right, that's right, Izumi. It's not your fault."
"Izumi, you have to stay strong!"
Suddenly—
A surprised voice rang out:
"This is a good thing!!"
PS: Progress update.
There is only one small plot point left before the escape journey ends, followed by a climax. Then we can enter the next stage.
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