The footsteps outside the cave drew closer and closer, mixed with the scrape of gravel. In the silent cavern, they were exceptionally clear.
Obito abruptly rose to his feet and tightened his grip on the Kunai. "It's Hiruko-senpai! He actually caught up with us!"
Haotian, however, furrowed his brow as a powerful sense of unease welled up inside him.
He grabbed Obito by the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Don't go over there! It's not that simple!"
Obito froze and looked at Haotian in confusion.
"What's wrong? Hiruko-senpai is an elite Jonin from the village. He came to support us..."
Haotian offered no explanation. He merely stared fixedly at the cave entrance, every muscle in his body taut, like a cheetah poised to pounce.
He keenly sensed a faint smell of blood in the air, along with a nauseating stench of rot.
That stench was something no normal ninja should have.
"Something's wrong..." Haotian murmured.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the cave entrance.
Hiruko looked exceptionally haggard. Blood still seeped from multiple wounds across his body, yet his eyes glimmered with an unusual light.
He threw his head back and laughed, his laughter filled with mockery and resentment.
"You're quite clever, boy!" Hiruko's voice echoed through the cavern, carrying a hint of hoarseness. "You actually thought of using that method to put me in danger."
Obito's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Haotian. Haotian replied expressionlessly, "If I hadn't sensed a threat, I never would have abandoned anyone. Hiruko-senpai, you've misunderstood."
Hiruko gave a cold laugh and slowly approached, each step heavy and sluggish.
Obito's heart raced as he tightened his grip on the Kunai.
"You were wrong. Neither of you expected me to catch up so quickly, did you? But it's too late now." Hiruko's