!
What moved him, however, was that although he always mocked Akai, in Akai's heart, Xuan and he were people he would protect to the death.
"Hmph! Guy, if you want to be a hero, count me in. I think Ebisu is the strongest among people our age."
"Baka! Now isn't the time to be brave. Guy, Ebisu, even if the three of us are together, we might not be able to handle Juzo, let alone the fact that he isn't alone. If you want to..."
Just as Xuan said this, a huge mass of dense white fog suddenly drifted up through the forest.
"This is... the enemy's technique? I can't see the current situation at all... This is terrible. Akai and Ebisu, it seems difficult to stay hidden now. We need to find a hiding place as soon as possible. With fog this thick, there's no way to tell directions..."
"Ah, follow me. I just saw a pile of rocks. I hope I can find it based on my memory."
The white fog quickly blocked Akai's vision. Fortunately, Ebisu had noticed a spot earlier. Though his vision was blurred, Ebisu was still able to retrace his path based on his memory.
Fortunately, in the extremely low-visibility environment, Ebisu led Akai and Xuan to the place they had hidden before. After discussing their countermeasures, the three quietly concealed themselves. They did not even dare breathe deeply, much less communicate verbally.
Just as Xuan had guessed, the fog that had suddenly risen in the Forest was not a natural phenomenon, but a ninja technique used by Juzo, who held the Kubikiribōchō—the Hidden Mist Technique!
Juzo had originally intended to use the thick fog to block the three children's path and create a game of cat and mouse, but this move was