"A swift reply would be best. With Lord Mirai present, I think we can return to the village safely..."
"Yeah, even so, there are only a few of us. It's hard to say whether the enemy has reinforcements... So throw away everything unnecessary you're carrying. Haku, you'll head to Konoha with me. It's best not to get ambushed on the road. If the enemy really has reinforcements... then we'll be in trouble!"
Mirai had everyone cast off their burdens, then led the six children back toward Konoha Village.
A few hours later, the western sun began to dim. Mirai and the others were still within the Land of Grass. To prevent the enemy from launching an attack midway, Mirai decided to bring up the rear while Nagato and Xuan cleared the way ahead.
By the time they reached Konoha's territory, night had already fallen. Whether it was because of the dense leaves overhead or some other reason, everyone instinctively became alert the moment they entered the Forest.
"Lord Mirai..." Genma said, trembling.
Mirai knew what he wanted to say and reassured everyone, "Yeah! We're already inside Konoha's territory. You kids don't need to worry too much. Just keep moving forward. I'm in the back, so don't worry..."
"But... it seems like there's fog here. Is this the enemy's technique?"
"Hm?"
Only then did Mirai realize that Genma was talking about the mist that had silently risen through the Forest. This boy was truly cautious. Though the fog was still faint, they had to be on guard.
Worried that the enemy might make their move early, Mirai swiftly used his barrier ninjutsu in the air, darting at high speed through the gaps between the next tree trunks.
The six children knew this was Mirai's barrier ninjutsu, so they did not dare