Stronger Illusions

He paused and turned his gaze to Sarutobi Asuma. "Sensei, don't you feel like there's something extra in the air tonight... some kind of unusual presence?"

Sarutobi Asuma stopped poking at the firewood, his brows drawing together slightly.

He took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring faintly as though he were distinguishing the scents in the air.

His experience told him that Kawaki Aoba's intuition was not unfounded.

"Something is indeed off."

He spoke in a low voice, a trace of gravity in his tone. "But we can't determine what it is yet.

Shinku, Kurenai, have either of you noticed anything?"

Yuhi Shinku set down his rations, closed his eyes, and lightly pressed both hands against the ground, sensing the chakra fluctuations around them.

As a ninja of the Yuhi Clan, his ability to sense chakra far surpassed that of ordinary people.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, his expression slightly grave.

"There are faint traces of chakra about five hundred meters northwest of us.

But... this chakra is strange. It feels like something deliberately concealed it."

"Concealed?"

Yuhi Kurenai frowned, her hand instinctively tightening around the ninja tool pouch at her waist. "Brother, do you mean someone deliberately hid their presence? Is it an enemy?"

"Hard to say."

Yuhi Shinku shook his head and looked toward Sarutobi Asuma. "Sensei, what do you think? Should we investigate?"

Sarutobi Asuma did not answer immediately. He pulled out a cigarette from his ninja tool pouch, lit it, and took a deep drag. Smoke curled upward in the firelight.

His gaze shifted between the flames and the darkness, as though weighing something.

At last, he exhaled a plume of smoke and slowly spoke. "Investigation is necessary, but we can't act rashly.

Kurenai, you and Aoba stay here. Remain alert and protect the