Kawaki Aoba set down his chopsticks too. He looked at Yamano Yuto and asked gravely, "When did you notice? Roughly which direction were they in?"
"It was this afternoon, while I was practicing Taijutsu. Around dusk, I think."
Yamano Yuto thought back. "
As for the direction, I couldn't really tell. It felt like they kept moving—east one moment, west the next. I couldn't pin down their position at all."
Asuma pondered for a moment. "It seems we're in more danger than we thought.
We still don't know what they're after—whether they're targeting us or the mission.
From now on, everyone needs to be more careful. Try not to go anywhere alone, especially outside. Stay alert at all times."
"Understood, sir."
Yamano Yuto and Kawaki Aoba answered together.
After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms.
Back in his room, Kawaki Aoba did not rest right away. He took the things he had collected from his cloth bag, laid them on the table, and examined them closely.
He picked up the small bottle of dark red powder, opened it, and poured a little into his palm. Then he closed his eyes, concentrated, and tried to channel his Chakra into the powder.
Soon, a faint heat spread across his palm. Under the influence of his Chakra, the powder slowly turned into a dark red liquid.
Kawaki Aoba opened his eyes and looked at the liquid in his palm. An excited smile touched his face.
This was the third time he had successfully caused one of the objects he had collected to change.
He still did not know what these changes meant, but he could feel himself drawing closer to the "precious gift"
he had been waiting for.
Just as he was caught up in his delight, a soft knock came at the