The boy had short, silvery-white hair that gleamed faintly beneath the moonlight. His violet eyes seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts as they fixed on Kawaki Aoba with keen interest.
"Kazama Che, why are you here?"
Kawaki Aoba frowned tightly, a hint of wariness in his voice.
Kazama Che was a ninja from the same generation in the village. He was quite capable, but his personality had always been lax and carefree, constantly wearing a flippant expression. Still, he was reliable enough when it mattered.
Kawaki Aoba simply hadn't expected to run into an acquaintance after deliberately choosing such a remote place for his observation post.
Kazama Che straightened up from the tree and slowly walked over to Kawaki Aoba. After giving him a once-over, he said with a grin, "I was about to ask you the same thing. Hiding alone in these woods so late at night, looking like a wolf stalking its prey... Don't tell me you're carrying out some secret operation?"
As he spoke, he pointed at the kunai pouch on Kawaki Aoba's waist and the ninja tool pack on his back. "
Dressed like that, you sure don't look like you're out for a stroll."
Kawaki Aoba withdrew his hand from his kunai pouch and snorted coldly. "What I do doesn't seem to be any of your business, does it? Kazama Che, if you have nothing else to do, leave already. Don't get in my way."
He didn't want Kazama Che disrupting his plan. If he really ended up fighting the enemy later, having an uninformed person nearby would only create unnecessary trouble.
Yet Kazama Che showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Get in your way? Looks to me like you've run into trouble.
A couple of days