Boom!
As the final word fell, the image of Yashamaru self-destructing, along with Rasa's twisted face, shattered in Kamizuki Yu's mind.
He was no longer in the Kazekage's office.
Before him stretched an endless expanse of yellow sand.
The blazing sun hung overhead, baking the air until it warped. Wind was the only language of this land—monotonous, harsh, repeating its tale of death over and over.
Kamizuki Yu sped through the desert without stirring so much as a grain of dust.
Before setting out, he had dug up an ancient, nearly forgotten map from Amegakure's intelligence archives. The incomplete map pointed to an unmarked region deep within the Land of Wind.
Konan had asked him what he was going there for.
He had not answered.
Some things were instincts that could not be explained—a natural affinity for special energy fields.
Like how an exceptional programmer could always sniff out the deepest-hidden and most valuable module in a codebase.
The sand beneath his feet was hot enough to fry an egg.
Yet in Kamizuki Yu's perception, a completely different energy pulse beat not far ahead.
It was life.
Vigorous life force, utterly out of place in this dead land.
He stopped.
Pushing aside the heat-distorted air before him, a rich patch of green burst into view.
An oasis.
It was not large, but it brimmed with vitality. Clear lake water shimmered beneath the sunlight, while strange drought-resistant plants flourished all around it. Against the boundless yellow sand surrounding it, it formed two worlds at opposite extremes.
It was like a bug fix patch inserted by the system—abrupt, yet undeniably real.
Kamizuki Yu slowly entered the oasis, and the scorching air was instantly replaced by cool moisture.
He did not stop to admire the scenery. Instead, he sank his perception underground.
Just