Bunpuku

Late at night, in the command cave of Hidden Sand Village's frontline camp in the Land of Wind, lamplight flickered.

It stretched the shadows of figures across the rough rock walls, and the atmosphere was heavier than usual.

Chiyo and Ebizo had not rested. They were waiting for the outcome of Rasa's operation.

When the barrier at the entrance rippled faintly, Rasa appeared, staggering slightly and carrying the stench of blood.

His red hair was disheveled and dust-covered, while his face was pale from excessive blood loss.

Most striking was the hand clamped over the side of his waist and abdomen. Though it had received emergency treatment,

the large dark bloodstains on his clothes and the faint outline of bandages beneath them all showed how severe the injury was.

"Rasa!" Ebizo was the first to rise, his voice filled with incredulous shock.

They knew Rasa's strength better than anyone. He was the wielder of the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai,

the undisputed leader of Hidden Sand Village's younger generation.

He was only one step away from matching veteran Kage Level fighters like them.

His temperament was calm and tenacious, and he had brought an elite squad with flawless coordination for this mission.

His target had merely been that Hyuga boy suspected of possessing special sensory abilities... How had he ended up like this?

Chiyo strode forward and placed her palm directly over the wound Rasa was covering.

A pale green glow of medical chakra lit up and seeped beneath his clothes.

As she examined his injuries, she asked in a low voice:

"You look like this... Did you run into a large Leaf Village ambush force? Or one of Leaf Village's experts?"

Supported by Chiyo, Rasa slowly walked to the sand table and sat down.

His breathing was somewhat labored. He