Sunagakure Squad

At this moment, Sōji slowly sat up straight.

The little slug lay by his left hand, its antennae trembling slightly as if it had sensed something too.

"Lord Sōji..."

Her voice was faint, echoing in his mind.

Sōji shook his head slightly and gestured that everything was fine. Then, with a thought, he released the Summoning Technique.

Poof!

The white smoke dispersed, and the little slug vanished, having returned to Shikkotsu Forest.

Ugly Treasure raised its head beside him. Sōji reached out and gently patted its head.

Ugly Treasure immediately understood.

Its body began to wriggle and slowly lengthen, winding around Sōji's waist like a purple rope.

One loop, then two, before it finally rested its head on Sōji's left shoulder, its large eyes blinking as it warily watched the west.

This position also allowed Sōji to reach into its mouth and draw out the Heavenly Inverted Spear at any time.

Everything was ready!

Sōji leaned back against the rock again, his posture relaxed and his breathing steady.

A moment later, footsteps approached from afar.

They were very light, clearly belonging to trained people.

The next moment, four figures emerged from the darkness and stopped at the edge of the firelight.

They wore the standard armor of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, red Sunagakure emblems stamped onto their light-brown vests.

Their forehead protectors reflected the firelight. Half their faces were concealed by shadows, but their eyes were bright as they scrutinized the youth beside the campfire.

Their formation was standard as well: two in front and two behind, positioned at staggered angles to cover one another.

The two in front kept their hands by their waists, ready to draw blades or form hand seals at any moment. Of the two in back, one carried a huge scroll, likely responsible for communication or sealing.

The other had both hands tucked into his sleeves, but Sōji could see that he was already gripping kunai in them.

They responded skillfully, with abundant experience.

Sōji, however, did not move. He remained seated against the rock, tilting his head slightly as though he had heard something.

"Who's there?" His voice was calm, carrying just the right hint of confusion.

None of the four answered.

The leading ninja stared at him, his gaze sweeping over Sōji.

The black cloth over his eyes, his plain clothes, his light pack, and the seemingly strange things around his waist and shoulders.

Then his eyes paused briefly on the campfire. On the desert wasteland at night, its glow could be seen clearly even a hundred meters away.

"Who are you? Why have you come to the Land of Wind?"

The leader spoke, his voice low and carrying the forceful tone of an interrogation.

At that, Sōji slowly straightened up. His movements were unhurried, his hands resting on his knees, his posture relaxed. "Are you honored ninjas of Sunagakure? I am merely a traveler."

"A traveler?"

The man's tone was plainly suspicious. "A blind man lighting a fire in the middle of the desert at night?"

Sōji showed no displeasure at the word blind. He merely nodded slightly.

"I couldn't find a place to stay before nightfall, so I rested here. The fire is for warmth. Desert nights are far too cold."

The man exchanged a glance with his companions.

Another ninja spoke up. He was a tall, thin man with a shrill voice. "Captain, there's something wrong with this brat. How could a blind man possibly make it to the border alone?"

The captain said nothing and merely continued watching Sōji's reaction.

The campfire flickered, casting shifting light and shadow between them.

"Where did you come from? Where are you going?"

Sōji fell silent for a moment. "I came from the Land of Rivers. I wanted to visit the Land of Wind."

"Visit?"

The shrill-voiced Sunagakure ninja sneered. "What can a blind man see?"

Sōji did not argue.

He merely tilted his head slightly, directly toward that ninja.

Behind the black cloth over his eyes, the Six Eyes had already seen every detail of the four men clearly.

The paths of their chakra flow, the degree of tension in their muscles, the angles at which they held their kunai...

The ninja carrying the scroll had some kind of chakra fluctuation sealed within it. It might have been a summoned creature, or perhaps a sealing technique.

Inside the captain's waist pouch was an identification token from Sunagakure, engraved with a name and number.

"Not being able to see doesn't mean I can't feel."

Sōji's voice remained calm and even. "I heard that the Land of Wind is vast and its deserts are beautiful, so I wanted to experience them for myself."

The shrill-voiced ninja was about to say something else, but the captain stopped him with a raised hand.

The captain stared at Sōji, his gaze lingering on his face for a long time before drifting down to Sōji's waist. He had the constant feeling that there was something there.

At that moment, Ugly Treasure had concealed its presence and remained perfectly still, like an inanimate object.

The captain was silent for a moment. "What happened to your eyes?"

Sōji raised a hand and lightly touched the black cloth, smiling calmly. "I was born this way."

"Just now, that slight turn of your head told me you knew how many of us there were, didn't it?" The question carried the certainty of a probe.

Sōji's lips curved slightly. "Yes, honored ninja. Four people, with different weights to their footsteps."

He said it naturally, without a single flaw.

The captain stared at him for a few more seconds before suddenly saying, "Take off the cloth. Let me see your eyes."

Sōji's fingers paused slightly, and the air grew subtly tense.

The shrill-voiced Sunagakure ninja had already slowly pulled his hand from his sleeve, the kunai glinting coldly in the firelight.

Sōji was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his hand toward the black cloth over his eyes. "All right."

"But my eyes are not very pleasant to look at. I hope you honored ninjas won't mind."

As he spoke, he was about to untie one corner of the cloth when a rustling sound suddenly came from the distance.

The four Sunagakure ninja instantly turned their attention in that direction. Sōji's fingers stopped as well, and the cloth still covered his eyes.

But the Six Eyes had already seen it. It was a desert fox common to the region, startled by the firelight and voices as it hurried past.

The captain relaxed and withdrew his gaze, but did not continue demanding that Sōji remove the cloth.

He merely waved his hand. "Let's go! He's just a blind man. There's nothing wrong with him."

Another Sunagakure ninja was somewhat unwilling. "Captain..."

"I said, go." The captain's tone turned colder.

Before his words had even faded, the captain immediately turned around and vanished into the darkness. Seeing this, the other three had no choice but to follow.

Their footsteps quickly faded away, as though some beast that devoured men lurked behind them.

That Sunagakure captain had sharp senses. He had only let out the faintest trace of killing intent!

Sōji smiled casually and slowly lowered his fingers from the black cloth.

Ugly Treasure let out a soft whimper on his shoulder: You're just letting them go?

Sōji patted its head and smiled helplessly. "I'm not some homicidal maniac. Besides, it's better to keep a low profile on someone else's turf!"

With that, he leaned back against the rock once more. The campfire continued to dance, driving away the chill of the desert.

In truth, the four Sunagakure ninja had not gone far. The Six Eyes could see that they had stopped behind a rock several hundred meters away, seemingly observing this place.

They clearly did not want trouble either. As border patrols, their duty was to prevent illegal mining and guard against spies from other countries infiltrating.

Someone who could crush their psychological defenses through presence alone was not an opponent the four of them could handle.

Sōji paid no attention to the four men watching him. He simply closed his eyes and rested against the rock.

The night wind blew past, and the campfire slowly burned out.

In the distance, the four chakra signatures finally departed, disappearing in the direction of the Land of Wind.