Taking Her In

By the campfire in the Gobi Desert, Sōji silently watched the girl, and Hotaru watched him as well.

Her eyes held anticipation, unease, and a faint, timid fear of being rejected.

She did not ask any questions. She simply stood there, looking at him and waiting for his answer.

Sōji gathered his thoughts. "Yamada Soji. If you want to follow me, then come with me."

Hotaru froze for a moment. She had apparently not expected him to agree so readily.

"Y-you're not going to ask why I'm here alone? Or where I came from?"

Sōji tilted his head slightly, his tone casual. "When you want to tell me, you naturally will."

Hotaru opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she merely lowered her head and hugged the water skin to her chest.

"Thank you." Her voice grew even softer.

Sōji did not answer. He simply pointed at a rock nearby. "Sit and rest for a while. We'll leave once it's fully light out."

Hotaru nodded, clutching the water skin as she carefully sat down on the rock.

At that moment, Ugly Treasure suddenly poked its head out from Sōji's waist, staring curiously at the newly arrived little human.

Ugly Treasure made no effort to hide its presence and appeared directly before Hotaru, startling her so badly that she nearly jumped off the rock.

"W-what is that thing?"

Sōji smiled and reached out to give Ugly Treasure's head a light pat. "My companion. It doesn't bite."

Ugly Treasure cooperatively let out a whimper and rubbed its soft body against Hotaru's hand.

Hotaru stared blankly at the large purple caterpillar and stiffly reached out to touch it.

Soft. So soft!

A flash of wonder passed through her eyes. "It... it feels so soft."

Pleased by the praise, Ugly Treasure's entire body went limp as it let out satisfied little whimpers.

At last, a small smile curved Hotaru's lips.

After resting for a while, the two set out into the blowing sand.

Sōji walked in front, while Hotaru followed behind him.

Ugly Treasure remained wrapped around Sōji's waist, its head resting on his shoulder as it curiously observed the little tail trailing behind them.

Hotaru walked slowly. Her feet had no protection at all, and every step across the Gobi's sand and gravel was difficult. Still, she gritted her teeth and followed without a word.

Sōji did not look back, but his Six Eyes had been observing her all along.

Her chakra condition was stable. Though weak, it showed no signs of disorder, which meant Rage Hair Heaven's seal remained intact and had not loosened due to her weakened state.

That was important. If the seal developed a problem, that terrifying power could erupt at any moment and drag him into it as well.

After walking for a long time, Sōji tilted his head slightly and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Hotaru paused, then lowered her head. "A... a little."

Sōji stopped and took some rations from his pack, handing them to her. "Eat."

Hotaru accepted the food, glanced at him, softly thanked him, then began eating in large bites.

Sōji did not continue onward. He simply stood there and waited for her to finish.

Once she swallowed the last bit of food, the two set off again.

As they walked, Sōji explained, "Most cities in the Land of Wind are built around oases. The nearest one is about fifty kilometers from here. We can reach it in two days."

Hotaru raised her head and looked at him. "An oasis?"

"A water source in the desert."

Hotaru's eyes lit up. "Do they have good food?"

"They do." Sōji was succinct.

At that, Hotaru's lips curved upward. It was a genuine smile, not the cautious, probing smile she had worn the night before.

Ever since she had secretly fled Mount Katsuragi, the journey had been difficult. Only now, following Yamada Soji, did things finally seem to be slowly getting better.

Two days later.

Land of Wind, an oasis town.

From afar, it was merely a patch of green appearing abruptly amid the yellow sands. Only upon approaching could one see the earthen-yellow buildings nestled among the palm trees.

A sprawling cluster of houses made from clay and stone stood there, low and sturdy against the desert heat and windblown sand.

The town was not large, but it was lively.

Cloaked merchants, travelers leading camels, and locals wrapped in headscarves moved through the narrow streets.

The air carried the scents of spices and roasted meat, mixed with the musky odor of camels and the salty tang of sweat.

Sōji walked through the streets with Hotaru following behind, looking around curiously.

She had never seen a place like this before. Strangely dressed people, foods she had never encountered, specialty shops piled high with goods—everything was so new.

Still, she did not dare stray too far from Sōji and stayed close behind him, afraid of losing him.

Ugly Treasure poked its head out from Sōji's waist and curiously looked around as well. It behaved itself, making no sound as it silently watched.

Then Sōji stopped before an inn. "We'll stay here first. You need a bath and a change of clothes."

Hotaru lowered her head and looked at herself: her tattered clothes, skin covered in sand and dirt, and feet rubbed raw and bleeding.

Her face flushed slightly.

But Sōji said nothing more and walked straight into the inn.

Evening.

Sōji sat by the second-floor window of the inn, watching the sky outside gradually darken.

Sunsets in the desert were beautiful.

Golden light spilled across the earthen-yellow buildings, making the entire city seem gilded in gold.

Then came a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Hotaru stood in the doorway.

She had bathed and changed into clean clothes, local garments that Sōji had asked the innkeeper's wife to buy for her.

She wore a light brown robe with a white headscarf. She was still thin, but now that she was clean, her face had finally revealed its true appearance.

It was delicate, with brown hair and green eyes like a pair of emeralds.

At that moment, she stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure whether she should enter. Sōji, meanwhile, waved her over.

"Come in."

Hotaru walked in with small steps and sat across from him.

After a long silence, she finally gathered her courage and spoke. "Y-you're not going to ask me anything?"

Sōji glanced at her and smiled. "Ask what?"

"Where I came from, why I'm alone, why I wanted to follow you."

Sōji fell silent for a moment. "Do you want to tell me?"

Hotaru lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes between her hands. "Actually... I ran away from home."

Her voice was very soft.

"My grandfather put something terrifying inside my body. The people in the village were all afraid of me. They wouldn't play with me or talk to me. I could only stay by myself in that little room."

She paused, her voice catching slightly.

"Grandfather said it was for the village, for everyone. He said I would understand once I grew up, but..."

Her eyes reddened. "But I don't want to grow up. I just want someone to talk to me."

Sōji said nothing. He had never been good at comforting people, so it was better to simply keep quiet and listen.

Then Hotaru raised her head and looked at him. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Sōji tilted his head slightly. "Afraid of what?"

"The thing inside me is terrifying. Grandfather said that if it isn't controlled properly, a lot of people will die."

Sōji was silent for a moment. "I know."

Hotaru froze. "Y-you know?"

Sōji nodded. "I'm more or less a capable ninja. I happened to have heard a little about the Tsuchigumo Clan's forbidden technique."

Hotaru's eyes widened.

But Sōji merely looked at her. "That thing is inside you, but it isn't your fault. You shouldn't be isolated because of it."

Tears suddenly welled up in Hotaru's eyes.

She lowered her head and desperately wiped at them, but no matter how hard she tried, they would not stop.

Ugly Treasure crawled out from Sōji's waist and slowly made its way to Hotaru's side, rubbing its soft body against her hand.

Hotaru looked at it, then suddenly hugged it and buried her face in that soft purple mass.

She did not cry aloud, but her shoulders trembled continuously.

Sōji said nothing either. He simply sat there quietly, watching the sky outside the window gradually grow dark.