Changing Course to the Land of Grass

Sōji had just emerged from the dark alley with Snakebite in hand when he saw that the seven people in the inn's rear courtyard had already spread out.

They were not trying to flee; they were deploying tactically.

Two Chunin stood in front, two Special Jonin in the middle, and three Jonin at the rear.

At that moment, the flow of chakra among all seven of them synchronized completely. Their breathing rhythms, hand-signing pace, and even the timing of their chakra nature transformations were as precise as a calibrated machine.

This was the standard tactical response of the Hidden Sand ANBU when facing a powerful enemy. The instant they saw Sōji appear, the two Chunin at the front unleashed ninjutsu simultaneously.

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"

Two massive wind blades sliced in from both sides. They did not travel in straight lines, but in arcs, sealing off Sōji's retreat while aiming directly for his throat.

Faced with the wind blades, Sōji remained calm. He sprang into the air and spun, the first blade grazing past his ear and shearing off several strands of silver-white hair.

At the same time, Snakebite traced a semicircle through the air, and its tip redirected the second wind blade skyward.

But that had only been a feint. Their real killing move was still to come.

The instant Yamada Soji landed steadily, the Special Jonin in the center had already completed his hand signs.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

This was no ordinary C-rank ninjutsu.

It was a large-scale technique unleashed by linking the chakra of all seven people together.

The next moment, a spiraling wind pillar over five meters wide erupted from the ground, sweeping up gravel and sand as it crashed toward Sōji like an enraged dragon.

Yet Sōji did not retreat a single step before the storm. He shoved Snakebite into Ugly Treasure's mouth, rapidly formed hand signs, and sent chakra racing through his body.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall."

This was the first time he had used Water Release against an enemy in the Land of Wind, a place plagued by drought year-round.

The instant water surged from his throat, the chakra within him poured out like floodwaters bursting through a broken dam.

A wall of water ten meters wide and three meters tall formed before Sōji in an instant. The next moment, water and wind collided in the middle of the street.

Six Eyes precisely controlled the amount of chakra output and its nature transformation, bringing the water wall's thickness into perfect balance with the wind pillar's point of impact.

The wind pillar tried to tear apart the water wall, while the water wall tried to swallow the wind pillar.

The two types of chakra ground violently against each other in the air, producing a piercing shriek. Mist exploded from the collision point, instantly obscuring the entire street.

The water wall was collapsing, and the wind pillar was dispersing.

After three breaths, the wind pillar turned into a chaotic current of air, carrying mist in every direction.

The walls along both sides of the street were soaked by the mist. Roof tiles were ripped away by the airflow and shattered across the stone pavement.

The instant the water wall collapsed, Sōji's figure vanished from the Sand shinobi's sight as well.

"Everyone, stay alert!"

At their leader's command, the seven-man squad began adjusting their positions again. After swallowing Soldier Pills, their chakra was recovering rapidly.

The two Jonin at the rear had both placed their right hands on the sealing scrolls at their waists. They were preparing Plan B.

But Sōji gave them no chance.

"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique."

This was Kirigakure's signature ninjutsu. It was not a killing technique, but one meant for environmental control.

The chakra-transformed mist rapidly merged with the moisture lingering in the air, shrouding half the street in a single breath. The fog was so dense that one could not see their hand before their face.

But to Sōji, the fog was transparent.

Six Eyes allowed him to see even more clearly in the mist than usual. He could see every detail of the chakra flowing through the bodies of the Sand shinobi.

"Tighten the formation. Prepare Wind Release to disperse the fog. Masa, locate the enemy as quickly as possible."

The leader shouted as he began forming hand signs.

A female Special Jonin in the center was forming hand signs as well. She was using a sensory technique, intending to pinpoint Sōji's position within the fog.

But Sōji gave them no opportunity. He crouched in the dense mist and thrust both hands into the earth.

The next second, the ground began to tremble faintly.

"Something's wrong, scatter—"

The ANBU leader noticed something was amiss immediately, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

Dance of the Bracken Fern!

A cruel smile curled across Sōji's lips. The next moment, the chakra in his body poured out like floodwaters through a broken dam, flowing through his hands and into the ground.

Rumble—

The earth shook violently, as though a subterranean dragon had turned over. Countless thick, sharp bone spikes burst from beneath the ground.

"Aaaahhh—"

Screams rose one after another from within the dense fog. In only a few moments, the entire street had become a forest of white bones.

This was only the result of Sōji holding back. Had he gone all out, half of Sandview City would have become a world of white bones.

When the dense fog finally dispersed, the seven Sand shinobi had long since been impaled by countless bones amid the ghastly forest, leaving behind seven mangled corpses.

Feeling the significant rise in Cursed Energy within his body, Yamada Soji finally relaxed completely. With a sweep of his hand, countless bones slowly burrowed back underground.

Before long, aside from the ruins covering the ground, not a trace of bone remained.

Fortunately, both sides had deliberately avoided the inn during the battle. The other side likely feared injuring Hotaru and causing the secret technique, "Rage Hair Heaven," to erupt out of control.

"Whew—"

Yamada Soji slowly exhaled. After briefly regulating his breathing, he began collecting the spoils. He had no time to sort through them, so he stuffed even the corpses into Ugly Treasure's mouth.

Besides, Ugly Treasure would digest any unwanted corpses on its own, so there was no need to worry about contaminating the space inside.

He then turned and headed toward the inn surrounded by rubble.

Second-floor room.

Hotaru crawled out from beneath the bed, still trembling all over. She had clearly been terrified by the tremendous commotion outside.

"Mr. Sōji..."

"It's over now."

Sōji spoke calmly, as though he had merely gone out for breakfast. "Pack your things. We're leaving."

"W-Where are we going?"

"It's time to take you home. If you keep following me, you'll be in danger."

Hotaru froze at his words.

"Home?"

"Yeah, that's right."

As he spoke, Sōji crouched down until they were eye to eye. "You've been away for so long. Your grandfather must be worried sick about you."

"Those people just now were shinobi from Hidden Sand. They weren't only looking for you; they were after the secret technique inside your body."

Hotaru's face went pale. "They... want that?"

"Yeah. That's why you can't keep following me. I'll take you home, back to your grandfather. That's where you'll be safe."

Hotaru lowered her head and said awkwardly, "B-But..."

"Hm?"

Her voice was soft, like sand blowing in the wind. "I don't want to go back. I still want to stay by Mr. Sōji's side and learn ninjutsu."

"Once I go back, I'll be alone again."

As she spoke, her voice began to choke with tears. "Alone in that little house, with no one to talk to, no one to play with me... only that thing... that frightening thing..."

She raised her head, her eyes red-rimmed.

"Mr. Sōji, could you... could you take me with you?"

Sōji looked at her and shook his head firmly. "No."

Hotaru's tears fell.

"Because I can't protect you forever. I have my own things to do—dangerous things. If you follow me, you'll die sooner or later."

Hotaru bit her lip, desperately holding back her sobs.

"But..."

As he spoke, Sōji reached out and gently pressed a hand atop her head.

"I can take you back, then speak with your grandfather. I'll let him know that his granddaughter isn't a container. She's a living person who needs care and love."

Hotaru froze at once.

Sōji smiled and shrugged. "Though I can't guarantee he'll listen. After all, I'm just a passing traveler, not the Hokage or some important figure."

But Hotaru shook her head hard. "Mr. Sōji, I'm already very grateful that you're willing to speak up for me."

"You need to learn to be stronger yourself, too."

Sōji smiled, then his expression turned serious. "All right, this isn't a place to linger. The people from Hidden Sand won't let this go so easily. Let's leave now!"

"Mm-hm, okay!"

Hotaru hurriedly wiped away her tears and began packing. Her movements were quick and efficient.

Sōji stood by the window, lifting a corner of the black cloth as he looked out at the street.

By then, the sun had completely set. The entire city was shrouded in twilight, and the distant dunes had become blurred silhouettes.

His gaze passed over the city and turned toward the northeast. Mount Katsuragi—the territory of the Tsuchigumo Clan lay in that direction.

"Looks like the trip to the Land of Water will have to be put off for now," Yamada Soji murmured.