Evacuation

"Go! Hurry!"

Yamano Tarō was practically dragging Third Grandpa along as he ran. The old man kept muttering, "My fields," and "My house," but his feet weren't slow.

Ryuto brought up the rear, having to turn around and raise his hand every so often.

Whoosh!

Another thing-he couldn't tell whether it was a fireball or a wind blade-came flying off course toward them. Pale golden ki streamed from his palm, forming a shield in front of him.

Bang!

The ki shield shuddered and burst into fragments, the hot wind scorching their faces.

"Ryuto!" Yamano Tarō shouted over his shoulder.

"I'm fine!" Ryuto shook his hand. His palm tingled a little.

That made seven times already.

The distant ninja fought like people setting off firecrackers at New Year's, an endless barrage of cracks and bangs, with stray attacks constantly flying their way. He had to block each one with ki, and his stamina drained like water through an open floodgate.

This is more exhausting than plowing ten mu of land, Ryuto muttered inwardly.

In the woods behind them, Hyūga Tenshu crouched in a tree, his Byakugan eyes wide as searchlights.

"Captain, he blocked another one," the teammate beside him whispered.

"I saw." Hyūga Tenshu held a scroll, his brush scratching across it. "Stable energy form. Instantaneous burst strength approximately equivalent to a B-rank defensive ninjutsu. No hand seals, no preliminary signs of chakra mobilization..."

His brush paused there.

"Captain, what exactly is this method?" the teammate couldn't help asking. "Chakra has to travel through the meridians, doesn't it? His energy just shoots straight out of his body, like a fart."

Hyūga Tenshu glared at him. "Mind your language."

"Yes, sir..."

"But you're right." Hyūga Tenshu looked toward the pale golden figure in the distance. "It's a completely different method. Chakra is water-gentle, requiring channels to guide it. His is... fire. Explosives. One spark and it blows."

He watched a little longer, then put away the scroll.

"We have enough data. Withdraw."

"We're not following him anymore?"

"If we keep following, we could get caught up in the battle or be discovered by him. Neither would be good." Hyūga Tenshu jumped down from the tree. "Return to the main family immediately. This... the clan head must see it personally."

The Hyūga clansmen nodded, then vanished in a flash.

Ryuto suddenly felt the gazes behind him disappear.

He glanced back. The woods were silent.

They left? He breathed a sigh of relief.

Those white-eyed freaks had followed them the whole way, making him feel uncomfortable all over, like people were watching him bathe. It was just as well they'd left. Now he wouldn't have to guard against being studied while blocking stray attacks.

"Ryuto! Over here!"

Yamano Tarō called from ahead.

The group entered a denser stretch of woods, and the light dimmed. The elderly and children panted. Several children could no longer walk and were being carried on adults' backs.

Yamano Tarō looked around, then suddenly pointed ahead. "There! A cave!"

Vines covered most of the entrance. Without looking closely, they really wouldn't have spotted it.

"Quick, get inside and take cover!"

The villagers filed in. The cave wasn't large, with just enough room to squeeze in twenty-odd people.

After settling the elderly, Yamano Tarō walked to the entrance and looked outside as explosions continued to sound.

"This fighting never ends." He sighed, turning to Ryuto. "That move you used just now... what exactly was it?"

Ryuto leaned against the stone wall at the entrance and caught his breath. "I don't know either."

"You don't know?"

"Yeah," Ryuto said. "I just kept practicing, and eventually I could do it."

Yamano Tarō stared at him for several seconds. "When you came here five years ago, you were covered in injuries. I asked where you came from, and you said you couldn't remember."

"I really couldn't remember."

"Then this power..."

"Maybe I was born with it." Ryuto smiled. "Like how some people are naturally strong."

Yamano Tarō asked no more.

He went over to Ryuto and sat down against the stone wall too. "Whatever the case, we owe you for today. If it weren't for you, Third Grandpa and the others never would've agreed to leave. And we couldn't have blocked those fireballs."

"It was only right," Ryuto said. "You saved me."

"That was five years ago."

"As long as I remember, that's enough."

They fell silent for a while.

The explosions outside seemed closer now, rumbling so hard it felt as though the mountain itself was shaking. The children in the cave began crying in fright, and the adults hurried to cover their mouths.

Yamano Tarō went pale. "Are... are they fighting their way over here?"

Ryuto said nothing.

He closed his eyes and extended his senses outward.

Chaos. Utter chaos.

Clusters of energy, large and small, collided and exploded in the distance, moving in their direction. At this rate, the battlefield would reach these woods in less than fifteen minutes.

"Uncle Tarō," Ryuto suddenly spoke.

"Hm?"

"If... I'm saying if." Ryuto opened his eyes and looked outside the cave. "If those ninja really do fight their way here, and I can't stop all of them, what do we do?"

Yamano Tarō froze.

He looked at Ryuto, then at the villagers huddled together inside the cave.

"Then stop as many as you can," he said. "It's better than all of us dying."

Ryuto nodded.

But he wasn't confident.

Blocking those stray ninjutsu just now had already tired him out. If a whole group of ninja really came and bombarded this place, would his little bit of ki be enough?

For the past five years, he'd secretly practiced in the hills behind the village, striking rocks and trees. At most, he'd left a crater. He'd thought he was pretty strong-at least stronger than everyone in the village.

But now, real war had come.

Only then did he realize that his little bit of strength didn't seem to amount to much against hundreds or thousands of ninja.

I need to get stronger. Ryuto clenched his fists. Much stronger.

Otherwise, never mind protecting others-he wouldn't even be able to protect himself.

Boom!

Another tremendous explosion rang out, frighteningly close this time. Dirt fell from the cave ceiling.

Yamano Tarō sprang to his feet. "This is bad! They really are fighting their way here!"

Ryuto stood too and walked to the entrance.

Flames and smoke were already visible above the distant woods.

"Stay inside the cave. Don't come out," he said.

"Ryuto, you..."

"I'll go take a look." Ryuto took a deep breath, pale golden ki rising faintly from his body. "If they fight their way toward us, I'll have to draw them away."

"It's too dangerous!"

"Better than all of us dying together."

With that, Ryuto pushed off the ground and shot away.

Yamano Tarō wanted to shout, but no sound came out.

He watched Ryuto disappear into the woods, his fists clenched tight.

Inside the cave, Third Grandpa suddenly spoke. "Tarō."

"Third Grandpa?"

"That boy... he's no ordinary person, is he?"

Yamano Tarō said nothing.

Third Grandpa sighed. "Whoever he is, he saved our entire village today. We must remember that kindness."

"I know," Yamano Tarō said.

He walked to the cave entrance and watched the flames drawing ever closer outside.

Only one thought filled his mind.

Ryuto, whatever you do, don't die.