Dawn broke.
The campfire on the dune had long since gone out, and Hashirama had withdrawn the wooden house.
The five of them packed up and continued deeper into the desert.
Ryuto walked at the front.
He felt great.
He had fought twice yesterday and barely used any Ki. Instead, after getting some exercise, the Ki in his body had become more active, leaving him brimming with energy.
Was this what a Saiyan physique was like? The more I fight, the more energetic I get.
They walked for about an hour.
Something stirred beneath the sand again.
This time, it was not just one or two.
There were more than a dozen.
Sand Scorpion Kings, Burrowing Worms, Sand Flying Ants, and several things they had never seen before-they looked like pangolins, but their backs were covered in spikes that they could shoot out like hedgehogs.
"Here they come again," Ryuto said.
He was already getting a little numb to it.
This was the sixth wave since yesterday.
These beasts attacked as though they had no regard for their lives, wave after wave, each stronger than the last.
Hashirama's brow was tightly furrowed.
"Something's wrong. Very wrong."
Tobirama crouched down, scooped up a handful of sand, and held it under his nose to sniff.
"There's residual Chakra in the sand. It's faint, but it's definitely from a person." He stood up. "These ninja beasts have been stimulated by some special kind of Chakra. They're in a frenzied state, and..."
He looked into the distance.
"The timing and direction of their attacks are too precise every time. It's as though someone is commanding them."
Madara stood nearby with his arms folded, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan sweeping over the ninja beasts emerging from the sand.
"Who cares who's commanding them? Just kill them."