Shinju thought to himself that he hadn't had the chance to head to the border of the Land of Earth anyway, so he hadn't paid much attention to the latest reports coming from the village.
Just as he was considering what his next move should be, another Konoha messenger hawk swooped down from the sky.
Shinju stretched out his arm, and the intelligent hawk landed obediently on his wrist.
He removed the letter tied to the hawk's leg and unfolded it.
After reading the contents, Shinju's brow furrowed.
"The Tsuchigumo clan is in danger… they want us to go and take a look when we have time?"
Naruto, who never liked reading, scratched his head curiously and asked,
"The Tsuchigumo clan—are they all spiders or something??"
Shinju: "…"
"It's their family name—Tsuchigumo."
"The letter says the Tsuchigumo clan possesses a mysterious jutsu, one capable of destroying an entire village in an instant."
Naruto kept scratching his head. "A jutsu that can destroy a village instantly counts as mysterious? Shinju, last time you went to Amegakure, you nearly leveled the place with just one lightning strike… (ー_ー)!!"
Karin happened to walk by and immediately grew anxious at Naruto's lack of sense.
"Shinju's power comes from his own overwhelming strength. Think of it like this: a jutsu in the hands of an ordinary person might only make a tiny spark, but when Shinju uses it, it becomes a blaze powerful enough to burn down a city. ୧⍢⃝୨"
"And the Tsuchigumo clan you just mentioned—the strength lies in the technique itself. No matter who casts it, it retains a certain level of destructive power."
Naruto finally nodded in partial understanding.
"Ahh, when you put it like that, I get it. So Shinju isn't just a normal guy. ┐(´-｀)┌"
Karin: "…"
Suigetsu also came over, grinning. "Haha, yeah, he's definitely not normal!"
Shinju continued, "Back to the point. During the last Shinobi World War, Konoha entered into an alliance with the Tsuchigumo clan's leader. Their powerful secret technique was designated a forbidden jutsu. In exchange, Konoha promised to safeguard both the Tsuchigumo clan and their secret technique. Now that Konoha has received their call for help, we're being sent to investigate."
Naruto: "I see. So we're leaving now?"
Shinju glanced back toward the hospital ward behind him, then nodded.
"Sasuke is still in a daze. We won't bring him along. The two of us will be enough."
Naruto agreed with a nod and a simple "Mm."
Karin quickly jumped in with hopeful eyes.
"What about me? What about me! ( ˝ᗢ̈˝ )"
Everyone knew she had joined Sasuke's team just to spend more time with Shinju.
"You…"
Shinju hesitated.
Karin's feelings for him were obvious to anyone with eyes.
"Take care of yourself," Shinju finally said.
Her head immediately drooped in disappointment.
"I see…"
Then, desperate to prove her worth, she jerked her head back up.
"I can help you a lot in battle! Besides my chakra sensing, you can bite me to recover chakra and heal your wounds—"
Before she finished, Karin was stunned to find that Shinju and Naruto had already vanished.
She turned to Suigetsu not far away. "Tell me… does Shinju not like me?"
Suigetsu, a bystander enjoying the show, shrugged.
"Isn't that obvious? ┑(￣Д ￣)┍"
Karin: (TㅅT)
"No, wait!"
Her voice suddenly rose sharply.
"Shinju must be worried I'd be in danger if I went along! He's only thinking of my safety! He's worried about me! ( *ˊᵕˋ)✩︎"
Seeing Karin grow more and more confident in her delusion, Suigetsu could only throw up his hands. ┓( ´∀` )┏
...
The Tsuchigumo Clan, Katsuragi Mountain Fortress.
The clan's secret technique was always inherited by the clan leader known as the "Bearer."
A year ago, the previous Bearer died, and the secret technique was entrusted to his granddaughter, Tsuchigumo Hotaru.
For various reasons, Hotaru and her attendant, Tonbee, had remained at the Katsuragi Mountain Fortress ever since.
A few days ago, mysterious rogue shinobi attacked the fortress. Tonbee suspected they were after the secret technique, so he sent a request for help to Konoha.
At this moment, inside the fortress's main hall—
"Tonbee, do you think the ones who attacked last time will come again?"
The young Hotaru turned her head toward the white-haired Tonbee beside her.
His expression was extremely grave as he nodded.
"Last time, we were lucky that Utakata helped us through the crisis. But those rogues weren't really harmed—they'll definitely be back soon!"
"I've already contacted Konohagakure. I believe Konoha's shinobi will arrive soon and escort you back to the Tsuchigumo village. Once you return to the village, it should be safe." Tonbee sighed.
"The village… will it really be safe?"
Hotaru's expression showed hesitation.
She still remembered the cold, knife-like gazes of the villagers whenever they looked at her...
"Don't think too much, Lady Hotaru," Tonbee comforted her.
"Haven't you been learning ninjutsu from Utakata-sama? How's your progress?"
The moment Utakata was mentioned, Hotaru's eyes lit up.
"I've learned a lot these past days! Right now, I've already mastered Water Style: Wild Water Wave! Tonbee, I'm going to become much stronger from here on! ❛‿˂̵✧"
Tonbee nodded with a small smile.
Outside the fortress, under the moonlight, a long-haired man in a blue robe stood blowing bubbles…
His expression was gloomy, brows furrowed, as though weighed down by sorrows he couldn't set aside.
Hotaru appeared behind him, waving and calling out, "Utakata-sensei!"
The man turned his head at her voice, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.
"Hotaru, I've already told you—I don't take disciples."
"But Utakata-sama, you've already taught me Water Style ninjutsu. That makes you my sensei now! (◔◡◔)" she insisted.
The long-haired man was speechless.
After all, Hotaru mastering Water Style: Wild Water Wave wasn't really his doing.
He had only wanted to brush her off, casually showing her a Water Style technique.
Who would have thought the girl would mimic it perfectly and truly learn it…
"Regardless, I won't take on disciples. And another thing—I'll be leaving soon."
Utakata lifted his head toward the bright moon above.
He was being hunted. From any perspective, he had no business lingering at the Tsuchigumo clan's fortress.
"You're leaving… so soon?"
Hearing this, Hotaru's face fell with disappointment.
"Hotaru, partings are a normal part of life," Utakata said softly.
...
As night deepened, Hotaru had already gone to her room to rest.
The aged Tonbee stepped outside the fortress and looked up at Utakata, who was standing on the roof.
He said, "Utakata-sama, I heard you're leaving. I have a request."
Utakata nodded. "Go ahead."
He was someone who repaid kindness. Back when he was gravely wounded by his pursuers, if not for Hotaru and Tonbee rescuing him in the mountains, he might already have perished there.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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