Chapter 297: Out of the Forest
"What about the days after that?"
Uchiha Fugaku asked calmly.
"You said it only took him one morning. What about the remaining days on the return journey?"
Uchiha Itachi replied, "During the three days on the road, he has essentially mastered all common C-rank Fire Release techniques.
"His Chakra reserves are still limited, so for now, higher-ranked techniques are restricted. However, once his Chakra capacity improves, B-rank Ninjutsu should not pose much difficulty."
A trace of surprise flashed through Fugaku's eyes.
Such learning efficiency was genuinely astonishing.
If there were more creatures like this…
"Were all the Goblins eliminated?" Fugaku asked.
"Or did this one simply escape?"
"This one survived by chance," Itachi answered.
"He had already left the cave when we arrived."
"So he's the only one left?"
"No," Itachi said calmly. "There are four more, but they have not been born yet."
Fugaku's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I see."
He recalled the intelligence report Itachi had sent earlier — green-skinned monsters, villages attacked, men killed, and four women missing.
The implication was obvious.
Goblins reproduced quickly.
Far faster than ordinary humans.
If left unchecked, even a small number could become a serious hidden threat.
Fugaku looked at Ichikawa Ao once more.
The Goblin stood quietly, head lowered, posture obedient.
Yet something about him felt… different.
Not savage.
Not ignorant.
Too calm.
Too restrained.
Ichikawa Ao felt a chill crawl up his spine.
The man before him was the Uchiha clan head, a veteran shinobi whose gaze alone carried immense pressure.
He did not dare look up again.
After a moment, Fugaku withdrew his gaze.
"Handle the arrangements as you see fit," he said.
"Keep this matter internal for now."
"Yes, Father," Itachi replied.
"Return to the courtyard," Itachi added, turning to Ichikawa Ao.
"Yes."
Ichikawa Ao retreated obediently, standing quietly where instructed.
Naruto and Sasuke had already gone upstairs to grab clean clothes.
After three days on the road, none of them wanted to delay bathing any longer.
Uchiha Itachi left a Shadow Clone in the courtyard to wait for Uchiha Ryoichi's return, then followed his brothers inside.
By the time they finished washing, the fatigue of the journey had finally faded.
Uchiha Mikoto had not yet returned.
With nothing urgent to do, the three brothers gathered upstairs and spent some time together, the atmosphere relaxed and rare.
Before they realized it, afternoon quietly passed.
Far away.
Deep within a forest.
After three exhausting days, Hyūga Castle finally emerged from the dense woods.
When he saw the faint wheel tracks on the ground, his eyes lit up.
A road.
That meant people.
He had barely slept over the past three days.
At night, strange roars echoed through the forest, making rest impossible.
Food was available, but without salt, his strength had steadily declined.
He could not stay here any longer.
As long as he followed this road, he would eventually reach a place inhabited by humans.
With renewed energy, Hyūga followed the path forward, disappearing along the trail that led out of the forest.
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