After wandering around Mount Kikyo for a long while, Mikami Yuu released "Transparent Escape" and let out a long breath.
Alright.
He had not paid much attention to it before, but looking at it now, "Transparent Escape" was actually fairly practical. With the support of "Hazy Phantom," Yuu could not only become visually invisible, but also weaken his sound and presence. It was very suitable for sneak attacks and infiltration.
Although the technique would be countered by abilities like the Byakugan, Sharingan, and Mind's Eye of the Kagura.
Those bloodline abilities, however, were mostly concentrated in Konoha. Outside Konoha, only a tiny fraction of the ninja world had access to them.
As for ordinary sensory ninjutsu, at most it could vaguely sense his existence. It likely could not track his position in real time. If this technique were combined with "Instant Hell Shadow Killing Formation," many enemies probably would not even know who killed them.
As for the "clothes-off version of Transparent Escape"…
There was absolutely no need to try that. Although Mount Kikyo was open and spacious, and if he moved a little farther from the tent area there would be no one around for miles, Yuu had no habit of running naked outdoors.
After confirming the actual effects of the new trait, Yuu began retracing his path.
By now, the night was already very deep. The mountains were silent, with only the cold night wind and the distant chirping of insects rising and falling. When he was almost back near the tents, Yuu noticed two figures keeping watch beside a campfire.
They were Yūhi Kurenai and Asuma.
"Who's there?"
Asuma was the first to hear the sound and gave a low, alert shout.
Kurenai also raised her head.
When they clearly saw the white-haired figure walking out of the darkness, both of them relaxed. Kurenai even flipped herself up to her feet, a delighted smile blooming on her face.
"It's Yuu-kun. Why are you still training outside so late? Come sit and rest for a bit."
"Sure."
Yuu did not stand on ceremony and sat beside the campfire.
Incidentally, to prevent people in the distance from seeing the firelight, this campfire was set in a mountain hollow and surrounded by a simple "stove." Kurenai had somehow gotten a few sweet potatoes and buried them beside the fire. By now, they were just about ready.
Kurenai moved quickly, took out a sweet potato, blew off the ash, and handed it to Yuu.
"Here, Yuu. Asuma and Raidō picked these this afternoon. They just finished roasting. We were just worrying that there was no one to share them with."
"Thanks, Kurenai. I was getting a little hungry."
Yuu accepted the sweet potato, which was still a little hot to the touch. Smelling the starchy sweetness mixed with the scent of soil, he skillfully split open the skin, revealing the soft orange-yellow flesh inside. He took a bite, and the sweet, warm taste immediately filled his mouth.
Kurenai hugged her knees, resting her chin on her arms. As she watched Yuu eat the sweet potato, she murmured softly, "Speaking of which, when we first set off for the front line, we were so nervous. We thought we'd run into enemies any second…
"I didn't expect that after being here for so long, we wouldn't even see the shadow of a Suna ninja. Instead, we've just been setting traps, surveying terrain, and practicing ninjutsu. It feels like we came here to camp. There's no challenge at all."
"…Heh."
Yuu swallowed the sweet potato in his mouth and glanced at Kurenai.
"When people are killed, they die. Once you truly experience a fight where your life hangs by a thread, you'll realize that days where you can slack off and laze around are the best."
"Huh, Yuu thinks that too? I thought only Shikaku-sensei would say something like that."
"?"
"You don't know? Shikaku-sensei often tells us that his ideal life is to casually become a ninja, earn enough money to support a family, then marry an ordinary-looking woman, have two children, and retire once the children grow up…"
Kurenai imitated Nara Shikaku's lazy tone as she spoke.
Yuu paused in the middle of chewing. He thought to himself, Isn't that Nara Shikamaru's dream? So the original author was Nara Shikaku, and the literary achievement was plagiarized by his son…
Just as he finished eating the remaining half of the sweet potato and was about to say something,
a cold, hoarse voice suddenly came from the shadows behind the three without warning.
"Oh? So that boy Shikaku's dream is actually so plain? Then, what are your dreams?"
"…Lord Orochimaru!"
Yuu and the others turned back at the same time and saw Orochimaru standing in the dim light. His face looked pale and eerie, and his pale golden snake eyes swept over them with interest, sending a chill unconsciously up their spines.
That was the pressure of an old schemer.
Orochimaru seemed to realize that his presence was a bit too oppressive. He curled the corner of his mouth into a smile that looked somewhat unsettling, then stepped closer to the campfire.
"No need to be nervous. I'm only making casual conversation. Think of it as a change of pace. Asuma, what do you think?"
"Uh…"
Asuma, whose name had been called, forced himself to answer.
"For me, I want to leave Konoha and see more places in this world. I want to see scenery my father… the Third Hokage never saw when he was young."
Beside him, Kurenai pressed her lips together and said softly, "I want to become stronger as soon as possible and become an excellent ninja who can stand on her own. And then…"
The girl paused, her voice becoming even softer, carrying a young girl's shyness.
"Then I want to build a warm family with the person I love and protect it properly."
Although she did not name anyone directly, the blush on the girl's face said more than any words could. Her ruby-like eyes secretly drifted toward Yuu, making Asuma, beside her, turn his face away with a sour expression. His gaze became subtle as he stared into the campfire.
Orochimaru's gaze finally settled on Yuu.
"And you, Mikami-kun?"
"…"
Wait, what was going on?
Orochimaru was talking to them about dreams? Wasn't this project supposed to appear only when every new team was first formed? Why did it feel so strange when Orochimaru brought it up now… Was this guy testing him, or was he simply curious?
Yuu's mind raced as he tried to guess Orochimaru's intentions.
Just as he was choosing his words and preparing to use a relatively safe answer, one that fit his identity as a "genius ninja," to brush off Orochimaru's question—
Rustle… hiss…
A faint scraping sound and hissing suddenly came from the grass nearby.
A small snake covered entirely in white scales slithered out from the dark grass. Ignoring Asuma's and Kurenai's wary gazes, it headed straight to Orochimaru's feet, raised its head, opened its mouth, and spat out a miniature scroll only as thick as a finger.
"…Information from Jiraiya? At a time like this?"
~~~
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