The Land of Fire remained as hot as ever in the early autumn. While the roads were still busy with travelers in the morning, by midday, the scorching sun had driven most of them away. Even the group of travelers led by Yaku no Gyosha took shelter, avoiding the sweltering heat.
However, Dairoku, being young and strong, barely felt discomfort from the sun. The young Tsuchigumo Hotaru managed to endure with sheer willpower, but for seventy-something Yaku no Gyosha, the midday heat was unbearable. Around eleven o'clock, they decided to take a break, resting in the shade by a stream, waiting out the hottest part of the day before resuming their journey.
"Tsuchigumo-senpai, would you like some water?" asked Dairoku.
"Thank you, Dairoku," Yaku no Gyosha replied, finishing the last bite of his rice ball and taking the offered water flask. "I know traveling with an old man like me has slowed you down. I apologize for the trouble."
"It's no trouble at all. I'm in no hurry to get back to the temple, and my master always says that every step in life is a part of our training," Dairoku replied with a smile.
"Master Chujaku? Ah, for over twenty years, people have called him a wise man. It's unfortunate that I've never had the chance to meet him," Yaku no Gyosha said with a sigh of regret.
"My master's health hasn't been great these past few years, so he rarely leaves the temple."
"Understandable. If memory serves me right, Chujaku is even older than I am. Age takes a toll on the body..." Yaku no Gyosha trailed off, suddenly frowning as he sat on a rock in the shade, sipping water. "Dairoku, do you hear that... the insect sounds. Have they become quieter?"
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or if something was amiss. Time had not only drained his strength and energy but dulled his senses, too. Still, ever cautious, he quickly switched the water flask to his left hand while deftly drawing a kunai from his sleeve with his right. Dairoku, sitting nearby, immediately tensed up.
And then it happened.
Dairoku noticed the old man was right—the buzzing of the insects was indeed fading, as though they had been killed or driven away. Even with age, Yaku no Gyosha's instincts were sharper than his own.
"Tsuchigumo-senpai, wait here. I'll go take a look—"
Before he could finish, he felt a familiar shift beneath his feet. This attack method wasn't unique—any ninja versed in Earth Release could perform an underground ambush. But as soon as he saw the hand reaching up to grab his ankle, he recognized the attacker.
"Kama no Suke!"
His shout echoed through the trees, startling the birds. With a quick substitution jutsu, Dairoku dodged the attack and took a fighting stance, chakra flowing along specific meridians to draw in natural energy.
[Thousand-Hand Strike]
Invisible fists struck like a storm, pounding the ground so hard it warped. However, Kama no Suke knew Dairoku's techniques well. Missing his initial strike, Kama no Suke burrowed deeper underground to evade the furious blows.
"Kama no Suke, you coward! Come out!" Dairoku shouted, unable to contain his rage.
Kama no Suke remained silent, and Dairoku gritted his teeth, scanning the area, only to see Yaku no Gyosha under attack too—by none other than Homa!
Not just Homa—Kogitsune, Unko, Tenmoku, Shiko, and Kama no Suke, who was lurking underground.
Recently, he had desperately searched for his comrades without success, but now, here they all were. Homa, Shiko, and Unko were attacking Yaku no Gyosha together, Kogitsune was fiercely fighting Tonbei, who guarded Hotaru, and Tenmoku seemed to be scouting the surroundings.
Dairoku's anger burned even hotter, mingling with a deep sense of guilt. Because of him, Yaku no Gyosha was now in great danger.
Just then, Yaku no Gyosha's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Dairoku, I beg you—take Hotaru and leave!" Despite his age, the seventy-six-year-old Yaku no Gyosha stood his ground, deflecting Homa's wind-bladed claws, dodging Shiko's poisoned senbon, and constantly evading Unko's lightning jutsu.
"Got it?" Yaku no Gyosha called again. He wrote the kanji for "wind" in the air, and a fierce gust rose, blowing Shiko's poisoned needles aside and leaving bloody scratches across Unko. Even Homa was forced to retreat a few steps to avoid the vicious wind.
This was the secret technique passed down through the Tsuchigumo clan—the Binding Technique of Words. By writing a word, Yaku no Gyosha could manifest its power; here, "wind" summoned a fierce gust to repel his foes. But the technique had its limitations.
"Tsuchigumo-senpai?" Dairoku asked, taken aback.
Did Yaku no Gyosha want him to take Hotaru and flee? Shouldn't he stay to help Yaku no Gyosha escape? Despite the burning rage in his chest, his logic prevailed—facing Homa's group alone was hopeless.
They had only one option: to run.
"These people are here for my clan's forbidden technique, Dairoku. Take Hotaru and go—they won't stop you. The forbidden technique is within me. If I die, they gain nothing; my memory is useless to them. Only if I live do they have any chance of obtaining our clan's forbidden knowledge."
Yaku no Gyosha's voice rang out for Dairoku, but it was also meant for their attackers.
In truth, Yaku no Gyosha didn't know who Homa and his allies were. However, the way Homa looked at him reminded him of those who had attacked his clan in the past, seeking the forbidden technique. So, he decided to test his guess by speaking openly.
Homa's reaction confirmed he was correct.
"Impressive, Yaku no Gyosha," Homa clapped his hands, momentarily halting his comrades' attacks. "You're right. I want your clan's forbidden technique. Surrender it to me, and I'll let you go. Whether you live or die doesn't matter to me—I only want the technique."
This statement—half true, half false. His main goal was indeed the forbidden technique, but he wouldn't pass up the chance to add a few more high-quality bodies to his Soil of the Dead technique. However, if need be, he would prioritize capturing the technique above all.
Yaku no Gyosha sighed deeply, feeling neither anger nor despair, only a strange calm. He had long considered this outcome, especially in recent years, as his health declined, and he lay awake each night, wondering if he'd see the next sunrise.
Death was only a step away.
Now, it was clear—he wouldn't die in bed.
He thought that Homma and the others were targeting him and felt guilty for dragging his senior, Yakuzhisha, into the mess.
But was it actually the other way around?
After re-evaluating the situation in front of him, he had to admit that Yakuzhisha's assessment might have been correct. It seemed that Homma and the others weren't after him after all. If they were, it wouldn't have just been Kamazuke making a move against him, nor would Yakuzhisha have been the one under siege.
"Dilu, I can't hold on much longer. I've already taken a soldier pill, which should allow me to hold them off for roughly three minutes. You and Tonbei need to get Hotaru out of here. Don't argue—just, please, take Hotaru to find the Hokage's assistant as a favor for our recent companionship."
Yakuzhisha completely ignored Homma's words.
Although the saying that "the old grow wise" has a hint of criticism, it fits Yakuzhisha quite well. He witnessed the end of the Warring States era, observed three Shinobi World Wars, and even participated in one. His life has been one of turbulent experiences.
With so much betrayal and deception behind him, how could he be fooled by a youngster like Homma? Yakuzhisha didn't believe a word of his promises.
In situations like this, from his experience, there was never a peaceful outcome. Either you're slaughtered to the last man, or you fight your way out to survive. Occasionally, you might get a rare "wolf in sheep's clothing" situation, but that's the kind of rarity you encounter once in decades. Usually, it's the first two outcomes that prevail.
That's why, as soon as the battle broke out, he had swallowed a soldier pill, forcing his aging body to squeeze out some chakra. If not, Homma and his crew would have already left him in the dust. But a soldier pill isn't some miracle elixir.
It's a poison that drains you slowly.
His aging body could never endure a second soldier pill's effects.
So, three minutes was all the time he could buy.
As for turning the tables by using forbidden techniques to capture all of Homma's men… unfortunately, that wasn't possible. His clan's forbidden techniques require preparation time, and the longer the preparation, the greater the technique's destructive power. But now, he didn't have the time, and more importantly, he didn't have enough chakra to fuel a forbidden technique.
"Ungrateful fool!"
Homma, with a cold expression, spat these words through clenched teeth and signaled his men, who resumed their attack.
"Sir Tsuchigumo, I…"
Dilu was about to say something.
But—
"Dilu!"
"Please!!"
"There are barely three minutes left!!"
Words choked in Dilu's throat, leaving him feeling a pent-up anger with nowhere to release it. Glaring at Homma and the others, he gritted his teeth and rushed toward Tonbei and Tsuchigumo Hotaru. Kamazuke, who had been lurking underground, struck again, trying to block Dilu's path.
But Yakuzhisha wrote the character for "thunder" in midair.
In an instant,
Thunder roared, and lightning fell from the sky.
Kamazuke scrambled up from the ground, covered in dirt. The thunder nearly took him out in one blow. If he hadn't been close to Dilu, Yakuzhisha would have likely targeted him directly. Even if it wouldn't have killed him outright, it would have certainly laid him up in bed for three to five months.
Dilu ignored Kamazuke.
Yakuzhisha had promised to hold off Homma and his men, leaving him to escape with Tonbei and Tsuchigumo Hotaru. The thunder didn't just target Kamazuke; it forced Homma, Yunkou, Shishi, and the fox spirit Komamaru—who was fighting Tonbei—to back off.
This gave Dilu and Tonbei an opportunity.
Dilu reached Tonbei's side, scooping up the injured Tsuchigumo Hotaru, and both, battered and exhausted from their previous clashes, sprinted towards the northeast. They couldn't go southwest towards the Daimyo's residence because Homma's group blocked that route.
At this point,
The best option was to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Homma's group.
They could worry about returning to the Daimyo's residence to find Uchiha Sougen once they were safe.
"Grandpa—!"
Tsuchigumo Hotaru, who had been silent throughout the battle to avoid being a burden to her grandfather and Tonbei, lay in Dilu's arms, watching her grandfather's figure fade into the distance. It dawned on her that this might be the last time she'd ever see him, and she began to cry.
However, her tears hadn't fallen far before,
Dilu whispered, "I'm sorry," and gently tapped her neck, knocking her unconscious and silencing her sobs.
Beside him,
Tonbei, his face pale from blood loss, showed a deep sadness in his eyes, though he suppressed his sorrow. This wasn't the time to mourn. His duty now was to protect Hotaru, even if it meant sacrificing his own life to ensure her safety.
Yakuzhisha looked with satisfaction at Dilu and the others retreating into the distance.
Then,
He abandoned all hope for his already short future.
He poured his remaining chakra recklessly, disregarding the toll it took on his frail body.
Pushing the [Word Binding Technique] to its utmost, with his aging form, he managed to hold back Homma and his group for two and a half minutes, preventing any of them from escaping. But as his chakra drained, the backlash from the soldier pill left him too weak even to lift a finger, much less take his own life.
However,
He was down to his last breath.
"Shishi, don't let this old man die yet. The forbidden technique hasn't…"
Yakuzhisha felt their voices growing more distant as if his ears were underwater. His eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, gradually falling shut, and his vision turned dark.
Then,
He slipped into an endless abyss.