After an unknown amount of time, everything returned to calm.
Xiao Wu came out of the ring and rubbed his head, which hadn't actually been hurt.
"Damn it, this tunnel is much longer than I expected."
"We've used up all the spirit stones we brought. This kid should have some left, but I can't break the restrictions on it."
He separated a portion of his spiritual energy and let it circulate within You's body.
"Hmm, his spiritual energy is almost completely depleted, but he doesn't have any other hidden injuries. He should wake up once he absorbs enough spiritual energy, while it will take me—three months—to recover to my peak condition!!!"
Upon receiving this result, he could only sigh and then began to observe his surroundings.
This is in a primeval forest.
The trees are towering, and sunlight struggles to penetrate the gaps in the branches and leaves, shining on the ground covered with fallen leaves.
"This scene is rarely seen on Earth. Which world could it be? Although I haven't been to other worlds much."
"They didn't tell this kid what we were going to do. Oh well, let's keep it a secret for as long as we can."
He sighed and looked into the distance.
Further away, a small river meanders among the rocks, and if it weren't for the severed trees and scattered weapons and corpses, it would be quite a beautiful sight.
Damn it!
In the space-time rift, my spiritual energy was almost depleted in order to maintain my shield. If I were to engage in another battle, it would be dangerous. I wonder what level of cultivation the natives of this place possess.
"We must get out of here immediately!" he quickly concluded.
He bent down, his hands firmly supporting You's back and knees, his muscles tensing as he gently lifted him up.
"This kid is pretty light."
He adjusted his posture, then slowly stood up and steadily hoisted You onto his back.
He darted swiftly through the trees until a cave came into view.
Suddenly, an ominous premonition came over him, and he subconsciously tilted his head. A sharp shuriken flew over and stuck firmly into the tree opposite.
"Damn it, when exactly is this happening?"
At this point, he couldn't care less about the consumption of spiritual energy. He originally didn't want to get involved in their war, but it seemed that he regarded us as people from an enemy tribe. Now that things had come to this, he had no choice but to fight. A cold killing intent flashed in his eyes.
A chilling aura emanated from him, mixed with a hint of blood.
The dark figure behind him paused for a moment, a flash of horror crossing his eyes before he quickly regained his composure.
This sense of oppression was comparable to that of the clan leader.
His eyes instantly turned blood red, and the shape of three tomoe slowly appeared.
"I can't even see the flow of Chakra in this person, and there's no sign that he's preparing to form hand seals."
At this moment, Xiao Wu had already taken out his own staff from the ring and began to chant.
"In my name, awaken the corpses that slumber here."
With my power, I will give you the will to fight!
In an instant, the ground began to tremble, as if something was struggling to emerge from underground.
" Fire Release, Great Fireball Technique."
A huge fireball was spewed from the Ninja's mouth and crashed into the area where the skeleton had appeared.
The massive explosion destroyed all the surrounding trees and created thick smoke.
"How could this be!"
It seemed that Ninja was also encountering this situation for the first time. After hesitating for a moment, it flew towards the trees to the side.
Instead of being destroyed by the fireball, the skeleton was covered in eerie blue flames.
He leaped up and grabbed Ninja's foot, flames climbing up his clothes.
Ninja turned into a puff of white smoke, and a piece of wood crashed to the ground.
The skulls' tiny heads seemed unable to understand—no, they seemed to have no brains at all.
"We've been tricked!" Ninja's eyes were filled with undisguised joy.
Just as he was about to use a teleportation technique to press Kunai against Xiao Wu's throat, he heard a soft laugh in his ear.
"You're the one who fell for it!"
Just as Kunai was about to attack Xiao Wu, the flames surrounding him seemed to come alive, tightly binding Ninja's arm, and Kunai was also freed from control.
"Only then did he realize that the flame had no temperature, yet it could make one feel a stinging pain in their soul."
"No, this is a flame specifically designed to target the soul!"
Several wooden vines extended from his feet, binding him tightly.
The flames then dissipated.
Only then did he see the boy's full appearance.
Suddenly, a fear that seemed to come from his very soul enveloped him, as if he were drowning in the deep sea.
"Shadow Bind!"
A spell was uttered from Xiao Wu's mouth, struck him, and disappeared after entering his body.
"Who exactly are you? This isn't Ninjutsu from Senju Clan, nor is it Hagoromo or his gang, um..."
"Shut up, I've tied you up now! Your life is in my hands," he said viciously.
"Leave a signal here to your teammates, telling them not to chase after us and not to try any tricks!"
Ninja gritted his teeth and finally decided to follow the other party's instructions. He took a specially made smoke bomb out of his pocket and threw it on the ground.
With a soft explosion, a plume of green smoke rose into the air. This was the agreed-upon signal within their tribe, indicating that the mission had been successful.
Xiao Wu watched the smoke rise warily, making sure nothing else went wrong. He trusted that Ninja wouldn't be foolish enough to try to escape; after all, his life was still in his own hands.
So he grabbed the Ninja and rushed back to the cave.
...
Inside the cave.
The cave entrance was blocked by a boulder, and the remaining gaps were concealed by bushes. A campfire was lit inside.
"So you are not from this world?" Uchiha Hori asked, slightly surprised.
"Alright, tell us about the situation here."
"You know everything."
As for Firecore trying to take advantage of their weakness to play any tricks, it would be completely impossible.
This spell can detect malice directed at the caster and alert their soul, causing a stinging sensation until they are unable to move.
"I am a regular Ninja from Uchiha Clan, and I am 15 years old."
"Your bone age is 12 years old."
"Haha, I was too nervous just now and misremembered a bit," he replied with an embarrassed laugh, no longer daring to hide anything.
"Our nemesis is the nearby Senju Clan, which is also the target of our team's mission this time."
"As you can see, I'm the only one left now."
His tone was somewhat low.
Xiao Wu listened attentively to Uchiha Hori's story, gradually gaining a deeper understanding of this world. It turned out that this place was in a time of great war, where various families fought each other for resources and power.
"Besides you and the Senju Clan, are there any other forces?" Xiao Wu pressed.
Uchiha Hori shook his head: "I'm just an ordinary Ninja, and I don't know much about other regions. However, it's said that there are powerful families and mysterious organizations in faraway places."
Xiao Wu fell into deep thought. It seemed that he needed more information to understand the overall situation of this world. He decided to heal his injuries first, and then try to obtain more intelligence.
"Hey, Little Fire, you'll be heading back to the tribe tomorrow morning. If anything happens, just silently say 'Fifth Master' in your mind, and I'll know."
Although Huo He was inwardly complaining, he still smiled and agreed, "I understand."
Xiao Wu glanced at Nitaru, who was still unconscious, then looked away.
"What a troublesome brat, but he's kind of cute like this."
He shook his head, trying to banish the strange thought.