Things didn't go quite as smoothly as Hoshiyomi and the others had expected. The three of them waited in place for nearly ten minutes, but there was still no sign of the creature approaching. The eerie crying sound had vanished as suddenly as it began.
Just as the group exchanged puzzled looks, Hoshiyomi dropped from a tree and casually swiped a skewer of grilled at from Sakumo's hand.
"Don't bother waiting," he said. "That thing's smart. It's already gone."
Shinku's eyes lit up. "Did you see what it was?"
"Not clearly," Hoshiyomi replied, chewing as he spoke. "But I can say for sure—it's no 'monster.' More like an animal. A pretty big one, probably three or four ters long. Covered in white fur… looked like a wolf. But it was fast—too fast for to get a good look."
Sakumo frowned. "A wolf? Wolves usually move in packs. And if it's just an animal, why would it run away after slling food?"
Before Hoshiyomi could answer, their teacher, Akimichi Torifu, chid in with a grunt.
"Because that thing probably isn't an ordinary animal—it's a nin-beast. If that's the case, the villagers mistaking it for a monster would make sense."
The group nodded in understanding. They'd learned about nin-beasts in the Academy.
Certain animals with high natural aptitude could, by chance, awaken chakra. Once they did, their intelligence grew significantly—so could even rival humans in cunning.
Low-tier nin-beasts were mostly just bigger and faster than normal animals—like the giant spiders and tigers of the Forest of Death. But those with truly exceptional talent could learn to use basic ninjutsu. The most gifted could even understand and speak human language, eventually forming summoning contracts with ninja as familiars.
Torifu continued, "This one seems to have decent sensory abilities and higher-level cognition. It probably detected that we weren't easy targets and backed off. And since I was there, well… it might've sensed my presence and decided not to risk it."
He stretched and sighed. "So once again, it looks like I don't need to step in. If I get too close, it'll probably flee again. Unless one of you pins it down… but if you're capable of doing that, then there's no need for anyway."
Hoshiyomi and the others exchanged glances—then all gave their teacher the exact sa look of thinly veiled contempt. "He's doing that again," their eyes said.
The whole "If I appear, the enemy will run away" excuse was classic Torifu code for "I'm too lazy to get involved unless it's absolutely necessary."
Still, even as they ntally roasted their teacher, they didn't disagree. The three young ninja huddled up and began crafting a second plan of attack.
This ti, they'd try without Torifu at all.
The strategy was similar to before—minus the looming presence of their jōnin-sensei. Sakumo and Shinku packed up the grilled at and headed off in the direction the nin-beast had fled. Hoshiyomi, naturally, activated his Transparent Escape Technique and followed from a distance, silently scanning the terrain.
Torifu? He just stayed behind. They had signal flares if they needed him. No rush.
…
Sakumo and Shinku strolled casually down a narrow forest path, chewing on skewers of roasted at and occasionally laughing and joking like a pair of mischievous kids on a field trip.
But behind the lighthearted chatter, their sharp eyes were constantly scanning the woods.
In their shadow, Hoshiyomi crept silently, his presence hidden by his mastery of the Transparent Escape Technique—now refined under Torifu's chakra control training. He no longer needed to activate his special move to cloak himself—he'd reached the level of subtlety where even a seasoned shinobi like Torifu couldn't detect him without concentrating.
After ten minutes of silent tracking, Hoshiyomi's senses finally flared—he felt it.
The nin-beast had returned.
It had crept up silently, tailing Sakumo and Shinku without making a sound. Hoshiyomi moved in, eyes adjusting to the moonlight.
It was just as he'd seen before: a massive white wolf with a silver-gray pelt that shimred coldly beneath the moon. The beast's green eyes glinted with hunger, its body crouched low as it stalked behind the two unsuspecting boys.
It rembered the scent of grilled at—so strong, so maddening—but it didn't rush. No, it watched. Observed.
The wolf's instincts scread caution. Back on the open plain, it had felt the oppressive presence of the large man with the terrifying aura—Torifu . It hadn't dared make a move back then. Not when its life—and the lives of its pups—were at stake.
But now? It had followed long enough to be sure: the threat was no longer nearby. It could sense no chakra, no scent, no presence.
Its instincts told it the ti to strike had co.
It lowered its body even further, paws scratching softly at the dirt, ready to pounce.
Hoshiyomi's breath caught.
He wasn't sure if the others were ready. He hadn't signaled them yet. His chakra wavered for a split second—and that was all it took.
The white wolf froze.
Its ears twitched toward the sound, its posture suddenly rigid. It tilted its head, sniffing the air, eyes narrowing in suspicion. It held still for a long mont—then let out a soft huff and turned away.
It was leaving.
Its caution exceeded even Hoshiyomi's expectations.
And Hoshiyomi knew: if he let this chance slip, they might never find it again.
No ti to think. He stepped out of hiding and unleashed his jutsu.
Crescent Moon Slash.
A streak of silver light arced silently through the air like a blade of pure moonlight. The wolf's eyes widened in alarm.
It twisted mid-leap, contorting its body to evade the blow—but it underestimated the reach of Hoshiyomi's blade, Mikazuki Munechika.
The sword missed its vital points, but a deep gash tore across its hind leg.
The wolf let out a sharp cry of pain, then turned and bolted into the shadows without hesitation.
Sakumo and Shinku heard the commotion and ca running.
"You got it?" Sakumo asked.
"No," Hoshiyomi replied, landing beside them. "It got away—but I wounded it. We can follow the trail of blood. It'll lead us straight to its den."
PS: Read Advance Chapters at spatreon/c/ReadJin
User Comments
0 comments from readers