Tsuchigumo Clan Territory.
Watchtower.
"What's that?"
"A rchant caravan?"
"When did our caravans ever move that fast?"
Two Tsuchigumo clan mbers looked alard, watching the caravan race toward them like an overwhelming cavalry charge.
Once they confird the carriages bore the Tsuchigumo banner and saw the young lady, Hotaru, sitting on the lead carriage, they breathed a sigh of relief.
No alarm was raised.
They allowed the caravan to pass through the watchtower and head into the heart of the clan territory, sand and dust rolling up at the village entrance.
In the ti it takes to drink a cup of tea—
The Uchiha group followed the caravan into a sparsely lit village of wooden houses. The roadside lights flickered dimly, lending a sowhat desolate air to the Tsuchigumo village.
[Side Quest]: Not One Less.
[Objective]:
1. Escort the caravan back to the Tsuchigumo village.
Quest Complete!
[Reward]:
Storage space expanded by 100 cubic ters.
On the first carriage, Uchiha Yu's eyes flickered slightly as he focused and checked his storage space.
A new 100 cubic ters had been added, doubling the original size of his one-room layout.
Corpses went to the left.
Miscellaneous goods to the right.
Viewing it from a god's perspective, Yu scanned the space and made a ntal note to create a dedicated room for storing corpses in the future.
The caravan parked near the stable.
Surrounding it was an open grass clearing.
"Hehe, Great Elder, Lady Hotaru, you both look exhausted. You must have had quite a fruitful trip this ti, right?"
A young Tsuchigumo clansman, holding a torch, approached with a group to help unload the cargo.
The Great Elder, supported by clan mbers, disembarked along with Hotaru. Both turned to glance at Yu and the others.
Wrinkles creased at the corners of the elder's eyes as he inwardly sighed: "It truly was a fruitful trip… even picked up an S-rank rogue ninja and a whole team of Uchiha renegades. What a disaster. I hope they leave quickly!"
Hotaru, sensing the awkwardness in the air, took the initiative to break the silence. She raised her hand and pointed to Sōsen, who had just regained consciousness in the carriage, then said to the young Tsuchigumo man leading the group:
"Shirotō, settle the paynt with this captain of the guard. Bring them sothing to eat and let them rest in the village for the night."
"Understood!"
The young man nad Shirotō smiled brightly and, before leaving, gave Yu and the others a curious look.
The Tsuchigumo clan lived on Mt. Katsuragi, far from the Land of Fire's cities. Cut off from most outside news, they relied solely on the rchant caravans for intelligence—this one had only just returned.
The young n helping unload the cargo had no idea who Yu and his group really were.
As the guards and Tsuchigumo villagers left with the goods, everything was moved away.
On the grassy clearing, only the Uchiha group, Hotaru, and the Great Elder remained.
The night was soft.
The evening breeze, chilly.
Seeing that the Uchiha had no intention of leaving, the Great Elder swallowed nervously, stepped forward with an awkward smile, and said to Yu, "Before you go… would you like to replenish any supplies?"
Yu shook his head, glanced calmly at the two, and said, "You're both still weak. It's dangerous to walk at night. I'll escort you ho."
The Great Elder: "???"
Hotaru: "??"
As he spoke, Yu cast a glance at Minami and Tamao. The two imdiately stepped forward to support the old man and Hotaru.
"I… I… we…"
The Great Elder's pale old face flushed red in an instant, stamring in panic.
Minami interrupted the old man's explanation, patting his shoulder to comfort him:
"Captain's kind-hearted. Can't stand seeing the elderly and weak walking at night. Alright, don't make a fuss—don't waste his good intentions."
The old man's expression turned bitter, staring at Minami like he had just swallowed a bitter herb, his grievance unspoken.
What kind of good intentions were these?
Didn't they say they had no interest in the Tsuchigumo clan?
And besides—
This was Tsuchigumo territory! Since when was "unsafe at night" a valid excuse? Couldn't they co up with a worse one?
Left with no choice.
Hotaru and the Great Elder could only lead the group of Uchiha through the street lined with old wooden houses, heading toward a relatively larger courtyard.
"The Tsuchigumo Clan, once an ally of Konoha, has it really declined to this state?"
Kurenai's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced at the broken buildings in the distance, purposefully initiating a conversation.
The Uchiha all turned their gazes toward the Great Elder and Hotaru, who were leading the way. The two looked ashen.
Kurenai's words were blunt—
But they were true.
Uchiha Yu sighed inwardly—It's not lies that hurt people. It's the truth that cuts like a knife.
Looking further into the outskirts behind the village, one could see large sections of ruined, collapsed buildings—clear signs of being ravaged by war.
It was nothing like the tranquil village entrance.
"It's all because our clan lacks capable people… not worth ntioning." The Great Elder tried to salvage so dignity.
In truth, it was precisely because of the clan's decline that the Tsuchigumo had fallen into such isolation.
Tamao chid in:
"What good ever cos from being an ally of Konoha?
The Tsuchigumo are lucky, honestly.
The last ones who called themselves allies of Konoha were the Uzumaki of the Land of Whirlpools. I bet the grass on the Uzumaki clan leader's grave is taller than Danzo—who probably turned into a whole tree by now."
"…" Kurenai's mouth twitched.
Uchiha Yu chuckled quietly to himself.
Hearing the comparison, the Great Elder imdiately cast Tamao a grateful look.
That comnt made him feel way better.
The rest of the Uchiha all turned to Tamao in unison, shaking their heads and sighing: "He still hasn't let go of that 'Danzo turned into a tree' thing!"
After walking for a while, Hotaru suddenly gathered her courage, looked at Uchiha Yu, and asked:
"Do you… want to et my grandfather?"
Her grandfather was the actual powerholder in the clan.
The Uchiha group fell silent and looked at Yu.
Yu nodded.
The Great Elder's face instantly clouded with worry. Whether this would bring fortune or disaster—he couldn't say. At this mont, the Tsuchigumo clan had no way of resisting these rogue Uchiha.
If they tried to fight back, the ANBU corpses in the mountain valley were grim reminders of what would follow.
Hotaru asked anxiously, "Just a eting?"
Yu replied, "Yes."
"…Alright. I understand."
Sensing no malice or greed from him, Hotaru nodded obediently.
The group of Uchiha, along with Hotaru and the Great Elder, arrived outside a courtyard. Several Tsuchigumo ninja appeared instantly, but upon seeing Hotaru and the Great Elder, they respectfully retreated.
Everyone entered the inner courtyard.
"Everyone, please wait here for a mont. The Great Elder and I will go inform my grandfather," Hotaru said, casting a worried glance at Uchiha Yu before turning away.
She and the Great Elder walked up to a bedroom door, knocked, and entered once they received permission.
The Uchiha mbers looked around.
They felt the courtyard was decent, but compared to even the moderately luxurious buildings in Konoha, it didn't asure up.
That the leader of the Tsuchigumo Clan lived in a place like this spoke volus about their current state.
Inside the wooden house, Hotaru and the Great Elder relayed everything that had happened on the journey—what they experienced and all about Uchiha Yu and his group—to the true power behind the clan.
After receiving approval, Hotaru stepped out and invited Uchiha Yu to enter the bedroom alone.
Tamao and the others were about to follow when Yu held up a warning hand.
Whoosh—
The Uchiha, including Kurenai and Nonoyu, disappeared into the shadows, hiding themselves around the courtyard.
Once again, the courtyard was empty.
Yu pulled on a black hood, revealing only the lower half of his face, and followed Hotaru into the bedroom. As soon as he stepped inside, he sensed multiple ninja hidden in the corners of the room.
The bedroom was simple in layout.
The candlelight was dim.
At the center stood a single bed, with a gray quilt covering a pale-haired, aged man—clearly at death's door.
The Great Elder knelt respectfully at his bedside.
The white-haired old man sensed an outsider had entered with Hotaru. He weakly opened his eyes.
When he saw Uchiha Yu, his eyes lit up slightly—
Even without seeing Yu's full face.
Then the old man made a difficult decision.
This leader of the Tsuchigumo Clan, known as the Wanderer of Restraint, moved his withered hand and pulled out a green scroll from beneath the blanket.
Yu's eyes were imdiately drawn to it.
He could feel the old man was using all his strength just to stay conscious. It seed like he might breathe his last at any mont.
The old man turned his head and looked up at the black-robed, hooded Yu. With effort, he spoke:
"This is the Tsuchigumo Clan's forbidden technique—Fury. You may take it…
I only have one request:
Take Hotaru with you."
As his words fell, everyone—except for Uchiha Yu—showed visible confusion and shock.
The bedroom fell into a deathly silence.
°°°
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