Chapter 52
"Why should we retreat? If you hold off the Calabash Brothers, our chances of winning are high. Even if we can't take them out, we can still grab a scroll..." Aburame Hatsuizumi frowned, feeling frustrated as her chance to prove herself was slipping away. She wanted to show Zixu and the others the true power of her Kikaichū (Parasitic Insects).
"That Calabash Brother is still useful. He can't be killed yet. You'll understand when I explain later," Uzumaki Zixu replied calmly.
"Hmph, so secretive. There's something you can't say here, huh?" Hatsuizumi pouted in dissatisfaction, crossing her arms.
"Complaints won't change my mind. This is serious. I don't mind, but if I say too much here and the wrong people hear, you two will be in trouble," Zixu warned as they distanced themselves from Gaara and the others.
Hyuga Chinano smirked playfully. "You've changed. You actually consider others now. You're finally acting like a real leader."
Zixu remained unfazed by the teasing. "No, I've always cared about my comrades and valued teamwork. Naturally, your safety comes first."
People change. Zixu admitted that much, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. The scrolls they had taken earlier turned out to be the same type as theirs. That meant they needed to find a different type—or trade with another team that had duplicates.
"Huh? What's that weird sound? It's annoying~" Hatsuizumi suddenly stiffened. The swarm of insects she had released earlier had died off in large numbers, vanishing as if erased from existence. It was like watching whole sections disappear from a thermal imaging map. The remaining insects relayed feedback—something had killed them with sound.
"There's movement 2 kilometers away," she said, pointing in the direction where her insects had been wiped out.
At that moment, two kilometers away, a man with a bandaged head—only his left eye visible—stood amidst crushed insects. Draped in a white fur cloak that resembled a tattered broom, he wore a loose cardigan covering his arms, concealing the Yoroi (Porous Armor) on his right arm. Maintaining a hunched posture, he muttered coldly:
"We've been detected. These bugs aren't native to the Forest of Death. The local ecosystem isn't strong enough to support such a massive swarm with low vitality. Most likely, they belong to a ninja."