"Want to go in and take a look?"
The youngest Sand Village ninja's legs were already trembling uncontrollably.
The strength that six-eyed monster displayed in the dead of night was enough to make his heart quake even without seeing it face to face.
"For the Sand Village."
The most experienced ninja took a deep breath. Knowing someone had to set an example, he stepped forward and headed toward the cave.
Just as all three of them held their breath in tense anticipation, a cheerful little tune suddenly drifted into their ears.
"Waking up in the morning, embracing the sun…"
Akashō emerged from the grass beside the cave with a relaxed expression, pulling up his pants, and then spotted the three Sand Village ninja staring at him in a daze.
"A kid?"
"Why is there a kid here?"
The three exchanged glances, completely unable to make sense of the situation.
Akashō's smile stiffened as well. He couldn't understand why Sand Village ninja had shown up here either.
"Hey, kid, have you seen a monster with brownish-red long hair and six eyes around here? Or have you heard the name Kokushibo?"
The middle-aged ninja reacted the fastest. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed Akashō, and put on a friendly smile.
Rasa had sent them specifically to gather information about Kokushibo. Not his abilities, but details like his identity.
Now, at the very place where Kokushibo's trail had vanished, a child who looked no older than three or four had appeared. More importantly, the child also had red hair. Although the shades were different, it was enough to make him suspicious.
If his guess was correct, they might even be able to kill Kokushibo directly through this kid.
That would be a tremendous achievement!
Akashō looked at the large hand gripping him, cold sweat already forming on his back.
He had just come out to take a dump—how did he end up getting caught like this?
With the sun hanging so high in the sky, if he turned into Kokushibo, he'd be finished. He should've just gone inside the cave, even if it stank.
"What six-eyed monster? Who's Kokushibo? Never heard of him."
Akashō forced a wide, innocent smile, his big eyes staring at the middle-aged ninja as he poured all his effort into acting like a naive child.
Who's Kokushibo? Never heard of him. Whatever you're looking for has nothing to do with me, Akashō.
"Hmm…"
The middle-aged ninja narrowed his eyes. The child didn't seem to be lying. Such a pure and adorable kid—it almost made him reluctant to act.
Did he guess wrong?
His mind began racing.
"Then, kid, do you live around here?"
"And this cave—do you usually see anyone coming and going?"
Akashō glanced at the other two Sand Village ninja, who had moved closer but were staring intently at the cave. A plan quickly formed in his mind.
"Mm-hmm, my home is nearby. As for this cave, there's a big boy with long hair living inside."
"Long hair?"
The middle-aged ninja's eyes lit up instantly.
"Kid, tell me—does that big boy have brownish-red hair?"
"Yep!"
Akashō nodded vigorously.
"Then it must be Kokushibo."
The middle-aged ninja stroked his chin. But from the kid's description, the Kokushibo he saw didn't have six eyes?
"So that big boy's name is Kokushibo."
Akashō feigned surprise, touching his chin.
"But why are you uncles looking for him? He's not home right now."
"Not home?"
"Mm-hmm. He went out to take care of something, so he asked me to watch the place and make sure no one goes inside."
"Out on business, and he even had someone guard the door."
A strange smile spread across the middle-aged ninja's face.
"This is a perfect opportunity."
Then he turned back to Akashō with a warm smile.
"Kid, the three of us are all friends of Kokushibo. We have something very important to discuss with him. Since he's not home, could you take us inside to wait for him?"
Akashō tilted his head, smiling just as brightly.
"Of course! If you're his friends, then you're Akashō's friends too!"
"So your name is Akashō? What a good kid."
The middle-aged ninja gently nudged him forward, signaling him to lead the way. Then he glanced at the other two silent Sand Village ninja, his eyes full of pride.
The other two exchanged looks and gave him a thumbs-up.
Now they even had someone to test the path for them. Heh—he was too clever. If not for his lack of strength, he would've definitely become the Kazekage of the Sand Village.
What none of the three noticed, however, was that the moment Akashō stepped into the cave's shadow, the "pathfinder" they relied on revealed an incomparably eerie smile.
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