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"Patter!" "Patter!"...
Hearing the footsteps coming from the bushes, several young Konoha ninjas immediately tensed up!
"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"...
Suddenly, they disappeared from their original positions.
Some hid in the trees, while others concealed themselves in nearby bushes.
They all went on high alert, crouching down and focusing their attention on the direction where the sound came from.
If it turned out to be Rain Village ninja, they would likely be dealt with by these young ninjas in an instant.
However, when they saw the newcomer's face, the young ninjas were all surprised!
"Uchiha Shino..."
Yuujiro's eyes widened as he muttered softly.
"Who's there!?"
As if he heard his whisper, Shino suddenly turned towards Yuujiro's hiding spot, his eyes widening as his blood-red pupils suddenly appeared in front of the group of young ninjas.
Yuujiro, who was hiding in the bushes, saw those crimson eyes and his expression changed.
"It's us, Shino!"
Suddenly, shouted and then flashed onto the scene.
his bloody Sharingan slowly faded away as he said coldly, "It's you guys..."
The others also emerged from their hiding spots.
Looking at the deep wounds on Shino's body, Dan furrowed his brow slightly and asked softly, "What happened to you? Were you attacked?"
Shino glanced at his own body but seemed unconcerned. Instead, he furrowed his brows and said coldly, "My ninja team was attacked earlier, and I was the only one who survived."
Hearing his words, the young ninjas all furrowed their brows.
Seeing the injuries on Shino's body, it wasn't hard to imagine how perilous his situation had been. Being able to survive was no small feat for this Konoha genius, who was second only to Sosuke.
"Let's go. I'll take you to treat your wounds, and then we can discuss what to do next."
"In any case, being able to stay alive is already very lucky."
Shokushige stepped forward and looked at Shino's cold and stubborn face as he said in a low voice.
Shino nodded in response.
Soon, the two of them disappeared from the area.
The other young ninjas looked in the direction they had gone, sighing one after another.
"Ah, when will this war finally end... even someone as strong as Shino..."
Yuujiro sighed.
Seeing Yuujiro looking a bit dejected, Dan spoke softly, "Don't worry, after all, we're comrades. No matter what, we'll stick together and persevere until the end!"
Seeing Dan's sunny smile, Yuujiro's face changed for a moment, then he followed with a bright smile.
"Yeah!"
"After all... we're comrades..."
...
Inside Konoha Village.
The sun had just risen, and the vast Konoha Forest was still shrouded in morning mist.
When that ray of morning sun pierced through the haze, illuminating the dewdrops on the leaves, refracting colorful and sparkling hues.
A green figure had been waiting at the village gate early in the morning, both waiting and doing some 'simple' exercises!
He was performing push-ups while standing on his hands, with chakra condensed in his palms, on the soft ground!
His face turned bright red, and sweat dripped from his forehead, but he persisted!
"Three hundred fifty-seven!" "Three hundred fifty-eight!" "Three hundred fifty-nine!"...
If you removed the weighted equipment from his body, it was likely that just that equipment alone would instantly create a deep pit in the ground!
However, the soft and fluffy ground showed no signs of change at the moment.
One could see the subtleties in the control of power by the exerciser!
At this moment, in the morning mist outside the village, two figures slowly appeared.
One tall, one slender.
In the thick mist, they looked somewhat blurry.
However, the green figure in the midst of his exercise suddenly stopped, propping himself up with both hands and standing steadily on the ground. His face instantly showed a surprised expression!
"Bang!"
He suddenly disappeared from his original position!
The intense speed caused the air outside his position to rush in violently, creating a strong wind!
"Swoosh!"
His figure instantly solidified in front of the approaching figures!
Facing the green figure that suddenly appeared in front of him, the newcomer's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile.
"Heh!"
Then, he threw a simple punch, almost at an invisible speed!
Boom!
The violent punch wind generated an incredibly sharp airflow, even producing a deafening roar!
However!
There was a "patter!" sound!
Such a fierce punch was easily caught by the newcomer!
Huff, huff...
Suddenly, a strong wind blew in the area, and the compression of the air caused by the powerful punch finally showed its effects!
Seeing that his attack had no effect, the green figure's expression remained unwavering, and he even showed an excited smile.
He quickly broke free from the newcomer's grasp and leaped into the air!
Swiftly, he turned and delivered a spinning kick!
"Konoha Gale!"
The newcomer, with a smile on his face, watched this scene, and his eyes behind the glasses were filled with a hint of amusement.
The slender figure accompanying him looked somewhat helpless as he observed the two of them, crossing his arms without saying much.
"Swoosh!"
The newcomer's figure suddenly disappeared from its original position!
"Dai, long time no see. Your progress isn't bad."
"However, it ends here."
The magnetic voice of the newcomer came from behind Might Dai.
He extended his slender hand slowly.
However, at this moment!
"Haha, Sosuke, this time, I won't be defeated so easily!"
Might Dai's lips curled up, excitedly saying, "Konoha... Rumbling Boulder!"
He fiercely stomped on the ground!
"Bang!"
A burst of air rushed out violently!
The ground instantly shook!
"Boom, crackle!"
The ground within dozens of meters instantly shattered!
Sosuke immediately evaded, and the lens flashed with a white light, concealing his gaze. He raised a faint smile and said softly, "Well done, using this method to stop my next move. Dai, you've improved a lot."
Hearing Sosuke's praise, Dai was extremely happy, shouting excitedly, "Haha, not at all. It's thanks to Sosuke that I could find my own path!"
"And, I get along very well with Kame too. I really have to thank you for introducing Saki as a friend to me."
Sosuke looked at Dai, who was rubbing the back of his head and laughing, and he also had a relaxed expression on his face.
Dai... is happy... you've finally found your own path...
And at this moment!
A crisp and cold voice interrupted the reunion of the two.
"Very well, has the nostalgia of the reunion ended?"
"If it has, then get ready to compensate the village for the land repair costs. This is right in front of Konoha Village's gate, and the cost for repairing the land..."
"...And... me... Sensei..."
Hearing Shimura Himiko's words, Dai, who was looking somewhat mechanically at her, turned his head to her and then at the devastated ground, looking utterly helpless.
Seeing this scene, both Sosuke and Himiko revealed slightly amused smiles.