Kurenai Yuhi followed her gaze toward the cave entrance.
In the sunlight, several Ninja Wolves were lying there quietly; some were dozing, some were licking their paws, and one would occasionally look up to glance into the cave before looking away as if nothing had happened.
There was indeed no hostility.
One could even say... they were very lax.
But Kurenai Yuhi knew that was just an appearance.
As long as they dared to take a single step out of the cave, those seemingly dozing wolves would instantly spring into action.
"Why don't they kill us?" Inuzuka Kiba asked in a low voice. "That silver monster... it clearly could have..."
"Because it needs us alive." Shino Aburame rarely took the initiative to speak.
"What do you mean?"
"Hostages." Shino Aburame pushed up his sunglasses. "Wait for Konoha Village to send people, then use us to negotiate terms with the Village."
Inuzuka Kiba fell silent.
He understood the logic, but understanding didn't mean he could accept it.
"Then... will the Village send anyone?" Hinata asked in a small voice.
Kurenai Yuhi raised her head and looked at the forest outside the cave, which was brightened by the sunlight.
"They will come."
Her voice was weak, yet firm.
"The Third Hokage will definitely send someone."
"Until then—"
She looked at the three children, her gaze gentle and determined.
"We must all stay alive."
—
Konoha Village, Hokage Office Building.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows into the office. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat behind his desk, pipe in his mouth, reviewing the documents on the table.
Everything was as usual.
Until—
"Knock, knock, knock."
A knock sounded at the door, carrying a touch of urgency.
"Come in."
The door was pushed open. A Chunin walked in quickly and knelt on one knee.
"Third Hokage, news has come from the border patrol."
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head: "Speak."
"Team 8, led by Kurenai Yuhi, was responsible for the mission to investigate the missing patrol in Yufu Forest. They were scheduled to return to the Village to report yesterday evening, but they have yet to return."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows furrowed slightly.
"Have you sent anyone to provide support?"
"Not yet. The captain of the border patrol said it might just be a delay in the mission. After all, that forest is not small, and it is normal to investigate for an extra day. He suggests waiting another day to see."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a moment.
Team 8 was a newly graduated Genin squad, executing their first formal mission. Although Kurenai Yuhi was an experienced Special Jonin, bringing three children along meant it was inevitable that they would encounter various situations.
An extra day of delay was indeed not unusual.
"Tell the border patrol to keep observing. If there is no news by noon tomorrow, send people to search along the route immediately."
"Yes!"
The Chunin took the order and left.
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe again and took a puff.
Yufu Forest...
A month ago, Mori Toshio's squad also went missing there.
But Mori Toshio was a border patrol unit, going deep into the forest to investigate wandering bandits. While their disappearance was strange, it wasn't completely incomprehensible—they might have encountered Wandering Ninja, or met with an accident.
But Team 8 was only investigating the periphery.
Surely... nothing would happen, right?
He shook his head and continued to lower his head to process documents.
—
Konoha Village, Hyuga Clan residence.
Hiashi stood in the courtyard, watching the sun gradually slanting west in the sky.
His brows were slightly furrowed.
Hinata should have returned today.
Although her talent was average, it was her first formal mission after all. As a father, he was still somewhat concerned.
"Have you sent anyone to ask?" He asked without turning his head.
A clan member behind him bowed and said: "I have already asked. The border patrol says Team 8 has not returned yet, but it might just be a delay in the mission. They suggest waiting another day."
Hiashi was silent for a moment.
"Wait a bit longer."
He turned and walked back into the house.
But in his heart, there was always an indescribable sense of unease.
—
Late at night.
In the center of Wolf Valley, a giant stone statue twenty meters high stood towering.
It was a giant wolf sitting and looking up at the sky, entirely silver-white, glowing with a faint fluorescent light under the moonlight. Its size, posture, and even the direction of every hair were exactly the same as Yang Jiu—only magnified ten times.
The most astonishing thing was its eyes; golden crystals were embedded in them, refracting a deep light, as if a real Wolf King were overlooking the entire forest.
Yang Jiu stood at the foot of the stone statue, looking up at this magnified version of himself, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
This thing...
How does it look exactly like him?
Did the system carve it directly based on him?
From the stone statue, an invisible fluctuation was quietly spreading, like ripples on the surface of water, penetrating every corner of the forest.
[wolf god statue activated]
[Coverage: Entire Yufu Forest]
[Effect: Faith Infiltration—All creatures within the range will, over time, subtly develop awe and faith toward the wolf tribe.]
Yang Jiu narrowed his eyes.
In other words, from now on, every creature in this forest would, without realizing it, regard him as a god-like existence?
He licked his lips.
Interesting.
In the cave.
Moonlight spilled through the cave entrance, shining on the four people who could not sleep.
Kurenai Yuhi leaned against the cave wall, eyes closed in feigned sleep. The numbness in her body had mostly subsided, but she dared not actually fall asleep.
Inuzuka Kiba crouched at the cave entrance, holding Akamaru, staring fixedly at the patrolling Ninja Wolves, not daring to close his eyes for a day and a night.
Shino Aburame leaned against the wall, his hand on his insect bag, maintaining vigilance.
Hinata curled up beside Kurenai Yuhi. She was too tired and finally fell into a deep sleep.
Then—
The moonlight seemed to brighten a little.
Kiba's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He struggled, not wanting to sleep, but that drowsiness surged like a tide, impossible to resist.
"Sleep."
A voice rang in his heart.
The voice was very light, very faint, yet it made him feel at ease for no reason.
Inuzuka Kiba's head sank lower and lower until he finally fell asleep against the cave wall, and Akamaru also curled up in his arms, making a slight snoring sound.
Shino Aburame pushed up his sunglasses.
His insects became quiet—not because they lost their vigilance, but because... they also felt there was no danger here.
Shino Aburame was silent for a moment, then closed his eyes as well.
In her dream, Hinata saw that giant silver-white wolf again.
It looked at her quietly, its golden eyes gentle and deep.
"Don't be afraid," it said. "You are safe here."
The corners of Hinata's mouth curved slightly.
Kurenai Yuhi was still awake.
But she found that the string that had been pulled tight in her heart was loosening bit by bit without her realizing it.
She raised her head and looked outside the cave.
The moonlight was very bright.
And in the depths of that moonlight, she seemed to see a pair of eyes.
Golden eyes.
The exact same eyes as that Wolf King.
They were watching them quietly.
—
Outside the cave.
Scar lay on the rock, squinting.
It looked toward the direction of the wolf god statue, then toward the side cave, and grinned.
From now on, everything in this forest—
Would slowly become shaped by the Clan Leader.
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