Chapter 198:
"I can't believe we've just arrived in the Land of Wind and we're already back on the road again."
Hanabi grumbled as she walked across the desert.
According to the mission given by Gaara, the three of them were to go protect the feudal lord of the Land of Wind. Gaara's adopted son, Shinki, had already been dispatched ahead of them.
"Well, gathering the Wind Hawk Armor is our mission too..." said the Jar Merchant idly, walking in front.
"There's a house up ahead!"
Suddenly, Future Boruto spoke. In the middle of the empty desert, a lone residence had appeared. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed suspicious.
The house was surrounded by a wooden fence.
"Who would live in a place like this? It's completely desolate—nothing but sand and not a soul around..." Hanabi said, puzzled, as they stood in front of the house. "Hey! Is anyone inside?!"
"Let's go in and take a look..." Without hesitation, Future Boruto vaulted over the fence.
"Let's follow him," the Jar Merchant said to Hanabi.
The three of them entered the house together.
Inside, it was pitch black—so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
As soon as they stepped in, the three exchanged glances. Though faint, they could clearly hear the sound of a man breathing lightly.
"Byakugan—activate!" Hanabi scanned the surroundings and eventually spotted a man at the corner of the staircase leading to the second floor. "Be careful, he's holding a weapon..."
"Got it." Future Boruto nodded and used a Shadow Clone Jutsu to scout ahead.
"Ahhh!" With a shout that sounded more like an attempt to steel his own nerves, the man burst out of the corner swinging a hoe and brought it down on Future Boruto's clone. "What?!"
Instead of the expected scene of blood and injury, the figure dissolved into white mist.
In the moment the man was stunned, Future Boruto seized him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. The sharp Kusanagi Sword was pressed beside the man's neck as he demanded, "Who are you, and why did you attack us?"
He wasn't someone they recognized, nor was he a zombie. Besides, it wasn't currently the peak of the future bio-outbreak crisis. Future Boruto couldn't fathom why the man would try to kill him.
The man struggled but didn't respond.
"Fine, let me ask a different question..." Future Boruto didn't waste time lingering on the first. "Why did you build your home out here? I'm giving you a chance—if you still don't answer, I'll kill you on the spot."
The Kusanagi Sword gently traced a line near the man's neck, and a trickle of blood flowed out.
"...Because I don't trust people anymore... During the Fourth Great Ninja War, my village was burned to the ground. And it wasn't the enemy who did it—it was our own people, claiming it was necessary to destroy any potential enemy hiding spots beforehand... Judging from your appearance, you're ninjas too. After I escaped here, I was finally living happily with my wife and daughter—until not long ago, a group of ninjas came and killed my wife..."
The man's emotions suddenly surged.
"Why did those ninjas kill your wife?!"
Future Boruto tightened his grip on the man's throat, demanding an answer. But the man just kept mumbling things like "ninjas are all scum."
"Jar, I need you to search the house—specifically for any clues about this man's daughter."
The reason he asked the Jar Merchant instead of Hanabi was because Future Boruto knew the Jar Merchant was a Hydra-created artificial human and could withstand most dangers.
"Damn it, stop! What are you doing?!"
Seeing the Jar Merchant leave, the man began to struggle violently.
There were only three rooms on the second floor: the couple's bedroom, the daughter's room, and a study.
After searching the first two rooms, the Jar Merchant stopped in front of the study.
"Stop, you bastard!"
"Quiet down!" Hanabi suddenly struck a pressure point, rendering the man limp and powerless. He collapsed to the floor, able only to watch helplessly as the Jar Merchant opened the study and exclaimed in surprise.
"What is it?" Future Boruto asked, staying behind to keep watch over the man.
"This guy is keeping a zombie."
The Jar Merchant answered.
Staring at the grotesque, zombie-like creature that looked like a young girl, Hanabi's expression turned grim.
"Start talking. What the hell is going on here?"
"Hmph."
The man snorted coldly, completely ignoring Future Boruto's question.
"I think I understand now..." the Jar Merchant said from the side. "Based on my deduction, his daughter was infected with the zombie virus. The ninjas came to stop the virus from spreading and tried to kill her. But through his resistance—and at the cost of his wife's life—he managed to protect the zombie..."
"She's not a zombie. She's my daughter!"
"What do we do, Boruto?" Hanabi asked, this being her first time facing a situation like this.
"Kill the zombie. As for this man, contact the Kazekage and let him decide how to handle it."
"No! Don't kill my daughter!" The man sobbed uncontrollably, clutching at Future Boruto's pant leg and begging.
It was a scene that could move even the hardest of hearts.
"Boruto..." Hanabi started to say something, but then saw Boruto pull free from the man's feeble grip and walk into the study with the Kusanagi Sword in hand.
Less than a minute later, he walked back out—his Kusanagi Sword dripping blood onto the floor.
"Tie him up. I'll contact the Kazekage," Future Boruto said as he took out his communicator.
As he began speaking to Gaara through the device, Hanabi sighed and picked up the rope, walking toward the man lying on the ground.
"You murderers... You killed my daughter... Ninjas really are all the same..."
Hanabi, who had always been well-protected by the Hyūga clan, had never encountered anything like this. Facing the man's hate-filled eyes, she instinctively took a step back.
Even though the man couldn't move, Hanabi still felt afraid.
"Let me handle it," the Jar Merchant said as he stepped forward and tied the man up himself.
"Thanks..."
"No problem. But Hanabi, don't let other people's opinions weigh you down. You live for yourself." The Jar Merchant swiftly bound the man, even finishing it off with a flashy butterfly knot.
"...I've contacted the Kazekage. He's sending a team right away. Let's move on," Future Boruto said, walking over.
"Alright," the Jar Merchant replied with a nod.