I pumped chakra into my legs as I sprinted through the forest.
The branch beneath me cracked as I landed heavily, bark splintering under my feet. I pushed off again, vaulting through the canopy in a blur, branches whipping past my shoulders. Another leap. Another. I twisted midair, slapped a palm against a trunk, and slid down it in a shower of bark, hitting the ground running.
Behind me, I glanced back as trees exploded.
I spun and jumped to the side just as something massive burst through the undergrowth, snapping thick trunks like kindling. A tiger-like beast barreled toward me, enormous and easily twice the size of any normal animal. Its muscles rippled beneath striped fur that looked almost marred in places, chakra bleeding off it in wild, uneven flares.
It roared-deep and furious-and the sound shook the clearing.
I skidded to a stop, dirt spraying under my sandals, eyes locked on it.
Its paws hit the ground with enough force to crack dirt and roots apart.
The beast roared again, a deep, vibrating sound that rattled my bones.
I felt my mind sharpen, as it usually does just before I get violent.
I smirked.
Damn thing has been trying to get me for some time now...
Chakra surged into my legs and core, reinforcing muscle and tendon as I launched myself forward just as the beast lunged. Its claw swept through the space where my head had been, crashing into the ground with a thud.
I vaulted over it, my body rotating cleanly as its momentum carried it past me.
The timing felt effortless.
I landed behind it, already molding chakra into both hands as carefully as I could after three days of practice.
Two stakes, the length of my forearms, erupted from my palms, denser than steel, their tips already sharpened. I didn't waste time shaping them further.
I flicked my wrists. Chakra surged through my arms, increasing the speed and force of the stakes. They screamed through the air, moving faster than any stick had a right to.
The beast barely had time to turn.
The first stake punched into its torso with a sickening crack, burying itself deep between its ribs. The second followed a heartbeat later, slamming in lower, tearing through muscle and lodging near its spine.
The creature suddenly swerved as the stakes struck.
It turned to look at me, and I could see the rage and pain in its eyes.
It roared again, blood spilling from its wound as it tried to face me, claws digging furrows into the earth.
I brought my hands together.
Ram.
The chakra already inside the stakes responded.
The wood expanded violently.
The embedded stakes thickened, exploding outward inside the beast's body. Thorns burst through fur and flesh, ripping free in a spray of blood and viscera. The creature convulsed once, a broken sound tearing from its throat as the growth finished its work.
Then it collapsed.
Dead before it hit the ground.
I loosened my tense body as I stood there, breathing hard, watching m the corpse as blood soaked into the dirt. My hands trembled slightly-not from from adrenaline and the sheer ease of it.
That had been fast and easy.
I looked down at my hands and flexed my fingers.
It would have taken a lot of effort and chakra if I had to use my tanto or ninjutsu.
This is the power of a Kekkei Genkai...
I shook my head once, forcing the thought aside.
Still.
I exhaled slowly and let the stakes dissolve back into the ground, the wood crumbling and sinking away until nothing remained but disturbed soil, blood, and the beast's mangled carcass.
The last three days in the forest had been fruitful.
I could feel it.
My chakra control was sharper. I could now use the Wood Release at a basic level and even manipulate and create thick tree trunks. My Doton had improved too; I could feel the earth more clearly now, and I had expanded my jutsu repertoire.
I glanced up through the canopy. The light shifted as evening descended.
My stomach growled, loud enough that I snorted.
Enough training for now.
I needed rest. And food. And time to think.
The day after tomorrow, I'd probably be deployed again.
I pushed chakra into my legs with practiced ease and took off, leaping from tree to tree as the forest blurred past. The deeper part of the forest gradually gave way to a more familiar path I had taken three days prior, then to the towering fence marking the boundary.
After nearly an hour of constant movement, my legs finally began to complain.
The observation booth came into view.
I dropped down lightly near the gate and raised a hand. The kunoichi on duty glanced up from her post, recognized me, and moved without comment to operate the mechanism.
The massive gate groaned open.
I stepped through, feeling the subtle pressure change as I crossed the boundary, and nodded to her in thanks. She returned it absently, already back to her duties.
I made my way from the forest of death into the village, slowing to a civilian pace as I moved through the streets, blending into the evening flow of people. Lanterns were being lit. Shops were closing. The smell of cooking food drifted through the air.
I returned to my apartment, climbed the familiar stairs, and unlocked the door.I closed it behind me and leaned my weight against it. Inside, the room was quiet, unchanged since I'd left.
Home... This is my home now.
I set my pack down by the wall, unstrapped my tanto, and placed it carefully on the low table like a ritual. Only then did I really notice how filthy I felt.
Three days in the forest, wiping myself down with a damp rag when I rested. Dried sweat clung to my skin. My hair felt stiff with grime. My clothes smelled like mud and sap.
Yeah. No more delaying it. I need a shower.
I stripped without ceremony-jacket first, then the undershirt, peeling it off my skin. I set everything aside neatly, then turned toward the bathroom.
The shower took a moment to heat up. When it did, steam rolled out, thick and white, fogging the mirror almost instantly. I stepped under the spray and let out a long breath as hot water hit my shoulders and ran down my back.
It burned a little where the cuts I had gotten from stray branches were still healing.
I didn't care.
I stood there longer than necessary, letting the water pound against me, washing away sweat, dirt, and the lingering tension I hadn't realized I was still carrying. My muscles slowly loosened. My breathing evened out. Steam filled the room until everything felt muted and distant.
Eventually, I shut off the water and stepped out, toweling off quickly. The mirror was useless, completely fogged, my reflection nothing more than a vague silhouette. I wrapped the towel around my waist, went back into the main room, and pulled on a clean pair of pants. That should be enough in my own home.
I dug into my ration pack, pulled out my last meal, and paired it with a bottle of juice from the fridge. It wasn't great food, but it was enough. I ate sitting on the couch, back against the armrest, eyelids already heavy.
The exhaustion hit all at once.
I didn't even bother cleaning up properly. I set the empty container aside, stretched out on the bed, and let myself sink into the thin mattress. My body ached in that dull, heavy way that meant real rest was overdue.
And quickly went to sleep.
A loud thud jolted me awake.
I blinked, disoriented. Another knock followed, sharper this time, echoing through the apartment.
"Oi, Basara! Open up!"
I groaned softly and rolled onto my side, every muscle protesting. Light filtered through the window at an odd angle-early morning, judging by the color. I dragged myself upright, ran a hand through my hair, and shuffled toward the door.
Another knock. Impatient.
"I'm coming," I muttered.
I unlocked the door and pulled it open.
Tsume stood there in full shinobi gear, flak jacket strapped tight, gloves on, hair pulled back. Kuromaru sat at her side, tail flicking once as he looked me over. Tsume's mouth curved into a sharp, satisfied grin the moment she saw my face.
"Well, well, look who rolled out of his bed," she said, eyes flicking down and back up my naked torso.
I squinted at her. "Good morning to you too."
She snorted. "Morning. I came here yesterday, were you out ?"
"Yes," I said dryly, stepping back to let them in. "How did you know my address?"
Kuromaru padded past me without waiting for an invitation, sniffing the room once before settling near the wall. Tsume followed, boots thudding softly against the floor as she took in the apartment with a quick glance.
"I'm Tsume Inuzuka," she said simply. "And before you ask-yeah, we have orders."
I rubbed at my face, waking up a little more. "Let me guess. No more rest?"
Her grin widened, but there was tension behind it. "You guessed it. We're being deployed tonight."
I sighed and leaned against the doorframe, already feeling the shift back into shinobi mode settling in. Whatever quiet I'd carved out for myself had just ended.
And judging by the look in Tsume's eyes...
Things were about to get moving again.
"We're going to Suna"