Yujin silently raised his evaluation of White Zetsu once again.
He had always considered White Zetsu as little more than expendable—just a cheap pawn of Black Zetsu, who was the true mastermind behind everything in the ninja world.
But who would've thought that a seemingly insignificant pawn could play such a vital role in such an unexpected way?
Beyond providing three practical jutsu and acting as a convenient experience bank, White Zetsu actually possessed genjutsu resistance...
Regardless of which of the two scenarios Yujin had speculated was true, one thing was clear—"White Zetsu-fication" could indeed help him break free from illusions.
Having both rescued a clanswoman and made a surprising discovery, Yujin's mood lightened a little. He no longer thought about the fused summoning beast.
There was nothing he could do about that anyway—out of sight, out of mind.
Suddenly, a birdsong with a distinct rhythm reached Yujin's ears. He immediately understood the hidden message and darted off toward the source of the sound.
Once he entered a wooded area, he quickly found Chihori hiding within the tree canopy.
"Chieftain," she greeted.
Chihori looked terrible—like a gust of wind could knock her over.
"How are you holding up? Can you manage?" Yujin asked, supporting her with one hand, worried she might fall from the tree.
"It's nothing serious... I've just become extremely weak after being drained of chakra for so long," she replied lightly.
But her tone downplayed the danger. "Draining the pond to catch the fish" could be fatal—especially for ordinary ninjas.
Chakra might be the source of a ninja's power, but in some ways, it was no different from a slow-acting poison.
Chihori's body clearly needed proper care and nourishment.
This wasn't the time to be picky. Yujin pulled out a ration pill and handed it to her.
After swallowing it, Chihori's pallid face turned a sickly shade of red—but at least she felt a bit stronger.
Ration pills were meant for healthy ninjas. They were powerful, and the frail could easily suffer adverse effects from taking them.
Still, in her condition, having something to replenish her stamina was already fortunate. It's not like Yujin could magically produce some miraculous elixir.
"After the village was overrun that day, we scattered and tried to escape. Unfortunately, we were captured by Tsugawa's ninjas. Some resisted and were killed. After exhausting our chakra, the rest of us were sold here as slaves... There were seven of us. Now, I'm the only one left."
Regaining a bit of strength, Chihori gave a brief account of her experience over the past days.
Yujin thought grimly—perhaps the falcon or lion summoning beasts he'd destroyed had parts of his own clansmen in them... But even if he had known the truth beforehand, he still would've had no choice.
He could only stay silent about the fate of those clansmen.
"Chieftain... what about the others?" Chihori asked again, her voice tinged with worry.
"Counting you and me, there are eighteen of us left," Yujin answered truthfully.
"Eighteen..."
The number hit her hard. Her sorrow was plain to see.
Then, she suddenly remembered something. "Beiji...?"
"It completed its task perfectly," Yujin said softly.
That line said everything by saying nothing.
If the people couldn't be saved, neither could the dog. Such was the reality of small ninja clans in the current world.
Silence fell over the forest. After learning the truth, Chihori needed time to process her grief.
It could take a hundred years for a small ninja clan to grow into a village, but just one night to be reduced to their numbers from a century ago. Like hitting a reset button.
This harsh reality was difficult to accept—especially for those born and raised in the ninja world.
About an hour later, seeing that Chihori had recovered a bit, Yujin said:
"Let's go. No matter what, we should return to camp first... Everyone will be thrilled to see you."
Yujin escorted Chihori, and the two returned to the camp calmly and without incident.
The emotional reunion that followed among the clanspeople need not be described in detail.
During the exchange, someone explained their decision to drop the "Hanemiya" surname. Chihori understood the necessity but still requested that their family name be preserved in some form.
Yujin naturally agreed. He would blend the real surname among many others—it wouldn't compromise their original goal.
They had originally planned to leave the camp, but due to Chihori's condition, they had no choice but to stay and let her recover for a while longer.
Meanwhile, three days after the town had burned to ashes, two ninja arrived at the ruins.
One looked to be in his thirties, the other only around eleven or twelve. Both had bare foreheads—clearly not in the habit of wearing forehead protectors.
Even so, their identities were immediately obvious to anyone who saw them.
They wore long black cloaks, and on the back of each cloak was a symbol that resembled a ping-pong paddle...
That emblem was the "Fan of Fire"—the iconic crest of the renowned Uchiha Clan.
"The intel was accurate... Too bad we arrived a step too late," the older Uchiha said.
The younger one said nothing, idly kicking at a nearby iron fence.
They had located the dungeon. The place reeked of blood and rot. Corpses of both humans and beasts littered the floor, all burned beyond recognition.
It seemed that after Yujin left, the freed ninjas not only took care of the Earth-style summoner but also... had a bit of a "bonus round" among themselves for some unknown reason.
Seeing his companion still searching the area patiently, the younger Uchiha finally grew restless.
"Captain, isn't it about time we left? We've already wasted too much time on this trivial matter."
"Trivial?" the older ninja didn't even look up. "This is about strengthening relations between our clans."
"But the person we're looking for is nothing but a loser."
"Precisely. Because he's a 'loser,' our efforts to find him will seem all the more sincere."
The younger ninja opened his mouth to argue but couldn't find the right words.
The logic seemed sound at first, but the more he thought about it, the more something felt... off.
All he could think was—this is why being a simp never ends well.
They found nothing useful themselves, but luckily, others had better luck.
Thirty minutes later, another Uchiha joined them, dragging a half-dead man behind him.
"Captain, I found this guy nearby. Not sure if he's useful," the ninja said, tossing the man at his captain's feet.
This man was one of the ninjas Yujin had freed earlier. For some reason, instead of escaping, he had lingered in the area—only to fall from one trap into another.
The captain hauled him up. The man had clearly been through hell—his mouth twisted, eyes dull and unfocused.
The captain's eyes turned a vivid red, three black tomoe forming within—he instantly cast a flawless genjutsu, invading the man's mind with overwhelming eye power.
Yujin's actions from that day slowly unfolded before his eyes.
When the illusion ended, the captain dropped the man with a thud, his expression turning strange.