The sandstorm had passed, this time under the hot sun, there were no longer just two figures walking alone, but a smaller figure was added, walking ahead.
Yukina still felt strange about the whole situation, she just hoped she was making the right decision. Well, judging by the strength of the two of them, that seemed like the only option where there was at least a chance she wouldn't be killed.
After introducing themselves, Toji asked about her problems. Yukina didn't want to answer, so Toji simply dropped the subject and asked for her help finding a nearby village, in return, Toji would forgive her for the attack.
Yukina didn't want to guide those two, they were too dangerous, but at this point, she had no choice. She could only call herself mentally stupid for acting on impulse.
She had to admit that the 340 million figure clouded her judgment, but thinking about it now, if Toji wasn't worth the price, it wouldn't be her turn to receive that reward.
She regretted the attack, but there was no going back, now she only hoped that Toji would honor his word and let her go after they arrived at the village.
Toji felt very pleased now that he had a guide, Yukina could even tell when a sandstorm was approaching and where there were resources and dangers along the way.
Well, that was somewhat irrelevant given their strength, but it was convenient nonetheless.
-And then, you said you need money for your family.- Toji, bored, began trying to probe Yukina again. He wasn't really all that interested, it was just rare to have someone to talk to.
The girl trembled slightly, but neither turned around nor answered.
Toji didn't care as he continued. -Why? Are you poor and need this to survive? With your strength as Chunin, it wouldn't be difficult to find resources in this desert, right?
Yukina's fists clenched, but she still didn't answer.
Toji saw that this wasn't leading anywhere, so he shrugged and said. -What happened to your hand? Did you lose it in combat? Is a wooden prosthesis easy to use?
Yukina's lips trembled, she was angry. Couldn't that bastard shut up?
Toji just wanted to say: Try hanging out with a boring person for months, and eventually, you'll take advantage of any chance you get to talk to another living being.
Afro:...
Toji didn't give up quickly, asking a few more questions: How old was she? Was she from the Land of Wind? What was there to do for fun here?
Yukina completely ignored his questions. By this point, she realized that Toji was a talkative guy, but he didn't seem impatient, at least, he wasn't angry about her silence, he just kept trying to start a conversation.
This continued until nightfall, she would suggest they stop to camp, even though there were only two or three hours of walking left, as the desert at night was far more dangerous than during the day.
However, considering their combined strength, she felt it didn't matter much, so she continued walking, but now more carefully.
As expected, they hadn't walked far before being attacked by a spider the size of a cart, its color camouflaged it perfectly at night, making it look like just a buried rock on the 'road,' but as they approached, Yukina already sensed something was wrong. Even so, she went over, trying to use the spider to get rid of Toji and Afro.
However, before she could even dodge and let the spider attack the pair, a chakra blade split the spider in two. When she turned to look, only a soft click of the katana returning to its sheath was heard, she didn't even see Afro move!
She swallowed hard, and although it was dark, she seemed to see Toji's 'gentle' smile, so she abandoned any other plans and guided them honestly this time.
A few hours later, they finally saw light in the middle of the night, and as they approached, they saw the high walls.
Unlike most other countries, the villages in this place needed to be surrounded by walls because of the frequent sandstorms, especially since a strong sandstorm could directly destroy an oasis.
As soon as they approached, Yukina stopped. -There, my work is done, now can I go?
Toji raised an eyebrow at the girl, she clearly wanted to say goodbye and leave. Toji was certain that, given the caution she displayed, this wasn't the Oasis where she lived, if she even lived in one at all. She probably only brought them this far and wanted to leave.
Seeing the rush, she seemed afraid of being recognized by the guards.
Toji just chuckled slightly, not caring much, and nodded. - You can go.
The girl sighed with relief and quickly fled into the endless desert.
Toji only glanced briefly, then advanced towards the village with Afro. Entering was very simple, Toji didn't think about hiding. Then, seeing his face, one of the guards froze in fear. He quickly whispered something in the ear of the man Toji judged to be the 'boss,' and the man gave Toji a smile that wasn't a smile, clearly one of fear.
-Gentlemen, do you want to spend the night?- The man asked carefully, trying to gauge Toji and Afro's intentions.
-Yes, we'll probably leave in a few days.- Toji nodded.
The man seemed a little exasperated, clearly wanting them to leave as quickly as possible, but in the end, he said nothing. Still, he intended to send a message to Sunagakure, with such strong ninjas entering the Land of Wind, it was the Kazekage's duty to deal with them.
Toji didn't mind, and after being allowed to pass, he quickly asked around and found his way to the best tavern in the village.
The village wasn't small, at least not compared to the small villages Toji had been to, its size could easily accommodate tens of thousands of inhabitants, according to what Toji had heard. There were even some nobles living in a separate district there.
It was clearly a bustling city, close to the border, and trade was still strong there. Toji saw merchants from various other territories, even selling products from the Land of Sound.
At the tavern, after renting two rooms, Toji was ready to start looking for information about the girl, she probably had some reputation here, or she wouldn't have run away so quickly.
Toji even let a Snake Clone follow her, not because he had plans for her, but simply out of curiosity. After questioning her a bit and giving precise general descriptions like a scar on her cheek and a wooden arm, he quickly gathered information about her.