"Hmm?" At that moment, Kikyo suddenly stopped walking, her gaze turning alertly towards the distance.
Retsu also followed her line of sight. Not far ahead, a Barrier emitting a faint, eerie glow enveloped the mountain forest, blocking the view of the depths.
"This should be the Barrier set up by that demon." Kikyo stared at the Barrier ahead, reached out her hand towards Retsu, and looking at him said, "Hold my hand. I'm worried that after entering the Barrier, we might be forcibly separated."
"...Mhm." Retsu wasn't proficient in Barrier-type jutsu, but Kikyo was a master of Barriers, so listening to her was definitely right. He reached out and firmly grasped Kikyo's fair, slender hand. The warm, soft touch transmitted through his fingertips made his heart flutter slightly.
Come to think of it, this was only the second time he had held Kikyo's hand.
The last time was when she was still in her clay body, and he was transferring Chakra to her.
The sensation back then ultimately carried a hint of coldness, completely different from the current warm, delicate, and slender feeling.
The soft touch coming from his hand made Retsu's heartbeat quicken involuntarily.
Kikyo tightened her grip on his hand and lifted her foot to step towards the Barrier.
"Wait." Seeing Kikyo about to enter the Barrier, Retsu finally snapped back to reality. With a flick of his finger, a Kunai engraved with a Flying Thunder God Mark "whooshed" and embedded itself in a nearby tree trunk. "Leaving a marker. In case we can't get out, we can use the Flying Thunder God to teleport away."
"Alright!"
Hearing his words, Kikyo hesitated no longer. Holding his hand, she stepped into the Barrier together with him.
Immediately upon entering the Barrier's interior, their vision was enveloped by thick white mist.
Although the mist was dense, it didn't hinder movement. Retsu strode forward smoothly, but Kikyo beside him was clearly struggling, as if bound by an invisible force, each step taken with great effort.
"It seems this Barrier is indeed deliberately hindering women from entering," Kikyo quickly realized, stating calmly.
"Should I cut this Barrier down?" Retsu stared at the white mist surrounding them, a flicker of eagerness flashing in his eyes. His hand had already unconsciously rested on the samurai sword at his waist.
"No need." Kikyo gently shook her head, signaling him not to act impulsively. "Once we pass through the Barrier's range, this resistance will disappear. Destroying the Barrier might alert the demon. Before finding the missing villagers, it's better not to act rashly. If the demon goes berserk and kills those people, it would be troublesome."
"Alright, I'll listen to you." Retsu nodded. Previously, while working as a Ninja in the Naruto World, he had also carried out many missions to search for missing persons. He knew that in such situations, "ensuring the target's survival" was the primary principle.
He tightened his grip on Kikyo's hand, accompanying her as she slowly made her way through the Barrier.
To avoid attracting the demon's attention, Kikyo didn't use her spiritual power, relying solely on her own physical strength to resist the Barrier's force. Soon, fine beads of sweat appeared on her temples.
"Do you want me to carry you on my back?" Watching her struggle with each step, Retsu couldn't help but ask.
"No need, we should be almost through." Kikyo shook her head and continued shuffling her feet forward.
Just as she said, after taking a few more steps forward, the invisible resistance on Kikyo suddenly vanished.
She had just been exerting force against the resistance, and now with the force gone, her body involuntarily lurched forward, about to fall. Fortunately, Retsu had been tightly holding her hand all along and reacted quickly, pulling her back firmly.
Kikyo couldn't regain her balance and ended up falling into his embrace.
Retsu looked down to see glistening sweat beads on her forehead, her chest rising and falling slightly as she breathed lightly, clearly having expended a lot of energy passing through the Barrier.
"If you're tired, just say so. Carrying you on my back isn't any trouble." Retsu sighed somewhat helplessly. Pulling her along, he sat down cross-legged, letting her lean against his shoulder to rest. Simultaneously, he gathered Chakra in his palm and slowly transferred it into her body to help her recover her stamina.
Taking advantage of Kikyo's rest, he raised his eyes to survey the thick, white mist around them, then glanced back at the Barrier behind them. His expression suddenly shifted. It seemed he now knew what this place was.
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