UNFORESEEN FINDING
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Naruto knelt on a patch of trampled grass and studied the tracks with a trained eye. The tracks told him that a deer had passed through this meadow about half an hour ago.
He then stood up, staring straight at the forest in front of him. The bow he held in his left hand was slung behind his waist. After that, Naruto took a deep breath and exhaled several times while closing his eyes.
The sky was clear but dark, and a light breeze was blowing in the air. Silvery clouds floated over the mountains with their backs to where Naruto was, their edges glistening with the moonlight that perched between the two peaks.
Naruto opened his eyes again with a more focused gaze. He moved his legs suddenly, following the tracks he had observed just moments earlier.
When his fast steps brought him to the edge of the forest, Naruto tightened the muscles of his thighs and calves. His lungs pumped out the oxygen he had taken in to empower him. Then Naruto jumped high.
He landed on one of the tall branches of a tree and followed his instincts to locate the deer without seeing any further tracks.
When Naruto entered the forest area, the weather became dark, accompanied by a gloomy fog that crawled over the ground. At the end of the evening, when the sun almost lost its light, the forest became shrouded in darkness, almost like night.
However, even though the weather was dark and it was difficult for ordinary humans to see without sufficient light, Naruto was still able to see clearly. His dull blue eyes widened in focus, noticing the location of the branches he wanted to tread on.
His nose sniffed to detect odors that had the potential to be dangerous or not. When his sense of smell inhaled a familiar scent, he stopped his jumps on one of the tree branches, which was quite high above the ground.
Naruto knelt and lowered his gaze downward. He found the deer he was looking for to be standing still, not far below him.
The deer showed annoyance, circling. Naruto was amazed that the deer had made it this far on its own without being caught by a wolf or a bear. His eyes sharpened in interest, and his lips pulled into a faint smile.
Naruto took the bow that was pinned behind his waist, then took out two arrows and threaded one, putting the other one in his mouth.
Minimal lighting was not a problem for Naruto; he seemed confident in his eyesight and abilities. His eyes sharpened in focus, and he began to pull the tail of the arrow that had been attached to his bow.
After it felt right, Naruto released the arrow and swiftly took another arrow that he had bitten and attached it. Without breathing, Naruto released his arrows again with more force.
The deer, which was initially silent, gasped when an arrow lodged in its waist and immediately went into a frenzy. Before the deer could run away, another arrow pierced its neck with force, causing it to fall to the ground.
Naruto, from above the tree branch, raised his smile when he saw the two attacks he launched hit the target. He then jumped from the top of the tree branch and crouched down when he hit the ground.
After straightening himself up, Naruto walked over to the deer. You could see the deer lying there, gasping for breath because Naruto's arrows had closed its breathing passages.
Naruto put his bow back on and switched to picking up a hunting knife with a bone hilt hanging from his belt with his right hand. Without further ado, he immediately used it to stab the deer's stomach.
The deer squirmed as Naruto stabbed its stomach. Its eyes bulged, and it let out loud labored breaths. Before long, the deer became unconscious and died.
Naruto withdrew his knife and returned it to his belt, also retrieving his two arrows that were stuck in the deer's body.
After securing the arrows in place, Naruto lifted the deer and propped it against a tree trunk to his left.
However, Naruto flinched when he suddenly nudged something with his left foot while leaning toward the deer. He turned to his left and widened his eyes upon seeing someone leaning stiffly against the same tree trunk.
The thick fog that enveloped the area concealed the person's presence. Naruto's eyes widened, and he gently cupped the man's cheeks.
Naruto's eyes widened further. 'A girl?' His body stiffened as he felt the girl's extremely cold temperature in his palms.
He lowered his right hand, resting the back of his hand on the girl's left side of the neck. There was no pulse, but Naruto felt a faint pulse-like sensation.
Acting quickly, Naruto removed the wooden-framed backpack from his back, opened it, and rummaged through its contents.
After finding what he was looking for, Naruto retrieved a bottle the size of an adult's fist made of white granite. He opened the bottle cap and consumed its contents—a warming potion.
Pressing his lips against hers, Naruto shared the potion with the girl.
Once done, Naruto turned his face away and took off his gray knit coat, placing it on the girl to keep her warm.
Naruto looked back at the girl to examine her face. She appeared young with long, messy blonde hair, and she wore a shabby, glamorous blue dress. A partially intact piece of silver armor was pinned to her chest.
Naruto chuckled, then picked up the backpack that lay next to him and cradled it in front of his body. He lifted the petite girl and carried her on his back.
As he straightened up, Naruto remembered the deer he had hunted earlier and let out an annoyed exclamation.
"Damn it!"
Naruto ignored the deer, regretting the loss of his dinner. With the girl on his back, he ran away from the area, contemplating the strange situation he was experiencing.
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