Several days later, Sen's injuries finally healed completely.
During this time, the outpost had also confirmed Minato and the others' situation with the village. During the Tailed Beast Bomb attack, both Minato and Hatake Sakumo had survived by relying on their own methods.
As for Sen, the village ordered him to remain stationed here for the time being.
Even while recovering, he had not been idle. Every day, he would visit Yumeno and force her to surrender by poking her forehead.
Yesterday, he had finally obtained the technique [Medical Water Style: Water Mosquito] from the system.
Taking advantage of the outpost's downtime, Sen brought Mikoto and the captive Yumeno out into the wilderness to hunt.
Beside the campfire, three plump sand rats sizzled as they roasted.
Turning the roasting rats, Sen casually said, "Yumeno, I'll let you go after we eat. Consider it repayment for sparing my life last time. See? I didn't lie to you."
Yet upon hearing the news, Yumeno felt none of the joy she had imagined. Instead, an inexplicable melancholy welled up inside her.
In Sunagakure, she had seen too much betrayal and abandonment. Even when she had fought Sen last time, her captain—that jonin—had abandoned her at the critical moment.
Yet this enemy before her had drawn his blade without hesitation when others harbored ill intentions toward her.
He had even tried to stand alone against the entire outpost.
"You... aren't going to learn my technique anymore?" Yumeno asked softly.
"What, you don't want to leave now? Do you want to stay and teach me hand in hand?" Sen said with a grin as he sprinkled on seasoning.
Seeing Yumeno looking at Sen with such a complicated gaze, alarm bells immediately went off in Mikoto's head. She promptly said, "For a prisoner, this is already