I Think I've Become the Villain

The next day, before dawn, the mountains were pitch-black.

However, this wasn't within the Land of Fire. They were in the Land of Waterfalls.

The burning campfire gradually died out. Kakuzu gloomily poked at the charred wood.

A whole day had passed, and that woman still hadn't shown up. She probably didn't want to split the earnings after all.

"Lying through her teeth!"

As the sky brightened, Kakuzu got up, put away the Earth Grudge Fear forbidden technique scroll, and turned to walk into the dense forest.

Over the Land of Fire, beneath a clear, endless sky, Lucy flapped her wings and flew at full speed. Seated behind her in midair, Yura surveyed the land below. The mountain breeze swept over an endless sea of trees, making it ripple like waves.

Little Monster flew very fast, and Yura was deliberately training Lucy's flying ability.

The structure of her wing joints enhanced her aerodynamics, allowing her to hover and maneuver at high speeds. In her normal state, simply borrowing Chomei's chakra let her cruise faster than a Jonin running at full speed. She could easily reach speeds of over 180 kilometers per hour, and that was while flying.

Flying was faster than running because of the terrain.

A shinobi sprinting through the forest would have a hard time keeping up with Lucy, a thousand meters above the ground.

In the forest, a team of four shinobi pushed themselves to the limit, chasing far behind. None of them spoke; they gritted their teeth and pressed on. They had to keep bursting into speed and using the Body Flicker Technique again and again, which was exhausting.

Marching at this pace was a test of endurance and willpower even for elite shinobi like them. Soon, their formation began to stretch and warp as they moved, depending on each shinobi's stamina.

Feeling the formation shift, Yura smiled faintly.

They were at their limit already, and it had only been about half an hour. She turned to look ahead at Lucy, who hovered in midair with her arms crossed, looking relaxed and carefree.

She wasn't taking it seriously at all, just flying at her usual pace.

Using chakra consumed stamina and mental energy, but borrowed chakra didn't need to be replenished afterward. So flying was even easier for Lucy than taking a stroll.

If only Lucy knew how to use a Tailed Beast Bomb. One shot would end this.

"Little Monster," Yura said. "Slow down."

"Oh~" Lucy replied, stopping her wings and beginning to slow into a glide.

On the ground, deep in the forest, White Fox watched the black speck high above and felt a little relieved. "They're slowing down!"

She'd thought they were about to lose sight of them.

At her words, the other three perked up, and their distorted formation fell back into place.

Just then, White Fox suddenly stopped and stared fixedly at Yura high in the sky.

The other three stopped too, confusion flashing through their eyes.

"Captain!" White Fox whipped her head around.

Before she could explain, the captain barked, "Fall back!!! Scatter!"

In an instant, all four used the Body Flicker Technique almost simultaneously, each choosing a different direction and disappearing into the thick forest.

"Tch..." Yura clicked her tongue softly. She'd been found out. They were certainly alert. How had they noticed her?

"Little Monster," Yura said. "Turn around! The hunt begins!"

Watching Yura abruptly turn in midair and dive, White Fox's pupils contracted. She'd been discovered after all. How had she noticed me? With my Byakugan's five-kilometer range, she shouldn't be able to detect me from this distance...

As she swooped down at high speed, Yura sat in midair with her legs crossed. "Little Monster, stay alert as you fly. Don't land unless I say so."

"Yes!" Lucy replied.

Yura stood up. As she dived toward the ground, she severed the connection pulling her along, plunging from hundreds of meters above. Like a meteor, she crashed into the forest. Birds scattered in a flurry, flock after flock shooting into the sky. Yura smashed into the ground, her eight legs bracing her body, their joints bending to absorb the impact. Eight cracks spiderwebbed across the earth. Yura's body dipped slightly in midair. Before her feet even touched the ground, she was already surging forward through the forest, moving without pause. Like a ghost, she darted ahead at incredible speed, her path flickering unpredictably up and down through the complex terrain, rapidly closing the distance to her target.

Fast!! Incredibly fast!!!

Watching the scene through her Byakugan, White Fox saw a trail of impacts burst into existence on the tree trunks and ground, as if some kind of footfalls were stamping through them. She clenched her teeth and stopped, turning around in an instant. She'd already made up her mind. She couldn't see it, but that thing seemed to have eight legs!

Of the four, she was the only Jonin specializing in Taijutsu, so she'd managed to retreat faster than the others, leaving them all behind. With her Byakugan surveying the whole area, she could see the dire situation more clearly than anyone else.

They couldn't get away! None of them could!

And their opponent's sensory abilities were terrifyingly powerful. She'd already locked onto her target.

She unfurled a scroll and formed Hand Seals, summoning a longbow into her hands. As she drew the bow and nocked an arrow, she infused the all-wooden shaft with Gentle Fist chakra and aimed the arrowhead at Yura as she moved.

But...

Yura's movements were too unpredictable and strange, and the distance was too great. White Fox wasn't confident she could hit her with a single shot.

Slowly, she lowered the bow in her hands.

In the forest, Yura's figure darted and leaped at incredible speed between the trees. She sensed the emotional flames of someone who had stopped: unease and fear roiling, then a sudden surge of murderous intent. Yura frowned slightly. At this distance, did she still have enough strength to attack? She was a formidable shinobi.

And...

She'd moved.

She was coming closer!

Yura smiled faintly and murmured as she raced onward, "You've got courage!" Was she planning to sacrifice herself to hold Yura back?

Without delay, Yura changed course and charged toward her.

In the forest, White Fox raced along the tree trunks with her bow in hand. Beneath her mask, her expression was grim, and she bit down hard on her lip.

Her Byakugan could see far enough, but her own attack range was limited. Even with the added reach of archery, her maximum range was only one kilometer. She had to close the distance...

Just then, White Fox's pupils contracted.

Her opponent had changed direction and was charging straight at her.

A wave of prickling dread shot over her scalp and raced down her spine. Without the slightest hesitation, White Fox planted a foot, stopped, spun around, and ran, determination in her eyes.

If she could hold her opponent off for a little while, her companions would have a better chance of surviving.

"Heh..." Yura chuckled. Trying to draw me away? She turned at the same time, switching targets and pursuing the others instead.

Damn it!

White Fox's pupils contracted. She stopped at once and turned to look at Yura speeding through the forest.

"How will you choose?"

Without a word, White Fox silently charged toward Yura.

Racing forward, Yura smiled faintly, her expression odd.

"Oh no, I think I've become the villain."

Above the forest, flocks of birds took flight and circled in the sky. Lucy opened her mouth and sent out wave after wave of inaudible sound. The sound waves struck the forest floor and bounced back, and the complex terrain of the mountains and woods unfolded in Lucy's mind.

Her family hadn't taught her anything about being a shinobi. They feared her power.

But Chomei was willing to teach her.

Secret Technique: Cicada Song Technique

This technique relied on sound waves to sense one's surroundings.

She was a little worried about the great monster, so she wanted to know what was happening.