The Wicked Senju Tobirama

A man in Anbu attire wearing a bird mask moved silently through the forest, swift and noiseless as a ghost.

Compared to the typical light and agile gear of an Anbu, he was bundled up quite heavily. Not only did his mask conceal his face, but his raised hood and high collar obscured most of his features as well. It was a suspicious, attention-grabbing look, yet thanks to his innate ability to possess an ultra-low presence, no one ever took issue with his attire.

Very close. He was very close.

The insects within his body were stirring with increasing restlessness; unlike human perception, they seemed capable of sensing far more anomalies.

Beneath the mask, the man's expression turned grave.

This was the first time in his life he had ever seen the Kikaichū in such a state of agitation. Even when facing Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara, the simple-minded Kikaichū had never displayed such behavior.

Can insects feel fear?

He had once harbored this doubt.

But now, he had his answer.

They could.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, sliding along his cheek and chin until it vanished into his damp collar.

Yet, fortunately, the Kikaichū's reaction allowed him to pinpoint the exact distance and location of his opponent.

Until, the insects' unease reached its peak, nearly bursting out of his body as they instinctively began to act in self-defense.

She was here!

Stomping his foot down onto a tree branch, the man kept his hands in his pockets and turned to face the silent, seemingly empty forest behind him.

Where?

Beneath his sunglasses, his eyes darted around nervously.

Hovering in mid-air opposite the ninja, Yura watched him in silence.

The man could not see her, but the insects had noticed.

The ninja kept his hands in his pockets, cold sweat streaming down his cheeks.

Did she not come?

No! That's wrong! She's close! Very close! She's right nearby! The Kikaichū would never lie to me!

Is there some anomaly I've failed to notice?

The ninja analyzed the situation with cold logic.

In the distant forest, White Fox stopped in her tracks, her hands and feet icy, trembling slightly.

She hadn't made it in time. She still hadn't made it in time.

"Look at her!!! She's right in front of you!!!"

Compared to her companion, who was facing the Ghost Princess directly yet remained completely oblivious, White Fox, who could see everything, was on the verge of a breakdown.

She had once believed that only powers like those of the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, or Uchiha Madara—forces capable of easily altering the terrain of a battlefield—could be called terrifying. Only now did she realize that a technique like this, seemingly calm and unremarkable but in reality bizarre beyond measure, was a different, absolute kind of horror.

She couldn't see through this technique; she wasn't even qualified to stand face-to-face with this person.

If she so desired, she could make someone die in total confusion without them ever realizing it.

No matter how she shouted or tried to warn him, her companion in the distance no longer had any chance to hear her.

She whipped her head around and sprinted in the direction the captain was heading.

She had to catch up. She had to relay the intelligence. Only by regrouping would they have a chance to survive under this person's hand.

Crouching in mid-air, resting her chin on her hand, Yura observed the insects covering the ninja. These dark, swarming little things were crawling all over his body, displaying an overwhelming sense of dread.

Ever since she became a yokai and gained the ability to perceive negative emotions, Yura had shattered many of her long-held common beliefs. For instance, plants could weep, and many small insects, despite their simple brains, possessed feelings. All things in the world had spirits, and in Yura's eyes, life was far more vivid.

However, Yura did harbor a bit of resentment regarding the fact that she wasn't very well-liked by small animals.

Though having an innate insect-repelling constitution was convenient, did they really have to dislike her that much?

Why was Little Monster the exception?

It puzzled Yura; it didn't seem to have much to do with the negative emotions she carried. Could it be because of her yokai aura?

Still...

"Every time I see a ninja from Konoha, I can't help but want to say a few words," Yura said.

At the sound of her voice, the man's body stiffened abruptly. He didn't move, still standing with his hands stubbornly shoved in his pockets. Beneath his sunglasses, his pupils shifted one hundred and eighty degrees, locking onto Yura's figure. His pupils contracted uncontrollably in shock.

When did she stand there? Had she been in front of me the whole time?

Am I blind?

The Kikaichū boiled and surged around the ninja. They were frantic; if only they could speak, they would have cried out long ago.

After a moment of silence, the ninja replied, "What do you want to say?" following the lead of her words.

"I knew it. You're different from that impatient fellow earlier. You aren't in such a rush to die," Yura said with a faint smile.

Are they already dead? Beneath his wide sleeves, the ninja clenched his fists, lowering his head in silence.

"What kind of mission are you executing?" Yura asked curiously. "Don't tell me it just so happens to be a mission to hunt me down."

The Land of Fire is truly vast; it is impossible to just bump into Konoha Anbu in a random town by coincidence. Konoha must have launched a large-scale operation.

"No need to ask," the ninja replied. "It is just a coincidence. You happen to be on the Anbu Assassination Handbook list."

She was likely doomed to die, but if she could stall for time to increase the chances of her companions surviving, then leaking some unimportant information was worth it.

The other side would be able to find this information on her corpse anyway.

"How annoying~" Yura said. "Why would Konoha, which prides itself on justice, try to assassinate me for no reason?"

"You killed Konoha ninjas, didn't you?" the ninja said. "We are simply here to settle the score."

"That's very strange," Yura chuckled softly. "Setting aside the fact that I clearly didn't provoke them, yet those three from the Ino-Shika-Cho insisted on causing me trouble, let's talk about your God of Shinobi. Doesn't he pride himself on love and justice? As long as one just endures it, if I hit you and you don't hit back, then the hatred ends. Don't you understand even that?"

"Stop spouting nonsense," the ninja said. "Why isn't it that you should be the one not to hit back?"

"I get hit, yet I'm not allowed to fight back? How overbearing, Konoha..." Yura smiled faintly. "Let's end this nonsense. Who wrote my name in the Anbu Assassination Handbook? I guess it was the evil Tobirama, right?"

Behind his sunglasses, the ninja's eyelid twitched.

Evil, huh...

Once you've guessed it, do you still need proof?

I'm sorry, Lord Tobirama.

He nodded heavily and said, "The Anbu was established and prepared by Lord Tobirama himself."

"I know, I know, Senju Hashirama doesn't have the brains for that." Resting her chin on her hands, Yura smiled faintly. "Also, Tsunade is dead for sure. I said it."

Tsunade, who is that?

Before he could even feel anxious about Tsunade's future, Yura's next words made his heart skip a beat.

"Tell me about your real mission," Yura said.

Mission?

The ninja fell silent, thinking about how to deflect and buy more time.

But at this moment, Yura's life-ending countdown began: "I'll count to three..."

"One..."

The ninja's brain raced.

"Three!"

His heart gave a heavy thud, and the ninja blurted out, "A marriage proposal! Our mission is to go to the Land of Whirlpools to propose a marriage!"

The real, ongoing mission needed to be kept secret, but information about a mission already in progress didn't matter.

"A marriage proposal?" Yura looked at the person opposite her with a strange expression.

"Konoha is strengthening its alliance with the Land of Whirlpools, and we are going to marry the princess of the Land of Whirlpools."

So it's this time period, then?

Yura looked thoughtful. Senju Hashirama's marriage should have been after his breakup fight with Uchiha Madara. There should still be a year or two left; the initial contact, preparations, and negotiations are just right to start at this time.

Hehe...

The corners of Yura's mouth curled into a sinister arc. She had been worrying about not finding an entry point for revenge.

And here it was, the opportunity had arrived.

Marriage? You short-lived ghost, keep dreaming!

A fierce light flashed in Yura's scarlet eyes.

If she couldn't disgust Hashirama thoroughly before he died, Yura wouldn't be able to enjoy her meals in the future; even dancing on his grave wouldn't be enough to resolve her resentment.

One must know that Yura had truly been killed by Hashirama once before; this was a life-and-death grudge.

Moreover, she had to plan carefully to seize Hashirama's heart.

Seeing that Yura seemed to be deep in thought and her attention was not on him, the ninja's eyes lit up.

An opportunity! Strike!