One Night (7)

Two figures gradually emerged from the shadows behind them.

They were both dressed in black robes. The man on the left was the uncle Kurama Yakumo had mentioned, Kurama Yeqiong. The other was Kurama Yewu.

Ueno Kei watched the two men with a grave expression. He hadn't sensed them approaching at all, which meant they were far stronger than he was!

Every muscle in Ueno Kei's body tensed, and his gaze grew wary. If he had the chance, he would absolutely turn and run.

The mission, all of that was meaningless.

But it seemed sneaking away was impossible. That left him with only one choice: strike first! With that thought, Ueno Kei focused intently on the two men before him.

The moment they showed the slightest opening or any sign of attacking, Ueno Kei would strike without hesitation. Whether he stood a chance against them was no longer something he considered.

If he didn't fight, he would surely die. If he did, there was still a glimmer of hope. Ueno Kei rested his right hand lightly on the Lingyu Blade.

"Heh. If that weren't the case, would Uncle and Third Uncle have come to see me?" A mocking smile appeared on Kurama Yakumo's face, leaving Ueno Kei momentarily stunned.

She looked about the same age as him, but her demeanor and the way she carried herself were nothing like those of a girl around ten.

"Yakumo..." Kurama Yeqiong looked ashamed.

But Kurama Yewu was another matter. He glared at her and said angrily, "Yakumo, how can you speak to your uncle like that? Your uncle is the head of the Kurama Clan, and yet you're being so disrespectful!"

"Hmph. Head of the Kurama Clan? Then let me ask you, Clan Head: did you come for revenge? Can you bring justice to the spirits of my clan who died?"

Kurama Yakumo's expression changed abruptly, her face twisting with hatred.

The hatred distorted her entire face, making her look terrifying. Ueno Kei didn't know what had happened, but the others clearly had no intention of attacking him.

Ueno Kei wouldn't do anything to draw their attention, either.

Instead, he discreetly kept an eye on the three of them as he slowly edged toward the grass behind him. He moved one step at a time, afraid of attracting their notice. If he could get close to the thicket and leap into it, he should have a decent chance of escaping.

Konoha's reinforcements had to be on their way. Their opponents had already accomplished their objective, so they surely wouldn't risk complications by chasing after him.

Of course, he still had to stay alert in case they noticed his movements and killed him on the spot. If that happened, he would have no choice but to fight for his life.

Kurama Yewu grew even angrier at Yakumo's blatant defiance. Irritated that his niece was being so unreasonable, he stepped forward, looking as if he meant to teach her a lesson or something.

Kurama Yeqiong reached out to stop the impulsive Kurama Yewu and shook his head.

Then he turned to Yakumo and spoke gently, with a hint of apology. "Yakumo, Konoha is vast. Before it, our clan is nothing more than a relatively powerful ant. But you're different, Yakumo. You're a once-in-a-century prodigy in our clan. Only you can wield and control the Kurama Clan's genjutsu as you please. And with your unique talent for turning illusion into reality, in a dozen years or so, you'll surely become a shinobi feared throughout the Ninja World—a kunoichi even stronger than Senju Tsunade! Then our clan will surely be able to get justice!"

As Kurama Yeqiong spoke, Yakumo gradually lowered her head, seeming to weigh how believable and realistic her uncle's words were.

Kurama Yeqiong earnestly tried to persuade Kurama Yakumo. Seeing that she seemed somewhat moved, he felt a flicker of joy.

He knew his niece had a very eccentric temperament. After her parents died, she had become even more withdrawn and strange.

She not only deeply hated Konoha, but had little regard for her own clan, too, because she stubbornly believed that Konoha's attack and her clan's inaction had led to the tragic deaths of her parents.

For now, he could only persuade her carefully, not force her. Otherwise, it would only have the opposite effect. Besides, even if he tried to take her by force, Kurama Yeqiong wasn't absolutely confident he could succeed. It was ridiculous: despite being a jōnin, he felt a sense of dread when facing his ten-year-old niece.

But no one who had seen Kurama Yakumo would laugh at Kurama Yeqiong—not the Third Hokage, Yuhi Kurenai, or even members of the Kurama Clan.

That was because Kurama Yakumo was the most perfect inheritor of the bloodline in the history of the Kurama Clan. She could perfectly manipulate people's five senses to cast genjutsu. In short, as long as you had sight, hearing, smell, touch, or even taste, Kurama Yakumo could trap you in a world of genjutsu she had created.

Even more terrifying, her genjutsu was completely different from genjutsu in the traditional sense.

In the Ninja World, genjutsu used in battle generally had one of two effects. One was to trap someone in an illusion they couldn't escape, allowing the enemy to be easily dealt with in reality. The other was to inflict mental harm on the enemy, leaving them exhausted and suffering.

Kurama Yakumo's genjutsu wasn't powerful because of either of those effects. Its strength lay in what had been mentioned earlier: turning the unreal into reality. Once you were trapped in a world of genjutsu created by Yakumo...

Whatever Yakumo did to you in that world would happen to you in reality. For example, if Yakumo cut off your head, your head would be cut off in the real world, too.

It was a direct way to deal with an enemy. This was the Kurama Clan's secret technique, said to rival—or even surpass—the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyō Sharingan: the Five Senses Genjutsu!

Kurama Yeqiong's most honest thoughts at that moment were that he couldn't fight her—and didn't dare to. Standing before his niece, whom he hadn't seen in over two years, he felt even more keenly how terrifying she was. It was as if some kind of monster lurked inside her—cold, cruel, and fearsome.

He had to convince her first and take her away. He could deal with everything else later. Otherwise, Kurama Yeqiong couldn't imagine what would happen if Konoha's pursuers caught up with them, let alone what might follow if Kurama Yakumo refused to leave with him.

Kurama Yakumo's lowered face remained cold and unmoved by her uncle's words. She merely listened in silence, then suddenly let out a few cold laughs.

Kurama Yeqiong, who was still trying to persuade her, froze. A terrible premonition arose in his heart.

"Uncle, is this all you've thought of? Then... you can die!" Kurama Yakumo abruptly raised her lowered head, her face brimming with bloodthirsty intent.

Her eyes turned blood-red.

"Something's wrong! Yewu, get back!" Kurama Yeqiong's expression changed. He immediately formed Hand Seals and swiftly retreated.

The moment Yeqiong moved, Kurama Yewu reacted, too. He slid his foot back and retreated after his older brother.

P.S. The mountains are awful. I finally made it back... Also, do I only get recommendation tickets if I keep updating? Readers, please give me a few! It's almost New Year.