Ido

The situation was extremely dangerous.

There was no time for Ueno Kei to hesitate. Summoning the last of his strength, he swung the Lingyu Blade sharply behind him.

The blade whistled through the air, forcing his attacker to retreat slightly to avoid its edge.

At that moment, Yuhi Kurenai, who was not far away, sensed something was wrong as soon as Ueno Kei spoke. She instantly rushed to his side and drove off the person who had attacked him.

As the hand drenched in Ueno Kei's blood withdrew from his body, he convulsed violently, his brows knitting tightly.

"Kei, you..." Yuhi Kurenai stared in shock at the smiling girl standing before them. She was clearly Kurama Yakumo—the very girl Ueno Kei had just killed.

Then Kurenai noticed the horrifying wound on Ueno Kei's back. Such a devastating strike... Could Kei... she thought.

Ueno Kei had no time to concern himself with what Kurenai was thinking.

He knew he was in grave danger. Gritting his teeth, he pulled a pill from his clothes, swallowed it quickly, and formed Hand Seals.

At once, the wound on his back sizzled as if it were being seared by fire, thin wisps of steam rising from it. The injury was still horrifying, but at least the bleeding had stopped.

Ueno Kei breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He was still extremely weak, but at least he wouldn't die from blood loss.

His face, however, was deathly pale.

Ueno Kei did all this in an instant. He waved a hand at Yuhi Kurenai and said weakly, "Cough, cough. Teacher Kurenai, I'm badly hurt, but at least my life is safe for now."

Yuhi Kurenai gave Ueno Kei a complicated look, then nodded without saying anything more. There was something more important to deal with at that moment.

The girl standing before them, smiling as if she were a ghost, was Kurama Yakumo.

The girl smiled gently at Yuhi Kurenai and Ueno Kei, as if they were beloved family reunited. She was nothing like the merciless person who had attacked Ueno Kei earlier.

Kurama Yakumo gently toyed with a strand of her hair.

She smiled and said, "Teacher Kurenai, why the grim face? Are you disappointed to see that Yakumo is still alive? Can't believe it?"

"Well, I can understand why you're surprised, Teacher Kurenai. Even Yakumo thought she was going to die just now! Thank goodness, thank goodness. Oh, why Yakumo didn't die is a secret I can't tell you. Teacher, that guy beside you is really scary. Yakumo... Yakumo almost got killed."

The girl's smiling expression changed in an instant to one of heartbreaking vulnerability, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

Ueno Kei shivered. Though Kurama Yakumo looked completely harmless now, just as before, he felt that she was most terrifying at this moment.

She would have been less frightening with a blank, icy expression. At least then, Ueno Kei could still believe that the Kurama Yakumo before him was a living person, with flesh and blood and a heart!

But this girl gave him the impression of a monster wearing human skin.

That feeling, that bearing, the faint pressure between them—it left Ueno Kei unable to breathe, as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.

Ueno Kei's already ghastly expression grew even more frightening.

His whole body swayed, as if he could collapse at any moment.

The girl seemed to notice Ueno Kei's unusual condition. The corner of her mouth curled up, and she chuckled. "You look like you're in a lot of pain, don't you? Don't blame Yakumo for being too cruel. Blame yourself for being so heartless to Yakumo earlier. Yakumo was hurt far worse, after all. You shouldn't mind such a tiny bit of payback, should you?"

The girl chatted away with Yuhi Kurenai and Ueno Kei as if they were catching up on old times. She showed no intention of taking advantage of Ueno Kei's grave injuries to kill them both.

"No. You're not Yakumo. Who are you, really?" Yuhi Kurenai said gravely. A powerful aura surged from her, revealing her strength as a Jonin.

The girl seemed startled and put on a frightened expression. "Teacher Kurenai, if I'm not Yakumo, then who am I? You're going to—"

Before she could finish, her pupils narrowed slightly. Numerous vines suddenly sprang up beneath her feet, binding her tightly. At the same time, Yuhi Kurenai was already right in front of her. Gripping a Kunai tightly in her right hand, she thrust it without hesitation toward the girl's heart.

With a thunk, the Kunai sank completely into her chest.

But a look of shock appeared on Yuhi Kurenai's face. She hadn't felt the strike hit a vital point. As a Konoha Jonin whose hands were stained with the blood of countless enemies, she knew perfectly well whether she had struck someone's vitals.

Besides, the girl before her showed no change in expression. She was still smiling.

"A genjutsu?" Yuhi Kurenai murmured, her expression unchanged. Then she cried, "Release!"

The space before Yuhi Kurenai twisted, then shattered with a crack.

Just as expected, Yuhi Kurenai found herself still standing where she had been. The girl remained not far away, looking perfectly composed. On closer inspection, a hint of disdain flashed in her eyes.

But when the girl's gaze passed over Ueno Kei, a trace of confusion flashed across her face. Then she looked amused, as if she had found an interesting new prey.

Yuhi Kurenai's forehead was beaded with cold sweat. If she had realized the truth any later, she might have been trapped in that genjutsu forever.

Ueno Kei glanced at Yuhi Kurenai. Her face was pale, as if she had expended a great deal of chakra, and her right hand trembled slightly. He could tell that the two of them had just engaged in a fierce exchange.

What Ueno Kei didn't know was that, although the girl had dispelled Yuhi Kurenai's attack, her counterattack had not been aimed at Kurenai alone.

She had included Ueno Kei, intending to finish them both in one fell swoop. Yuhi Kurenai's years of experience with genjutsu and her Jonin abilities had allowed her to break free quickly, which was well within the girl's expectations.

But how had Ueno Kei—who showed no trace of genjutsu, possessed no great strength, and was already seriously injured—escaped her genjutsu?

The girl had become intensely interested in Ueno Kei.

"Cough, cough." Yuhi Kurenai's breathing grew faint, and she coughed up a little blood.

"As I thought, you're Ido. Yakumo would never act like this." Yuhi Kurenai's expression darkened, but she spoke with certainty.

The girl's face showed that she neither confirmed nor denied it. Then she burst out laughing.

"Yakumo" laughed. "As expected of Konoha. It seems you noticed my existence a long time ago. And that old man, too—he's the most troublesome one!"

"Well, even if you did find out, it doesn't matter. You failed to destroy me back then. Now, heh heh, you have even less chance." A fierce expression briefly crossed Kurama Yakumo's face before she smoothed it away and laughed softly.

"What have you done to Yakumo? Could it be...! Hmph, even now, there's still someone who can destroy you!" Though Yuhi Kurenai had confirmed what she had suspected, her expression showed no hint of relief.

She knew all too well what kind of monster she was up against.