Blooming Like a Rose

Seeing Uchiha Chiba arrive, Weeper reacted immediately. Raven, the most seasoned among them, was likely dead, and it was highly probable that even that pervert Smiley had met a grim fate. Coupled with the fact that this boy had suddenly managed to subdue Blank, whose primary strength was raw power, she made a swift judgment.

Take a hostage!

"You, let go of Blank," Weeper commanded, her gaze fixed on Uchiha Chiba.

"Let go?" Uchiha Chiba stomped on Blank's chest, the immense force causing the man to cough up a massive mouthful of blood.

Next, Uchiha Chiba kicked the armless Blank into the thicket.

Thud!

Blank's tower-like frame slid to the base of a tree, leaving a trail of blood. No emotion could be detected in his eyes; instead, chakra began to slowly manifest around the wounds where his arms had been. However, Uchiha Chiba did not notice this, and the injured Katsuzuki was too preoccupied with fighting off the encroaching poison to observe it.

As a master of sensory perception, Weeper immediately realized what Blank was planning in the corner—he was preparing his bloodline limit: Spirit Soul Power.

"If you want them to live, listen to me and give me the map you're carrying!" Weeper said, naturally not forgetting her mission.

A mere useless map.

She could have it.

Uchiha Chiba pulled out the leather map and spoke slowly: "Exchange."

Weeper did not hesitate, pointing to Katsuzuki of the Salamander beside her. "I'll throw her over, and you throw the map over."

Uchiha Chiba nodded.

Next, Weeper violently shoved the one-armed Katsuzuki of the Salamander toward him, and Chiba tossed the map out. The next second, Weeper caught the map, and Chiba caught the injured Katsuzuki.

"Sorry..." Katsuzuki spat out a mouthful of black blood as she forced the poison from her body. After losing her right arm, she had expended a vast amount of chakra to stop the bleeding, and after being poisoned, she had exhausted herself trying to prevent the toxin from spreading. Her condition was dire; she could likely use Forbidden Technique: Surge one last time, but after that, her legs would be either crippled or destroyed.

"It's alright, Sister Katsuzuki. I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I'm sorry," Uchiha Chiba said, his head bowed, his tone devoid of any discernible emotion.

And Konan.

Next, Chiba looked at Konan.

Konan forced a smile and said, "Brother Chiba, don't worry about me. Sister Katsuzuki's injuries look like they need urgent attention. I... I'm just an ordinary child. Brother, leave me be."

"What are you talking about! Neither of you is going to die!" A thick, bloody aura radiated from Uchiha Chiba. He then looked at Weeper and said coldly, "Release her. I'm only counting to three. If you haven't let go by the time I reach three, I will shatter your skull before she hits the ground. If you still don't let go, I will make you wish for death in the most cruel way imaginable."

His scarlet eyes were filled with rage.

"Don't be impulsive. We're just ordinary people, after all. We were only following orders from Lord Danzo..." Weeper paused. She could sense that it would only take a brief moment longer for Blank in the thicket to recover one arm and launch a surprise attack. After all, the chakra remaining in this posturing brat was running low.

"Enough talk. Three." Uchiha Chiba gripped his scythe and walked toward Weeper.

"Let's talk this over. Aren't you afraid I'll just let go? You're in no state to catch her hand right now, you know~" Weeper loosened the rope, causing the already pale Konan to tremble with even greater fear.

"Two."

Uchiha Chiba was less than five meters away from Weeper.

"One."

The next second—

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted behind Uchiha Chiba!

"Die!!!"

He only vaguely heard someone scream: "No!"

Uchiha Chiba made an immediate decision: kill this woman first!

Are these their reinforcements? Damn it!

Uchiha Chiba swung his scythe violently, and Weeper's head flew off instantly. In that same moment, the rope in Weeper's hand snapped, and Uchiha Chiba leaped forward to grab Konan's arm.

"Sister Katsuzuki! She's in danger!" The young Konan could no longer care about anything else. Tears streamed down her face; she had seen everything that happened behind Chiba, but she was only a child and had been unable to react in time.

At that moment, Uchiha Chiba finally realized something was wrong: the chakra from Blank hadn't entered his body upon death. That meant Blank wasn't dead!

Chiba pulled Konan up and turned around.

"NO!!!!!" His pupils trembled incessantly, and blood flowed from his eye sockets. The last shred of contempt Uchiha Chiba held for this world vanished completely. He had always thought this world was merely an anime, that he was a transmigrator who couldn't possibly die, and he had never truly cared about the lives of others.

But the moment he truly saw Katsuzuki of the Salamander's chest pierced through by Blank, with blood gushing out, something shattered inside Chiba's heart. Whether it was his shackles or his emotions, he could no longer tell.

"Little... Leaf... this time... you owe this... young master... one..." Katsuzuki of the Salamander's internal organs had been pulverized by Blank's fist. His arm was jammed deep into her body, and he was clearly already dead; his bloodline limit was likely one that dealt immense damage to the user.

Drip!

It was a tear.

Uchiha Chiba reached Katsuzuki's side, his voice trembling. "Katsuzuki, I'm taking you home right now. We're going home, back to Amegakure. You'll be fine soon. We'll go to the front lines together, we'll..."

He gripped her hand.

"Little... Leaf... I have always... wanted to... tell... you..." Katsuzuki of the Salamander's eyes closed. She no longer had the strength to open them. She only felt her body growing heavy, as if her physical form could no longer bear the weight of her soul and was on the verge of shattering.

"I'm here... I'm right here," Uchiha Chiba trembled.

"This... young master... has... always... liked... you. Live... well... little... Chiba."

THUD!!!!

Katsuzuki of the Salamander's body went limp, collapsing into Uchiha Chiba's arms. The young girl's deathbed confession struck his heart like a heavy blow. Regret, resentment, and sorrow—countless negative emotions surged from the depths of his soul.

Beside them, Konan was already sobbing uncontrollably.

That girl Katsuzuki had been incredibly kind to them. She was nothing more than a classic tsundere; while she would claim they were useless, she had secretly sent people to renovate Konan and the others' home, frequently brought them food, and had even killed the thugs who came to cause them trouble.

A long time passed.

Uchiha Chiba let the rain wash over his body.

"Brother Chiba, don't be too sad. Sister Katsuzuki would surely want you to be well... Let's take her home," Konan said, her eyes red-rimmed as she approached him.

Uchiha Chiba's tears flowed incessantly.

He looked slightly toward Konan.

His voice was hoarse as he spoke.

"It's raining again, Konan. Just like... that day."

Chiba hugged Konan, and it was impossible to tell whether it was tears or rain that soaked through her clothes.