Deep within the mine tunnel, Kurenai Yuhi's bitten finger hung in the air as a bead of blood slowly slid down her fingertip.
The hand seal she formed was not any known ninjutsu—it was a pattern her father had drawn in her palm with blood during his final embrace on a rainy night before he died. For five years, she had never mentioned it to anyone. She had nearly forgotten the detail herself, until Xiao's inhuman gaze had pierced her just now, and some instinct had driven her to make this gesture.
"You..." Xiao's voice paused for a moment.
The deep-blue light of the Tenseigan flickered in his eyes, while the Divine Erosion Index jumped on the system panel—just then, it had briefly fallen from 21.8% to 21.7%, only to rebound at once.
"This seal." Xiao took a step forward, and loose stones rained down from the tunnel ceiling. "Did your father teach it to you?"
Hong did not answer. She merely stared at him. Her shoulder wound was still bleeding, but she could not feel the pain at all. There was only the rage in her chest, ready to explode, and something deeper—fear. Not fear of an enemy, but fear that the person before her was disappearing.
"Contact him," Xiao suddenly said.
"What?"
"Contact Orochimaru." Xiao turned and walked farther into the mine tunnel, his voice echoing through the narrow passage. "Use the method you agreed on. Now."
Hong's breathing quickened. She watched Xiao's back—the boy who had once held her on a rainy night and said, "I'll survive." Now, even the way he walked had changed. Every step was spaced exactly the same, the angle from heel to toe as precise as if measured with a ruler.
"Are you sure?" Hong gritted her teeth. "Orochimaru may already know