The firewood crackled sharply in the fire, sending a few sparks scattering through the dim air.
Through Kurenai Yuhi's right eye, the sparks' trajectories stretched into translucent afterimages, their ascent so slow it seemed frozen. She could even clearly see the fine texture of carbonized flakes peeling from their surfaces.
"Eye of Time..." Hong raised a hand, her slender fingers lightly closing around the empty air.
At the instant the sparks were about to go out, the dark red chakra coiling around her fingertips precisely snuffed them out. No hand seals, no buildup—just a perfect fusion of pure neural reaction speed and time perception.
Hyuga Xiao stood beside her, the azure starlight of the Tenseigan Prototype slowly receding from his pupils. Watching Hong's movement, a satisfied curve touched his lips.
"Looks like you adapted quickly." Xiao's voice broke the shelter's dead silence.
Hong turned around. The azure diamond-shaped star mark at her collarbone flickered faintly beneath her clothes. The mark Xiao had carved with his own hands did not merely link their souls; it was more like a brand, declaring her absolute belonging.
"Because I know that if I can't keep up with you, I won't even be qualified to stand at your side." Hong's tone was calm, but a chilling sharpness burned in her silver-gray right eye.
She walked up to Xiao. Rather than seeking shelter in his arms as she had before, she stood shoulder to shoulder with him. A dark red chakra cloak flowed over her body, echoing the lingering azure starlight around Xiao.
"That Astral Matter in Danzo's hands is extremely active." Recalling the scenes from Urashiki's memories, Hong frowned slightly. "It's residue the Ōtsutsuki Clan used to cultivate the God Tree. Even if it's only the size of a fist, once he fully integrates the