The night wind in the woods carried the mist thrown up by the waterfall, scraping coldly over the treetops with a rustling friction. The earthy stench mingled with the sharp chill of pine needles, spreading through the tiny distance between them.
"Are you afraid?"
Xiao's question still lingered in the air, low, cruel, and devoid of warmth.
Hinata was wrapped in an oversized black trench coat, her slender body still trembling faintly from the cold. The coat retained Xiao's body heat and a faint scent of blood, which enveloped her completely like an airtight net.
She raised her head. Her pale eyes, which had always habitually avoided others' gaze, now met Xiao's Tenseigan, where dim blue starlight flowed.
There was no retreat, no hesitation.
"As long as it's Brother Xiao's arrangement." Hinata's voice was quiet, yet exceptionally clear, piercing through the distant rumble of the waterfall. "I'm not afraid."
She released the collar of the coat, which she had been clutching tightly, and let the cold wind pour down her neck. She looked at Xiao, her eyes revealing a near-sacrificial fervor and resolve.
Even if a meat grinder lay ahead, as long as this man gave the order, she would jump in without hesitation.
Xiao examined her silently.
After a long while, his taut jaw loosened slightly, and a deeply hidden trace of approval flickered in his eyes. This fledgling, who had once not even dared to speak loudly, had finally had her bones broken and been remade by his own hand into a sharp blade that dared to drink blood.
"Very good," Xiao said coldly.
He stepped forward half a pace, his boot crushing a dead branch with a crisp snap. The distance between them instantly narrowed to less than half a foot, close enough for them to hear