After the Fierce Battle, She Actually...

The trip from their home base to the Land of Lightning had taken seven days and seven nights, but the return trip took less than seven seconds.

"Both the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning have been opened up. From now on, we can use Kamui to travel freely between those two countries," Riu said.

"Of the Five Great Nations, only the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth remain. Should we make time to visit them?" Tobi suggested.

"No rush. We can't lower ourselves and go there just to make spatial markers. We should wait until we have a respectable reason, then do it while we're there..." Riu said.

"Well~ that's true." Tobi spread his hands.

"Come to think of it, where's Xiyang?" Riu looked behind him.

"Mm~ She went back to her room looking troubled as soon as we arrived. This journey must have given her quite a shock, so she probably needs time to process it~ Well, unlike us, she still needs to eat and... 'relieve herself,' after all~"

"..." Riu lowered his gaze thoughtfully. "Let's go see how Orochimaru's progress is coming along first."

Inside the stone chamber.

Splash! The green liquid soaking the Hashirama Clone inside the cylindrical glass vessel bubbled as though it were boiling.

Gurgle! The tubes connected to the clone's back writhed like snakes, producing a scalp-numbing squeezing sound...

Drip! After a long while, another drop of golden blood fell from the extraction device into the glass tube. The tube was nearly full...

"Excellent, just a little more! My perfect creation!!" Orochimaru's eyes were bloodshot, his expression possessed.

For nearly a month, he had neither eaten nor drunk, nor had he even closed his eyes!

"Lord Orochimaru, you should get some rest. Leave this to me," Kabuto Yakushi said with concern.

"Kabuto, withdraw for now. I need to concentrate!" Orochimaru said without turning around.

"Yes!" Kabuto obediently left the room. As he walked back, he thought, Lord Orochimaru's pursuit of truth is truly captivating... But someone is trying to exploit his obsession with truth to achieve his own despicable ends.

Kabuto lowered his head and pressed a finger against the frame of his glasses. Light glinted off the large lenses as a cold smile curled his lips.

But how could I let him succeed? He still hasn't returned, so he's probably never coming back. Naturally—how could a ninja whose intelligence had been exposed possibly leave the Bloody Mist Village alive? Uchiha Riu, repent underground for treating me, Kabuto Yakushi, like some minor character...

"Heh heh heh, hahahaha..." The more he thought about it, the more Kabuto could not stop himself from laughing wildly.

"Yo, what's gotten you so happy? Why don't you tell me..." Yet a voice suddenly sounded from around the corner, bringing Kabuto's laughter to an abrupt halt.

What!? He froze. When he saw Riu leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, the narrow eyes beneath his glasses widened to their limits. His face turned deathly pale, and sweat poured down his back...

"L-Lord Yu... Y-you're back?" But Kabuto had once been a multi-sided spy, after all, and he regained his composure in an instant. "That's wonderful! I happen to have good news to tell you!"

"What kind of good news?" Riu asked calmly.

"Through the joint efforts of Lord Orochimaru and myself, the extraction of the First Hokage's Hashirama Original Cells has gone even more smoothly than expected. The results will therefore come early. In another three days, you will possess a body equal to that of Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi!" Kabuto said excitedly.

"That is indeed cause for celebration. Once it is done, Kabuto, I won't treat you poorly..." Riu said with a faint smile.

Kabuto dropped to one knee before Riu, placing his right hand over his heart. "I wouldn't dare. Being able to serve you is Kabuto's greatest honor."

"Then I'll be counting on you." Riu turned and headed toward his room.

"Farewell, my lord!" Kabuto Yakushi raised his head and watched Riu's back with a sinister gaze, thinking, Then I'll have no choice but to use my backup plan...

What he failed to notice was the hidden glimmer within the eyeholes of Riu's mask.

In her room, Yūhi Uzuki tossed and turned, unable to sleep. In the latter half of the night, she rose from bed and left her room.

A moment later, the door to Riu's room opened.

Yūhi Uzuki stepped inside lightly and stopped before the bed.

Riu's mask and fan hung on the wall.

And after experiencing a series of fierce battles, Riu was sleeping soundly in bed, his breathing steady and even.

By the faint light spilling in from the corridor outside, Yūhi Uzuki looked at Riu's sleeping face. He was not as cold and ruthless as usual; instead, he looked like a particularly gentle boy next door.

Complex emotions filled Yūhi Uzuki's eyes. Her eyelids trembled shut as memories of the time she had spent with Riu since meeting him flashed through her mind.

"Are you willing to come with me..."

"I just don't want a woman like you to become a sacrifice of this cruel shinobi world..."

"You don't need to do anything special. Just give up Konoha and come with me..."

Those were the words from when Riu had captured and taken her away.

"Your room is ready. It's right next to mine. Also, this box contains a change of clothes for you, along with some boxed meals made for shinobi. Make do with them for now. I'll carve out a hot spring soon for you to bathe in privately..."

Those were the words from when she had first arrived at the base, anxious and uneasy.

"When you have nothing to do at night, stay in your room. Don't wander around the base..."

"Didn't I tell you to stay in your room and not run around? Go back and sleep..."

Those were the words from when she had wandered off on her own and been intimidated by Orochimaru's killing intent.

"If you're tired, then rest. Don't force yourself."

"I told you, don't force yourself..."

Those were the words Riu had said after saving her from the Hidden Mist Village shinobi, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Xiyang, this is for you."

"Didn't you say you always wanted to kill me? With an extra powerful ninja blade, your chances of succeeding should improve, right?"

Those were the words from when Riu had half-jokingly placed the Lightning Blade: Kiba in her hands.

And there had also been the moment when she thought she was certain to die before the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb, yet Riu had risked his life to save her!

Along the way, Yūhi Uzuki had come to realize something she was extremely unwilling to accept!

She had gradually grown accustomed to staying by Riu's side. She had even... begun to feel somewhat infatuated with this life. If this continued, she feared that she would forget her original purpose and perhaps even fall completely for him.

Yūhi Uzuki opened her eyes, having already made up her mind... to sever this karmic bond!

She drew her blade from behind her. Hardening her heart, she thrust it down toward the sleeping, utterly defenseless Riu!

Clang!!

The blade pierced Riu's body and emerged from beneath the bedboard.

Riu's breathing stopped abruptly.

"Pant... pant..." Yūhi Uzuki was nearly drained. She no longer had the strength even to pull out the blade. Staggering toward the exit, she clutched the doorframe and turned her head as two trails of tears slid from the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry. Your power is too great. One day, you'll threaten the village... Forgive me..."

After leaving Riu's room, Yūhi Uzuki did not flee. Instead, she returned to her own room, sat in a corner against the wall, lowered her head, hugged her knees, and quietly awaited the consequences.

Yet until the next morning, nothing unusual happened.

Yūhi Uzuki left her room in confusion, only to see Riu emerge from his room at that very moment, stretching lazily.

"You..." Yūhi Uzuki froze in place. Her small mouth opened and closed, but she could not force out a single word.

"Ohayō~ Good morning... You getting up to pee?" Riu greeted her with a smile, casually teasing her.