Uchiha Yin stood before Utakata, his face full of mockery as he continued.
"You knew your master never meant to kill you. That's why you couldn't accept it after you accidentally killed him!"
It sounded like a guess, but Uchiha Yin spoke with absolute certainty.
Utakata, who had seemed so resolute, suddenly looked away.
In truth, Utakata knew what Uchiha Yin was talking about. He had begun to suspect it long ago.
He just couldn't bring himself to believe it. If it were true, Utakata had no idea what he might do.
So even though the thought had occurred to him, Utakata had refused to face it. Now that Uchiha Yin had said it aloud, it felt more and more certain.
Panic seized Utakata. He remembered every kindness his master had shown him.
As those memories came flooding back, Utakata felt himself beginning to break down.
Acidic chakra spilled from his body, forming small bubbles that surrounded him.
Uchiha Yin remembered this move of Utakata's well enough. His brow furrowed at once.
If Utakata couldn't get past this, he might detonate every one of those bubbles.
If that happened, nothing within a hundred meters would be safe.
For a moment, Uchiha Yin regretted pushing Utakata like this.
Someone else might have had no choice but to watch it happen.
But Uchiha Yin was not one to sit and wait for disaster.
He moved his hands and shouted, "Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Wood slammed against wood in a rapid series of cracks, and the room they were in went dark.
Uchiha Yin had used Ninjutsu to enclose the entire room.
Even if Utakata detonated the bubbles, the blast would not reach anywhere else.
Having done that, Uchiha Yin felt reassured.
Outside, though, Mei Terumi was growing alarmed.
Everything had been