Within the mist, Yui caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar figure from behind.
She recognized it at once. Was that... her?
The familiar kimono, the familiar build, the familiar short white hair-it really was her own back.
What's going on? she wondered.
Am I not right here? Then... what is that thing? The dizziness grew worse, blurring her vision. Yui strained with all her strength to gather more information.
Her vision slowly darkened. In that final glimpse, she saw a pair of fair-skinned arms wrapped around the other "her" from behind.
She also saw Orochimaru. He was near her other self, his eyes tightly shut, seemingly unconscious.
"Where will Orochimaru be transported?" she murmured. Then darkness filled her vision.
When she opened her eyes again, her head felt as though it would split apart.
"Ugh..." Yui rubbed her head and covered her mouth. Her stomach churned, and she felt like vomiting.
Only after forcing her eyes open did she realize she had been transported out of the black mist. A pitch-black ceiling filled her view, and she was lying on her back on the floor.
Once the discomfort slowly faded, she forced herself upright and rubbed between her brows. She had never expected to see that scene inside the black mist. Why had another version of her been in there?
She had sensed Nai Hyuga's and the Nine-Tails' chakra within the black mist. That was why she had tried to stay conscious and observe her surroundings when she entered. She had never expected that this accidental discovery would seemingly uncover an even greater secret.
"What was that all about?"
She murmured under her breath, feeling that things were growing stranger and stranger.
Yui was certain that the other self she had seen was no illusion. Although she had seen