Shinobu Kocho looked at Sasuke's resolute back and the shield of black flames that blocked every calamity for them, her heart filled with gratitude.
Ever since the nighttime raid began, this newly appointed Thunder Hashira had shown strength and reliability beyond anything she could have imagined.
Whether he was infiltrating without a sound, clearing the area in an instant with wondrous Genjutsu, or now single-handedly confronting Upper Rank Two's ultimate Blood Demon Art.
Everything he had done had far exceeded Shinobu Kocho's expectations.
He had given her a chance to take revenge with her own hands.
A chance that had been all but impossible.
But as she watched Sasuke rapidly expend his strength to protect them, a flicker of resolve passed through Shinobu Kocho's heart.
She knew very well that her poison was almost useless against a demon of Doma's caliber when delivered through external attacks.
His Blood Demon Art could easily freeze the toxins, and his powerful regenerative abilities could instantly break down small amounts of poison.
There was only one way.
That was to let Doma "eat" and "absorb" her whole.
A year earlier, when she realized she would never possess the strength to sever a demon's head, a mad plan had taken shape in her mind.
She had begun injecting herself every day with small doses of specially modified wisteria poison.
Day after day, it accumulated.
By now, her entire body, from her hair to her blood, from her internal organs to her bone marrow, was saturated with a compound poison hundreds of times beyond the lethal dose, formulated specifically for demons like Doma who could break down toxins.
She had turned herself into a walking poison bomb of the deadliest kind.
This had been the final measure she had prepared for herself, a way to take