He was genuinely worried that Araki might change his mind.
You see, the scheme he came up with was rather clumsy; it would barely fool a child. But if it succeeded, it would definitely make things go much smoother afterward.
He even ignored Kushina's advice and stopped hitting Kushina head with his fist, for fear of provoking Araki and making him change his mind.
" Araki..."
Kushina felt as if she had been struck hard in the deepest, most vulnerable part of her heart, and a surge of emotion welled up within her.
Almost instantly, tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision.
I promise I won't let anything happen to you!
Kushina silently made a vow in her heart, and she entered a state of alertness, focusing all her attention on Araki, ready to break the seal on her body at any time and gain that terrifying power.
What was just a few steps felt like centuries to Kushina and the scarred man.
Araki walked up to the scarred man without any apparent suspicion.
To prevent a sudden attack from Araki, the scarred man held the Kunai in his hand even closer to Kushina.
"Here you go!"
Araki acted like an innocent child who knew nothing of the world, stretching out his hands to indicate that the scarred man could tie him up.
"..."
The scarred man's brow twitched violently, and an expression of disbelief flashed deep in his eyes. He never expected things to go so smoothly.
Is there any problem here?
But...
He couldn't see anything wrong with it at all!
He could even use the hand holding the Kunai to stab this kid right now!
Completely within firing range!
However, to be on the safe side, he didn't do that. Instead, he held Kunai against Kushina's neck with his left hand and took out a rope with his right hand to tie Araki's hands together.
Tying a rope with only one hand is actually quite troublesome.
But Araki was just too cooperative.
Not only did she not struggle at all, but she also helped him when he couldn't get the rope around; she was so innocently adorable.
Not long after.
The rope on Araki's hands was now tied up.
Solid and solid.
The other end of the rope was in Scarface's hand.
"Let her go now!"
Araki stared at the scarred man and said that his hands were now completely bound, making it impossible for him to use Taijutsu Ninjutsu Hand Seals.
"Giggle giggle giggle giggle giggle!"
The scarred man burst into laughter. He held Kunai in his left hand and two ropes in his right, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.
"Kid, you're pretty brave, but you're a bit short-sighted. You don't actually think I'd let her go, do you?"
"How can you let a pigeon fly away once you've got it in your hands!"
"But you actually believed the enemy's words and walked right into my trap. You can only blame your own naivety!"
"Now that you're both in my hands, I'm not releasing them. What can you do about it?"
"This is so much fun!"
"It's like playing a game with a child!"
A triumphant smile spread across the scarred man's face. Even when he was planning this scheme, he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly, and some of his prepared statements hadn't even been uttered yet.
"You bastard, you big liar, how could you do this!"
Kushina's eyes widened. When she heard about the deal, she instinctively felt that the exchange was wrong. When she saw Araki arrive, she was moved by Araki actions. Only now did she realize that this was all a trap.
Is this the standard ninja tactic?
How could they be so heartless as to bully even children!
That's outrageous!
A surge of discontent welled up within Kushina, her face turning cold as she teetered on the edge of rage.
"My only goal is this girl. I don't intend to take two other people with me; that would be too much trouble. You killed two of my companions, so you'll pay for their deaths!"
The scarred man glared fiercely at Araki, then suddenly raised his left hand, which was gripping Kunai, and swiftly stabbed it towards Araki's body.
However...
Just as the scarred man Kunai his kunai...
He felt an indescribable tingling sensation surge through his entire body, and he instantly lost consciousness. Kunai, and it clattered to the ground.
What the heck...?
The scarred man's eyes widened, his pupils filled with terror. A tingling sensation surged up his tongue, making his speech incoherent. Drowsiness washed over him, his consciousness rapidly blurring, and he was about to collapse.
Have you ever heard this saying...?
In the hazy part of her consciousness, Araki's voice rang out, sounding less naive than she had imagined.
"The true hunter often appears in the form of the prey!"
Chapter 15 A Light Skim (Third Update)
As the scarred man's consciousness faded, Araki's voice gradually subsided, and he fell into a deep sleep, like a dead fish, completely devoid of consciousness.
This sleep will last forever!
The scarred man never woke up again.
"Thump!"
The scarred man's body fell to the floor with a loud thud, startling Kushina.
Kushina felt the rope behind her was no longer being pulled, and as she prepared to turn around, she found that her wrist was being gripped by a hand.
"Ah?"
Kushina screamed in terror and instinctively struggled.
"Don't be afraid, it's me."
Araki's gentle voice rang out, and as he spoke, he began to untie the ropes binding Kushina's wrists.
"Call..."
Upon hearing Araki's voice, Kushina breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Ever since Araki returned to the house, her heart had been in turmoil, even more so than when she was captured.
This experience helped her gradually confirm her own feelings.
As the saying goes, true friendship is revealed in times of adversity.
Araki risked his life to come here and replace her, and even though he had a backup plan, she was incredibly grateful.
"This rope is a bit difficult to untangle..."
Araki's hands appeared to move quickly, but in reality, they moved very slowly. Beside him, another Araki was visibly turning into a wooden figure.
That was Araki, who had just been tied up.
Just as Araki punched the Kumogakure ninja on his right and was then ambushed by the Kumogakure ninja on his left, he used the Wood Clone Technique.
At that moment, the battle was moving at a very fast pace. Kushina and the scarred man were focused on the Kumogakure ninja on the left and did not notice that after defeating the Kumogakure ninja on the right, Araki used the Wood Clone Technique to switch places with his real body.
The reason he could do this in front of the two of them was his speed; his true form was hidden on the wall on the other side of the room, ready to launch a sneak attack on the scarred man at any moment.
It just so happens that a better opportunity has arisen.
certainly...
If Araki hadn't used his Wood Clone technique out of excessive caution when facing the scarred man...
He would never take such a risk!
He must never put himself in danger, even with only a one percent chance, unless he is absolutely certain.
He personally came out to Kushina's ropes, but only to replace her with Wood Clone. Maintaining two clones would divide his Chakra in two, which would weaken him and could not be sustained for long.
Most importantly...
The immediate problem has been solved.
The Wood Clone was transforming into wood at a speed visible to the naked eye. The ropes binding it loosened naturally, and it finally turned into a wooden strip and disappeared with a bang.
" Araki, what just happened?"
The moment the ropes binding Kushina's hands were untied, she suddenly turned around and pounced on Araki, wrapping her arms tightly around Araki neck as if she wanted to Araki him.
fine...
It's not that big...
If it were Tsunade-sensei instead...
Wouldn't that suffocate me?!
"What... what's going on?"
Araki felt a little breathless and was about to push Kushina away when he noticed that her delicate body was trembling slightly, her chest was rising and falling, and she was sobbing. She was clearly very emotional and had started to cry.
"It's alright now."
"It's all in the past."
"I won't let anyone arrest you."
Araki gently patted Kushina's back and slowly offered words of comfort. Regardless of his initial motives, he did save Kushina, so he should take credit for it.
"Um."
Kushina responded softly, then seemed to remember something, her body trembled even more violently, and she burst into tears.