Chapter 164: Arrival
Some time later, in the Land of Waves...
"We've been searching everywhere for you, and you actually delivered yourself right to us! Boys, that woman is he— GAH!"
A kunai pierced straight through the thug's forehead.
With a miserable scream, he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
The one who struck was Kurenai Yuhi.
Her face was pale as paper.
A deep slash wound across her abdomen continued to seep blood despite being tightly bandaged.
Yet there was not a trace of fear in her beautiful eyes.
Only the cold determination of a Konoha jonin.
"You've been looking for me?"
"What a joke."
"I'm the one who's been looking for you."
Pulling the kunai from the corpse, Kurenai calmly surveyed the criminals before her.
Quietly.
Patiently.
Waiting for them to spread news of her location.
This time, she had deliberately exposed herself.
Her goal was simple:
Draw their attention.
Reduce the search pressure on Shino.
Though she didn't know where Shino was, she was certain of one thing.
He had not been captured.
Earlier, after hiding Tsunami—the daughter of their client, Tazuna—she had captured one of the pursuing killers and extracted information from him.
The orders remained unchanged.
Find two people.
That meant Shino was still successfully hiding.
I really failed as a teacher.
If only I had reported the mission violation immediately when I noticed it...
Shino... Sakura... Kiba...
Please be safe.
Otherwise I...
Before Kurenai could continue her thoughts, the sight before her left her speechless.
The thugs had somehow interpreted her waiting calmly in place as fear.
As if she were intimidated by their numbers.
The criminals exchanged glances before drawing their weapons.
"She's alone! What kind of ninja is she supposed to be? Kill her and collect the reward from Lord Gato!"
"She's seriously injured! She can't possibly be as dangerous as before!"
"She's just bluffing!"
"Hehehe... after we catch her, I'm gonna—"
Kurenai blinked.
She hadn't even used genjutsu yet.
Why were they already deceiving themselves?
Looking at the dozen or so ordinary thugs before her, she genuinely couldn't understand.
Did they really think they could defeat a Konoha jonin through sheer numbers?
Even injured?
A cold smile appeared on her lips.
Since they wanted to make the first move, she had no reason to hold back.
Her hands flashed through seals.
"Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion — Hell Viewing Technique!"
The moment the jutsu activated—
A powerful sea wind suddenly surged into everyone's senses.
Waves crashed.
Spray filled the air.
A curtain of water rose up, completely swallowing Kurenai's figure from sight.
The men at the front immediately froze.
Their eyes became unfocused.
Blank.
"Hey! What the hell are you idiots doing?! Get her—"
A swordsman standing farther back shouted angrily.
But before he could finish, screams erupted around him.
His companions dropped their weapons.
Some collapsed.
Others clutched their heads.
Still others fled in absolute terror.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!"
He still didn't understand.
Unfortunately, he never got the chance.
Kurenai was already moving.
Even injured, a jonin was not something common thugs and gangsters could compare to.
"Take this!"
The swordsman swung.
A split second later—
Kurenai's powerful kick smashed into his chest.
Crack!
The man was launched through the air.
Blood sprayed from his mouth before he crashed unconscious onto the ground.
And that was only the beginning.
Like a crimson executioner, Kurenai moved among the enemies trapped within her genjutsu.
Her kunai flashed repeatedly.
One fatal strike after another.
Bodies fell into pools of blood.
"Urgh!"
Just as she prepared to finish several more—
She suddenly froze.
Mist.
Dense mist.
It had appeared without her noticing.
Alarm exploded through her mind.
Without hesitation, Kurenai retreated from the mist's range.
Putting distance between herself and the danger.
"W-What happened?!"
The surviving thugs gradually regained their senses.
Their faces were deathly pale.
Moments ago, each of them had witnessed their deepest fear.
Now they found their companions dead around them.
Blood everywhere.
And the woman responsible stood at a distance, watching them cautiously.
"Hmph."
A familiar voice echoed through the fog.
"For a Konoha jonin, you look pretty pathetic."
"Your chakra reserves have fallen so low that even maintaining a simple genjutsu is becoming difficult."
Kurenai didn't answer.
Her eyes remained fixed on the mist.
Listening.
Searching.
Trying to locate the owner of that voice.
The Demon of the Hidden Mist.
Zabuza Momochi.
And this time, he had no intention of revealing himself.
Clearly he was wary of being caught in another genjutsu.
If the battle shifted to long-range ninjutsu or projectile exchanges...
Given her current condition...
Kurenai's heart sank.
She had only just begun drawing their attention away.
Yet this monster had arrived immediately.
And not alone.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another figure standing silently nearby.
The masked youth.
The Ice Release user.
"Hah..."
"Looks like my luck is terrible."
"No."
"Actually, maybe it's good."
At least...
"You only found me."
Clutching the wound on her abdomen, Kurenai slowly exhaled.
Then she lowered her kunai.
"How about we make a deal?"
"A deal?"
Zabuza sounded amused.
"You know I'm a Konoha jonin."
"If I die here, Konoha will send retrieval teams to recover my body and prevent information leaks."
"So?"
"You're one of Kirigakure's highest-priority missing-nin."
"Konoha and Kiri are allies."
"If Konoha discovers I died by your hand, they will notify Kirigakure."
She glanced toward the surrounding ocean.
"This island is surrounded by water."
"When that happens, where exactly do you plan on running?"
"And even if you don't kill me, enough time has already passed."
"One of my students has likely reached Konoha by now."
"Your existence has already been exposed."
"You can't stay here much longer."
The mist fell silent.
For a moment.
"So what do you want?"
Kurenai's expression remained steady.
"I'll cooperate with you."
"Leave now."
"Leave the Land of Waves entirely."
"I guarantee Konoha won't pursue notifying Kirigakure about your location."
"I know your reputation."
"The Demon of the Hidden Mist."
"The man who dared to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage."
She stared into the fog.
"Compared to my life..."
"Don't you value your own?"
Silence.
Zabuza said nothing.
Neither he nor Kurenai paid any attention to the panicking Gato thugs nearby.
Can this work?
Kurenai's palms were drenched in sweat.
Yet not a trace of it showed on her face.
The mental discipline of a jonin revealed itself fully.
Then—
A scoff echoed through the mist.
The next instant—
WHOOOSH!
The Executioner's Blade tore through the air like a hurricane.
Spinning.
Howling.
Racing directly toward Kurenai.
It failed!
Kurenai's heart plummeted.
Instinctively, she raised her kunai.
Trying to block.
As for what came after—
If she couldn't stop this attack, there would be no "after."
Then—
A figure suddenly appeared.
Kurenai's eyes widened in shock.
The newcomer stepped directly between her and the incoming blade.
Golden hair fluttered in the wind from his high-speed arrival.
Crimson vertical pupils locked onto the spinning sword.
Then—
He reached out.
And grabbed the Executioner's Blade by its handle.
SMACK!
The tremendous momentum pushed him backward several steps.
Only several steps.
"That belongs to you!"
Sage chakra exploded from his body.
With a furious roar, Naruto hurled the massive sword back toward the densest concentration of killing intent within the mist.
"TAKE IT BACK!"
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