The air was thick with choking morning mist.
Arashi glared down at Hikari's petite figure, his sharp features hidden behind a mask, brimming with irritation.
Unlike the cold-blooded machines raised by Ne from childhood, he was a ninja who'd joined voluntarily after learning about Ne and its dark heroic ideals while serving in the Anbu. After grueling training and countless trials, he'd earned his place as a proud member of Ne.
Yet here was Takanotsume Hikari, personally recruited by Danzō-sama, taken as his disciple to carry on his legacy. Despite such favor, she showed not an ounce of gratitude or respect.
Danzō-sama was a disciple of the Nidaime Hokage, the Hokage's advisor, a steely hero who'd forsaken honor and emotion to dwell in the shadows. And she dared to call him by name!
"You don't get to speak Danzō-sama's name so casually," Arashi growled, his voice like a biting winter wind. Purple-blue jealousy and red-hot anger betrayed his emotions completely.
"Oh, whatever. Let's just head to Ne," Hikari said, glancing at the emotional glow above his head and dismissing him entirely. Why waste energy arguing with one of Danzō's brainwashed tools?
Who'd bother bickering with a lunatic?
"You—!"
"Arashi!" Iwakuma's deep, commanding voice cut through Arashi's rising fury.
Faced with his captain's warning glare, Arashi's lips trembled as he swallowed his words.
Back during Ne's training, Iwakuma had been his instructor. Arashi knew better than anyone the brutal methods his captain employed. Normally mild-mannered and easygoing, Iwakuma's anger was like an earth-shattering storm that chilled the bones.
"Sorry!" Iwakuma said, retracting his warning gaze and turning to Hikari with a quiet apology. His massive frame shifted slightly to clear her path.
He pointed deeper into the dense forest. "That way's Ne's Base No. 3. Danzō-sama's been waiting, so Arashi's a bit on edge."
"You're the captain? What's your name?" Hikari asked, dispersing the Fūton (Wind Release) chakra swirling around her fingers, studying the burly ninja with interest.
What sharp battle instincts. The moment her killing intent stirred, his muscles tensed instantly, and his chakra began shifting in nature, ready to strike at any second.
Yesterday's brief glimpse hadn't revealed much, but now she noticed this Doton (Earth Release) jōnin had a stern face and high brow bones. His chakra was a brownish-yellow, his entire presence like a massive granite slab—cold, hard, and rough.
According to Sarutobi Hiruzen, chakra nature transformations could influence personality to some extent. Those skilled in Katon (Fire Release) or Raiton (Lightning Release) were often hot-tempered, while Suiton (Water Release) and Doton tended to be calmer and steadier. Fūton made people sharp and flighty.
The more refined the nature transformation, the stronger this influence. Sometimes, you could gauge an opponent's strength just by observing their demeanor.
This man was clearly a master who'd honed Doton to the bone.
"Iwakuma," he answered in a low, gravelly voice devoid of emotion, his emotional glow barely perceptible. Hikari nodded—this was the kind of Ne ninja she'd imagined.
Far better than that fool who didn't know his place.
She turned to the sensory ninja who'd been a big help. "And you?"
"Butterfly," Chō answered quickly, his words clipped to hide the trembling in his body. The prolonged pressure of Hikari's chakra on his psyche was making him restless, sweat beading on his forehead.
Six years ago, during the Nine-Tails' attack, he'd sensed a chakra so vast it felt like an abyss—pure despair and powerlessness. Hikari's chakra wasn't on that level, but it carried a chilling danger and greed, like a bloodthirsty beast ready to drag you in and devour you if you let your guard down.
The more sensitive you were to danger, the more agonizing it was to stand near her.
He'd felt her killing intent earlier too. If Iwakuma hadn't intervened, that idiot who kept mouthing off despite being in range of a taijutsu monster would probably be in pieces by now.
Hikari gave Chō, sweating profusely, a curious look, unsure what he was so afraid of. Ignoring the last ninja waiting for her to ask his name, she strode toward Ne's base.
He'd mentioned Base No. 3, which meant there were at least Bases No. 1 and 2.
Ne was deeply rooted in Konoha, huh?
Seeing Hikari ignore him and walk off, Arashi let out a cold snort and quickly followed. Danzō-sama's orders were to bring Takanotsume Hikari to the base unharmed. No matter how much he resented her, completing the mission came first.
The two moved ahead, with Iwakuma and Chō close behind.
Racing in the direction Iwakuma indicated, Hikari soon stopped.
Her Byakugan activated.
The surroundings looked like ordinary dense forest, but through her Byakugan, a faint red sealing barrier clung to the ground like a vibrant crimson meadow, completely blocking her vision.
No surprise—this had to be Ne's base.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Iwakuma, Chō, and Arashi stopped as well. Chō stepped forward, his hands flying through seals. Arashi glanced at Hikari, wanting to say something but hesitating and staying silent.
Normally, first-time entrants to Ne had to be blindfolded until they'd undergone extensive training and earned trust to learn the passage seals. But with Hikari, blindfolding her probably wouldn't do much.
"Release!"
Buzz!
The red-glowing barrier on the ground revealed maze-like, angular patterns before quickly fading. The flat grass split open, revealing a dark cave entrance.
The cave was about four meters wide, its interior dimly lit, with only a faint glimpse of stone steps descending into shadows.
Hikari peered down with her Byakugan.
She could only see about three meters underground before her vision was blocked by layered cubic sealing barriers, just like before the seal was lifted.
"Move fast. The seal only stays open for five seconds," Chō urged, holding his hand signs.
Whoosh!
Arashi stepped to the cave's edge, a lit torch now in hand. Hikari didn't hesitate, joining Iwakuma as they descended into the cave by the torchlight. Once everyone was inside, Chō glanced around, clapped his hands together, and said, "Seal!"
The angular patterns on the barrier faded, glowing red as the cave entrance vanished completely.
The morning mist lingered, and the deep, withered leaves remained undisturbed.
Inside the cave, lights flickered on one by one. Orange flames spread along hidden patterns in the stone walls, casting four head-shaped shadows.
Hikari's ninja sandals clicked against the edge of the steps as she followed Arashi's back downward.
The spiral staircase stretched on, occasionally twisting into sharp turns. After passing several forked paths, her Byakugan was suppressed by the base's countless barriers, leaving her unsure how deep underground she was.
She'd already climbed over two hundred steps.
Inside the base, Iwakuma, Chō, and Arashi grew eerily silent. Even Arashi, whose emotions had been the most volatile, now seemed lifeless.
Soon, they reached another forked path.
"Arghhh!"
"Wail…"
Faint, anguished cries and moans echoed from the right tunnel, muffled by layers of walls. If the group hadn't been moving so quietly, they might not have heard them at all.
Hikari glanced at the Ne members. Iwakuma, Chō, and Arashi offered no explanation, their masked faces calm, as if accustomed to such sounds.
"This is it," Arashi said, nodding toward the left tunnel and quickly entering. Hikari cast a lingering look at the mysterious right tunnel before following.
Tap, tap, tap.
As soon as Hikari entered, a long corridor came into view.
It was twice as wide as the staircase, ending in a dark wooden door. Intricate root-like patterns extended from the door, carved into the stone walls on either side, far more aesthetic than the cramped stairs.
Orange wall lamps hung near the ceiling—not bright, but better than the pitch-black earlier.
Whoosh!
Arashi blew out his torch and took the lead. After a few steps, two shadowy figures emerged from the dark corners by the wooden door.
Hikari's eyes narrowed. Even her Byakugan hadn't detected them until they appeared.
Buzz!
The shadows crawled along the walls, two heads slowly emerging.
The figures materialized, each wearing a half-mask.
As Hikari and the others approached, their eyes opened.
Black-red. Red-black.
Two crimson Sharingan stared out, their twin tomoe spinning diagonally at 180 degrees, exuding an eerie menace.
"Takanotsume Hikari," Arashi said quickly, his throat bobbing as he stepped aside. Iwakuma and Chō stopped, slightly bowing, clearly wary of the wall's ghostly figures.
The Sharingan locked onto Hikari.
The tomoe spun.
Their shadows on the wall twisted, an invisible Yin Release force manipulating the darkness like a tidal wave surging toward her.
Zzt, zzt…
Crackling lightning wrapped around her body, arcs spreading to form a blinding Raiton armor. As the shadows reached her feet, the electric arcs zapped them, sending white smoke rising.
"What's this about?" Hikari asked, tilting her head.
"You must be searched before entering the meeting hall. It's Ne's rule," Chō whispered from behind.
Her lightning-clad foot crushed the creeping shadows again. Facing the crimson Sharingan, Hikari grinned and spread her arms. "I'm all for following rules. If I can't enter without a search, then I won't. Doesn't matter to me."
"You have to go in! Danzō-sama's waiting in the meeting hall!" Arashi hissed, barely keeping his voice low to avoid disturbing Danzō.
"That's his problem, not mine," Hikari's unyielding voice echoed through the corridor. She was here to steal Hashirama's cells, not to be Danzō's errand girl or submit to his obedience tests. She wasn't buying it.
Danzō had lost several special jōnin, exposed his Mangekyō, Chihaya Toru, and Ne's base, and put Betsutenjin on cooldown—all high costs. She, on the other hand, had none. Worst case, her clone died, returned as chakra to her real body, and she could report Danzō to Sarutobi, maybe even get his Mangekyō confiscated.
"If you won't let me in, I'm leaving." Hikari turned to go, eyeing the two creepy, half-human figures blocking the door.
"Enough!" Arashi snapped, unable to tolerate her arrogance any longer. He drew a short blade from his thigh holster.
One second, four seals.
Buzz!
Fūton chakra coated the blade, screeching like twin chainsaws. Eyes blazing with killing intent, Arashi swung the wind-infused blade at Hikari's heart.
Wind countered lightning. Her still-unpolished Raiton chakra mode couldn't possibly block such a powerful Fūton attack—that's why he dared challenge the girl who'd killed an elite jōnin.
Vrrr!
The chainsaw-like wind blade sliced through the air toward the lightning-clad Hikari. In an instant, the blade was inches from her clothes.
Too late to dodge. This would cripple her, if not kill her. Arashi smirked, already pronouncing her death sentence in his mind.
But.
It wasn't wild lightning that met him—it was explosive fire!
Whoosh!
Her white cloak flared up.
Brilliant sparks flew, igniting into roaring flames the moment they touched the wind blade. All the Fūton chakra on the blade caught fire, its advanced nature and form transformations rendered meaningless.
The blazing flames raced up the blade toward Arashi's hand.
Before the fire even touched him, the searing heat blistered his hand. Arashi recoiled in pain, dropping the blade.
Clang!
The scorching blade hit the ground.
"Urgh…" Arashi froze, enduring the agony in his hand. He looked down. A pale, delicate hand had somehow slipped into his left ribcage.
"Gah!"
The Fūton-coated hand sliced through the membrane between his ribs. Her slender fingers curled, grazing the fascia along his bones.
Pain surged through his body. Adrenaline dulled his nerves slightly, but bloodshot eyes betrayed his fear. He didn't dare move—his body was no tougher than paper against her cutting Fūton.
"Hardening!" Iwakuma, having just finished his seals, encased himself in dense, iron-gray rock and charged to support Arashi.
Hikari, one hand gripping Arashi's ribs, aimed a lightning-charged sword finger at Iwakuma's lower abdomen.
Crack!
Like a spear piercing armor, the high-energy chakra flow pierced his Doton.
Iwakuma's eyes flashed with ferocity. Ignoring the finger in his abdomen, he raised his knee and slammed his elbow down to shatter her hand.
Crunch!
His rocky elbow cracked. Her Raiton armor struck back fiercely, shattering the Doton. Her lightning-clad fingers, hard as diamond, took no damage and burrowed deeper into his abdomen.
Zzt, zzt, zzt!
Her steel-like fingers twisted inside, the electric current invading his abdominal nerve plexus. Iwakuma, mid-attack, went numb and collapsed, paralyzed.
The Sharingan grew redder.
Shadows writhed on the stone walls, shadow beasts climbing with cautious steps.
Hiss, hiss, hiss!
Slithering with forked tongues, massive water pythons stretched their bodies, scales scraping the walls. Their cold, water-colored slit eyes locked onto the shadow beasts.