"You… you… you…"
Her red eyes widened like copper bells.
It would have been one thing if Uchiha Kenya had sneaked in as a traitor.
But in her mind, Uchiha Kenya was already dead.
How could a dead man suddenly appear in front of her!?
"It's really the same noisy woman as before. Just keep quiet."
Kenya raised his right index finger, and a golden symbol of unknown meaning shot from his fingertip, striking Kurenai's throat and silencing her.
Bakudō No. 3: Forbidden.
A binding spell that robs the target of speech for a short time.
Of course, it only works on those weaker than the caster.
Kurenai's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't speak—she couldn't even make a sound like "mmm."
Ten seconds later, Kenya waved his hand, releasing the seal. Her voice returned, and he smiled faintly.
"Feeling calmer now?"
"You… you're still alive?"
Though her reaction was no longer as exaggerated as before, the disbelief in Kurenai's eyes had hardly faded.
"Do you really think someone like Rasa could kill me?" Kenya asked with a chuckle.
Not even Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara—who had long surpassed ordinary shinobi and reached the realm of the Six Paths—were easy to deal with.
Even the Second Hokage or the Third Raikage, standing at the very peak of Kage-level, would struggle to bring him down.
Rasa, who had only just stepped into the Kage realm, could never hope to kill him.
When Kenya staged his "death" with Kyōka Suigetsu, he had worried it might look too easy and raise suspicion.
But he hadn't expected Rasa to be so weak—and so foolish as to genuinely believe he had won.
Kurenai fell silent.
As a loyal Konoha shinobi, she knew she should run straight to the Hokage and report this—that the S-class rogue Uchiha Kenya was still alive.
Such news could even give Konoha an advantage in its negotiations with the Sand.
But… she hesitated.
She didn't know why.
Maybe it was the distrust she felt toward the village's senior leadership. Maybe it was the resentment she'd built up. Or maybe… something else.
"It seems my prediction was right," Kenya said softly. "From the look on your face, the things I told you before have already come true."
In truth, even if Kurenai tried anything, Kenya could simply use Kyōka Suigetsu again, hypnotizing her into believing this entire encounter was nothing but a dream.
That was why he stood before her so confidently now.
"Speaking of which…"
Kenya suddenly pointed to her shoulder. "Strap. Fix it."
Startled, Kurenai glanced down. Her shoulder strap had slipped all the way to her wrist, exposing much of her chest and the faint outline beneath.
"Ahhh!"
With a cry, she quickly yanked the strap back into place, her face burning.
Then, realizing what had just happened, her embarrassment turned into fury.
"You—! What are you sitting there for!? Get out! Get out right now!"
"Fine, fine. I was leaving anyway."
Kenya waved casually, looking utterly unbothered, and stood to go.
Kurenai was trembling with anger, on the verge of tears. She rummaged through her closet, grabbed her usual kunoichi outfit, and stormed out of the room.
Meanwhile, Kenya made himself at home, opening her refrigerator and pulling out snacks and shōchū.
"Not bad. Cozy place," he remarked, pouring himself a drink. "Though a little small."
Seeing his attitude—so casual, as though he owned the place—only made Kurenai angrier.
She reached to snatch the bottle from him, but Kenya easily avoided her grasp, spinning the flask through his fingers as if it were alive.
She couldn't even touch it.
The difference in strength between them was simply too vast.
"What the hell are you doing here!?" she finally snapped.
Kenya calmly placed the flask in a pot of hot water, warming the drink. After a moment, he poured two cups, slid one across the table to her, and smiled.
"It's been a long time. I missed my hometown a little. So, I thought I'd drop by to see you."
"As if anyone would believe that," Kurenai muttered, glaring at him before snatching the cup and downing the warm shōchū.
She hadn't touched alcohol since the day she heard of Kenya's "death" a month ago. But now, the taste brought back something she hadn't realized she'd been missing.
Sip by sip, her cheeks flushed red.
Kenya watched her calmly. "I was right. The higher-ups have been targeting you, haven't they? But don't worry. Now that I'm 'dead,' they'll stop suspecting you. You'll be able to go back to your old life."
Kurenai swirled the cup, her eyes hazy and her voice languid.
"I'm… not happy."
She emptied the glass in one gulp.
When she reached for the jug again, she realized it was already empty.
"Tch. Warm up another."
"I'm not your servant."
"Hmph! I'll do it myself!"
She grabbed the jug and stormed off to heat more wine.
Within half an hour, her entire stock was gone.
"Belch~"
She hiccupped, her face flushed, her beauty only made more striking by the faint drunkenness.
This unfair world—where even something as unrefined as burping could look charming on a woman like her.
"You… hiccup… Dare to come here. Aren't you afraid I'll tell Lord Hokage?"
Her words were slurred, her mind clouded.
Kenya's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Will they believe you?"