The forest outside Konoha was silent. Too silent.
Leaves barely stirred, owls kept their distance, even the insects seemed to sense something unnatural prowling between the trees.
I crouched on a branch, eyes scanning the woods below. Zetsu's voice still echoed in my head:
"Consume shinobi. Grow stronger. Or the sun will take you."
I rolled my shoulders, irritation flickering through me. "Tch. You really do know how to motivate a girl, don't you?"
A rustle. Movement below.
Three rogue ninja—traveling fast, weapons on their backs, their chakra rough and unpolished compared to Konoha's. Chunin-level, maybe.
Perfect.
I dropped down behind them, landing soundlessly.
One of them turned, squinting at me in the moonlight. "Oi. What's a little girl doing out here?"
The others chuckled, thinking I was lost prey.
I tilted my head and smiled sweetly. "Oh, I'm not lost. I came here for you."
Before they could laugh again, my body moved. A tendril of sharpened flesh shot forward, striking the first rogue before he had a chance to blink. His body crumpled, chakra flowing into me like water being siphoned into a thirsty desert.
The others reacted fast—kunai drawn, chakra flaring.
"Monster!" one of them shouted, unleashing a fireball.
I slipped through the flames, my body twisting unnaturally, moving like water given form. Before his eyes could even widen, my hand pierced through his defenses, stealing the very energy from his core. His strength, his techniques, his essence—absorbed into me.
The last rogue stumbled back, fear overtaking him. "W-what are you?!"
I stepped closer, the moonlight catching on my smile. "Your worst mistake."
He turned to flee—too slow. Tendrils lashed out, wrapping him in an instant, and his cry echoed through the trees before fading into silence.
Moments later, the forest was still again.
Three rogue shinobi, erased. Their chakra now mine. My body thrummed with new energy, sharper senses, stronger reflexes. In the back of my mind, fragments of their skills and affinities flickered like newly lit candles.
I exhaled, brushing dirt off my cloak. "Two hours of sunlight… not a bad trade."
The hunger quieted—for now.
But beneath the satisfaction was something dangerous, something thrilling. The predator inside me was awake, and it liked this too much.
I lifted my gaze to the moon. Cold, silver light washed over me.
"Guess I'm not so human after all."
And in the distance, unseen by me… a pair of crimson eyes glowed from the shadows.
Shisui.
He didn't see everything. But he saw enough.