Drip. Drip.
A thick, viscous liquid slid down Makoto's cheek.
Feeling no pain anywhere in his body, he lazily raised a hand and wiped it, his fingertips coming away smeared with dark red blood.
He blinked, bits of dried blood still clinging to his eyelashes, let out a long yawn, and stretched, musing inwardly, 'Haven't slept this well in a long time.'
The moment his gaze swept his surroundings, the laziness in his eyes was replaced by a flash of clarity.
Beside him, Samui lay slumped against a pine tree. The black tight-fitting clothes around her waist and abdomen were torn open by a large shuriken, the dark red blood soaking the fabric to a deep black.
The flesh around the wound was turned outwards, still twitching slightly.
Her lips were as pale as paper, her blue-green pupils covered with a hazy film. Her breathing was as light as a feather, so faint it seemed it might stop at any moment.
Mabui wasn't in much better condition. Her once healthy, glossy dark skin now had a grayish pallor.
Her lips were cracked like parched earth, every breath accompanied by a slight tremble.
She leaned against Samui, her fingers unconsciously picking at the tree bark, clearly having pushed her Chakra to its absolute limit.
The small grove around them looked as if a giant beast had rolled through it.
Tree trunks thick enough that two people could barely wrap their arms around them were either severed at the waist, the breaks charred as if struck by lightning, or bore clean, diagonal cuts, white wood splinters still stained with bits of flesh.
The ground was pitted and scarred.
Some areas were charred black, still emitting wisps of smoke. The air carried a pungent mix of smells: the lingering numbness of Lightning Release, the sharpness left by Wind Release, and the acrid scent of things burned through by Fire Release.
Just a quick glance was enough to tell how brutal the previous battle had been.
In the distance, the sea surface shimmered with a cold light. The sound of waves crashing against the shore drifted faintly on the wind, carrying a salty, fishy breeze.
Seeing the ocean, the corner of Makoto's mouth lifted lazily, 'Finally reached the border of the Land of Fire.'
His gaze shifted to the left. Over a dozen corpses lay haphazardly on the ground. There were masked Anbu and Root's members, as well as Kumogakure's spies.
Only one Root's member was still moving.
He staggered towards them like a wild dog with a broken leg, swaying with every step. The kunai in his hand trembled like a leaf in an autumn wind.
He didn't even have the strength to throw the kunai, let alone raise it to waist height.
Blood streamed down his trouser leg, dragging a long red trail in the snow, like a vivid silk ribbon.
Samui and Mabui glanced at the blood-stained kunai in the man's hand.
There was no fear in their eyes, only a kind of near-numb regret.
They had come so far.
The Kumogakure spies lurking in Konoha were almost completely wiped out. The two of them had fought until their Chakra was depleted. They were this close to success...
'What a pity.'
They exchanged a glance, seeing the same bleak smile in each other's eyes. They barely had the strength to even twitch the corners of their mouths.
Then they saw Makoto sit up. Samui's long eyelashes suddenly fluttered. A faint light surfaced in her blue-green pupils, like a dying candle flame flickering one last time.
His previous behavior had given her a sliver of fantasy.
'Perhaps...'
Makoto paid no mind to the thoughts in Samui's mind. He raised his hands to his chest, his fingers flying through hand seals so fast they left afterimages.
Snake - Ram - Monkey - Boar - Horse - Tiger!
A famously non-lethal technique in the Shinobi World.
Seeing this, Samui's heart sank. A bitter smile crept onto her pale face.
She couldn't help but murmur inwardly, 'Of course. How could there be a miracle? Why would someone from Konoha yearn for our Kumogakure?'
She slowly closed her eyes, waiting to be consumed by the Fire Ninjutsu.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Makoto gathered Chakra in his throat, then sharply turned his head, not towards Samui and Mabui, but towards the staggering Root's member, and spat out a massive fireball.
"?"
Both Samui and Mabui froze simultaneously. Even the Root's member stopped in his tracks, the joy on his face instantly solidifying into utter astonishment.
He opened his mouth, a sound like a broken bellows coming from his throat: "Uchiha Makoto... Danzo-sama was already preparing to recruit you... We aren't..."
Before he could finish, under his terrified gaze, the great fireball engulfed him completely. The moment the flames touched him, they exploded with a 'Bang!'
Like a bizarre, blooming lotus of fire.
Makoto didn't care for his excuses. He raised an eyebrow, his hands not stopping, sending five more Great Fireballs flying over in quick succession.
After all, the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique was famously known as the 'non-lethal technique' in the Shinobi World. He wouldn't feel assured without sending a few more.
In reality, the first fireball had already made the Root's member curl into a ball. The subsequent ones simply charred the area black, leaving not even a speck of ash behind.
Confirming the Root's member had gone to meet the Sage of Six Paths in the Pure Land, Makoto clapped his hands and walked over to Samui.
He reached out, tore open the black tight-fitting clothes around her waist, revealing a patch of snow-white skin seeping with blood.
He rummaged in her tool pouch, pulled out a roll of bandages, wrapped it around her haphazardly a few times, and tied a tight knot.
Shinobi had strong constitutions. Losing a bit of blood wouldn't kill them.
With proper treatment later, there might not even be a scar.
Without looking up, he pulled some special soldier pills from Samui's pouch, fed one to each of the women, and took some himself.
Samui grunted at his rough handling. The usually icy beauty, faced with the debt of her life being saved, had a faint blush on her cheeks. Looking at Makoto's profile, her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"In the future, I... will repay you."
Paired with her cold expression, the sense of contrast was maxed out.
Makoto chewed on the soldier pill and responded casually, "Planning to repay me with practical action, is that it?"
Hearing this, Samui gave a slight nod.
The usually calm Mabui watched with wide eyes. From initial astonishment, to the shock moments before, her face now burst with incredible ecstasy. She nearly jumped up from the ground.
Not because they had survived, but because Makoto had actually saved them from a Konoha's Shinobi...
This meant Kumogakure might truly have their own future Shinobi of the End Times. The price they had paid earlier, compared to the return they were seeing now...
Was simply insignificant.
Her gaze towards Makoto grew increasingly intense.
Before long, Samui and Mabui, relying on the special soldier pills, recovered a bit of Chakra. The two women exchanged a glance, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes.
Although there had been 'a few' unexpected twists in this kidnapping plan, with the hostage saving the kidnappers... the mission was finally close to success.
Samui wiped a hand over the bloodstain on her chest, her hands quickly forming seals, then slammed them on the ground: "Summoning Technique!"
A puff of white smoke exploded, and a giant eagle appeared, flapping its wings. Its sharp eagle eyes scanned the surroundings warily.