After shedding any burdens, the Uchiha defection squad's marching speed increased several times over. They zipped through the forest like a pack of wolves on the hunt.
"Did you kill Asuma?"
Kurenai Yuhi asked softly.
She rested her head on Kuroki 's shoulder, her voice weak and devoid of emotion, like the gentle fragrance of orchids with each breath.
Kuroki could feel her breathing, smell the delicate scent of her curly hair, and the subtle perfume that matched her refined appearance.
Kurenai was like a red flower, exuding a natural mature charm from her appearance to her fragrance.
"Yes."
Kuroki didn't hide it.
A kill was a kill.
Kurenai fell silent, burying her head deeper into Kuroki 's shoulder, her cheek pressed tightly against his neck. After a long pause, she spoke with a hint of melancholy:
"Then you owe me."
Her tone was like that of a little girl complaining about someone breaking her toy, demanding compensation.
If only someone could buy her a new toy.
She would immediately be overjoyed.
"Alright."
Kuroki , feeling the softness against his back, continued moving without stopping, agreeing without hesitation.
Kurenai froze, her beautiful red eyes widening, and her lips parted slightly.
She had suddenly received the answer she had longed for since her youth—a response she had yearned for but never got. She was stunned, unsure of how to react.
During the Nine-Tails' rampage, just before Yūhi Shinkuro's death, his last words, in front of his daughter, were to praise Uchiha Kuroki , saying he was a good person.
As a Jōnin, Shinkuro could have sensed it—when his daughter hesitated to act, Kuroki had given her a push.
Without Kuroki 's help, Shinkuro wouldn't have been able to see his daughter one last time before he died, which would have been his greatest regret.
After that, the original Kuroki had spent some time with Kurenai, until he was dispatched on a mission.
Before they parted ways, Kurenai confessed to him, but he gently turned her down. Her life once again plunged into darkness, and it was during that time she picked up the bad habit of drinking heavily.
From Kuroki 's perspective, the original had made the right choice. He feared that accepting Kurenai's feelings would only result in him dying on a mission, leaving her heartbroken. The recent Uchiha clan massacre had confirmed this fear.
Kuroki 's swift agreement was because he didn't want to owe the original anything. Helping to mend this regret was the last thing he could do for him.
Don't reject.
Don't promise.
Don't initiate.
That was Kuroki 's creed when it came to such matters.
"..."
Kurenai suddenly laughed, but tears streamed down her face. She clung tightly to Kuroki , wrapping both arms and legs around him like a koala hugging a tree.
The emotions she had long suppressed were finally released.
She felt much better now.
The Uchiha members behind them were amazed, seeing how their captain, Kuroki , made the Konoha kunoichi cry with just a few words.
"As expected of our role model!"
Izumi and Mikoto, however, were completely lost, not understanding what the two people in front of them were talking about.
At that moment, a voice abruptly chimed in:
"What are you all staring at? If any of you were as great as Big Brother, you'd be running around the mountains carrying a pretty woman too!"
Everyone turned their heads to see Tamao grinning, clearly thrilled to see his brother with the beauty in his arms.
"..." Kuroki 's forehead throbbed with annoyance.
"..." Kurenai blushed deeply.
The Uchiha squad members collectively fell silent, their minds racing. This Konoha woman seemed to have a background similar to their clan leader's wife.
Did this mean their captain, Kuroki , had a certain... type when it came to women?
Suddenly, no one dared to think further. They all lowered their heads and continued on their journey.
Such a great captain like Kuroki .
Why did he have to have this kind of... inclination?
Snap—
Kuroki , still carrying the weakened Kurenai, pressed forward. As he stepped on a branch, a sharp pain shot through his brain, followed by a stinging sensation in his eyes.
He squinted.
A white haze clouded his vision.
Kuroki 's body tensed, and he slowed his pace, raising a hand to rub his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
Kurenai noticed the change, her red eyes filled with concern, and she quickly asked in a soft, anxious tone.
"It's nothing, just the side effects of the Mangekyo."
Kuroki replied casually.
Kurenai's heart ached. She knew what kind of battle Kuroki had endured the previous night. She reached out to gently caress his face, pressing on his temples to ease his stress.
Kuroki felt the soothing touch of her fingers, and the tension around his temples eased slightly. He didn't refuse Kurenai's kindness.
They continued their journey, with the other Uchiha members unaware of his discomfort.
Kuroki sank into deep thought.
The Eight Thousand Spears technique, used to control people from a distance, was powered by the Yin Release chakra from the Mangekyo.
While frequent use of it wasn't as physically damaging as the Amaterasu, which caused the eyes to bleed, it still came with a cost.
Even so, the Mangekyo was still the Mangekyo. Overuse of its Yin Release chakra could lead to retinal detachment, optic nerve deterioration, and eventually, permanent blindness.
A heavy weight settled on Kuroki 's heart.
But there was a way to solve this problem
1. Implanting Hashirama cells—these cells, filled with immense vitality, can extend the lifespan of the Mangekyō Sharingan and reduce its negative effects on the user.
2. Awakening the Eternal Mangekyō would eliminate all worries, but for Kuroki , that's not possible.
3. Owning an unlimited supply of green medicine.
So, Kuroki figured that the option of awakening the Eternal Mangekyō could be ruled out. Hashirama cells and green medicine were his top choices.
Unfortunately, due to the urgency of assassinating Danzo, he didn't have time to collect Hashirama cells besides the Kotoamatsukami.
But that's okay.
Konoha...
Kuroki would eventually return there someday.
Thinking about the green medicine...
Kuroki 's expression gradually grew serious. At first, he thought it could only heal internal and external injuries, but it also gave him the "Wood Release" ability.
It even restored a third of the lifespan he had burned through by taking the red pill.
Aside from that...
Kuroki 's strength also improved, likely as a result of the life force the green medicine injected into his body.
His strength increased by about 0.01 times that of an average adult. Though a small boost, it opened up a new way to enhance himself.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Kuroki checked his current state.
As for the 'Wood Release,' he could still sense plants and their natural energy within a 500-meter radius around him.
However, his 'Wood Release' was different from the traditional kind. It didn't involve the usual method of combining earth and water chakra to create a life source and inject it into the ground.
He couldn't make trees or vines grow out of thin air. He could only manipulate the plants within the 500-meter radius for combat.
Without the green medicine to catalyze them...
This 'Wood Release' would be pretty useless.
Kuroki thought for a moment, then infused earth and water chakra into the ground beneath him, gathering the natural energy from plants within 500 meters and channeling it into a vine.
Rustle—
"Enemy attack!!!"
Tamao was the first to react, drawing his katana from his back and leaping down from the tree, slicing the vine Kuroki had just manipulated into two pieces!
"..." Kuroki .
Seeing Kuroki 's darkened face, Kurenai looked at Tamaki and seemed to understand something, then covered her mouth with a smile.
Just as Tamaki was about to boast to the clueless Uchiha behind him—
Whoosh—
Suddenly, the vine's size exploded, swelling from the thickness of a thumb to that of a human wrist right before their eyes.
Kuroki glanced at the scene from the corner of his eye, the corner of his mouth curling up.
His guess had been right—the energy within 500 meters could be used to heal injuries.
It could also be injected into a plant to transform it, giving it combat capabilities.
The vine, as agile as a snake, darted toward Tamaki's feet, causing him to jump back in fright and shout:
"Is this Danzo's mom or his dad?!"
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