She froze at the sight of the rogue shinobi surrounding her.
Clenching her fists, she struggled internally.
If she used her chakra, these rogue shinobi wouldn't stand a chance. She could crush them in an instant.
But doing so would surely attract pursuers, plunging her into even greater danger.
Back in the Hidden Grass Village, the same thing had happened—once the Grass ninja recognized her, they tried to take her back.
She had been forced to use her chakra then too, and barely escaped with injuries.
Now, her dimensional travel artifact hadn't finished cooling down, and she was still hurt. It really wasn't the time to unleash her chakra again.
She scanned the area, trying to find a way out.
But the rogue shinobi had completely surrounded her—there was nowhere to run.
Her heart sank. She knew she had no choice left.
"Boss, she's just a little girl. Doubt there's anything worth stealing on her. Maybe we should just let her go?"
Just as she prepared to go all in—ready to activate her chakra and fight these rogue shinobi to the death—a voice broke the tension. It was the one who had been beaten earlier, speaking with hesitation and a touch of pity:
"Boss, she's just a little girl. Doubt there's anything worth stealing on her. Maybe we should just let her go?"
His words sparked something in her—a faint glimmer of hope.
But that fragile hope was quickly shattered by harsh reality.
Smack! A loud slap echoed through the clearing as the leader struck the speaker on the head.
"Who's the boss here, huh? You making decisions for me now?!"
The rogue shinobi boss glared, his face twisted in fury.
The one who spoke covered his head, glaring back with frustration but ultimately said nothing.
His helpless anger only made the boss more vicious. He stormed forward and kicked the man to the ground.
Each kick landed like a hammer, pounding into the rogue shinobi's body.
It wasn't just violence—it was a tantrum, pouring out all of the leader's resentment and fury onto the poor man.
Curled on the ground in pain, the rogue shinobi didn't make a sound. He bit down hard, enduring.
The others kept their heads down, saying nothing. They all knew the boss's temper—interfering would only make things worse.
She watched in silence, emotions swirling.
Part of her felt guilty for the rogue shinobi who had spoken up for her.
But another part of her knew—this was her chance.
With everyone focused on the man being beaten, she started to edge away, quietly retreating.
Her movements were soft, deliberate. She made no sound.
But luck wasn't on her side.
Just as she was about to slip through the encirclement—
"She's running!"
One sharp-eyed rogue shinobi shouted.
The rest immediately snapped out of their daze and lunged toward her.
Her heart tightened. There was no turning back now—only one option left.
She quickly drew on the chakra within her, bracing for the fight.
But just then, someone stepped in front of her.
It was the man who had spoken for her. Beaten and bruised, he forced himself to his feet, shielding her with his body.
"Go!" he shouted. "I'll hold them off!"
She froze, stunned. She never imagined that this man—who had tried to rob her moments ago—would stand up to protect her.
"Stop hesitating! Go!!" he roared.
Gritting her teeth, she turned and bolted into the forest.
This was her only chance—she couldn't waste it. Not after what he did.
Behind her came the sounds of shouting and fighting, but she didn't look back. She couldn't. She was afraid her resolve would waver.
But the farther she ran, the heavier her heart became.
One by one, the people who had helped her kept vanishing from her life. Their deaths lingered in her mind.
She couldn't bear it—someone else dying because of her.
Guilt and anguish gnawed at her.
This time, her enemies were just a few rogue shinobi. Had she really lost the courage to face them?
No… she couldn't let it end like this!
With that thought, she turned around and charged back.
But fate always had a cruel sense of timing.
By the time she arrived, it was too late.
The man who had protected her lay still on the ground, unmoving.
The rogue shinobi boss sneered at her.
"Well well, brat. You come back just to see how this idiot died?"
His words dripped with scorn, and the others burst into mocking laughter.
She stared at him, fists trembling, nails digging deep into her palms.
Maybe that rogue shinobi had just had a moment of conscience. Maybe there was more to it.
But regardless—he helped her.
And like everyone who ever did… he ended up dead.
Anger. Sorrow. Guilt. Powerlessness.
It all twisted together into a single, overwhelming urge—
To kill.
"Shinra Tensei!!"
Her scream tore through the air. Chakra exploded from her body in all directions.
It was as if the very air ignited—an invisible wave surged outward.
BOOM!
Trees, stones, rogue shinobi—everything was obliterated in the shockwave.
The force ripped the ground apart, flinging earth and rubble into the air, leaving behind a massive crater.
The laughter was gone. Silence fell.
She stood there, panting. Her Rinnegan slowly spun in her eyes.
And somewhere far away, in the Land of Iron, a certain figure stirred.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki suddenly looked up.
His gaze pierced through time and space—locking directly onto her.
A smile crept onto his face. He murmured softly:
"Oh~ has the little white rabbit decided she's ready to face me again?"
Not far from him, Uchiha Madara stood silently, watching him with grim eyes.
This monster had appeared out of nowhere, as if he already knew where Madara was hiding.
A brief clash had already proven—Madara wasn't his match.
Frustration boiled within him, taking him back to the day he faced Hikaru six years ago.
'Dammit… if only my Rinnegan had awakened!'
He grit his teeth, already planning his escape.
But the next moment, Isshiki struck him, sending him flying—
—through a swirling black-and-red portal.
"I'd better hurry… What if the little white rabbit runs away again?"