"Let me go," Sawako demanded.
"Nope," Ebara replied.
"We won't drown!"
"You're a ninja. You can move freely in water with chakra!"
"Never tried it. What if I drown? How you gonna make it up to me?"
"You didn't drown earlier. How could you now?"
"I'm afraid I'll drown in your vast embrace."
"…Can you not be so gross?" Sawako snapped.
"Don't like cheesy lines?" Ebara teased.
Sawako lost it. "I want to kill you!"
"Gonna smother me with your chest?" he quipped.
"Ahh!" Sawako screamed, driven mad.
She realized Ebara was taking advantage while keeping her arms pinned, preventing seals.
It hit her—he'd seen through her from the start.
She'd been played.
No more pretending. She thrashed wildly to break free.
But Ebara gave her no chance.
"Done pretending? Showing your cards?" he mocked.
His taunting gaze sent Sawako into a fury.
"You knew I wasn't ordinary!" she spat.
"Of course. When I checked your 'heartbeat' (Chapter 55), you were calm despite the danger. I knew you were special."
Even in that tense moment, Sawako's pulse barely flinched.
If she were truly as frail as she acted, she couldn't have survived this long on the run.
Ebara had stayed wary, countering her seduction with his own trap.
Greedily eyeing her figure, he said, "I'm a perv, sure, but if you think that's all I am, you're dead wrong."
His invasive stare unsettled her.
She squirmed, defiant.
"Stop wiggling. Don't you know the more you move, the happier I am?" he grinned.
"Ahh!" Sawako went berserk.
Taken advantage of and her plan foiled, she felt humiliated, wronged, and enraged.
Screw it. She kicked off, dragging Ebara out of the water toward a nearby waterfall.
Spotting rocks by the falls, she planned to use them to force Ebara off.
Ignoring his groping, she twisted, aiming to crash them into the rocks.
As they neared, Ebara let go, plummeting downward.
Sawako hurtled face-first toward the rocks.
Unfazed, she aimed to kick off them to change direction.
But her leg felt heavy as a boulder.
Looking down, she saw Ebara had grabbed her calf.
Unable to shake him, she was about to smash into the rocks.
She panicked.
Ebara sighed. "See? Saved you again. Not gonna repay me with your heart?"
He yanked her down, avoiding the rocks.
They rolled several times on the ground before stopping.
Sawako tried to stand, but a shadow loomed.
Who else but Ebara? Despite her near-jonin strength, she was no match.
He sat on her, pinning her down.
Though restrained again, this was better than before.
Her hands flew through seals: Tiger—Rabbit—Snake—Horse—Dog…
"Evil Sealing Method!"
Her right hand shot toward Ebara's chest.
Unsure of her technique but cautious, Ebara leaped back, dodging.
Sawako sprang up, pressing her attack.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet!"
She spat air bullets at Ebara.
He dodged, countering with "Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet!"
Sawako halted to block, narrowly avoiding them but looking disheveled.
"Uzumaki sealing jutsu? Trying to seal me?" Ebara said, perched on a branch, looking down. "Think I'd give you the chance?"
Sawako charged again, silent.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Two clones appeared beside her.
As she formed them, Ebara moved.
He rushed her real body, fist aimed at her heart.
She dodged; his punch grazed her side.
Sawako and her clones surrounded him.
"Triad Seal!"
Three beams of light formed a triangle, closing in on Ebara.
"Substitution Jutsu!"
He escaped as the beams converged.
"Wind Style: Great Vacuum Bullet!"
Using half his chakra, Ebara aimed to end it fast.
A gale roared from him, obliterating Sawako's clones.
It slammed her into a tree, snapping it.
She grimaced in pain.
Ebara pressed forward, seizing her swan-like neck.
"You're not my match. Give up," he said, staring into her eyes.
Sawako froze. His eyes held killing intent.
If she pushed further, he might snap her neck.
After a pause, she said, "I'll go with you, but on one condition."
Ebara grinned. "Let's hear it."
"Don't hurt Kushina. Whatever you want, take it out on me. She knows nothing."
"I like the condition, but it doesn't move me," Ebara said. "Here's mine."
Sawako bit her lip. "Name it."
She braced for something harsh, but for Kushina's safety, she'd accept anything.
"I won't take you to Iwa, but to Konoha. From now on, you're my maid."