"Hayate, no need to be so formal. Just call me Shin," Shin replied with a warm smile, gentle as a spring breeze brushing through willows.
Seeing his soft and genial expression, Yūgao Uzuki felt a strange ripple stir in her heart.
She hadn't interacted with Shin much.
But in the ANBU, she'd heard countless stories about him.
She had always imagined him as a cold, ruthless man—someone you couldn't approach, which would make sense considering the terrifying record he held on the battlefield.
But in person, he seemed... refined? Polished?
"Cough, cough..." Hayate Gekkō started to say something, "That won't do. Lord Shin is, after all—"
Shin cut him off with a wave, "What happened here?"
"I heard sounds of fighting just now…"
"There was someone here earlier. Four Foundation operatives were ambushed and killed," Yūgao said gravely.
"Foundation?" Shin raised his eyebrows in feigned realization. "Ah, Danzo's men."
Hayate added, "This has to be reported to the Hokage. For someone to kill four Jonin in a single instant—that's an extremely dangerous individual hiding in Konoha."
Shin's eyes shimmered. "Not many in the village have that kind of power, do they?"
"True!" Yūgao nodded. "To kill four Jonin in the blink of an eye, leaving them no chance to resist... in the entire village, the only one who could…"
Her words trailed off as she looked at Shin's profile.
Suddenly, her mind flashed with a certain rumor.
During the war in the Land of Water, Shin had supposedly slain over eighty Hidden Mist ninja in a single moment.
He slaughtered so many that Hidden Mist Village surrendered in terror soon after…
And now, here he was—right at the scene. What a coincidence.
So... the killer was him—
Goosebumps exploded across her skin.
Hayate Gekkō noticed Yūgao had suddenly fallen silent and chimed in, "Only the Hokage's Flying Thunder God could pull something like this off."
"We have to inform Lord Hokage, in case someone's trying to secretly master forbidden techniques."
Shin rolled his eyes.
Flying Thunder God? As if that was something just anyone could learn.
He looked toward Yūgao, whose face had gone deathly pale, and said with a smile, "Yūgao, are you alright?"
Gulp.
Yūgao Uzuki's palms were slick with sweat.
She swallowed with difficulty. "N-Nothing."
Sharp girl, Shin thought. Much quicker on the uptake than Hayate.
He smacked his lips lightly, thinking through the situation.
Maybe he should just kill them both…
If word got out that he'd killed fellow Leaf shinobi, it would ruin the whole sunny-boy image he maintained in the village.
In that instant, a chill surged through Yūgao's heart.
Is he going to silence us…?
The thought struck her like lightning.
She bit her lip and hesitated briefly, then said softly, "Lord Shin, might I ask you a few questions?"
Shin raised a brow. "Of course."
Then Yūgao turned to Hayate Gekkō. "Hayate, go report this to Lord Hokage. I'll stay behind and consult with Lord Shin."
She feigned composure, trying her best to keep her voice calm and steady.
She couldn't afford to reveal even a hint of fear.
If Hayate could escape… even if she died, it wouldn't be in vain.
"Cough, cough…" Hayate seemed puzzled, but seeing the determined look in her eyes, he didn't argue. "Alright."
As his figure disappeared into the distance, Yūgao let out a long, quiet sigh of relief.
"So, you figured it out?" came Shin's voice from just beside her ear.
His warm breath brushed her skin.
Yūgao froze, as if plunged into ice.
I'm done for.
"L-Lord Shin, what do you mean?" she stammered, pretending not to understand.
At this moment, the two of them stood close together—Shin's chin resting lightly on her shoulder.
They looked just like a couple wrapped in an intimate embrace.
Towering trees surrounded them, green and serene, a still forest shrouded in quiet mystery.
"Lord Shin?" she called again, anxious from the silence.
"Heh…" Shin chuckled. "Relax. I'm not a bad guy."
His gaze lowered, inhaling the delicate fragrance in the air.
He was weighing what to do with this thorny little rose.
"Lord Shin, you—"
"Just Shin is fine."
"Ha—Shin, could you… maybe step back a little first?"
Yūgao's voice trembled slightly.
Their closeness was far too intimate. His breath was warm against her ear, making it ticklish.
Despite her pale face from fear, a faint blush rose on her cheeks.
Shin bared his teeth in a playful grin. "What's wrong? Don't like it?"
"I, I…" Yūgao's face turned red with embarrassment.
This is straight-up harassment, isn't it?
Even though the closeness made her deeply uncomfortable, she dared not act rashly.
As ANBU, she knew far more than regular shinobi.
She knew full well how much blood this man had spilled.
She had no confidence she could survive a fight.
Yes—survive was the only thought she dared to entertain.
Any other option... wasn't even on the table.
"Yūgao, you've already guessed it, haven't you?" Shin said, playing with a lock of her flowing violet hair. "Those Foundation guys—I killed them."
Thump.
Her heart sank.
Guessing was one thing, but hearing him admit it left no room for doubt.
She clenched her teeth. "Why did you kill them? Even if they were Foundation, they're still Leaf shinobi."
"They came to take me away. I had no choice but to defend myself," Shin replied simply.
"But why would Foundation want to detain you?" she asked, confused.
"How would I know?"
Shin shrugged, his tone exasperated. "Does Foundation ever need a reason to snatch people?"