Chapter 16: Blood Loss
That's right—Tobirama Senju was currently wounded, and quite seriously at that.
Blood flowed steadily from his right abdomen, the amount shockingly severe.
Based on the request he just made, it wasn't hard to piece together what had happened…
Not long ago, Tobirama must have fought a formidable opponent. The battle ended in mutual injury, but he managed to gain the upper hand. The enemy, realizing their disadvantage, chose to flee—and Tobirama gave chase.
He chased them all the way here, deep into the forest where this hidden camp was located. Given his exceptional sensory abilities and the confidence he had in them, Tobirama concluded that the enemy was hiding here.
A reasonable assumption—except it wasn't true.
He was desperate to finish things. If he didn't, all his earlier efforts would be wasted.
In such a state of urgency, if the rogue shinobi in this camp chose to protect his target, Tobirama would undoubtedly treat them as enemies. There was no question about it.
He ignored Hajime's feigned concern and repeated himself coldly:
"I'll say it one more time—hand over the person. It's in everyone's best interest."
Hajime couldn't help but think, "Our 'best interest' probably just means getting to live another day." He sighed and replied,
"Everyone in the camp is already gathered here. If none of them are the person you're looking for, then you've clearly come to the wrong place."
But words wouldn't work. There was no trust between them. Only when one side lay on the ground would the other's words finally reach their ears. The only question now was—who would fall first?
As he spoke, Hajime gestured for his clansmen to retreat. There was no need for them to get involved in what was about to happen. They'd only get bloodied for no reason.
"So, there's no room for negotiation."
Tobirama had hoped to settle this with simple compliance, but it seemed he'd have to waste some more effort after all.
Hajime didn't reply. The tension in the air grew thick and suffocating. The others, seeing the situation escalate, followed Hajime's signal and began to back away from the scene.
Tobirama didn't stop them. In fact, he preferred it this way. The moment he subdued this "captain", everything else in the camp would be under his control.
Does he really think he can face me alone? Just because I'm injured?
How bold.
Hajime kept his eyes locked on Tobirama. In the next moment, Tobirama's fingers tightened around the hilt of his great blade—and with a flash of cold steel, he struck!
Relying purely on instinct, Hajime swung the kunai that had somehow already made its way into his hand.
Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal rang out as sparks flew.
Hajime pressed his lips together tightly—Tobirama's speed was astonishing. If he hadn't been on high alert or anticipated such speed, that strike would have left him seriously injured.
At this point in time, Tobirama hadn't yet developed the Flying Thunder God technique. What Hajime was facing was simply his masterful Body Flicker technique.
And yet, Tobirama's strength wasn't only in his speed. Shinobi who relied on agility often lacked power, but Tobirama was different.
He didn't appear surprised that his attack was blocked. Instead, he pressed down with both hands on his sword, increasing the pressure against Hajime's kunai.
Hajime could feel the surge of power through the blade.
No wonder he's the brother of that man, he thought. Tobirama might not be as freakishly strong as his older brother, but he's definitely in the top tier.
Fast and strong.
Hajime couldn't help but complain in his mind, You guys would make great berserkers—why'd you have to become ninja?
Realizing that a head-on clash wasn't going to work in his favor, Hajime made a split-second decision to fight smarter.
He could tell that Tobirama wasn't trying to kill him—only to restrain him. That gave him some leeway to take risks.
Feigning a loss of balance under the pressure, Hajime stumbled backward clumsily.
Tobirama flickered behind him in an instant, seizing both of Hajime's arms and twisting them behind his back. With his blade pressed against Hajime's neck, the battle appeared to be over.
The other shinobi in the camp started to rush back to help, but Hajime shot them a look that kept them at bay. The last thing he needed was someone ruining his plan with good intentions.
"Alright. Don't move. Hand over the person—"
Mid-sentence, Tobirama's eyes dropped, catching sight of the large scroll on Hajime's back.
More specifically, the crest emblazoned on it—the Sarutobi clan emblem.
"The Sarutobi clan's scroll… Wait, what's your connection to them?"
Unlike the small clans that vanished in the blink of an eye, the major clans had long histories and enough influence to maintain relatively stable relationships with others.
These relationships might be hostile, neutral, or even friendly.
For instance, the Senju and Sarutobi clans had always maintained good ties.
In Tobirama's mind, this rogue camp couldn't possibly be connected to the Sarutobi. So when he saw the emblem, he was genuinely surprised.
But he was overthinking it.
Hajime's relationship with the Sarutobi couldn't exactly be called cordial—more like robber and victim.
He didn't answer the question. Instead, he mumbled under his breath,
"That's one hell of a Body Flicker… We're about the same age, but how did you get that fast?"
That seemingly off-topic response snapped Tobirama back to the present. Now wasn't the time to worry about the Sarutobi.
He surged chakra through his arms, applying brutal pressure on Hajime's joints. The sound of bones creaking filled the air as he tried to force compliance through pain.
"Cut the crap. Hand the person over."
"I already told you," Hajime replied patiently. "The person you're looking for isn't here. We don't even know if it's a man or a woman."
Tobirama frowned.
Something felt off.
He had complete control over Hajime—life and death hung by a thread. But for some reason, the man showed no fear at all.
The reason soon became apparent.
Just as Tobirama was about to apply more force, his world began to spin. Strength and sensation rapidly drained from his limbs.
And once again, Hajime's voice calmly drifted into his ears…
"Relax. The dizziness is normal. You've lost too much blood."