"Konoha's lost plenty of shinobi to Foundation already, hasn't it? Don't tell me you haven't heard of their filthy dealings?" Shin said with scorn.
Yūgao Uzuki's brows furrowed slightly.
Thinking it over, it did seem plausible.
Foundation had always operated lawlessly.
Backed by Danzo, they frequently engaged in underhanded, disgraceful acts.
"Then go speak to Lord Hokage. Come clean about everything."
Shin shook his head. "Not a chance."
Noting the puzzled look on Yūgao's face, he added,
"That would ruin my image as a radiant youth full of sunshine and joy."
"…Huh?" Yūgao was momentarily stunned. What… does that even mean?
"Yūgao, let's cut to the chase. What will it take for you to keep this secret for me?" Shin asked seriously.
At that, Yūgao's eyes flickered.
"I… I'll pretend I didn't see or hear anything. I won't say a word."
She needed to keep this guy calm — self-preservation first, she thought silently.
"I trust you," Shin nodded and slowly rose to his feet.
Just like that?
Phew…
Yūgao let out a quiet sigh of relief. That suffocating pressure finally eased somewhat.
But then she heard him say,
"Still, I don't trust Hayate. Maybe I should just go kill him."
Yūgao's eyes widened in alarm.
Are you a demon!?
[Yūgao Uzuki's Hatred Value +1000]
Watching as Shin genuinely turned to go after Hayate Gekkō, Yūgao couldn't hold back anymore.
Her hand flew to the long blade on her back. She gathered her chakra and swung down with full force.
"Leaf-Style Sword Art!"
She put everything into that strike.
A terrifying wave of sword energy erupted, stunning in its raw power.
Even a top-tier jonin wouldn't escape unscathed from such an attack.
And she'd caught him off-guard.
No matter how strong this man was, there was no way he'd dodge a sneak attack.
The blade cut down without resistance.
Split clean in two, Shin crumpled—
But Yūgao's face was full of alarm.
She hadn't felt the sensation of carving through flesh.
In fact, it felt like she'd just cut through empty air.
Sure enough, the image of Shin shattered in the next instant, breaking apart like mist.
"A clone?"
"Yūgao, you're really making things difficult for me."
A voice came from behind—it sent a chill up her spine.
Without hesitation, she whipped her blade in a horizontal slash.
Clang!
Wait—what?
Yūgao's pupils quivered violently at the sight.
A tree branch?
He blocked her full-force swing… with just a branch?
How was that even possible?
"What's wrong, Yūgao? You want to test swords with me?"
Shin smiled calmly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what I'm known for."
Yūgao's heart clenched.
Of course she remembered. During the Third Shinobi World War, Shin had first made his name charging alone into the battlefield with nothing but a sword—cutting a crimson path of carnage.
He hadn't relied on ninjutsu—only swordsmanship.
But now, she had no way out.
"Leaf-Style Sword Art: Dance of the Crescent Moon!"
Poof! Poof!
Two shadow clones of Yūgao appeared, attacking Shin from both sides.
At the same time, the real Yūgao launched a thrust straight for his chest…
All three strikes landed near-simultaneously.
"Why do people insist on shouting out their attacks before fighting?" Shin muttered, clearly unimpressed.
He raised the branch in his hand—just an ordinary stick he'd picked off the ground—
Whap! Whap! Slam!
Poof! Poof!
Yūgao stared at the branch now resting lightly against her neck, her face frozen in disbelief.
He's crazy strong.
It only took one move.
With a tree branch, he'd dismantled both her shadow clones and knocked her sword clean from her hands.
They were both sword-focused shinobi. How could there be such a massive disparity?
So this is what they meant by Konoha's Strongest Swordsman…
For a moment, she could only feel despair.
She bit her lip hard and closed her eyes. "Do it then."
As a member of the ANBU, she had long since prepared herself to die in the line of duty.
At least… Hayate is still alive…
Shin looked at her, seemingly amused.
She loses one exchange and chooses death?
He nearly burst out laughing.
Miss, your Leaf-Style Sword Art losing to the Nine Swords of Dugu is honestly no shame.
"I never said I was going to kill you." Shin tossed aside the stick in his hand.
Yūgao's eyes blinked open in confusion.
The man before her looked—as always—utterly harmless.
"Then what do you want?"
Suddenly, Yūgao noticed a shift in Shin's gaze.
It burned with heat—earnest, intense, and… greedy.
Shin licked his lips, his focus lingering on her fair face, as the malignant aura from his recent kill still coiled within him.
Feeding his divine powers through killing was quick and effective.
But each time, it built up more and more—malignant aura—that slowly corroded the mind, requiring periodic release.
"Yūgao, how far have you and Hayate gone in your relationship?" he asked abruptly.
Yūgao tensed, startled by the question.
She thought of Hayate Gekkō—so rigid and serious, he'd never even confessed his feelings.
Her heart carried a flicker of regret.
"Why are you even asking that?" she bit her lip. "We're just friends."
Shin raised a brow, genuinely surprised.
Childhood friends, perfectly positioned closeness, and Hayate still hadn't made a move?
What a waste—it was practically a free gift, and the guy hadn't even unwrapped it.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Yūgao, let me take you somewhere."
A sudden chill crept over her heart.
But before she could react, several soft glows darted through the air and pierced her body.
Instantly, numbness washed over her.
Her chakra points—sealed.
"What are you trying to do?!"
Even now, unafraid of death, fear finally gripped Yūgao Uzuki.
Shin smiled sheepishly.
"Yūgao, you wouldn't want Hayate to die, would you?"