Chapter 36: Rainy Night, Strong Liquor, and Blades

Yuto walked through the cold, rainy night, holding an umbrella.

The natives of Amegakure didn't like using umbrellas. For them, rain was normal weather, and sunny days were rare. They were so accustomed to the rain that using an umbrella seemed unnecessary—after all, skin is waterproof.

Yuto, a branch family member, was in high spirits. This trip had been fruitful: he acquired wealth, established a secret base in the Land of Hot Water, and made contact with the Akatsuki. With Nagato's help, he perfected the Lion's Fang Bite, securing his place in the shinobi world.

It was time to return to the village, he thought, heading towards the edge of Amegakure.

Suddenly, his foot landed in a puddle, and Yuto noticed an unusual sticky sensation.

Activating his Byakugan, he saw through his body and discovered a bloodied piece of flesh stuck to his shoe.

In the vast field of his vision, a man's figure appeared.

It was Takeda Takeshi.

He was sitting in a filthy alley, leaning against a wall. Blood and entrails seeped out of him, mixing with the accumulating rainwater and flowing towards Yuto's feet.

Yuto hesitated but then walked into the alley, approaching Takeda.

With just a glance using his Byakugan, Yuto sighed.

Green light gathered in Yuto's palm as he performed medical ninjutsu on Takeda. After a while, Takeda slowly woke up, coughing up blood.

Yuto retracted his hand and softly said, "I'm sorry, your internal organs are destroyed. Even if my sensei were here, they couldn't save you. You have a few minutes left. As we've been neighbors for a month, I can relay a message for you. Any last words?"

Takeda's voice was hoarse to the extreme, "No... the person to hear my last words died before me."

External chakra stimulation, coupled with a burst of energy before death, temporarily improved Takeda's condition. Ignoring his abdominal wound, his face looked normal.

"I see," Yuto nodded, standing calmly before Takeda. "I'll watch over you as you pass. Even shinobi feel sorrow dying alone."

"You're a kind person, Yuto-kun," Takeda murmured, hesitating. "There's a sake shop with a gourd sign on the nearby street. Can you fetch me a jug? Quickly, please, I'm afraid I..."

"I'll be back."

Yuto disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique and soon returned.

He knelt down, holding the jug, and slowly poured sake into Takeda's mouth.

Takeda coughed violently but breathed comfortably, "Good sake. On a rainy night like this, strong liquor warms the body."

Yuto glanced down.

The sake barely stayed in Takeda's esophagus before flowing out.

His body was severely damaged; his internal organs had fallen out, and his spine was broken. Takeda was alive only due to Yuto's chakra.

"Impressive technique," Yuto frowned. "Attacked from behind, your body opened up. A sword master like you, caught off guard..."

"Ha, the attacker wore a bird-face mask. I asked his name; he said 'Owl.' Must be from Konoha."

"One of our elite sent to kill you?"

"Probably to clean house. Kaoru... she was your spy."

Yuto clicked his tongue and continued feeding Takeda sake.

"Slow down... this sake is strong... hmm?" Takeda mumbled. "My tongue feels numb."

"Because you're dying."

"Ah..." Takeda slumped against the wall, death claiming his last vitality. He thought hard, then weakly said, "Behind me to the right, about 200 meters, there's a package with lots of money. It's yours, for keeping me company..."

After these words, Takeda's body rapidly weakened. In seconds, his face darkened, and his voice grew faint.

Yuto barely caught his last whisper, mixed with the rain, "Kaoru... I just wanted to take you somewhere nice... but why..."

A broken shell fell from his cold hand.

In the alley, Yuto stared at Takeda's body for a long time.

Things had become more complicated, he thought.

Kaoru Asano was a spy, so close to him. She likely reported all his actions this month.

Killing targets outside the village... doesn't seem like standard ANBU work. This level of secrecy and ruthlessness, could it be Root?

Being noticed by Danzo is bad news...

Yuto sighed, knowing he had one more person to guard against upon returning to the village.

Danzo Shimura, notorious for his schemes, orchestrated the ambush on the Ame Orphans and Shisui Uchiha's eye theft.

Should he pursue and eliminate 'Owl' now? Yuto considered.

No, Danzo might already have intel on me. This is too risky. If Owl escapes, I'd be a target and forced to defect. I'm not strong enough yet...

Yuto thought deeply, covering Takeda's body with a curtain.

"Takeda Takeshi, Kaoru Asano, though We're not friends, But, we're alike in some ways. Most people wouldn't dare bark, but we, foolish ones, draw blades against fate..."

His hand paused.

In the cold, rainy night, a spark of madness ignited in the young man's heart.

—You can't win without taking risks.

He shook the sake jug, drinking it all.

The intense flavor and aroma burned his throat, warming his stomach and dispelling the night's chill.

His emotions surged. Something stronger than sake roared within him. Chakra swirled violently, almost like a tidal wave.

"Good sake."

Yuto chuckled, tossing the jug aside.

In the next moment, he dashed into the rain, gaining speed. The rain hitting him evaporated instantly, forming a long trail of steam—Like a scorching blade.

(End of Chapter)

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