Naruto, all the ninja women love me, and Konoha depends on me.

Chapter 044: The Disappearance of the Runaway Girl

The shadows of the trees loomed large.

Tokinatsu found herself lost in the forest.

The night wind blew from all directions, rustling the surrounding trees.

They seemed to whisper, like murmurs in a dream, or perhaps the curses of demons.

Tokinatsu faintly realized that she... might not be able to escape...

For a moment, countless scenes flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.

She was thinking, regretting, hating her past self for making such a decision.

But now, it was too late for anything.

Unable to leave this vast sea of trees, Tokinatsu fell into a state of anxiety.

The dense forest was eerily silent, as if the entire woodland had fallen into a deep slumber.

Suddenly...

A gentle and familiar voice emerged from the shadows.

"Tokinatsu, didn't you say you'd come to play with me tonight? This isn't the way to my room, you know."

It was the voice of a boy in the midst of puberty.

Tokinatsu turned toward the sound and saw a tall, slender figure of a boy slowly emerge from behind a tree trunk not far away.

Dressed in the standard male attire of the Senju clan, his face bore a slight resemblance to Princess Tsukuyo's, so handsome it seemed otherworldly.

It was a face meticulously crafted by Tsukuyo, so beautiful it could make the night wind pause in its tracks, as if enchanted by his presence.

Tokinatsu is expression stiffened. She couldn't bring herself to smile and instead spoke cautiously, "Wakama..."

"Tokinatsu..."

Senju Wakama looked relaxed, his arms crossed. He lowered his eyelids and smiled softly. "You know, when you possess power, being a good person is the hardest thing. Because to be a kind and good person, you need unparalleled strength and authority."

Hearing this, Tokinatsu was confused, her eyes filled with bewilderment.

Wakama naturally noticed her expression and sighed.

Indeed, even with a changed appearance, a person's inner self remains the same.

The mediocre Tokinatsu of the past was still the same now.

Too little time had passed, and her temperament and experiences hadn't changed much.

Such simple words, and yet she couldn't understand them.

Some things are innate.

"I treated you with kindness, and my sister gave you a second chance at life. Yet, you betrayed us."

Wakama raised his eyes, his gaze now icy cold. He spoke slowly, "Was it because my kindness and gentleness, unaccompanied by power and authority, gave you the illusion that I was weak?"

Tokinatsu clenched her fists tightly, unable to utter a word.

There was nothing she could say in response to Wakama's words. Her mind raced, searching for a way to escape.

However...

Wakama stood still, his hands suddenly spreading open. His right hand lifted toward Tokinatsu, palm facing up, as if holding something.

The object in his hand was irregularly shaped, but the dim light made it impossible for Tokinatsu to see clearly.

The atmosphere grew eerie, and Tokinatsu felt a wave of fear.

A bone-chilling cold spread from her heart to her entire body.

This feeling was too ominous.

Tokinatsu wanted to speak, but to her horror, she found she couldn't make a sound.

Her throat... felt blocked.

Instinctively, she reached to touch her throat, only to find a massive hole in her neck. Her throat... was gone.

No...

That couldn't be.

Tokinatsu is eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Wakama's still-raised hand.

Was that her throat in his hand?

When did this happen?

They had been speaking face to face. How had she not noticed?

Tokinatsu is body convulsed as she clutched her neck. She hadn't even felt any pain. Why was this happening?

The pain hadn't come yet, and Tokinatsu even felt strangely alert, as if she wasn't about to fall unconscious.

She was still alive, which meant the injury wasn't fatal, right?

But with such a large part of her neck missing, could she really survive?

Just then...

Tsukuyo's sweet voice, like the whisper of a demon, drifted over.

"Wakama, the section of the throat you removed is too small. When people are severely injured, their adrenaline spikes. Combined with their body's instinct to survive, it not only keeps them alert but also temporarily numbs their pain."

Wakama's expression remained calm as he replied, "A quick death is a form of mercy. A shinobi's physical resilience far exceeds that of an ordinary person. That's why we can prolong her death."

"Making her experience a slow death? How cruel," Tsukuyo's voice echoed from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint her location.

Such a cute voice, yet it spoke such brutal words.

Tokinatsu is fear had reached its peak.

Was she going to die?

With this realization, Tokinatsu felt her vision begin to blur. She couldn't make a sound, not even a scream.

Thud

Tokinatsu fell to her knees, clutching her neck, as if bowing to Wakama even in death. The scene was bizarre beyond words.

"Disposing of a body is troublesome," Wakama murmured. "Tsukuyo, you know how much I hate this."

"Tehehe, don't worry. The Naka River Forest is my domain," Tsukuyo replied with a laugh. "Leave this to me..."

The siblings continued their conversation as if no one else was present.

Tokinatsu could still hear their voices, but she was powerless to escape.

The night wind picked up again, carrying with it the growls of beasts.

From the shadows of the trees, pairs of glowing eyes of various shapes and sizes emerged.

Soon, a pack of wild animals surrounded Tokinatsu and pounced on her.

Under the night sky, the sounds of teeth tearing through flesh and fangs gnawing on bones echoed.

Wakama watched expressionlessly.

The animal kingdom, the law of the jungle it was never far away. How cruel...

Tsukuyo's voice whispered in his ear again, "Big brother, you seem a little sad. Did you like Tokinatsu? If you had just begged a little, I might have forgiven her..."

"Not really," Wakama replied, looking up at the dense canopy above. He muttered, "I was hoping for a beautiful night to deepen my understanding of a girl's anatomy. But now, it's all ruined. What a disappointment."

Tsukuyo giggled mischievously. "Hehe, you could always sneak into the Hyuga clan tonight and visit Mayu's bedroom. I'm sure she'd be willing to discuss the 'origins of life' with you, even offering herself as a teaching aid, step by step."

"Sneaking into a place full of Byakugan users requires not only courage but also immense strength. I'm still weak, pitiful, and helpless," Wakama declined the terrible idea.

As the siblings chatted...

The animals on the clearing ahead had nearly finished their feast.

With the large number of omnivores present, including those capable of gnawing on bones, when the animals finally scattered, all that remained were fragments of clothing and some bloody, unidentifiable remains.

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