A Few Weeks Later
I was walking through a small snowy forest.
I wore a small beige coat with a hood covering my ears, and a bluish scarf wrapped around my neck.
Konoha, intriguingly, had many of these forests within its territory. They were frequently used by various ninjas for training. The reason I had come here with my brother, besides training a little, was to gather some fruits, wild vegetables, and mushrooms to use for our meals. We received some money, which, through my careful management, allowed me to cover all essentials with little room for flexibility. Since the total amount we received was only 2,000 Ryo, it was always good to have supplementary food.
I had also planned to start secretly selling some scrolls and explosive tags. Perhaps due to my Uzumaki blood, I seemed to have a natural talent for Fūinjutsu. The only problem was the limited knowledge available to me in that field.
I sighed but didn't worry too much.
"Naruto, by the way, that scarf was a gift from Hinata, right? You should value her more—she's a cute, kind, and brave girl, dattebane."
I said, trying to encourage their relationship—at the very least, to make sure he didn't develop a crush on Sakura.
"She gave you one too, sis," he said, pointing at my neck.
I just rolled my eyes. While it was true, it was obvious that, for him, it had a different meaning. I had noticed her looking at him over the past few days. When I asked, he told me he had helped her and talked to her the other day—apparently scaring off some boys in the process.
"Anyway… think about it. Let's split up for now. Try your best to find some food."
"I'll get tons!! Dattebayo!!!"
He nodded enthusiastically and headed to the right while I went to the left.
Inside the village, neither of us should be in great danger, since Anbu agents were probably watching over us in some way. However, aside from preventing fatal attacks, there wasn't much real protection.
As I moved, I used chakra to enhance my body, making my movements more agile. Not only that, but I was also trying to use one of the techniques from my manual, which made my presence and energy undetectable.
I also expanded my sensor ninja field around me. Unfortunately, it only reached about 15 meters, which wasn't bad for a beginner ninja and definitely excellent for a five-year-old. Still, I wasn't entirely satisfied. I had managed this due to my readings at the library, combined with my spiritual sense training as a martial warrior.
Regardless, I continued moving through the trees, inhaling the scent of leaves and snow.
Until my movement stopped on a branch, and I furrowed my brows.
I still couldn't sense the Anbu's energy, so I found it strange when I felt a foreign presence nearby. Somehow, my heightened senses picked up on a hostile intent, though not necessarily a murderous one.
The moment I leaped to another tree, I felt a strong sense of danger. I quickly pulled out one of my wooden kunai and threw it behind me.
The kunai clashed with a metal one. Unfortunately, mine was deflected, and the metal kunai continued toward my body.
I remained calm as I fell. Just as the sharp kunai was about to reach me, my left foot touched the ground, and I used the momentum to kick it away with my right foot.
Gracefully and silently, I landed and looked toward the source of the attack.
"Who's there?"
I asked, unleashing a wave of killing intent from my past life as a mercenary.
The thirst for blood was so intense that even a certain fox inside me opened its eyes and watched with interest.
"This girl is really strange… especially when she keeps visiting me and talking about all sorts of things… tsk."
The fox soon closed its eyes and went back to sleep.
In response to my killing intent, a ninja revealed herself.
I didn't recognize her, but she didn't seem strong, which likely meant she was either a Genin or, at worst, a Chūnin.
"What do you want?"
"Revenge! I won't kill you or your brother, but I'll make you suffer! Because of you, I lost the love of my life!!!"
Her voice was filled with resentment and hatred.
I figured this was probably related to the Kurama incident.
"What do you mean?"
I asked with feigned innocence—after all, I technically shouldn't have any awareness of those events.
She seemed ready to speak but stopped herself.
"It doesn't matter. Suffer!!"
She lunged at me, attacking with kunai, shuriken, punches, and kicks, using different forms of Taijutsu and ninja techniques.
I remained calm due to my combat experience.
My movements were smooth, though with some irregularities, as I dodged her attacks while carefully analyzing her patterns. The moment I spotted an opening, I unleashed a strong wave of killing intent, causing my hair to rise slightly in the air.
Then, I delivered four chakra-enhanced strikes, sending her flying backward, coughing up blood.
"THAT!! IT LOOKS LIKE HYUUGA TAIJUTSU, BUT HOW!!"
Her voice was filled with disbelief, but I didn't care.
My technique had some similarities to the Gentle Fist (Jūken) of the Hyūga Clan, but instead of targeting chakra points, it focused on infusing my own energy into the enemy's body, making it pass through them like a ghost moving through a living body.
It was a mix of Hyūga and Senju techniques, with an added fluidity and assassination focus.
She became frightened, and this time, I seemed to vanish for a brief moment, reappearing behind her with my hand shaped like blades, aiming for her neck.
She panicked and collapsed to the ground.
I took advantage of her movement and quickly formed hand seals.
"Useless! I won't let you—"
She formed her own hand seals and shouted:
"Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"
She spat out a ball of water toward me.
My body seemed to be hit and was thrown against a tree.
She kept attacking, launching numerous attacks.
I tried to defend myself, but in the end, it was ineffective—I was getting beaten badly.
...
...
Minutes later, she had her hand around my throat, seemingly ready to strangle me.
"Die, demon girl!!"
Her voice was furious and unhinged.
And at that moment, I started laughing.
"What are you laughing at!!"
She yelled in frustration.
"Even though you're around 15 or 16, you seem way too weak. Are you sure you're a Genin? And that old?"
"Damn you!"
She grew furious and swung a kunai to slice my throat.
My head flew off, and my lifeless body collapsed.
She continued laughing—until she realized the horror of what she had done.
"No... I killed a Konoha ninja... What's going to happen to me…?"
But then, she felt an overwhelming sense of death.
Pain spread through her body, and before she knew it, she was on her knees—a kunai pressed against her throat.
"Honestly, I was disappointed. Maybe it's a lack of practice? You've probably only done missions against common bandits and assignments within or near the village, right?"
She finally realized that the one who had inflicted pain and now seemingly held her life in their hands was the same ninja she thought she had killed.
"No way!"
"Shhh..."
I murmured as I gently pressed my kunai against her neck.
"Even a Genin without talent should know what a genjutsu is and, preferably, how to defend against it. But you didn't even notice. Perhaps you underestimated me?"
As I spoke, she began to notice small lotus petals floating around us. My "lifeless" body, which had appeared to be on the ground, dissolved into countless petals, revealing that what had actually been there was a heavily beaten log.
Softly, I whispered, "Genjutsu: Lotus Deception."
An E-rank genjutsu, but one that resonated well with my martial arts, allowing me to use it effectively. By subtly manipulating her perception and even slightly influencing her emotions to fuel her rage, I was able to throw her off balance.
Of course, if she hadn't underestimated her opponent so much, if she hadn't been so emotional or inexperienced, she might have noticed something was wrong sooner. But everything worked in my favor.
I no longer had any interest in her. Channeling energy into my hand, I struck her neck with force.
As she collapsed, I said, "You can come out and help me now."
For a few seconds, there was silence. I waited patiently, and soon, someone appeared.
With white hair and an ANBU uniform, I quickly deduced that it was Kakashi. However, I pretended not to recognize him. In any case, he would likely be my sensei in the future. I had no intention of being assigned to a team far from my brother. Though I didn't want to hinder his growth, I also didn't want to be too distant from my first family.
"How did you know I was here?"
He asked in a calm voice.
"I guessed."
And that wasn't a lie. I hadn't been able to sense him with my abilities—after all, Kakashi was technically an A- to S-rank ninja, far superior to me in every aspect, including age.
Perhaps my only advantage over him was chakra quantity, but in my current body, even in Taijutsu, I wouldn't stand a chance. As for experience, I had plenty in my past life, but this was a man with a lifetime comparable to mine in my previous existence—someone who had participated in wars and numerous missions. His experience certainly didn't fall short of mine, though I still had some advantages due to my future knowledge and the uniqueness of my combat style.
Kakashi observed me for a moment, then picked up the unconscious ninja and left. He didn't seem interested in questioning me about my fight or my genjutsu. Of course, considering the ANBU's intelligence network and the Third Hokage's crystal ball, they likely already knew that I trained and spent time in the library, even if they didn't have all the details.
After he left, I ran off quickly. I didn't use the Body Flicker Jutsu—at my current level, running was faster and more efficient.
Soon, I spotted my brother. Luckily, no ninja was attacking him—just some brats picking a fight with him.
Upon seeing his injuries, my bloodlust spiked. But before I could act, I saw a little girl with white eyes shout,
"Leave Naruto alone!"
Taking a deep breath, I paused.
I watched as Hinata and Naruto fought together. Hinata seemed a bit braver than usual, which made me curious—could my conversation with her the other day have helped in some way?
I observed for a moment and realized they wouldn't be able to win easily against five boys at once.
Leaping behind them, I spoke,
"Brats picking on my brother? Looks like you deserve a serious beating."
I released a hostile killing intent.
The boys trembled at the aura, turning pale as they realized I was right behind them.
Hinata looked relieved, while Naruto's face lit up as he jumped excitedly.
"Sis!!! Dattebayo!!"
I smiled and turned to the boys.
What followed was a lesson in pain. The five of them ended up bruised—nothing fatal or too serious, but enough to make them regret their actions. They ran off in fear.
Clapping my hands in satisfaction, I had no idea that my actions today would spark a growing reputation among the younger generation and even among some ninja.
The Red Demon—my first fearsome title in this world.
Regardless of what the future held, I took this opportunity to try and strengthen Naruto's bond with Hinata. As my future daughter, I intended to speed up the process—or at least prevent my brother from going through so many unnecessary complications…