Chinatsu lacked many things, but she certainly didn't lack money. With the accumulated resources of the Uchiha household especially after the clan's destruction left much of its wealth unclaimed she had more than enough funds at her disposal. How could she possibly be short of cash? The beef shop owner hurriedly turned to prepare the finest cuts available.
While waiting, Chinatsu stood quietly with her arms crossed. Already showing the delicate features of the Uchiha clan, combined with her composed temperament, she exuded a natural elegance even without trying.
"She's only thirteen… but with that bearing… give her a few more years, and she'll rival the noble ladies of Konoha's great clans."
"Is it ready yet?"
"It's… ready!"
The butcher shop owner swiftly set aside his cleaver and carefully wrapped the best portions of beef lean cuts and marbled slices alike before handing them over to Chinatsu .
It was roughly ten pounds. For shinobi who trained rigorously like Naruto and Sasuke, this amount would barely last long, but it was sufficient for now.
Chinatsu weighed the beef in her left hand. Even though she had the means, she couldn't realistically carry excessive supplies across long distances. A shinobi on a mission carrying hundreds of pounds of food would immediately raise suspicion especially under the watchful eye of Konoha's higher-ups.
After taking the beef, Chinatsu turned to leave without hesitation. Remaining in Kumogakure any longer would only increase the chances of unforeseen danger. Her instincts sharpened through both experience and the Sharingan warned her clearly.
A few minutes after Chinatsu left, a woman with long, light brown hair stepped into the street.
Her presence was unmistakable.
A faint, oppressive aura surrounded her residual chakra fluctuations that only a seasoned shinobi could recognize. Many villagers who initially intended to greet her instinctively stopped, intimidated by her mood.
Passerby: "Isn't that Yugito Nii-sama? Did her mission go wrong…?"
The woman Yugito Nii, Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchūriki cast a cold glance toward the whispering crowd. The murmurs died instantly.
After a moment, she exhaled slowly, her expression tightening.
Someone had died right in front of her.
Even as a jinchūriki accustomed to life-and-death battles, that scene lingered in her mind more than she expected.
Yugito walked into the same beef shop Chinatsu had just left. The shop owner, still delighted from the earlier transaction, greeted her enthusiastically.
"Ah! Yugito-sama! Here for beef today?"
Yugito gave a faint nod, her tone subdued.
"…You seem to be in a good mood."
"Hahaha! Of course! A beautiful young kunoichi just came by young, rich, and carrying herself like nobility! I wonder if you've met her?"
Yugito paused.
For a split second, a certain image surfaced in her mind
A girl collapsing in blood.
But she dismissed it immediately.
That level of injury… even with medical ninjutsu, survival would have been nearly impossible.
She shook her head slightly.
"No… impossible."
Raising a hand to her forehead, Yugito forced herself to regain composure.
"I can't dwell on it. Missions don't allow hesitation."
Still, even as she spoke those words internally, the lingering discomfort refused to fade.
Meanwhile, far from Kumogakure
Chinatsu had already left the Land of Lightning without looking back.
From a purely tactical standpoint, the safest option would have been to remain near the "death site" and create a substitute or misdirection in case Yugito returned. That would be standard ANBU-level caution.
But Chinatsu didn't do that.
Not because she didn't know better
But because she understood something deeper.
Once she crossed back into the Land of Fire, the distance between Konoha and Kumogakure both politically and geographically would become her greatest shield.
Chinatsu : I did trick you… but I'm a shinobi too.
About a week later, she finally crossed back into the Land of Fire.
The preserved beef remained intact thanks to her continuous, low-level chakra application essentially mimicking cold storage by controlling temperature and sealing.
"Finally back… If I hurry, I might still catch Naruto and Sasuke after class…"
A playful smile appeared on her face.
"Should I surprise them?"
Her mind quickly began forming ideas most of them questionable.
However
Just three to four kilometers from Konoha's gates
She stopped.
A figure stood directly in her path.
As the distance closed, Chinatsu 's expression completely changed.
The air itself felt heavier.
A man wrapped in bandages, his presence cold and oppressive, stood silently ahead.
Shimura Danzō.
A former comrade of the Third Hokage, and the leader of Root, Konoha's shadow organization.
A man who believed in protecting the village through any means necessary even sacrificing morality.
More importantly
A man obsessed with the power of the Sharingan.
"Did Hiruzen think sending you away would protect you?"
Danzō's voice was calm, but carried undeniable killing intent.
"Sasuke is still a child. But you… are different."
He stepped forward slowly.
"I can already see it. If you continue to grow, you will become a variable Konoha cannot control."
Chinatsu 's pupils contracted slightly.
Her Sharingan activated instantly
Three tomoe spinning within blood-red irises.
At thirteen, reaching this level placed her firmly among the elite of the Uchiha clan.
But in Danzō's eyes
It was not enough.
"Three tomoe… impressive for your age."
His tone remained indifferent.
"But talent without control is a threat."
Unlike ordinary opponents, Danzō was not relying solely on brute strength.
He possessed forbidden techniques
And more importantly
A collection of Sharingan harvested after the Uchiha massacre.
Even if Chinatsu awakened the Mangekyō
The outcome would not easily change.
"It won't hurt," Danzō said flatly.
"Because it will be over quickly."
His hands began forming seals.
The killing intent in the air surged
And for the first time since entering Kumogakure
Chinatsu felt something far more dangerous than a Jinchūriki.
This was not a battle of strength alone.
This
Was survival
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