"As expected of the Sharingan… what a nuisance…"
Watching the Uchiha ninja collapse, Amamiya Ayane lifted her blade without hesitation.
Arankiri swept across his eye sockets—
Crushing those scarlet eyes beyond recognition.
Could a two-tomoe Sharingan use forbidden techniques like Izanagi? Could he have set up some kind of Transcription Seal trick?
Who knew?
The waters of the shinobi world ran far too deep. The scraps of manga knowledge from her previous life barely revealed the tip of the iceberg.
Better safe than sorry.
Amamiya Ayane lived by caution.
Ayane never faltered in the big matters.
That was the motto she set for herself after awakening her past-life memories.
If I hadn't prepared in advance… dragging it out, I might not have beaten that Uchiha.
She reflected quietly.
In close combat, constantly avoiding eye contact to prevent genjutsu made things incredibly passive.
Of course, it was also possible this particular Uchiha wasn't even skilled in illusions.
But then again—
Across the shinobi world, everyone knew one thing:
An Uchiha might not use genjutsu.
But an Uchiha who couldn't use genjutsu was unlikely.
In the end, she concluded—
The real issue was stats.
If her raw numbers were high enough, she could just clap her hands and roll over them Gundam-style. No need for so many schemes.
The battle had looked effortless—three chunin eliminated in under ten minutes.
But every step had been deliberate.
Every detail is carefully calculated.
The first lesson of any Water Style user:
Secure favorable terrain before engaging.
Naturally, that rule didn't apply to monsters like Kisame Hoshigaki or masters like Tobirama Senju, who could create oceans at will.
Ayane, however, was still several Mei Terumis away from being called a "great water monster."
So she had opened with momentum—
Detonating pre-condensed water to manufacture an advantageous environment.
Clashing deliberately with the Great Fireball to generate mist.
Using that mist to isolate the Inuzuka ninja and separate him from his teammates.
And targeting the Aburame first—
Because his insect vision made him half a scout. He had to go.
Layer by layer, calculation upon calculation.
Only then had this relatively evenly matched ANBU rookie produced such overwhelming results.
"…Ah. There's still one left."
She located the unconscious Inuzuka ninja.
He had rolled quite far.
Another minute and he might've escaped unnoticed.
She laughed softly.
"So the anger was fake?"
"I thought you and your pet had something special."
Curious and mocking, she asked,
"If you were starving to death… would you eat Brownmaru?"
"Bastard!"
The Inuzuka ninja abandoned the act.
One-armed, kunai in hand, he lunged desperately.
Ayane flicked her wrist.
One clean thrust through the heart.
[Achievement Points +85]
She sheathed her blade.
"You didn't answer. But your reaction already did."
An eagle dropped from a nearby tree, muttering, "You're too fast… I wanted some credit."
Ayane smiled. "Next time."
She turned.
Woodpecker was still locked in combat with the Konoha Special Jonin—sparks flying, metal clashing.
The Special Jonin wanted to flee.
The woodpecker wanted to stall.
Ayane judged the situation stable and moved instead to the sole surviving Rain kunoichi.
She knelt.
Her movements were gentle.
Even so—
The girl stirred weakly.
"D-don't… dig out… my eyes…"
She curled up like a frightened rabbit.
"Everything hurts… let me die… please…"
Ayane's heart clenched.
"Don't be afraid. I'm ANBU."
She brushed aside blood-soaked hair.
"Xiyue… do you remember me? It's Ayane."
A faint glimmer appeared in the dying girl's eyes.
"…Ay…ane…?"
Ayane loosened her red ponytail.
Scarlet hair fell freely.
In their class—
That red hair had been her unmistakable mark.
Recognition softened Xiyue's expression.
"Sensei… taught… clone… detection…"
"It's my fault… I'm stupid…"
Tears mixed with blood.
"I saw… the clone… wasted… all… the tags…"
Ayane said nothing.
She simply embraced her, offering what little warmth she could.
They had been classmates for two years.
Xiyue had been slow at learning.
Kind. Gentle.
Shared her lunch with others.
Secretly obsessed with matchmaking classmates.
Once, she'd even asked Ayane what kind of boy she liked.
Ayane had joked:
"If Konoha still stands, how can I think of home? I only seek strength. No time for love."
Xiyue had responded with inexplicable excitement about "career-focused protagonists" and "romance between humans and summon beasts."
It felt like yesterday.
Youth in its prime.
"Her injuries are fatal," Eagle said quietly. "Even a medical squad couldn't save her."
Ayane nodded.
Xiyue's voice weakened.
Her fingers twitched.
Ayane leaned close.
"I'm here."
"I… didn't… reveal… anything…"
"I know."
"And… please… carry my share… forward…"
The light faded from her eyes.
Ayane closed them gently.
Smoothed her hair.
Laid her back upon the earth.
She stood.
Arankiri gleamed, unstained.
The faint discomfort she once felt about "killing for achievement points" dissipated.
She tied her red hair back into a fiery ponytail.
Softly, she said—
"To kill in order to protect life.
To sever karma, not men."
The eagle stared at her silently.
The red hair swayed in the wind—
As if stirring something deep within her heart.