Benimaru turned toward Kurenai and her father, his expression losing its earlier cold edge. He bowed his head slightly and said, "I'm truly sorry. Because of me, both of you were misunderstood by your village."
He lifted his gaze, looking directly at Shinku before shifting it to Kurenai. "The truth is… I really do love your daughter. That's why I used to come and meet her—to tease her a little, hoping maybe she would eventually fall in love with me." A faint, self-aware smile crossed his lips before fading. "Like every other day, I came today with the same intention."
He paused briefly, then continued in a more serious tone. "But I saw you and your daughter leaving the camp. It was clear you were on a mission, so I didn't interfere and was about to leave. However, right after you departed, I noticed three other figures moving in the shadows—far too sneaky to be normal patrols. That immediately made me suspicious."
His eyes sharpened as he recalled the moment. "So I followed you… and those stealthy figures. That's how I ended up here."
After finishing his explanation, Benimaru took a step forward and spoke again, his voice steady and sincere. "Just give me a few days. I'll personally go and speak with your Hokage. I'll explain everything—every misunderstanding, clearly and honestly. I'm confident he'll understand the truth."
He glanced at Shinku with firm resolve. "You are a Jonin of Konoha. Konoha should not lose one of its Jonin over a misunderstanding like this. Your Hokage will understand that much. I'm sure of it."
But Shinku knew—deep down—that it was useless.
Even if the Hokage understood the truth, even if he acknowledged their innocence, it would change nothing in the long run. Root operated in the shadows, beyond official orders, beyond accountability. If not today, then tomorrow… he and his daughter would simply disappear, erased silently, assassinated just like they had nearly been tonight.
Just like this attack.
Shinku slowly shook his head and said in a calm, resigned voice, "You don't need to go out of your way to do anything for us. We'll find some other way."
Benimaru watched him closely. He could tell—Shinku had already reached that conclusion. He understood what kind of enemies they were dealing with, and how meaningless official explanations could be against an organization that operated only in the shadows.
After a brief pause, Benimaru spoke again. "Very well. Then at the very least, allow me to escort you out of the Land of Rain. If you're not going back to the Konoha camp, that is." His eyes sharpened slightly. "Because if you return there, I doubt you'll survive another attack."
He continued, his tone firm. "I'll escort you safely outside the Land of Rain. What do you say?"
Shinku glanced at Kurenai.
He already knew the answer.
Staying in the Land of Rain was impossible. As long as news of their survival reached the wrong ears, Root would come again—sooner rather than later. And on top of that, his daughter was injured. Her condition was far from stable.
After a moment of silence, Shinku finally nodded.
Seeing this, Benimaru added, "If you're leaving the Land of Rain anyway, then how about this—I take you to the Land of Uzumaki. Uzushiogakure." He spoke casually, but there was sincerity behind his words. "You can stay there for as long as you want. If you ever decide to leave, no one will stop you."
He exhaled softly and continued, "Honestly, I've already stayed here in the Land of Rain longer than I planned. It would be best for me to return to Uzushiogakure as well. So I can either drop you just outside the borders of the Land of Rain… or I can take you all the way to Uzushiogakure, where you'll be safe."
His gaze shifted to Kurenai, lingering there for a moment. "Besides, your daughter needs treatment. She's heavily injured. I'm not skilled in healing techniques, but my sister—and several other ninjas in Uzushiogakure—definitely are. They can heal her properly."
Benimaru looked back at Shinku. "So… what do you say?"
Shinku's gaze drifted toward Kurenai's injured shoulder, where blood had already soaked through the fabric. His expression turned heavy as he weighed the situation carefully.
He was not naïve.
Shinku still harbored deep doubts toward Benimaru. It wasn't as if he blindly believed everything the young man had said. In fact, a darker possibility lingered at the back of his mind—that perhaps all of this had been deliberate. That Benimaru's repeated appearances, his closeness to Kurenai, and even this timely rescue were part of some calculated plan. A plan meant to push him and his daughter out of Konoha, to place them directly under suspicion, to draw the attention of Root… all so Benimaru could have Kurenai for himself.
That thought made Shinku's jaw tighten.
But he kept those suspicions to himself.
For now.
Despite everything, his instincts told him something else as well. He could feel it—Benimaru genuinely cared for his daughter. That sincerity was hard to fake, and because of that, the chances of him deliberately harming them were extremely low. More importantly, Kurenai's condition left him with very few options.
Trusting his instincts, even if only partially, Shinku finally spoke.
"Alright," he said slowly. "But how are we supposed to reach Uzushiogakure so quickly? Normally, it would take a long time for us to get there."
Benimaru smiled, completely at ease. "Don't worry about that," he replied confidently. "Leave everything to me."
Before Shinku could ask what he meant, Benimaru placed one hand on Shinku's back and the other on Kurenai's. In the very next instant, space itself seemed to twist.
The world vanished.
There was no sense of movement—no wind, no sound, no transition. One moment, they were standing in a dark, rain-soaked forest filled with the scent of blood and damp earth… and the next—
They were somewhere else entirely.
Shinku and Kurenai found themselves standing inside a vast hall, its architecture completely unfamiliar. The air was calm and clean, free of the oppressive rain and darkness they had just left behind. Outside, beyond the open corridors, the sky was painted in warm hues as the sun slowly dipped toward the horizon, bathing the surroundings in a peaceful orange glow.
It took both of them several seconds to even process what had happened.
They had been transported from one location to another in an instant.
Both Shinku and Kurenai stared around in shock. This was the first time either of them had experienced true Space–Time Ninjutsu. The contrast was overwhelming—from a grim, hostile battlefield to a serene and orderly environment in the blink of an eye.
Benimaru lowered his hands casually and said, "Welcome to the Uzumaki Clan Compound… Uzushiogakure."
The rain, the danger, and the shadow of Root felt impossibly far away.
----
Want to get daily updates and read 20+ chapters? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: https://[email protected]/Hkj822
Join Discord Link: https://discord.gg/MXPrVTBM