Uchiha Shin gently traced his fingers along Karura's delicate cheek, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, "So this time, Karura, are you willing to come with me?"
Karura's cheeks flushed, her mind swirling with fleeting images. Her younger brother, Yashamaru. Her closest friend, Pakura. Faces that had once grounded her, now dissolving like sand slipping through her fingers.
The weight of her choice pressed heavily upon her, but when she met Shin's gaze, something within her solidified. There was no turning back.
"Yes, Master Uchiha Shin," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "I do."
The arrival of Chiyo and Rasa had made her decision clear. She could no longer stay in Sunagakure. They saw her as nothing more than a tool, a weapon forged in duty and necessity. Rasa's cold, calculating eyes held more than mere disappointment—they held murderous intent.
He was a politician before anything else. He ruled with an iron will, willing to sacrifice anything for the village.
But Karura? She was done sacrificing. Just as Shin had told her time and time again—she had done enough.
When those three words left her lips, Shin felt a deep, dark satisfaction settle in his chest. He had played the long game, worn her defenses down, and now—she was his.
Looking at her parted lips, so close, so inviting, he indulged in the victory he had so carefully orchestrated.
Karura, gentle on the surface yet unyielding beneath, had surrendered. And in doing so, she had given him everything.
Outside, Chiyo and Rasa remained oblivious to what had just transpired. They stood deep in discussion, debating how best to handle their village's Jinchūriki.
"She is just a weapon for the village. She doesn't have the right to refuse," Rasa said sternly. "A useless tool must be replaced."
Chiyo nodded in agreement. "An iron will suits a Kazekage," she conceded. "But Karura is still useful. I can have Yashamaru and Pakura speak with her. If she refuses, then yes, we will replace her."
Unlike Rasa, Chiyo at least saw Karura's value. She was one of the few Jinchūriki who had never lost control. Previous hosts had succumbed to Shukaku's madness, but Karura had endured.
Losing her would be costly.
Rasa, ever the strategist, acknowledged the risk. "Fine," he agreed. "We will try persuasion first."
With their decision made, they called for Pakura and Yashamaru and made their way back to Karura's holding chamber.
What they saw upon arrival sent a wave of fury through them.
Uchiha Shin stood there, Karura in his arms.
"Uchiha Shin?!"
"What are you doing here?!"
"Release our Jinchūriki at once!"
Chiyo and Rasa tensed, their bodies poised for battle. But Shin merely looked at them with an expression of amused disdain.
It was almost laughable. They truly thought they could order him around? That they even had the right to stand before him?
His lips curled into a smirk. "Consider yourselves fortunate," he said, voice dripping with condescension. "I don't enjoy killing in front of my women."
Then his gaze shifted.
Pakura.
Time had only made her more beautiful, her once lithe frame now accentuated with soft curves that made her all the more desirable.
Pakura felt his eyes on her and reacted instantly. "Let go of Karura, you bastard!" she snarled.
Her hands wove signs at lightning speed. "Scorch Release: Superheated Palm!"
The air shimmered with unbearable heat as she unleashed a volley of scorching spheres, each one capable of reducing flesh to ash.
The steel prison melted upon impact, the very air around them twisting under the sheer intensity of her flames.
Shin remained motionless, his face unreadable.
Karura, still in his arms, didn't flinch. She had no doubt that he would protect her.
Shin exhaled, unimpressed. "Shadow Legion."
The shadows beneath his feet writhed, growing and twisting into monstrous forms.
Then they surged forward.
The first wave of shadow warriors emerged—armored figures with glowing, crimson eyes. Samurai and shinobi alike, their bodies formed from the very darkness itself, infused with the lingering souls of those Shin had slain.
These were his creations. His army.
Some wielded blades, others unleashed ninjutsu of their own. A clash erupted as Pakura's flames met the relentless assault of Shin's soldiers.
Chiyo and Rasa moved to assist, but it was futile.
A dozen shadow soldiers surrounded them, their every attack met with perfect counters. One soldier took a direct hit, only to dissolve into darkness and reemerge unscathed seconds later.
They were relentless. Unstoppable. As long as Shin lived, they would never die.
Chiyo's breath came short as she realized the truth. "These things… they're immortal."
Rasa cursed, shifting his stance, but even he knew this battle was already lost.
Shin exhaled, amused. "A pity," he mused. "I was hoping for more of a challenge."
He turned back to Pakura, who glared at him with fury burning in her emerald eyes. He chuckled. "I look forward to our next meeting, Pakura."
And with that, he was gone.
Under the cover of his shadow legion, he disappeared with Karura, leaving behind only the smoldering remains of what had once been Sunagakure's greatest weapon.
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