"Who are you?!"
The whistle of a kunai cutting through the air answered faster than the question.
Kakashi's hand moved faster than his brain—Minato-sensei had nagged him about that more times than he could count, but the habit never went away.
The Mist Anbu were still thirty meters out. Beneath his silver hair, his Sharingan had already locked onto the two people who had appeared out of nowhere.
The black-haired man didn't even look at him.
He simply reached out naturally and rested a hand on Rin's shoulder—
casual, familiar, like he was patting an old friend.
"It's too noisy here," he said, voice lazy.
"Let's talk business somewhere quiet."
The next second, the three of them vanished on the spot.
Kakashi's kunai hit the mud with a thunk, the handle still vibrating.
The Mist side froze too.
The lead Anbu flashed a hand sign: all units on alert.
But alert for what?
They were gone.
No chakra ripple left behind—like an eraser had wiped them out of the world.
Kakashi stood there, Sharingan spinning like crazy.
Nothing. Not a trace.
He suddenly remembered something Minato-sensei had said once—back from a mission, drunk on top of the Hokage Rock.
"Kakashi… some powers exist outside common sense. If you run into them, don't brute-force it. Use your head first."
But right now, his head was blank.
Rin.
His nails dug into his palm. It hurt, but he didn't let go.
Where could he even look? How could he search? He hadn't even seen how they appeared.
…
Nohara Rin thought she was going to die.
At the very least, she thought it would hurt—but neither happened.
Her vision blurred, like someone had pressed fast-forward.
The stench of blood vanished, replaced by an eerie emptiness.
She was standing in a field of pure white.
No walls. No ceiling. No floor.
And yet beneath her feet was solid, like standing on glass.
In the distance, glowing geometric shapes floated and slowly rotated—like stars made from a child's messy pile of blocks.
"W-Where… is this?" She heard her own voice shaking.
"My place."
The black-haired man—Rei Ao—let go of her.
"Call it a domain. Time flows differently here. We can talk for a whole day, and outside might only be a second."
He casually reached into the air and grabbed.
A plush-looking armchair appeared out of nowhere.
He dropped into it, crossed his legs, and sank back as if he owned the universe.
The red-haired woman drifted behind him, head tilted as she studied Rin.
Kushina's eyes were bright—curious, like she was observing some fascinating new creature.
Rin got uncomfortable under the stare and instinctively lowered her head.
She was still smeared with blood and mud, a total wreck.
"Alright, skip the pleasantries." Rei Ao snapped his fingers.
A glowing interface unfolded between the three of them—semi-transparent, floating in midair, the text a bright, icy blue.
The title line at the top stabbed at Rin's eyes:
"Trade Request: Please kill me"
Rin pressed her lips together.
"I saw your terms," Rei Ao said, tipping his chin slightly.
"You're offering the Three-Tails and yourself in exchange for me killing you. Not a bad deal."
He paused.
"But I've got questions."
Rin raised her head. "Ask."
"First." Rei Ao leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Do you really want to die?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Rin fell silent.
Why? The question was almost funny.
She pressed a hand to her chest. Even through the fabric, she could feel the seal's burning heat under her skin.
The Three-Tails churned inside her, and those Mist bastards were trying to trigger it from afar.
Once she returned to Konoha—back into the densest crowds—
Boom.
A tailed-beast rampage.
"I have the Three-Tails inside me," she said, and her voice was so calm it surprised even her.
"The Mist tampered with it. If I go back to the village, it will break loose. Konoha will be destroyed."
She spoke like a bystander reading a report.
"So you want to be a hero?" Rei Ao arched a brow. "Sacrifice yourself to save everyone? I know that plot."
"I'm not a hero."
Rin shook her head, nails digging into her palm.
"I just… don't want to get people killed."
She couldn't continue. Her eyes burned, but she didn't cry—what would crying change?
Beside her, Kushina clicked her tongue softly.
This girl was even more stubborn than she'd been.
Kushina drifted closer, leaning to Rin's ear. Warm breath brushed her ear.
"Do you know what 'unlimited rights to your body' actually means in a trade like this?"
Kushina kept her voice low, carrying a teasing edge.
Rin shook her head blankly.
Kushina murmured a few more words.
And then Rin's face went scarlet.
Red to the ears, red down the neck. She jerked her head down, fingers twisting together, eyes darting everywhere—anywhere but at Rei Ao.
S-So the trade would… would require that kind of physical intimacy?!
That kind of thing…
Her mind turned into mush.
Wait—why did Lady Kushina know this so clearly?
Had she… also made a deal with Rei Ao?
"I… I…"
Rin's lips trembled as she turned toward him.
"I'm sorry, Rei Ao-san. I have to die, so I'm afraid the 'unlimited rights' part—"
"Doesn't matter."
Rei Ao cut her off, that lazy smile still hanging at his mouth.
"I can kill you," he said. "And you can also keep living."
Rin froze.
"What do you mean?"
"The Three-Tails problem—I can solve it."
Rei Ao spread his hands. "I'll crush the Mist's scheme for you. You can go back to Konoha perfectly intact and keep being a medic-nin."
Rin stared at him.
"Then what's the price?"
Rei Ao smiled.
He lifted a hand and pointed straight at her.
"You."
He said it simply:
"From today onward, everything about you is mine. Your body, your soul, your right to choose your life—everything."
Nohara Rin parted her lips in shock.
"Why… me?"
"I'm just a normal medic-nin. I'm not even that strong…"
Rei Ao shrugged, casual as if discussing the weather.
"You're pretty. You're my type. Is that reason enough?"
Rin: "…"
Kushina: "…"
The red-haired woman reacted first, muttering under her breath:
"Then what about me…"
It wasn't loud, but in this silent white space, it sounded crystal clear.
Rei Ao grinned.
He suddenly reached out and yanked Kushina into his arms.
It happened so fast Rin barely saw it.
Kushina yelped—then she was sitting right on his lap.
"You're mine too." Rei Ao lowered his head, his nose nearly touching her forehead.
"Jealous?"
Kushina's whole face flushed. She struggled to push him away, but her strength came out soft and useless.
"W-Who's jealous?! Let go of me—!"
"No."
Rin watched the scene, and her brain completely blue-screened.
What even is this?! And—…