At that moment, for reasons he could not fully explain, Kakashi suddenly thought of Shisui.
The image surfaced without warning, fleeting yet vivid, but Rei's urging voice quickly pulled him back to the present and drove Shisui from his mind.
"Kakashi-senpai. Do not avoid treatment simply because the wound seems small. And do not underestimate injuries that appear insignificant. If they are not handled properly, they become hidden damage. I have treated many shinobi. Almost all of them carry lingering internal injuries left behind by battle. Those hidden injuries do not look serious at first glance, but the body quietly deteriorates over time. One day, even a minor wound can trigger them and put your life in danger."
Rei spoke with solemn seriousness, her tone steady and persuasive.
Kakashi looked into Rei's worried eyes, and beneath his mask, the corner of his mouth curved slightly upward.
Without further protest, he slowly removed his upper clothing.
"Slurp..."
Kakashi stiffened.
For a moment, he suspected that he had misheard.
He cast a suspicious glance at Rei, only to find her calmly preparing medical tools with unwavering focus, her movements precise and professional.
Kakashi blinked once.
It must have been an auditory illusion.
Who would make such a sound at a time like this?
While Kakashi was not looking, Rei discreetly wiped the corner of his mouth.
His gaze moved with clinical deliberation across Kakashi's physique.
Biceps. Pectorals. Triceps. Deltoids. Abdominals.
Every line defined by years of battle and discipline.
Excellent flesh.
All of it excellent.
If Kakashi had eight abdominal muscles, what harm would it do for Rei to take one?
Kakashi would still have seven remaining, yet if Rei did not taste even a single piece, he would crave it for a long time.
The wound on Kakashi's body was indeed minor, just as he had claimed.
If he had delayed until tomorrow morning, it likely would have nearly healed on its own.
Nevertheless, Rei devoted his full concentration and precision to treating that one small injury on Kakashi's abdomen, applying medical ninjutsu with flawless control.
Only when the wound had completely closed, leaving no trace of injury, did Rei finally withdraw his hand.
Thank you," Kakashi said quietly as he pulled his clothing back into place.
Rei watched him, suppressing the impulse to lean forward and take a bite.
Kakashi's vigilance was far too sharp.
Unlike Shisui, if Rei were to consume even a small piece of flesh from Kakashi while he was conscious, it would not take long for Kakashi to trace the inconsistencies and deduce, from scattered details, that Rei was a Demon.
This was not to imply that Shisui lacked intelligence.
Shisui was perceptive and capable.
However, there was a saying.
Love makes one blind.
Shisui belonged to the type who would willingly blind himself.
In simpler terms, he was hopelessly lovestruck.
That was precisely why Rei invested far less effort in manipulating Shisui than he did in managing Kakashi.
Shisui was simply too easy to control.
The innocent Shisui and the restrained, quietly passionate Kakashi were not on the same level.
Of course, whether it was Shisui or Kakashi, both remained worlds apart from Rei's own level.
"Kakashi-senpai," Rei asked softly as she seated himself beside him, a faint crease of concern forming between her brows, "Is the front line particularly dangerous?"
Kakashi nodded in silence.
"Even if you are injured, you must still return to the battlefield, correct?"
Every wounded shinobi who passed through the infirmary was treated with urgency not because they would retire from combat, but because their departure was temporary. Once their injuries stabilized, they would be sent back to the front lines without hesitation.
Kakashi did not answer aloud.
His silence was confirmation enough.
He understood that the cruelty of war would reveal itself to Rei slowly, page by page, until there was no innocence left untouched.
From the moment Rei stepped beyond the gates of Konohagakure and entered the warfront, she had already been bound to this reality.
"I should go. I am on night watch," Kakashi said as he rose to his feet, glancing through the window at the torches gradually lighting up the camp.
Rei nodded.
Just as Kakashi turned to leave, Rei reached out and caught his wrist.
She adjusted Kakashi's slightly disordered collar with careful precision, her fingers lingering just long enough to suggest something unspoken.
"Kakashi-senpai, please be careful."
Kakashi met Rei's clear gaze and lowered his eyes slightly.
"I will."
His figure vanished swiftly into the night.
Rei watched his departing silhouette for a moment, then cast a brief glance toward Asahi Mai, who lay on one of the beds pretending to be lifeless.
Rei's gaze lingered briefly, unreadable.
Without comment, he left the infirmary and closed the door behind him.
Instead of returning to his tent to rest, Rei found an open clearing and began studying the ninjutsu scrolls that Sarutobi Hiruzen had given him.
For several of the techniques recorded within, Rei had already obtained foundational skill fragments through flesh consumption. With that groundwork and the detailed explanations in the scrolls, his learning speed increased dramatically.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!!"
The earth before him shifted.
The grass darkened as the soil liquefied into a surging current of mud, flowing forward like a violent river. Trees in its path were torn from the ground and swallowed into the mire, their resistance futile against the relentless force.
"Amamiya Rei."
Rei sensed the presence behind him before the voice fully formed.
He rolled the scroll closed and turned to face an unfamiliar shinobi.
"May I ask who you are? Do you require something from me?" Rei asked with polite warmth.
His demeanor toward others was always sincere and gentle.
Even in the face of discourtesy, he preferred to respond with composure.
Resentment, if any, was handled quietly and from the shadows.
The shinobi before him was cold but not discourteous.
"I have been sent by Orochimaru-sama to escort you to the strategy tent."
Rei raised her brows slightly in surprise.
"Orochimaru-sama wishes to see me?"
The shinobi nodded.
Rei offered a mild smile. "Then I shall trouble you to lead the way."
"It is my duty," the shinobi answered, faint surprise flickering across his features at Rei's easy compliance.
Following behind him, Rei's lips curved faintly.
Orochimaru was finally losing patience.
Rei was curious to see what move he intended to make this time.
"We have arrived. You may enter."
The shinobi lifted the heavy curtain.
A wave of warmth rolled outward.
Inside, the tent was filled with shinobi seated in orderly rows.
Their gazes shifted in unison toward the entrance, settling upon Rei.
For most, such a scene would carry considerable pressure.
Provided the one standing there was an ordinary shinobi.
If this had been the Rei of the past, he might indeed have felt discomfort beneath that weight.
Now, however, nervousness required deliberate effort.
It had become increasingly difficult for him to feel fear toward humans.
After all, who fears the food placed upon his own table?
"Rei?"
From behind Uchiha Fugaku, Shisui rose immediately to his feet.
Fugaku cast him a measured glance, but Shisui did not hesitate. He strode swiftly toward the entrance.
In only a few steps, he stood at Rei's side.
"Rei, why are you here?" Concern was evident in Shisui's eyes.
"It was I who had someone bring Amamiya Rei here."
Before Rei could respond, the voice of Orochimaru sounded from the head of the tent.
Seated directly opposite the entrance, Orochimaru regarded them with a faint, inscrutable smile.
At the sound of his voice, Shisui's heart sank.
A quiet sense of foreboding began to take root within him, spreading slowly and inexorably.
***
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