At noon, the figures of Mamoru and Kurenai appeared on the forest path in front of Satomi Villa.
Kurenai raised her hand in a simple gesture, and several Anbu members behind her vanished like smoke, turning into barely perceptible afterimages that merged into the depths of the forest.
Mamoru's gaze fell on the villa's outer wall not far away—the wall and window he had clearly destroyed with Blue yesterday were now perfectly intact, the bricks and stones fitting seamlessly, as if the hands of time had been forcibly turned back.
"Let's go." Kurenai's voice woke him from his brief reverie.
Mamoru nodded silently.
The two walked along the forest path, crossed the clearing in front of the villa, and arrived at the main entrance.
Under the eaves, Mamoru reached out and gripped the brass doorknob, turning it gently. The hinges gave a slight creak as the door swung inward.
The sight behind the door made Kurenai catch her breath. It wasn't the villa's front hall from her memory, but a long corridor extending into endless darkness. A sinister aura rushed toward them, making it feel like a different world from the bright one outside.
She instinctively turned her head to look back—the sun was still shining outside, and the scent of plants was fragrant, as if an invisible boundary separated light from dark.
"We're going in." Mamoru reminded her, his tone calm.
Kurenai took a deep breath, unconsciously clenched her fists, and nodded.
Mamoru was the first to step into the darkness, with Kurenai following closely behind. The moment they were both fully inside the corridor, the wooden door behind them slammed shut with a "bang," then slowly dissipated like ripples in the air, revealing a bare wall.
The two looked back, their retreat was completely blocked.
They walked down the dim corridor, lined with closed doors on both sides. Every time they passed one, Kurenai would push it open, but behind the doors was only a thick darkness that swallowed everything, as if even light was being sucked in.
"As expected." Mamoru kicked open a door and looked at the churning gloom inside, his lips curling. "We're trapped here."
"It seems Yakumo refuses to see us."
Kurenai pulled a Kunai from the ninja tool pouch on her thigh. A cold light flashed as she made a move to stab her own palm—to break free from the Genjutsu through pain.
But a hand was faster and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
Mamoru shook his head. "It's useless. Doing that will only get you hurt, it won't break the Genjutsu here."
Kurenai's voice carried a hint of imperceptible trembling. "A Genjutsu like this... is simply inconceivable."
The reality before her had completely overturned her understanding of Genjutsu.
Mamoru let go of her hand and analyzed calmly, "If Yakumo doesn't want to see us, we'll never find her here."
"Yakumo! You can hear me, right!" Kurenai raised her voice, shouting toward the empty corridor. "It's me! I've come to find you! Let's talk!"
Her voice echoed in the corridor, layer upon layer, but was eventually swallowed by a deeper silence, receiving no response.
"Doesn't seem to be working." Mamoru spread his hands, looking helpless.
Then his eyes flickered, and a flippant expression suddenly crossed his face. His tone became nonchalant. "I'm going back. My mission is finished anyway, and whatever happens next is none of my business. You and the Hokage can figure out how to convince her yourselves."
Kurenai couldn't help but frown upon hearing this, her eyes full of confusion and bewilderment.
Just as she was about to question him—
Creak!
At the end of the corridor, a door that hadn't existed before opened, revealing a sliver of light.
Mamoru raised an eyebrow at Kurenai, a smug curve touching the corner of his lips. Kurenai immediately realized the intention behind his words.
The two walked quickly toward the door and looked inside—it was a world made of paint.
A wooden floor floated in the void. There were no walls, only flowing colors and light interwoven.
Yakumo had her back to them, sitting in front of an easel and painting intently. Dozens of completed or unfinished paintings floated in the air around her, rotating slowly as if they were alive.
Kurenai and Mamoru stepped inside one after the other, and the door behind them slammed shut silently. Mamoru's expression remained unchanged, but Kurenai couldn't help but look back at the door that separated the inside from the outside.
Kurenai turned and called out softly to the slender figure, "Yakumo..."
"Kurenai-sensei, how is my painting?" Yakumo's tone was flat and emotionless, her brush never stopping. "It's quite good, isn't it?"
Clap! Clap! Clap...
A series of clear claps suddenly rang out.
Both Yakumo and Kurenai looked at the source.
"This painting really is good."
Mamoru lowered his hands and strolled forward, standing casually by Yakumo's side, his gaze falling on the canvas in front of her.
The center of the canvas depicted a figure standing between the vast sky and the earth, in a carefree and unrestrained posture, one hand pointing at the sky and the other at the ground. Although the face of the person in the painting was slightly different from the current Mamoru, his spirit and the contours of the features were clearly his future appearance.
"This is me... so you're infatuated with me?"
Mamoru pressed his hand on Yakumo's thin shoulder and leaned down, his warm breath brushing against her ear, his voice filled with deliberate mockery. "How pathetic."
"Shut up!" Yakumo swung her paintbrush violently, the tip soaked in paint sweeping toward his face with a gust of wind.
Mamoru stepped back half a step and gave a flippant whistle. That splash of intense color actually hung suspended an inch in front of him, as if hitting an invisible wall.
"That's dangerous." He chuckled.
"Mamoru, what on earth are you trying to do?" Kurenai looked at his series of strange actions and words in confusion.
"Nothing, I just wanted to see her being kept in the dark by me." Mamoru shrugged, his laughter sounding particularly harsh in the empty studio. "As expected, it's very interesting. Hahaha..."
"Why did you come back..." Yakumo looked up, tears pooling in her eyes, her voice choked with sobs.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Mamoru was stunned for a moment, but then a nearly distorted smile spread across his face, showing a demonic mockery. "Naturally, I came back to watch the show. After playing this role for so long, wouldn't it be a waste not to witness the results?"
Yakumo could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face. The paintbrush slipped from her fingers, splashing small spots of color on the paint-stained floor. She covered her face with her hands, her suppressed sobs exceptionally clear in the silence.
"Shut your mouth!" Kurenai shouted sharply at Mamoru, her eyes full of anger.
"Tch." Mamoru turned his face away in annoyance.
Kurenai turned to the trembling girl, her voice softening again. "Yakumo, don't listen to his nonsense. We're here to save you."
The crying gradually stopped.
Yakumo looked up, tear stains crisscrossing her pale face. "Save me?"
Her tone suddenly became sharp and full of resentment. "Liars! You're all liars! I'm going to take revenge on Konoha... for my parents, and for me..."
She turned her gaze toward Mamoru, her eyes churning with deep-seated hatred. "Starting with you, Mamoru!"