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Days passed quietly in the valley.
The wind moved gently through the trees, carrying the scent of leaves and damp soil. The mountains stood tall around the wooden house where Uchiha Lie stayed. Life there was peaceful, almost too peaceful. No wars. No hidden villages. No endless missions. Only the sound of nature.
During these days, he rarely left the valley. Sometimes, he would travel to nearby castle towns mentioned by the Mamedanuki clan to buy food, tools, and other daily supplies. He did not draw attention to himself. He kept his cloak low and his presence calm.
Most of the time, however, he remained alone in cultivation.
His current body was formed through Edo Tensei. Because of that, training in Taijutsu or Ninjutsu brought very little improvement. His chakra did not grow. His physical strength did not truly increase. It was like sharpening a blade that had already reached its limit.
But something unexpected happened.
The Natural Energy in this world was incredibly active.
Much more active than in the ninja world he came from.
When he first sensed it, he almost thought he was imagining things. But the longer he stayed, the clearer it became. The mountains, forests, riversâeverything was filled with pure, dense Natural Energy.
He had learned Sage Mode under Jiraiya at Mount MyĆboku. Back then, he had struggled. His talent for Senjutsu was not as great as Naruto Uzumaki's. In fact, it was similar to Jiraiya's level. He could enter Sage Mode, but his control was imperfect. When he used it, obvious toad-like features would appear on his face. His nose would widen. His skin would harden. It was not a refined form.
Because of that, he rarely used Sage Mode in battle.
It required time to gather Natural Energy. It required stillness. And the transformation was not elegant.
But here, everything changed.
In this world, entering Sage Mode became easier. The Natural Energy flowed toward him like a river finding its course. The difficulty decreased. The time required shortened. Even the duration he could maintain it increased greatly.
At first, he trained out of boredom.
But then he noticed something shocking.
The more he entered Sage Mode, the more stable it became.
His control improved rapidly.
The speed of activation increased.
And slowly, the toad-like features began to fade.
Now, when he entered Sage Mode, only faint orange markings appeared around his eyes. His pupils became horizontal like a frog's, but the rest of his face remained unchanged. It was very similar to Naruto's perfected Sage Mode in later battles.
He opened his eyes one afternoon while sitting cross-legged on the wooden balcony.
Natural Energy swirled around him like invisible mist. The forest below felt alive. Every leaf. Every insect. Every movement.
Under Sage Mode, his perception expanded far beyond normal limits.
Suddenlyâ
He sensed it.
A powerful demonic aura.
Wild. Sharp. Fierce.
Behind it were several weaker demonic signatures. Their aura patterns were familiarâthose belonged to the Mamedanuki clan.
His lips curved slightly.
"So the cat demon has arrived."
He slowly released the Natural Energy. The orange markings faded. His pupils returned to normal. The world became quieter again.
He stood up, pushed open the balcony window, and leapt down from the second floor. His landing was silent.
Then he moved.
Within moments, he reached the forest path.
Soon, he saw her.
A red figure moving swiftly through the trees.
Behind her followed several DĆri Oni servants.
She had short red hair, sharp red eyes, and a tall, slender body. Her limbs were smooth but powerful, built for speed. She wore a white short top with black trousers beneath it. Around her waist hung a brown animal-skin skirt. A bright red belt tightened around her waist. Brown fur boots reached her knees.
And behind herâ
A long brown cat tail swayed naturally with her steps.
Uchiha Lie recognized her immediately.
"Natsume of the Leopard Cat Clan."
One of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Leopard Cat Tribe. Third in rank. Fierce. Loyal. Proud.
As he observed her from beneath a tree, her nose twitched.
She stopped.
Her red eyes locked onto him instantly.
Her body shifted into a defensive stance.
"Hey! Who are you? Why are you blocking my path?"
Her voice was sharp and full of authority.
Uchiha Lie did not answer immediately.
Instead, he calmly crossed his arms and looked at her carefully. His gaze paused briefly on her tail.
Then he spoke casually.
"You're a cat girl⊠but no cat ears. That's disappointing."
Her eyes narrowed instantly.
"How annoying. Speak clearly. Who are you? What do you want?"
Sharp claws extended from her fingertips with a metallic sound.
She had come alone to the territory near the Dog Demon lands to gather information. If she were not alone, she would have attacked already.
Uchiha Lie finally reached into his ninja pouch.
He pulled out a glowing pink shard.
The Shikon Jewel shard glittered under the sunlight.
Natsume's eyes widened immediately.
"That⊠is that a shard of the Shikon Jewel?"
Her voice carried excitement she could not hide.
Uchiha Lie tilted his head slightly.
"You don't even recognize what it looks like? Have you been searching blindly this whole time?"
Her cheeks turned red with anger.
"Shut up! If you know what's good for you, hand it over. Or I'll kill you."
He casually tossed the shard up and down in his hand.
Her eyes followed it instinctively. Up. Down. Up. Down.
He almost laughed.
"Calm down, kitty."
Her face darkened.
"Stop calling me that! I am a Leopard Cat warrior! Not some stray cat!"
She puffed her chest proudly.
"As for why we need the Shikon Jewel, that's none of your concern. Hand it over!"
He caught the shard mid-air.
Thenâ
He put it back into his pouch.
"I refuse."
Silence.
Thenâ
Her demonic aura exploded outward.
"You bastard!"
The air around her shook. Leaves scattered violently.
"I am not some house cat!"
Before her voice finishedâ
She vanished.
Her body turned into a red blur.
In less than a heartbeat, she appeared in front of him.
Her claw aimed directly at his face.
He stepped back lightly.
The attack missed by inches.
Her eyes sharpened.
She kicked off a tree trunk, reversing her momentum mid-air. Her body twisted gracefully. Her claw slashed toward his neck.
Fast.
Precise.
Lethal.
But he leaned back slightly.
Again, she missed.
He even raised an eyebrow as if mildly amused.
Her pride was wounded.
No.
It was crushed.
"You dare look down on me?!"
She attacked againâfaster this time.
Claws flashed repeatedly.
Left.
Right.
Up.
Down.
Her movements were elegant but deadly. Every strike aimed at vital points. Face. Throat. Heart.
But Uchiha Lie did not draw a weapon.
He simply moved.
Small steps.
Minimal motion.
Each dodge was clean and efficient.
To Natsume, it felt like she was striking empty air.
She growled in frustration.
Then she suddenly leapt backward.
Her demonic energy condensed around her claws.
The ground beneath her feet cracked.
"You'll regret underestimating me!"
She dashed forward again.
This time, her speed increased dramatically.
Her claws carried visible demonic aura.
She aimed straight at his chest.
At that momentâ
Uchiha Lie moved for the first time with intent.
He stepped forward instead of back.
His hand shot out.
He grabbed her wrist mid-strike.
Her eyes widened.
Impossible.
Her momentum should have pierced through him.
But his grip was like iron.
Thenâ
He twisted slightly.
Her body lost balance.
In a single smooth motionâ
He flipped her over his shoulder and slammed her onto the ground.
The earth cracked beneath her impact.
Dust rose into the air.
She coughed once.
Before she could recoverâ
His foot pressed lightly against her shoulder.
Not crushing.
But firm.
Pinning her down.
Her tail thrashed angrily.
"Youâ!"
She tried to rise.
But his strength was overwhelming.
Her pride burned hotter than the pain.
He looked down at her calmly.
"You're strong," he said honestly. "But you're too emotional."
Her eyes trembled slightly.
No one had spoken to her like that before.
He removed his foot and stepped back.
She quickly rolled away and stood up, breathing heavily.
Her eyes no longer showed only anger.
Nowâ
They showed caution.
"Who are you?" she asked again, more serious this time.
"My name is Uchiha Lie."
He met her gaze directly.
"I'm not your enemy. But I won't give you the Shikon Jewel shard."
She clenched her fists.
"That shard belongs to the Leopard Cat Clan."
He shook his head.
"The Shikon Jewel belongs to no one."
The wind moved between them.
The forest was silent.
Then he continued.
"If you gather all the shards, what will you do?"
She hesitated for a moment.
Then answered firmly.
"We will restore the power of our leader. We will reclaim our honor."
There was no hesitation in her voice.
Only loyalty.
He watched her quietly.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Ambition backed by strength is admirable."
She did not relax.
"But you lack patience."
Her brows furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
He turned slightly, looking toward the distant mountains.
"The Shikon Jewel corrupts. It amplifies desire. Without control, it destroys."
She remained silent.
He looked back at her.
"If you want that shardâŠ"
He paused deliberately.
"Come and take it when you are stronger."
Her eyes widened slightly.
He was challenging her.
Not mocking.
Challenging.
Thenâ
He vanished in a flicker of movement.
She froze.
Her eyes searched the forest.
Nothing.
His presence had completely disappeared.
She stood alone among the broken ground and scattered leaves.
Her fists trembled.
Not from fear.
From determination.
"That humanâŠ"
Her tail swayed slowly behind her.
"I will defeat him."
And far away, watching from the treesâ
Uchiha Lie's eyes glowed faintly red for a brief moment.
The Sharingan spun quietly before fading.
A small smile formed on his lips.
"This world⊠is becoming interesting."
Thus, the first encounter between Uchiha Lie and Natsume of the Leopard Cat Clan endedânot with death, but with a promise of future conflict.