"I was just joking back then. Why do you remember it so clearly?"
Uchiha Retsu's cheeks flushed slightly as he awkwardly defended himself.
He recalled the fox demon they had encountered before while exorcising spirits together. At the time, he had been full of anticipation, thinking he might finally see a legendary beautiful fox spirit with cute ears and a fluffy tail.
Instead, what they found was a gigantic fox with blood-red beast eyes, rows of jagged fangs, and a body radiating thick, malevolent aura.
Not to mention the pungent fox stench that made even him and Kikyo unwilling to approach. In the end, Kikyo had purified it with a single arrow.
Afterward, he had indeed complained regretfully about why it couldn't have been a cute fox-eared girl instead. He never expected Kikyo to remember that until now.
"And what if this time it really is a genuine beast-eared beauty?" Kikyo ignored his explanation entirely and continued teasing him.
"Forget the beast ears!"
Cornered with his own embarrassing history, Retsu simply blurted out,
"I think… shrine maidens are pretty great."
"…"
Kikyo's steps visibly paused for a brief moment.
But she quickly resumed walking as if nothing had happened. Still, she fell silent, no longer speaking.
Retsu, however, had no intention of letting her escape so easily. He leaned closer and continued,
"Honestly, shrine maidens are way prettier than beast-eared girls. Compared to them, I definitely prefer shrine maidens. What do you think?"
"…The villagers said that long ago, a group of defeated soldiers fled into these mountains."
Just as Retsu stared at her, waiting for her response, Kikyo abruptly changed the topic. Her tone was calm, deliberately shifting the conversation.
"There was a princess among them. The soldiers protecting her all died in battle. Soon after, the princess also passed away. Not long after that, a demon began appearing in these mountains. It's likely formed from the princess's resentment."
Retsu watched her serious expression as she redirected the subject and couldn't help but smile slightly.
He didn't press further. Instead, he followed her lead.
"You mean the demon is that princess who died filled with resentment?"
"Mm." Kikyo nodded lightly, clearly relieved that he wasn't continuing the previous topic. "Considering it only targets men, that seems most likely."
"A resentful princess who only captures men…" Retsu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Could it be she had androphobia?"
"Androphobia?" Kikyo stopped walking and looked at him curiously. "What is that?"
"It means a psychological condition where a woman feels disgust, rejection, or even fear toward men," Retsu explained simply.
"Mm… perhaps."
Kikyo considered it. Based on the demon's behavior of targeting only men, it did seem somewhat similar to what he described.
"Or," Retsu continued mischievously, "maybe she's some queen-type demon who's abducting young men to build herself a harem. The missing villagers are all young and strong, aren't they?"
"…"
Kikyo shot him a sharp glare. What nonsense was he spouting now?
"Mm?"
Suddenly, Kikyo halted, her gaze sharpening toward the distance.
Retsu followed her line of sight. Not far ahead, a faintly glowing barrier shimmered among the trees, sealing off the deeper parts of the mountain.
"This must be the demon's barrier," Kikyo said softly. She extended her hand toward Retsu. "Hold my hand. I'm worried that once we enter, we might be forcibly separated."
"…Alright."
Barrier techniques weren't Retsu's specialty. Kikyo, however, was an expert. He took her slender, pale hand without hesitation. The warmth and softness at his fingertips made his heart skip slightly.
This was only the second time he had held Kikyo's hand.
The first had been when she was still in her clay body, and he had been transferring chakra to her. Back then, her touch had been faintly cold.
Now, her hand was warm and soft—completely different.
His heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
Kikyo tightened her grip and stepped toward the barrier.
"Wait."
Just as she was about to enter, Retsu snapped back to his senses. With a flick of his wrist, a kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God mark shot out and embedded itself into a nearby tree trunk.
"Leave a marker. If things go bad, I'll teleport us out."
"Alright."
Without further hesitation, Kikyo led him into the barrier.
The moment they stepped inside, thick white mist enveloped their vision.
Though dense, it didn't hinder movement. Retsu walked smoothly forward, but Kikyo's steps became noticeably heavier, as if some invisible force was restraining her. Each step required effort.
"It seems this barrier is deliberately preventing women from entering," Kikyo observed calmly.
"Should I just cut it down?" Retsu's eyes gleamed with eagerness, his hand unconsciously resting on the hilt of his sword.
"No." Kikyo shook her head gently. "Once we pass through its range, the resistance will disappear. Destroying it might alert the demon. Before we locate the missing villagers, we shouldn't act rashly. If the demon goes berserk and kills them, it will be troublesome."
"Alright. We'll do it your way."
Retsu nodded. Back in the ninja world, he had carried out numerous search-and-rescue missions. In situations like this, ensuring the target's survival was always the priority.
He tightened his hold on Kikyo's hand and moved forward with her through the barrier.
To avoid drawing attention, Kikyo refrained from using her spiritual power. She relied solely on her physical strength to push against the resistance. Before long, fine beads of sweat formed at her temples.
"Want me to carry you?" Retsu asked, seeing her struggle.
"No. We should be through soon," Kikyo replied, continuing forward step by step.
Just as she predicted, after a few more steps, the invisible resistance suddenly vanished.
She had been exerting force against it, and with the sudden release, her body lurched forward uncontrollably. She nearly fell, but Retsu, still firmly holding her hand, reacted instantly and pulled her back.
Kikyo lost her balance and fell straight into his arms.
Looking down, Retsu saw the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead, her chest rising and falling gently as she caught her breath. Passing through the barrier had clearly drained her.
"If you're tired, just say so. Carrying you isn't any trouble," he sighed softly.
He sat down cross-legged, pulling her with him so she could lean against his shoulder. Chakra gathered in his palm as he slowly transferred it into her body to help her recover.
While Kikyo rested, he scanned the endless white mist around them.
Then he glanced back at the barrier behind them.
A thought suddenly struck him.
He seemed to know where they were now.
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