Escape From Konoha

Chapter 246: 239: The Ninja and the Princess

"Hmph! It's already your time, won't you give up?"

The unknown ninja flying became furious. He formed hand seals.

Behind him, a strange torrent of chakra suddenly burst out, condensing into a huge dragon-like creature.

The chakra dragon, formed by the condensed chakra entity, bared its teeth, exuding an evil and uncomfortable aura.

"Kill them!"

The dragon obeyed the command, and its body seemed to be able to elongate without limit. It swooped down from the sky and charged at Red Shadow's moving body.

Boom!

The strong impact caused the ground to be completely destroyed instantly.

Red Shadow hugged the girl in her arms and reluctantly dodged away. His body injured by the explosion could only be driven by willpower.

Now was undoubtedly the best time to let the toublesome princess leave to avoid getting involved in this dangerous battle.

However, this consideration also took into account the current situation. The enemy possessed a flying ninjutsu..He could completely ignore him, directly attacking her and even take her as a hostage to threaten him.

For him, if the troublesome princess were to die, it would mean his mission failure. It would also pose significant obstacles to the plan. Therefore, keeping this her by his side was better for her safety. Just because the enemy's target was him, it would be naive to think the enemy will not attack her.

Shukichi, being hugged, naturally didn't breathe. Death was so close to her. It would be a lie to say that she didn't feel scared, but because of the man with her, she didn't feel lonely. But she couldn't help but feel incompetent. In this situation, she couldn't do anything.

'If I can also help Ninja-sama...' Shukichi thought so but then shook her head, unable to do it.

Ninja was an area she was completely unfamiliar with.

Although born in a noble family, her strength was no different from that of ordinary people, and due to her pampering, she may even be weaker than an ordinary women.

Facing such powerful people like ninjas, her strength was so negligible. At this time, obeying Ninja-sama's arrangement and not adding to the trouble was the right course of action.

"Even if this kid is injured, his speed is still so fast..."

The unknown ninja marveled at the speed at which Red Shadow ran on the sand. At a normal pace, he would probably be far behind Red Shadow. Even with flying ninjutsu, chasing Red Shadow wasn't an easy task.

"However, with so much blood loss, how long can you last?" The ninja sneered in a low voice.

Most of Red Shadow's body was bleeding, especially his chest and head, and the blood loss was particularly serious.

If the human body loses more than 30% of the total blood at one time, it will be life-threatening.

Even if a ninja's physique was stronger than that of ordinary people, 30% blood loss might not be life-threatening, but their physical ability will definitely drop significantly. Continued blood loss was enough to be fatal.

The safest way was to attack from the sky so Red Shadow couldn't stop to recover from his injuries, further consuming his dwindling physical strength. As long as Red Shadow lost enough blood, he will win this battle without any injuries to himself and with little effort.

It wasn't a wise move to approach a ninja with a kekkei genkai, especially a seriously injured one. Many of a ninja's abilities came from the element of surprise.

He couldn't help but wonder if Red Shadow had a counter-attack ninjutsu to kill with one hand.

In short, he who's invincible in the sky, didn't need to take risks in close quarters just for the sake of winning the battle.

.....

Red Shadow understood his predicament, but facing the mysterious ninja, he couldn't turn around and engage in a battle, knowing he would likely be the one defeated. He lacked the ability to target the flying ninja, making him a blind spot.

Furthermore, there was a likelihood that information about his Kekkei Genkai had leaked. It was likely that thought-out his journey from the capital of the Land of Bears, he was continuously observed from the sky by the enemy.

The ninja kept expending chakra to stay on air, clearly feared his kekkei genkai.

Understanding the imprudence of recklessly battling without knowledge of the opponent's abilities, Red Shadow recognized the ninja's cautious nature and battle experience. For such a vigilant opponent, aggressive methods wouldn't allow Red Shadow to get close and counterattack.

But before anything else, he had to tend to the wounds covering his body. If this continued, death from blood loss was inevitable.

Even with a ninja's distinct physique, they were still mortal, succumbing to excessive blood loss in battle. Moreover, the exploding tags initial explosion not only caused him to loose large amount of blood but also seemed to shatter his bones.

Poof!

Unsurprised by his fall, blood streamed down Red Shadow's forehead slipping into his eyes making him blink uncomfortably trying to get the blood out. Before he could wipe it away with his other empty hand, the girl he was carrying gently used her sleeve to clear the blood on his face, unintentionally staining her attire.

Red Shadow intentionally or unintentionally glanced at the troublesome princess, realizing that even in her trouble state, she proved to have some effect.

Reflecting on it, his involvement with the princess triggered the enemy's initial focus on him, making her an innocent hostage caught in the crossfire.

From both a mission and responsibility perspective, abandoning the woman wasn't an option; he couldn't let her fend for herself.

She was careful helping him wipe away the blood showing a willingness to help. However, as a weak woman, her capabilities were limited.

"Nin.. Ninja-sama..."

Shukichi's anxious and worried voice sounded in his ears.

Red Shadow remained silent, not out of reluctance to respond but due to the need to conserve energy. Any unnecessary words could hasten his energy drain.

But there, up ahead, Red Shadow looked forward with a glimmer of hope.

A massive canyon, shrouded in light yellow mist, lay ahead.

This was Devil's Ravine.

A natural canyon surrounding the Bear Country, where a deadly poison accumulated perpetually, it was a place even ninjas hesitated to enter.

Yet, for Red Shadow, it was undoubtedly the only place he could survive.

"In the bag, blue, antidote."

Keeping his words concise was crucial. Saying more meant expending more energy. Now wasn't the time to relax.

'In the bag, the antidote?'

Shukichi was momentarily taken aback before realizing the statement was directed at her. She wasn't dissatisfied with Red Shadow's indifferent attitude; instead, feeling needed seemed to bring her joy.

Soon, Shukichi extended her hand and touched Red Shadow's bag. Despite experiencing an explosion, the bag remained undamaged, apparent to its special materials.

Shukichi ummaging inside the bag, although it had limited space, items were neatly arranged—kunai, shurikens, scrolls, medicines.

Soon, she found the medicine Red Shadow mentioned—a small glass bottle containing over a dozen blue-type capsule.

"One person, one, hurry up."

"Oh okay, I know."

Without hesitation, Shukichi retrieved a capsule and handed it to Red Shadow.

Red Shadow violently crushed the blue capsule with his teeth. It was a highly efficient antidote developed by Purple Rose Med. It's effective against most poisons in the ninja world, including the highly poisonous miasma in Devil's Ravine.

Without taking this antidote, both he and the princess would succumb to poison moments after entering the place.

Shukichi also took a capsule for herself. The shell of the capsule was initially sweet like sugar but quickly turned bitter, causing her to frown.

"Um?"

The ninja, observing everything from the sky, glanced at the canyon shrouded in thick yellow fog. He seemed to speculate something, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

With their confidence, he couldn't allow the them escape into Devil's Ravine. It's a place where even wearing a gas mask won't fully protect against the highly poisonous mist.

"Ninja-sama, he's rushing over!"

Shukichi saw the ninja rushing down from the sky, her face turned pale, and she shouted in panic.

Devil's Ravine lay before them, and Red Shadow couldn't afford to waste his efforts. He needed to concentrate on his journey as his body wasn't strong enough to confront this powerful ninja.

"There's a white ball in the back, press the button and throw it!"

In these critical situation, he had to rely on this princess to distract the pursuer. He had to save his energy.

'White ball..... white ball' Shukichi quickly looked inside Red Shadow's ninja bag, spotting four or five smooth strange white balls with an obvious red button on them.

Following Red Shadow's instructions, she took out one of them, pressing the red button and threw it out forcefully.

While not thrown far, the distance was far enough.

The white ball rolled on the ground for a few meters before exploding.

The ninja was hit by the explosive airflow, damaging his chakra wings. Despite twisting and turning, he managed to stabilize his figure in the air.

The power of the white ball's explosion surpassed that of an ordinary exploding tag.

It was a simple and efficient assassination tool Red Shadow typically used for missions.

Although the process wasn't so perfect and hidden, as long as the target is cleared, even if the method is fladhy, it was worthy of being an assassination tool.

Shukichi witnessed the explosion and the resulting large hole in the ground, her mouth slightly agape. Her emotion wasn't fear but an inexplicable sense of excitement—her first encounter with such an exciting toy.

With such an explosive ball, the enemy wouldn't dare approach them aggressively.

After all, unlike an exploding tag requiring a Kunai tied to it for throwing, this explosive ball could be easily used even by ordinary people.

Their surroundings transformed into a thick yellow world as the fog made it challenging to discern the direction immediately.

Red Shadow, carrying Shukichi, officially entered the confines of Devil's Ravine. Here, the natural poisonous fog served as a barrier, even the dense fog blurred vision, and the rotten air eliminated their body odors.

Shukichi coughed and she was about to vomit. The overpowering smell was too stimulating for her. It's hard to to describe, but it could suffocate people alive.

Red Shadow found it normal. Devil's Ravine, a unique natural place due to the burial of countless uncremated corpses, had their decomposing remains mixed with something like natural energy.

The spread of poisonous fog was indeed a bit irritating to a pampered princess like Shukichi. However, it wasn't the time to dwell on such matters. He was seriously injured, needed urgent recuperation.

Yet, they couldn't relax; this was merely Devil's Ravine's periphery, and the enemy might still attack from outside. Red Shadow, carrying Shukichi, pressed forward into the valley's depths.

Only half an hour later did Red Shadow locate a sunken rock formation and come to a stop.

He gently set down the slightly rosy-faced Shukichi. She appeared weak, and as she leaned against the rock wall, her breathing was labored, her pale face resembling that of someone not quite alive.

"Ninja-sama, are you okay?" Shukichi approached with concern.

Red Shadow shook his head, remaining silent. From his bag, he retrieved a scroll and unfurled it on the ground.

Afterwards, he connected with both hands, he summoned a metal silver box. Inside the box, there were medical equipments. While not quite large, it covered the use for various emergencies.

Red Shadow took out a roll of medical bandages from inside, which had a good hemostatic effect.

"Let me do it."

Shukichi volunteered. She had treated some injured animals in the past, so she knew a little about medicine.

After a moment's hesitation, Red Shadow nodded, considering his current condition.

Red Shadow removed the blood-soaked ninja outfit, and though the wounds from the explosion had started to scab, blood continued to seep from numerous places.

Shukichi gently covered her lips., the wounds were shocking. But when she thought about how he suffered such serious wonds,, she finally gritted her teeth, suppressing the fear inside her heart, tore off the bandage, and carefully bandaged the wounds.

Her technique was somewhat clumsy, having only bandaged animal wounds in the past. It was her first time dressing the wounds of a human, especially on a shirtless man.

Shukichi, never having seen a male body, felt a mix of apprehension, embarrassment, and she blushed.

It took over ten minutes,to bandage the wounds on Red Shadow's body.

The blush on Shukichi's face faded slightly, and distressed colors appeared in her dark eyes. This could be considered a small reward for herself.

"Ninja-sama, what are we going to do next?" Shukichi asked, wiping sweat off her face.

Red Shadow remained silent.

"Ninja-sama?"

Shukichi turned her head to look, and saw that Chi Ying's face was exhausted and pale. He was leaning against the rock wall, having passed out, looking extremely weak.

His breath was very weak, and he may be in life-threatening danger. Shukichi clearly understood this. Excessive blood loss would cause the body to stop functioning.

She quickly looked in the medical box, which contained infusion tubes, bottles, and a sealed blood bag.

Drawing on her limited medical knowledge, she tore open the blood bag without hesitation and began transfusing the blood to Red Shadow.

Soon, the blood bag was used up, but Red Shadow's face remained pale, his vitality hanging by a thread. The blood bag provided only a temporary solution, leaving Shukichi troubled.

'But.... wheee can i find blood?'

Devil's Ravine lacked a human town where blood donations were possible.

Devil's Ravine was barren, littered with human and animal bones.

Finally, a spark of inspiration struck Shukichi, she thought a way to save Red Shadow.

....

He found himself in darkness with no sense of time passing, his consciousness felt dull. It seemed as though his body alternated between cold and warm sensations, with a weight pressing down on him, making it difficult to breathe.

Opening his eyes became a difficult task, vut Red Shadow summoned his willpower to lift his eyelids, revealing a kaleidoscope of colors. Several minutes passed before his vision gradually returned to normal.

The first time the field of vision returned to normal, I saw a beautiful pretty face close at hand. It was stained with some dust, but it could still be seen that it was a beautiful girl.

After his field of vision returned to normal, he discovered a beautiful face nearby. The face was stained with some dust but it was a beautiful girl.

She seemed to be hanging onto his body, her face slightly pale, and the rhythmic sounds of sleep and breathing were audible.

Her expensive kimono taken off from her body, now covered him. She was only wearing a thin white undergarment, appearing somewhat vulnerable.

"..."

Red Shadow's first thought was to push away Shukichi, who clung to him. However, he realized he lacked the strength to move; even opening his eyelids required considerable effort.

Seemingly aware of Red Shadow's slight movements, Shukichi woke up from a deep sleep.

"Ninja-sama.... are you awake?"

Sitting up, Shukichi felt her previous posture was too ambiguous. She blushed slightly, hurriedly explained again.

"Please don't get me wrong, Ninja-sama. I noticed that your body was too cold, and that's why you turned into what you were just now..."

"..."

He had no desire to speak, speaking with this princess was draining. Recovering his strength was his top priority. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, and there was the looming uncertainty of the enemy's presence.

Even within Devil's Ravine, escape didn't guarantee their safety, resting here to recuperate held its own risks. Given that he was the target, leaving such an easy opportunity for the enemy to strike was inconceivable.

"Ninja-sama, is your body still cold?"

Shukichi blinked her bright eyes, asking concerned.

Red Shadow remained silent, scrutinizing the surrounding environment. Besides the rotting bones of animals and humans, only looming tall rock walls were visible in the thick yellow fog, turning this place into a desolate haven.

Seeing that Red Shadow ignored her, Shukichi was not discouraged. After all, Ninja-sama's serious demeanor was undeniably handsome and manly.

The stories in the storybooks she had read before seemed like nonsense. If her future husband were someone like Ninja-sama, it wouldn't seem difficult to accept.

But how could it be possible? Ninja-sama was just a small guard under her father's command. Even if powerful, he couldn't exceed the duty of a courtier.

In terms of identity, they were not from the same world.

Unless... they eloped.

Shukichi became short of breath, deeming it the only possible way. Having escaped the Bear Kingdom's capital, the conditions seemed to have been met. But, would Ninja-sama be willing to elope? Did he see her as someone silly?

Where would they live after they eloped? How many children might they have? These questions were deep and complex.

While Shukichi contemplated these major life events, a sudden movement disrupted her thoughts. Red Shadow also turned his head, staring vigilantly into the depths of the thick yellow fog ahead.

A tall figure appeared vaguely in the yellow mist. As the footsteps drew nearer, the figure became clearer.

Soon, the figure emerged from the yellow fog.

The figure was tall and robust, with an ordinary appearance clad in simple coarse linen clothes. The figure's nails were a bit cracked, and the hands bore thick calluses.

Seeing this person, Red Shadow felt relieved. It was the Dark Bull.

Unlike the responsibilities he was in charge of, the other party manages communication and assistance.

Observing the relaxed expression on Red Shadow's face, Shukichi also understood that this man wasn't an enemy but likely a companion of the Ninja-sama. However, she hadn't encountered this person in the mansion before.

But when she thought about it, there were too many ninjas serving her father, making it impossible to be acquainted with each one.

Dark Bull stood still, observing that Red Shadow's injured body was covered with Princess Shukichi's coat. As a princess, Shukichi was only wearing a thin white inner garment, she kooked an obedient wife taking care of him, creating a weird atmosphere. It seems like he always arrived at the wrong time.

Dark Bull was about to speak, but Red Shadow spoke first:

"You don't need to worry about this. I know the rules, and I won't fall to these habits that will hinder the mission."

It implies that he has no interest in women.

Dark Bull probably wanted to warn him against such tendencies, not succumbing to the softness of women.

'Hmph, I truly underestimated just how much he wants to follow him.'

However, Dark Bull shook his head and said, "I didn't say that. I just wanted to let you know that there are too few precious resources in this world. The key is to identify these precious resources and act quickly, so you don't regret later."

He conveyed this in an experienced tone.

The Land of Demons was actively promoting childbirth. If an excellent ninja like Red Shadow remained single and doesn't pass on his Kekkei Genkai, it will be a severe waste of bloodline resources.

"?"

Shukichi listened to the casual conversation between Dark Bull and Red Shadow, feeling that the two ninjas were talking about something very important.

'Was this how ninjas talk?... Amazing!'