Shinji fell silent.
If he had been sealed for a century and learned that unsealing might mean immediate death, he doubted he could be as carefree as Mumei.
So, he asked softly: "Don't you feel any hatred?"
Mumei replied: "I hate shinobi, I hate the Uchiha clan, and I hate this ugly shinobi world that only knows slaughter! But…"
Shinji pressed: "But what?"
Mumei said slowly: "But in this detestable world, there's a light like you, Shinji! You're the person I love most in this world I hate the most!"
Shinji froze, then let out a long breath: "Mumei, I'm going to start the unsealing!"
"Mm!"
Mumei responded, cutting off their connection.
Shinji stepped back and activated his Wood Release.
Whoosh.
Instantly, countless vines shot from his sleeves, burrowing into the soil. In mere breaths, several wooden hands formed by Wood Release dug a large pit, revealing a stone slab sealed within.
Like before, the slab was covered in sealing techniques.
Shinji used Sealing Technique Absorption to forcibly break the seals, then activated Almighty Pull, yanking the slab upward.
Crack.
A petite, curled-up figure came into view: "Mu… Mumei?"
As if hearing Shinji's call, the huddled figure slowly raised her head, gazing at him with bewildered eyes, cautiously asking: "Shinji?"
"Mm!"
Shinji nodded, leaning over the pit's edge, extending his right hand toward Mumei at the bottom.
Mumei tightly grasped his hand.
"Don't be afraid, I'll pull you out!"
As he spoke, Shinji pulled Mumei from the pit with force.
On the surface, Mumei plopped onto the ground, staring blankly at her surroundings before her gaze settled on Shinji's face.
Shinji rummaged through his shinobi pouch, pulling out a vial of nutrient solution and handing it to her urgently: "Quick, drink this! It's a nutrient fluid I made to preserve eyes. If you take it in time, you might pull through!"
Seeing the genuine urgency and worry on Shinji's face, two streams of clear tears slid from Mumei's eyes.
Shinji asked: "Why are you crying?"
Mumei quickly shook her head: "It's the wind! The wind got in my eyes!"
Gulp.
She took the nutrient vial from Shinji and downed it without hesitation.
Shinji stood by, quietly observing her.
Unlike the middle-aged shinobi from the previous seal, no steamy mist emanated from Mumei's body.
Her state resembled a groggy girl just woken from sleep, still dazed.
Then, Shinji sensed her chakra, and his heart tightened.
Mumei's chakra was far stronger than he'd imagined, and incredibly vibrant—nothing like the strong yet lifeless chakra of the middle-aged shinobi.
"Why is this?"
Puzzled but relieved, Shinji let out a long breath.
All signs suggested Mumei's condition was far better than the middle-aged shinobi's. At the very least, she wasn't at risk of instantly aging and dying.
Still, without understanding why, Shinji didn't dare let his guard down.
Mumei stood, her gaze drawn to the moonlight, and she began running back and forth.
"Slow down!"
Shinji followed, gently reminding her.
Only then did he clearly see Mumei's appearance. Her soft face carried the unique beauty and pride of the Uchiha clan. Under a red hairpin, her waist-length black hair framed a girl who seemed both strong and gentle.
"Shinji, so this is where I was sealed? It's beautiful!"
Mumei chased the moonlight, curiously observing the forest.
Shinji trailed behind: "This place is called the Enchanted Forest. They say villagers who wander in fall into a deep dream, forgetting everything upon waking."
"Enchanted Forest?" Mumei paused, turning around: "Because of me?"
Shinji replied: "Maybe."
Mumei walked up to him: "There's a lot I can't remember clearly."
Shinji patted her shoulder lightly: "That's normal. You've just been freed from the seal. Your body's bound to feel off."
Mumei seemed unsure: "Is that how it works?"
"Trust me!" Smiling, Shinji said: "Come on, let's head to my lab. I'll give you a full check-up to confirm your condition!"
"Mm!"
Mumei grabbed his sleeve, nodding.
Considering Mumei had just been unsealed and hadn't fully recovered, Shinji carried her on his back, heading toward his secret laboratory.
On the way, they talked about dojutsu.
Mumei said: "Shinji, you've awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, haven't you?"
Shinji didn't hide it: "Yeah, I awakened it long ago."
Mumei laughed: "You're just a kid! If we're counting age, I'm at least a hundred years older than you! By the way, since you've awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, why did you lose your dojutsu?"
Shinji explained: "Because I awakened an even stronger dojutsu Bloodline Limit!"
"A stronger dojutsu Bloodline Limit?"
Mumei was stunned.
In her understanding, the Mangekyo Sharingan was the strongest dojutsu Bloodline Limit in the shinobi world, so she couldn't fathom what greater power Shinji had awakened.
"I'll tell you later!" Pausing, Shinji asked: "What about you? Why were you sealed by the Senju clan?"
In their earlier talks, Shinji had avoided this topic to spare Mumei's pain.
Now that he'd freed her from that lightless seal, he felt it was time to learn about her past.
As expected, mentioning the past dimmed Mumei's mood.
She then recounted how she accidentally awakened her Mangekyo Sharingan and the dojutsu Yachihoko. When the Uchiha clan learned of it, they imprisoned her, turning her into a war weapon. Her tragic past spilled out to Shinji.
Shinji was shocked and furious: "Were they insane?"
Mumei said: "War drives everyone mad. Back then, the Uchiha clan was losing ground against the Senju. To defeat them, they wanted to use my Yachihoko as the ultimate weapon! But the plan leaked, and the Senju clan raided the Uchiha, taking and sealing me…"