He couldn't shake the fallen kunoichi from his mind—especially the thought of Kushina and the other kunoichi whose hairs might hold enough Demonic Energy to unlock more skills, essentially help him survive. Right now, he can't even control his own hair like Bayonetta does. Probably because, as a man, he's a source of Yang. But the Demonic Energy has Yin component.
[Demonic Energy]
[Composition: A mixture of chakra, emotional energy, and yin source.]
[Note: Due to System modifications, this energy may now be used in place of the dark energy originally required.]
He sighed weakly. 'I need more trump cards.'
While walking, he sketched the core plan in his head, examining each step carefully.
'First, I need sense the hair of a fallen kunoichi.'
'Second, cut off her hair with my [Hair Manipulation] ability.'
'Third, use the same skill to control the hair to travel through the ground to me.'
'Fourth, hold it, then absorb the Demonic Energy.'
'If I manage to absorb all of the energy in the hair, it should turn to dust—with no trace left behind.'
It was audacious and risky, and the implications were chilling, but the potential gain was undeniable. He knew he had to think every detail through before doing anything.
'If they find me, my secret would be out, and no woman would ever trust me near their hair. My only option would be to use less savory methods. I'd rather not do that.'
He paused at that, then continued turning the plan over again. There were many variables—each blocker needed to be cleared.
'First difficulty: how do I move hair through the ground?'
'I should be able to use [Hair Manipulation] stiffen and soften every individual strand, make each one act like a tiny probe, they could each penetrate loose soil on their own.'
'Given how thin each strand would be when hardened, tunneling should be easy. Better this than try to drill through with a large bunch—less noise, less disturbance, less chance of being detected.'
He nodded to himself, the outline of a method slowly taking shape in his head.
'Second: how do I make contact with the hair without being obvious? I wouldn't be the only one there. Even if I wait for everybody to leave, if "Tobi" decides to drop by, I wouldn't even be able sense it since he's a man. It wouldn't take a second, for him and his plant friend to sense something wrong and take me down.'
'I should use a covert method. Hmm... maybe I can wear shoes with holes at the bottom, or rather, straw or wicker footwear. They should have enough gaps. I could let the hair come up through the soil beneath my feet, pass through the holes, and touch my leg.'
'That touch should fulfill the physical-contact requirement. Once that's done, I can absorb the Demonic Energy.'
'If I drain it fully, the hairs should turn to dust, with no evidence left behind.'
He nodded to himself.
'Third: Orochimaru.'
'Even if I was discreet with everything, if somebody digs up the bodies, it would be apparent something's wrong.'
'As a professional graverobber, Orochimaru would definitely dig up the graves of powerful fallen shinobi. If he see that many kunoichi are missing their hair, he'd get suspicious and probably investigate.'
'Being on the watchlist of that unkillable snake would be worse than facing any Kage right now.'
'So—I should select only a few kunoichi with the highest Demonic Energy in their hairs. Instead of all cutting off the hair, I should neatly cut it to bob length or similar, make it look like a proper hairstyle. That should reduce the chance of suspicion.'
'Kushina's situation is complicated though. Her long, fiery red hair is iconic—too recognizable. Even if he's blind to fashion, if he finds her hair short or all gone, he would be suspicious.'
'Maybe I'm overthinking this, but better be safe. Just for her, I should do a haphazard cut, make it uneven, as if she lost it during the battle with kyuubi or something.'
'I'm fairly sure the three Sannin were away during the incident, so Orochimaru might not know every little detail, even if he got a report. Nobody would talk about her hair in an important intelligence report. That should lower the risk.'
He let the plans sit in his head and ran through the risks. Even with the precautions, the whole operation was dangerous—morally dubious and easy to misread by anyone nosy enough to notice a pattern.
'Ideally, I'd spread this out over a year so no one links it to me, even if it's discovered.'
He looked at the crowded, noisy street full of people.
'But time's running out.'
'Orochimaru's defection should be happening within a year, and things could get ugly fast. He could stir up a fight in the village, and if it spills into the civilian district… Teuchi, Ayame, and I could be caught in the crossfire. Although, to be honest, I would be in much more danger than them. The anime showed the father daughter pair has incredible luck.'
He chuckled to himself before becoming serious.
'And then there's the conspiracy around my parents' deaths. If my gut is true, and there's really a perpetrator behind their deaths, I will also be in danger. If my plans succeed and I start becoming richer, and stronger, they would probably try to off me as an inconvenience.'
'So, I can't afford to take it slow.'
'The Demonic Sense skill unlocked pretty easily, with just the energy from the genin kunoichi's hair at the hospital… but I can't assume the others will be the same.'
'I remember some of Bayonetta's abilities—demon summons, gun-fu, shapeshifting, portals, immortality, even time manipulation… and more.'
'Now that I really think about it, her overall package is absurd! Way too powerful!'
The realization made him pause. 'The system notification mentioned it was using its source energy to prevent Umbra magic from destroying my body due to incompatibility. If it is holding back all this power, it's doing much more than for me than I imagined. So, the energy cost must be proportionally high.'
'If I take it slow, I won't know when I'll gather enough energy to unlock the next skill.'
'So… I really can't delay. I'll try the heist the day after the funeral. By then, fewer people will be around—and, more importantly, the high-level shinobi won't be there.'
By the time he settled on that decision, his legs had carried him all the way back to Ichiraku Ramen.
The moment he stepped into the shop, Renji immediately noticed a familiar figure—Kurenai.
He clicked his tongue, berating himself. He had been too deep in thought, his Demonic Sense left idle. Otherwise, he could have sensed her hair from a kilometer away.
'I need to make Demonic Sense instinctive. Even without focusing, I should be able to read energy signatures automatically… Practice. It'll take practice.'
Shaking the thought aside, he turned his attention back to Kurenai. In his mind space, he held the exact replica of her thick hair that the skill formed, letting the emotions flow through him.
That lingering ache of loss still weighed heavily on her, though it hadn't spiraled into despair. The presence of the kunoichi beside her seemed to be keeping her steady.
Renji shifted his perception to the second woman. She had striking violet hair, tied back into a short, spiky ponytail that fanned outward. Her outfit consisted of thin metal mesh layered beneath a tan overcoat—practical, yet distinct.
'Anko Mitarashi.'