Chapter 235: The Cost of Mercy

Tenten felt that what Nezumi said made sense. Her grip on the girl's arm loosened. When she turned away, she was already crying.

There was nothing she could do to save those eyes. The only thing she could do now was find bandages and medicine for the wound, small, almost meaningless acts. Is it me who's broken, or everyone else? How can people change this much? What has this war done to all of us?

The girl's eyes could not be saved. But Nezumi had at least shown restraint. Eye extraction was a delicate skill, done too roughly, and the patient could die. Done properly, like Nezumi's method, the wound could still be stabilized and treated.

Tenten didn't want to speak to Hinata. Not a single word. So she simply brought bandages and wrapped the girl's wound in silence. No conversation existed between them. You just took her eyes, and now you're asking how she is? Only an idiot could think like that. Tenten wasn't an idiot. So she said nothing.

The girl was in too much pain to speak, or even cry. Tenten tied the final knot carefully. There was still some bandage left over, part of a supply she had scavenged from Amegakure medical storage. She had secretly hidden the rest so it wouldn't be taken and left nothing for emergencies.

In truth, it was pointless. Everything valuable had already been looted. What remained was junk no one cared about. Even if she hadn't taken it, no one would have.

Then she remembered something. A stuffed bear sealed inside her scroll. A childhood keepsake. A charm she once believed brought her luck. Now, she placed it into the girl's arms instead. The soft texture might calm her.

Tenten almost smiled, but it never came. She reached out as if to pat the girl's head, then stopped. Her hand hovered in the air. Then fell back. I don't have the right.

Meal distribution time arrived. Rice balls and thin soup were handed out. Each person received two rice balls, man, woman, child, all the same. But every day, many could not even finish them. Because every day, someone died before they could eat. And those bodies were taken away. Today was no different.

Tenten assisted with distribution. At the end, she picked up a rice ball, lifted her mask, and took a bite.

Nezumi turned. Then everything exploded into chaos. "HEY, DON'T EAT THAT! WAIT WAIT WAIT DON'T SWALLOW IT!!"

BOOM! The rice baskets toppled. Food scattered everywhere. Nezumi rushed forward in panic.

Tenten didn't understand what was happening at all. Rice balls weren't poisonous. They were better than soldier pills. So why. Before she could react, Nezumi tackled her. She was slammed to the ground. Her mask slipped off completely. Her face was exposed.

Nezumi froze in horror. "There wasn't any rice in your mouth! What the hell are you doing?!" Now Nezumi was fully panicking, patting her chest and shoulders as if confirming something terrifying. "WHAT THE HELL! WHAT THE HELL! WHAT THE HELL!!"

Tenten finally snapped. She kicked him hard between the legs. Not enough to permanently injure, but more than enough to make him regret existing. "YOU IDIOT!! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!"

Nezumi collapsed, clutching himself, unable to speak. The surrounding ANBU froze. Silence. Confusion. Shock.

Tenten slowly stood up, fixed her mask again, and suddenly felt something was wrong. "What is going on?" Her voice was cold.

Nezumi's subordinate looked between his writhing captain and Tenten, unable to respond. Another ANBU stammered, "W-what do we do now?" 

"W-what do we do? Damn it, ahh, ahh, damn it." Nezumi sounded like he had given up on life itself.

Finally, he grabbed Tenten. "Come with me. Now."

Tenten's instincts screamed danger. If she left this place, she might not come back. So she broke free instantly. "Where are you taking me?"

Nezumi sighed like a man being sentenced to death. "You can't stay here anymore. If something happens to you, we take the blame." 

"You're a chunin. Don't make our lives harder." He sounded completely sincere. From his perspective, Tenten was the problem.

From Tenten's perspective, leaving meant abandoning them. So she made her choice. A kunai slid into her hand. But not aimed at Nezumi. At herself. "Nezumi. Explain this properly, or I'll cut myself."

Nezumi froze. "You're insane." "This isn't a threat," she said calmly. "It's a condition."

Her grip tightened. A blade pressed into her side. Blood appeared instantly.

Nezumi panicked. "YOU'RE ACTUALLY CRAZY!! BANDAGES!! NOW!!" "EXPLAIN FIRST!!"

Tenten's voice didn't waver. Even the hardened ANBU felt something shift. This wasn't bluffing anymore. This girl would actually go through with it.

Nezumi raised both hands immediately. "I surrender! I surrender! Don't pull it out!!" 

"Explain everything first." "You're really going to kill me with paperwork stress."

Inside the prison, there was no safe place for explanations. So Nezumi gave up. He dragged Tenten away.

After they left, the ANBU stared at the mess of spilled rice and muttered: "Do all women in our village fight like that?"

Another ANBU shook his head. "I don't know, but I've never seen anything like that before." A pause. "Honestly, I shouldn't have transferred here." He suddenly stood up. "Isn't there an opening on the male prison side?" 

"Yeah, I think so."

He immediately ran. "HEY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" 

"I'M REQUESTING TRANSFER!! I'M NOT STAYING HERE!!" 

"You idiot!! It's the same everywhere!!" 

"But over there there's only ONE boss!! Here there are TWO!! I'm not dealing with double bosses!!"