A way out and an unexpected decision

The next day's dawn brought little warmth to the eerie cliffside. The leaden sky barely cracked, letting through a few faint, pale rays of sunlight, like a few copper coins given by a miser, unable to dispel the dampness and chill that seemed to have condensed for a thousand years. The air still lingered with the sweet, fishy scent of river water and the odor of rotting earth. The chill, like a malignant sore, seeped in from all sides, penetrating every pore.

Senju Tobirama opened his eyes almost as the first glimmer of light appeared. That night, he didn't truly sleep. His severely injured body was like a dilapidated machine constantly sounding an alarm. Pain, cold, and a high-alertness instinct kept him in a state of semi-consciousness. He moved his limbs, which were as stiff as rusted iron. The sharp pain from the wound on his back made cold sweat instantly break out on his forehead, but he only frowned slightly. With strong willpower, he began to move his joints slowly and steadily, assessing his body's condition.

After a night of rest and some simple treatment with herbs that had at least some effect, his horrific injuries were far from healed, still like a vicious beast lurking within him, ready to attack at any moment. However, thanks to the naturally strong constitution of the Senju clan and his own iron will, he had finally regained some basic mobility. The lingering fever had also subsided slightly. Although his forehead was still burning, at least he was conscious and his thoughts were clear. The wound on his back still looked hideous, but fortunately, it no longer oozed fresh blood as it had yesterday. This was a blessing in disguise.

He supported himself against the rock wall and slowly rose to his feet. This simple movement strained all his muscles and injured parts, bringing on a wave of dizziness and excruciating pain. But he steadied himself, took a deep breath of the cold, damp air, and began to carefully survey his surroundings like a precision scanner. His sharp red eyes, like the most precise ruler, scanned the steep, almost vertical rock faces covered in slippery, mossy rock, inch by inch, assessing any cracks or ridges that might offer a way out. He observed the direction and speed of the turbid, rushing river beneath him, listening to the changes in the water's sound, trying to decipher the terrain downstream. He even noted the distribution and types of vegetation in different areas. These subtle clues in nature often revealed water sources, sunlight, and even soil structure, allowing him to deduce possible routes out.

Uchiha Aoi awoke almost simultaneously. The night's torment hadn't restored her, only made her even more haggard. The bruises under her eyes were visible, her lips were chapped, and her bones ached as if they were falling apart. But a fierce will to live, like a faint yet unquenchable spark in the darkness, supported her as she managed to sit up. Silently, with barely concealed uneasiness, she watched the silver-haired man nearby, moving silently. Every subtle movement, every lingering glance, tugged at her heartstrings. Would he fulfill his fragile promise of "cooperation" and lead her to find a way out of this desperate situation? Or, once he found a way, would he turn against her, throwing last night's temporary peace behind him, and even... She didn't dare to think any further. The chill brought by that possibility was more biting than the freezing temperature at the bottom of the cliff.

Tobirama surveyed the area in silence, seemingly forming a preliminary assessment and calculation. He returned to the fire, now extinguished, leaving only a handful of gray embers. He removed a small, carefully wrapped package in tarpaulin from the inner layer of his ninja tool bag. He opened it, revealing a meticulously drawn map of the area and a compass that gleamed with a cold metallic gleam—standard equipment that a top ninja would never leave without.

He squatted down, spread the map on the relatively flat stone surface, and with a touch of dew on his fingers, he slowly moved his gaze across the map, rapidly switching between the contour lines and river markings on the map and the actual scene before him, comparing them. His brow furrowed slightly, his concentration rapt, as if the only thing in the world was the correspondence between the map and the terrain. Finally, his damp fingertips came to a steady rest on a point on the map, marking a bend in the river where the topography seemed to shift.

"Follow me."

Without any explanation, without asking for advice, without even turning to look at Aoi, he simply uttered these two words in a cold, emotionless voice, as if issuing a perfectly ordinary marching order. Then, he put away his map and compass, chose a direction downstream along the riverbank, and began his journey. His steps were noticeably slow and stagnant due to his back injury, not as swift and silent as usual, but each step was steady, demonstrating his core strength and incredible control of his body.

Aoi hesitated for a fleeting moment. Her heart was filled with immense fear for the road ahead and the man beside her. But looking around at the hopelessly enclosed surroundings, she knew that following him was the only option she had left, the only option that might offer a chance of survival. She bit her lower lip, then, with legs that felt like they were filled with lead, she silently followed, keeping a few steps at arm's length. She had to survive. Only by surviving could she have a chance to return to her brother, to the Uchiha clan.

The difficulty of the journey far exceeded her imagination. The so-called riverbank lacked a defined path; it was a rudimentary terrain of jagged rocks and overgrown brush. The large pebbles were incredibly slippery, covered in slick moss. Every step required careful consideration; a single misstep could result in a bruised and bloody head. The dense, thorny undergrowth was a natural obstacle course, requiring constant effort to push aside or circumvent it, tearing her clothing further and leaving new scratches on her exposed skin.

Although Tobirama was seriously injured, his qualities as a top ninja were fully demonstrated at this moment. He could always rely on his rich experience and keen observation to find the most labor-saving and safest way to pass through seemingly roadless places. His movements may not be perfect anymore, but his efficiency is still very high. Occasionally, when he encountered a steep rocky slope that needed to be climbed, or a puddle that needed to be swung across by vines, he would even unexpectedly use extremely brief and emotionless words to remind Aoi who was following behind him: "There is a foothold on the left." "Grab that thick vine."

These brief reminders, rather than assistance, were more like instructions from a commander to his subordinates, ensuring the efficiency of the team (even if it consisted of only two people). Aoi followed silently, concentrating all her energy on not falling behind. She was keenly aware that although his attitude remained as cold as a rock at the bottom of a cliff, his words were stingy, and his actions maintained an absolute cautious distance, he did not seem to have given any signs of wanting to abandon her or harm her. This discovery caused the string in her heart, which had been stretched to the extreme, to relax slightly, an imperceptible arc. However, the hatred and vigilance accumulated over the years had long been deeply rooted. She did not dare to be careless in the slightest, and remained like a frightened deer, ready to respond to any possible danger at any time.

After trudging like this for the better part of a day, the sun had already set, the light softening and becoming more sallow. Finally, the scene ahead shifted. The river formed a natural bend here, its channel widening noticeably. The current was no longer as turbulent and roaring as upstream, but rather gentle and deep. More crucially, the rock face on the opposite bank, once as steep as if slashed by a knife or an axe, seemed to have softened here, revealing a continuous, steep gravel slope. A few drought-resistant shrubs and low trees even grew sparsely on the slope, making it possible to climb.

"You can go up from here." Tobirama stopped, stood by the river, pointed to the slope on the opposite bank, and announced in a calm tone, as if he was just stating an objective fact.

Aoi looked in the direction of his finger, her heart beating faster involuntarily. The ray of hope, like a torch suddenly lit in the darkness, instantly illuminated her heart, which was almost soaked with despair. Although the slope was still steep and covered with gravel, it looked difficult, but compared to the smooth vertical cliffs before, it was undoubtedly a ladder to heaven! As long as she climbed up, she could get away from this damn cliff bottom! She might find her way back to the Uchiha clan! Or, with luck, she might meet someone from the Night Moon clan who might still be searching nearby for support!

However, the fire of hope that had just ignited in her heart was instantly extinguished by Tobirama's next bone-chilling words before it had time to warm her cold limbs, leaving only the biting cold and deeper despair.

"But," he slowly turned around, and for the first time, those deep, blood-red eyes, like blood jade, looked directly at Uchiha Aoi. There was no warmth or emotion in his gaze, only a carefully calculated, almost cold determination that cut through her newly-risen expectations with the precision of a scalpel. "You will not return to Uchiha, nor will you go to Yeyue."

Aoi's heart sank suddenly, as if she had instantly fallen into an icy cave deeper than the cliff. She took a half step back cautiously, her voice dry and sharp with sudden fear: "What...what do you mean?!"

"What I mean is," Tobirama's tone was as cold as iron, leaving no room for doubt. Every word was like an icicle hitting Aoi's heart, "you come back with me to Senju."

"What?!" Aoi couldn't believe her ears. The color drained from her face in an instant, as if all the blood had been drained. "Impossible! You're crazy! I'm an Uchiha! I'll soon be the Young Lady of the Yozuki Clan! How could I possibly go with you to the Senju?! It's absolutely impossible!" In her excitement, she even forgot her fear, her voice trembling with tears and anger.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to become the Young Madam," Tobirama interrupted her sarcastically. There was no emotion in his voice, only a statement of a fact he had determined. "The wedding procession was attacked, suffering heavy losses. The bride fell off a cliff and her whereabouts are unknown. In the eyes of everyone paying attention to this matter—whether it's the Uchiha, the Yeyue, or other factions—you are probably now a cold corpse, or a missing person abducted by some unknown force. This is an established fact and cannot be changed."

He took a step forward. Though his pace slowed due to his injuries, the oppressive feeling of a powerful being, a mixture of blood and cold determination, came over him like a physical object, making it difficult for Aoi to breathe, almost suffocating. "You have two choices now." He held up two fingers, his movements crisp and clear, like an ultimatum.

"First," he lowered his first finger, "stay here and fend for yourself. Alternatively, you could try to climb up on your own and be discovered by unknown enemies, friend or foe, who may still be searching the surrounding area. Perhaps they're Uchiha, remnants of Yotsuki, or some other force that's come here after hearing the news, coveting the Sharingan or hoping to muddy the waters. Do you think, in your current state, if you fall into the hands of any of them, your fate would be better than returning to the Senju with me?"

His words pierced Aoi's ears like a venomous snake, chilling her to the bone. The possibilities he described were cruel and real: being alone in this desolate wilderness, or falling into the hands of an unknown enemy, would likely lead to a fate worse than death.

"Second," he paused, lowering his second finger. An extremely elusive and complex light flashed in his red eyes, so fast that it was impossible to catch it. "Come back with me to Senju. As Senju's..." He seemed to be choosing his words, and finally chose the cold and humiliating word, "...captive."

"Captive…captive…" Aoi muttered the word repeatedly, feeling all the strength drain from her body, her legs weakening, and she could barely stand. Going to the Senju clan's territory? That place, where the Uchiha clan held a blood feud for generations, and where the clan elders described it as a hellish place? What awaited her? Endless humiliation and imprisonment? Tortured to extract intelligence from the Uchiha clan? Or being used as a hostage to threaten Madara's brother and force the Uchiha clan to submit? Either way, she shuddered.

"Why..." She raised her head, tears welling up uncontrollably in her eyes, her voice trembling, with a last trace of unwillingness and confusion, "Why do you have to take me to Senju? Wouldn't it be easier to kill me? Or... or like you said, just let me fend for myself here... Why do you have to take me back?" She couldn't understand, this was not in line with Senju Tobirama's usual cold style.

Tobirama looked at her tear-stained face, filled with despair and bewilderment. His gaze was as deep as a cold pond, still icy, yet seemingly concealing something more complex. "Your value," he began, his voice steady and cruel, "is greater alive than dead." He paused, as if trying to formulate his words, or perhaps, to offer a compelling reason for both himself and the other person. "Whether as a bargaining chip to contain Uchiha Madara, or…" His gaze lingered briefly on her, sweeping across her pale face and fear-filled eyes. He seemed to hint at something, but he didn't spell it out, leaving an uneasy suspense. "…perhaps there are other values. That's my judgment."

His words completely sealed off Aoi's escape routes and hopes. The so-called two choices, in reality, had only been one from the start: to follow him. Staying would mean death, or a life worse than death; while returning to the Senju with him, while the future was uncertain and filled with unknown fears, at least... he still needed her alive, meaning she still had room to survive in the short term. Furthermore, deep within her, a faint voice reminded her that this man had jumped from the cliff to save her (although his motives were unclear), and hadn't killed her the night before... Perhaps, following him wasn't a complete dead end?

Finally, torn by immense fear, humiliation, and the most instinctive desire to survive, Uchiha Aoi, weighed down by despair, made the most difficult and helpless decision of her life. She lowered her head, tears finally streaming down her cheeks, dripping onto the cold gravel. Her voice, as thin as a mosquito's, was filled with a sense of powerlessness and resigned compromise, almost drowned out by the sound of the river:

“…I…will go with you.”

Tobirama seemed unsurprised by this answer, his expression unchanged, as if he had everything under control. He said nothing more, simply signaling Aoi to follow him with his eyes. He then took the lead, walking further downstream along the riverbank until he found a relatively shallow, gentle current. He tested the water temperature; it was icy cold. Without hesitation, enduring the pain of his wounds and the chill of the water, he waded into the river, step by step, with difficulty, towards the slope on the other side, a symbol of an unknown fate.

Aoi stood there, watching his silver figure, swaying slightly in the muddy water, yet remaining steadfast. She glanced back at the slope of "freedom" that seemed so close yet so far away. Finally, she bit her lip hard until she tasted blood, then, with heavy steps like a thousand-pound boulder, she followed him, step by step, into the icy, bottomless river.

The river water instantly submerged her calves, and the icy sensation felt like thousands of steel needles piercing her bones. She didn't know what awaited her ahead, whether it was deeper humiliation or unforeseen danger. She only knew that from this moment on, her fate had completely deviated from its original trajectory, and she was forced to be tied to this man named Senju Tobirama on a ship shrouded in uncertainty and fog.

Unbeknownst to her, as Tobirama, trudging through the water ahead, gazed ever forward, deep within his red eyes, a complex emotion, one he couldn't even fully decipher, flickered from an angle she couldn't see. His insistence on bringing her back to the Senju, a seemingly rational, profit-maximizing decision, was the driving force behind it all simply based on cold, cold "values" and "bargaining chips"? Perhaps, even he couldn't give a clear, definitive answer at this moment. Something deeper, more obscure, like an undercurrent, quietly influencing the ship's direction.