The Black Market stirred in the dead of night, a hidden heartbeat beneath the city's calm.
Lanterns flickered, casting uneven shadows across the twisted alleys.
Ezumi moved along the edges, silent, observing.
She had been here before, but never like this.
Now, every step was calculated. Every glance measured.
Every merchant, every shadow, every whisper of power was noted in her mind.
The streets were narrow, the air thick with smoke and incense.
Vendors hawked goods in hushed tones, each item potentially forbidden.
Ezumi did not come for goods.
She came for power.
Her eyes caught a man in the corner, a smuggler carrying small vials of chakra-infused liquids.
His veins pulsed faintly under the dim light, rich and potent.
Ezumi waited, studying him.
The crowd moved around her, oblivious.
She stepped forward.
The touch was light. Fleeting. A kiss on the neck as she passed.
Chakra surged into her. Warm, intoxicating, fleeting.
The man faltered, nearly dropping the vials, but no one noticed.
Ezumi's lips curled in satisfaction.
Her control had improved.
She could take without leaving suspicion.
A group of children ran past, playing with small wooden swords.
Ezumi's eyes lingered on them, measuring.
Not yet. They were too aware. Too many witnesses.
Patience was necessary.
A lone child lagged behind, distracted by a stray kitten.
Perfect.
A kiss to the forehead, barely a touch.
Chakra flowed into her like water.
The child blinked, then ran to catch up with the others, unharmed, unaware.
Ezumi's smile was thin, predatory.
The market offered more than just lives to drain.
Information was abundant. Secrets whispered in shadows.
Ezumi leaned close to a vendor selling rare scrolls.
She listened.
A guard from the village had been bribed.
A wealthy Uchiha had dealings with a shadowy organization outside the village.
Every detail was recorded in her mind, cataloged for later use.
She could feel the threads of power stretching before her, waiting to be pulled.
Hours passed.
Ezumi moved through alleys and side streets, absorbing, observing, learning.
A healer with advanced medical techniques worked in a dim backroom.
Her veins glowed faintly with chakra.
Ezumi approached, lips grazing her hand.
Chakra surged, knowledge seeped into her mind.
The healer staggered but remained alive.
Ezumi walked away, her mind spinning with the potential of what she now knew.
Outside, the night air was cold.
Lanterns reflected in puddles from the recent rain.
Ezumi paused, thinking.
Each encounter was a test.
Each life touched was a measure of her growing power.
Every subtle extraction, every careful kiss, honed her ruthlessness and control.
She could feel her strength expanding, her senses sharper than before.
The predator within had grown.
She remembered the village patrols from earlier that week.
How lightly they moved. How predictably they reacted.
She had observed patterns.
Calculated escape routes.
Prepared for unexpected threats.
Each detail reinforced the lesson: patience and observation were as powerful as raw strength.
By dawn, she returned home.
The sun rose slowly over Konoha, bathing the streets in gold.
Ezumi moved silently through the empty paths, unnoticed.
Her mind cataloged every detail from the night: vials of chakra, hidden scrolls, bribed guards, secret passages.
Each became a piece of her growing strategy.
She was no longer just surviving.
She was preparing.
In her room, she examined herself in the mirror.
The young Uchiha girl's body looked unchanged.
But inside, Zack's mind was sharper, colder, more ruthless than ever.
She traced her fingers over her lips.
Every kiss taken had added to her strength.
Every life drained had honed her instincts.
Every secret uncovered had expanded her influence.
She thought of the coming days.
Patience. Observation. Subtle manipulation.
The war outside the village raged on, but she would not need to risk herself openly.
The Black Market and the village itself were her hunting grounds now.
Every step calculated. Every move measured.
The predator in her body would thrive, unseen, unstoppable.
By the time anyone realized what had happened, it would be far too late.