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Within the borders of the Land of Rain,
Near a remote village,
On a winding and rugged road, a few small figures were walking.
"Konan, why did you bring him back? He's strange; look at his eyes," complained Yahiko, who was leading the way.
Hearing his words, Nagato, who was following behind with weakened steps, lowered his head slightly.
On the other hand, Konan pouted slightly and said angrily, "Yahiko, don't say bad things about others without reason!"
As soon as Konan got angry, Yahiko immediately softened his tone and apologized with his hands together, "I'm sorry, I won't say anything more. Konan, please don't be upset."
"But today, we didn't find much food, and I don't know when Saki-niisan will arrive. It should be close to the agreed-upon day," Yahiko added.
Upon hearing this, Konan's face brightened, and she whispered, "Yes, Saki-niisan should be coming in the next few days."
At that moment, Nagato, walking at the rear, suddenly collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion.
"Thud!"
His body fell into a muddy puddle on the road, covering his worn-out clothes with mud and making him look very dirty.
Hearing the commotion behind them, both Konan and Yahiko were slightly startled. Approaching, they discovered that Nagato, who appeared emaciated, had no strength left to continue walking.
Konan looked at him with concern in her eyes, while Nagato, who had his head down, felt somewhat guilty for being a burden to the two.
Yahiko, standing next to him, crouched down and said softly, "Come on, I'm only doing this for Konan's sake. Don't expect too much."
Yahiko half-crouched and spoke to Nagato.
Nagato raised his head slightly and looked at the orange-haired youth in front of him with a vacant gaze.
"What are you still staring at? Hurry and get on. We've come this far; we can't just abandon you," Yahiko urged.
"Ugh... Going back means trouble; Grandma will have to wash my clothes again," Yahiko said with a hint of annoyance.
However, Konan didn't mind the dirt on Nagato's clothes. She carefully helped him up and placed him on Yahiko's back.
The group continued to move slowly, with Nagato lying on Yahiko's back.
Nagato, who had endured countless hardships in the past few days, felt a bit emotional. He buried his head low and whispered, "Th... thank you."
Hearing Nagato's words, Konan's eyes also became moist.
Yahiko remained silent but, feeling the slight coolness on the back of his neck, he continued to walk with extra care.
Nagato slowly drifted off to sleep on Yahiko's back.
When he woke up, they had arrived at a remote village and stood in front of a rundown house.
"Wow! Saki-niisan!?"
As they entered the courtyard, Yahiko suddenly exclaimed loudly. Konan, standing next to him, also looked happy and said, "Saki-niisan!"
The present-day Saki had grown taller, wearing a black coat, and appeared much more mature. Upon seeing the two return, he showed a hint of a smile on his otherwise stern face and said in a deep voice, "You're back."
At this moment, Saki noticed the strange pupils hidden beneath Nagato's red bangs.
This took him slightly by surprise, and he murmured, "What is this...?"
Hearing Saki's question, Yahiko explained, "This is a war orphan we encountered today. He seemed very hungry, so I discussed it with Konan, and we decided to bring him with us."
In response, Saki nodded gently, not saying much.
From the house, an old woman came out, nodded to Saki, and then looked kindly at the group in the courtyard.
"Come inside quickly. Your Saki-niisan brought plenty of food for you."
Upon hearing this, both Yahiko and Konan smiled with joy. For children who had struggled with hunger for a long time, being able to enjoy good food was the greatest happiness.
Nagato, however, remained silent, and Saki observed him thoughtfully.
Those eyes... there's no mistake...
They should be the Rinnegan of the Sage of the Six Paths...
Captain Aizen would be interested in this...
It's been four years...
Is he... okay...
With these thoughts, a complex expression briefly crossed Saki's pale eyes.
Saki didn't linger for too long, only giving some instructions to Yahiko before leaving the place.
...
At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth,
This could be considered the calmest battlefield, as Iwa-nin focused their efforts elsewhere.
The main battlefields for Iwa-nin were in the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth.
After all, Iwa-nin Village wanted to gain enough benefits from this war, and at the same time, they had to fend off the repeated attacks from Kumogakure.
They could only abandon direct confrontation with Konoha.
Within the borders of the Land of Rain,
Meanwhile, on this battlefield, Sōsuke had long established himself as the undisputed leader, thanks to his exceptional personal strength and his repeated successful analyses of the situation.
As usual, Sōsuke, who would stroll near the base every day, spotted a hidden symbol.
Upon seeing this symbol, he paused for a moment and then a smile crept across his lips.
"Swoosh!"
He suddenly disappeared from his original spot.
In a secluded spot within the forest, Sōsuke's figure slowly reappeared.
"Pat, pat"...
The light and rhythmic footsteps echoed softly, almost as if they carried a certain rhythm, conveying a sense of steadiness.
Hearing this sound, a tall figure standing on a tree trunk slowly opened his pale eyes.
Approaching a sturdy tree, Sōsuke's lips curved into a gentle smile.
"Saki... it's been a while."
Behind him, Hyuga Saki, who had appeared unnoticed, looked at the tall Sōsuke with a complex expression, speaking in a heavy tone, "Captain Aizen... it's been a long time."
Sōsuke slowly turned around, looking at the much taller and more matured Saki, who had a weathered and icy demeanor. A nostalgic smile appeared on his face.
"It's been four years... You've been through a lot."
He walked slowly to Saki's side, gently patting his shoulder, his voice warm, "Four years... you've seen too much with these eyes. You're right, destruction isn't the only option."
Saki's face became complex upon seeing Sōsuke. However, upon hearing Sōsuke's words, Saki's eyes welled up with tears and he choked up slightly.
"For your noble goals!"
"For a world no longer marred by ugliness!"
"Saki is willing to sacrifice his life if necessary, for your sake!!"
"These... four years... I've seen too much with these eyes... what you said is true... destruction isn't the only way..."
Saki spoke passionately, choked with emotion and humility.
Hearing his words, Sōsuke's face wore a gentle smile. He patted Saki's shoulder softly and shook his head slightly.
"You, my friend, are as persistent as you were four years ago."
With that, he walked past Saki.
Saki stood there, dazed, with a surprised expression. At that moment, Sōsuke's magnetic and gentle voice reached him.
"Aren't you coming? I can't save this world alone."
Upon hearing Sōsuke's words, Saki's eyes instantly brightened.
He turned around, and before his eyes was Sōsuke, looking at him with a gentle smile on his face and a hint of warmth at the corners of his mouth.
In the radiant sunlight, Sōsuke's figure appeared as if it were pure brightness.
Saki looked at this scene, and a brilliantly radiant smile, like that of a child, spread across his face.
He followed along gently.
I know...
From that moment on... from the moment I met you...
You were the light to me...
That beautiful new world... I always believed that only you could bring it...
...
Fourteen years ago,
Under the setting sun, in a meandering riverbank near Konoha Village.
"Beat him! How dare a branch family member insult me! Give him a beating!"
A group of children were beating a child on the ground.
Although the child was being beaten, he still had a stubborn look on his face.
Midway through, the bandage on the child's forehead was knocked off, revealing a blue mark.
Several children who were beating him pointed at the mark and laughed.
"He's just a branch family brat. If he dares to be disrespectful, we can easily take his life with this mark!"
"His father is just like that, daring to defy the elders for this child!"
The children continued to taunt him, and even though the boy was crying, his tears flowed like large beads.
At this moment, a figure suddenly rushed over, swiftly pushing away the kids and then pulling up the boy from the ground before running!
The two of them ran along the river for a long time, basking in the remaining rays of the setting sun.
The child with the blue mark on his forehead even forgot to cry, staring blankly at the spiky-haired young man with glasses in front of him.
"Huff, huff..."
After running to a quiet place, both of them panted heavily.
"From now on... don't let yourself get beaten up again..."
"If you have strength... you can protect the ones you care about..."
The boy with the spiky hair looked very calm and softly spoke these words to him.
After saying these words gently, he smiled at the boy, patted his shoulder lightly, dusted off the dirt on his clothes, and then walked away.
Bathing in the remaining sunlight of the setting sun, his small figure appeared somewhat lonely, but every step he took seemed resolute.
As for the boy with the blue mark on his forehead, he stood behind him, looking at him with vacant eyes.
In his pale eyes, it was as if he had seen a glimmer of hope.