After leaving the path in the woods, the two of them continued down the road, chatting and laughing, as if there were too many feelings and emotions to express.
Yugao's face was constantly smiling ever since Yu appeared, as if she wanted to make up for all the Lost smiles during this time.
Yu brought Yugao to a grassy area not far from the Konoha Orphanage, where they could see many children playing and chasing each other near the entrance.
"You asked me to accompany you to the orphanage... why don't we go inside and take a look?"
Yugao, whose outward appearance was cold and beautiful, nestled beside Yu like a gentle bird, and couldn't help but softly ask when she noticed he seemed a bit lost in watching the children at the orphanage nearby.
"Maybe we shouldn't... Considering my current relationship with Konoha, it's probably better to avoid unnecessary complications by not meeting them."
Upon hearing Yugao's gentle words, Yu snapped out of his reverie, lightly chuckled and shook his head. His gaze rested on her delicate and alluring face.
"Besides, my main purpose for coming back this time is to see you and Kurenai. I'll be leaving soon..."
"What? You just came back and you're leaving again?!"
Sure enough, upon hearing that Yu was about to leave again, Yugao's recently relaxed emotions instantly tensed up.
"Don't worry. Remember what I told you..." Yu hurriedly held her soft hand to comfort her. "As long as I want to, I can come back anytime to see you. I can even take you out everywhere..."
Indeed, with the abilities of Kaio's Door Door Fruit, Yu could freely come and go in Konoha whenever he pleased. Furthermore, his powerful Observation Haki allowed him to easily evade everyone's detection. Since his return and meeting with Yugao, except for Gekko Hayate whose memories he had sealed and erased, no other ninja in Konoha had sensed his presence.
"Alright... Just being able to see you is enough. I feel like I'm dreaming right now..."
Hand in hand with Yu, Yugao's face blushed slightly as she cast a sidelong glance at the handsome and otherworldly Yu by her side.
"It's been a while, and you seem to have grown taller again..."
As she spoke, Yugao reached out and gestured to Yu's height in front of her, meeting his amber-clear eyes at eye level.
Indeed, Yu, who would turn fifteen after this winter, was in a phase of rapid physical growth. After some time apart, standing at 169 centimeters tall, Yugao noticed Yu was nearly as tall as her.
"You're definitely not dreaming... I'm sorry for making you worry for so long..."
Looking at the enchanting Yugao before him, Yu couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt deep inside. It wasn't right to have a girl like her worrying about him in Konoha for so long.
"As long as I can be with you... I'm willing to wait however long it takes..."
Feeling Yu's apologetic gaze, Yugao whispered softly as she leaned gently against him, lifting her head with tender affection in her eyes.
Not far from the Konoha Orphanage's lawn, the couple's lips met, creating a picturesque scene.
...
At the same time, on the other side of this lawn.
Hidden within the dense forest was the base of the former independent underground organization 'Root' of Konoha.
However, after the fierce battle where Yu had departed from Konoha, this once expansive underground world of darkness had been reduced to complete ruins.
Added to that were the bodies of hundreds of former Root Ninjas buried inside, and a chilling wind blew through, as if countless resentful spirits and ghosts were constantly wailing day and night.
"Yakushi Yu... Yakushi Yu..."
Yet in such a gloomy and eerie ruin, at this very moment, stood an elderly person dressed in a black and white Ninja kimono.
His gloomy eyes occasionally flickered in the darkness like eerie lights, and his mouth seemed to murmur repeatedly, as if holding poison, uttering a name that was etched deeply in his memory.
"Danzo-sama..."
"All the survivng Ninjas who were formerly part of Root have been assembled and are waiting outside for your orders."
A light breeze blew by as a Ninja wearing an ANBU cat-faced mask appeared behind him, kneeling on one knee.
Indeed, the elderly person dressed in a black and white Ninja kimono was none other than Shimura Danzo, the 'Dark Side of the Ninja World', who had been publicly executed by Yu before.
However, unlike his previous sinister and dark appearance, since barely surviving with the powerful vitality of the Wood Release cells from the First Hokage Senju Hashirama's body, he had been imprisoned by the Third Hokage in Konoha and subjected to relentless torture and interrogation by a group of Ninja with abusive tendencies.
Danzo's face and body were covered with scars from various brutal punishments, leaving almost no intact skin from head to toe. His original pair of broken arms had also been replaced with pallid prosthetics grown from Senju Hashirama's Wood Release cells.
"How many people in total?"
After hearing the words of his subordinate Ninja, Danzo's voice was low and hoarse.
"This... report to Danzo-sama..."
"In total... there are... one hundred and two Ninjas..."
Facing Danzo's inquiry, the ANBU Ninja under him hesitated for a moment, then stuttered out his answer.
"One hundred and two Ninjas? How can there be so few?"
Upon hearing his subordinate's reply, Danzo turned angrily towards him with a terrifying gaze. However, he quickly realized the situation and a look of furious resentment appeared on his grim and dreadful face.
"I see... I understand now..."
"It appears that since Sarutobi dismissed my position and authority in Konoha, even those who were once obedient Ninjas have begun to defy my orders..."
Having grasped the situation, Danzo's dark eyes cast a chilling glare that left the nearby ANBU Ninja trembling.
"Very well... After all, as people rise to power, they naturally become more disobedient when they see me losing influence in Konoha..."
"If anyone is to blame, it's only myself. Back then, I should have eliminated that little demon Yakushi Yu to prevent future troubles! Otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen into such a situation today..."
As Danzo spoke, the hatred emanating from his eyes could hardly be washed away even if all the oceans were used, and the Wood Release cells torturing him night and day, along with the sutures Yu had left inside him, resumed their relentless erosion of his internal organs.
In addition, since his clandestine research into the Wood Release cells of the First Hokage Senju Hashirama and his illicit dealings with the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai Sharingan were exposed, he, who had once been a high-ranking Elder with real power in Konoha, had almost overnight become a pariah everyone reviled.
Thinking of these unimaginable pains, Danzo, overwhelmed with agony, suddenly coughed up blood mixed with the shattered remnants of his organs. He collapsed to his knees on the ground, the burning pain once again challenging his nerves.
"If one day you return to Konoha... Yakushi Yu, I will ensure you experience the same agony as me!!"
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