Namikaze Nozuki's words had barely left her lips when Hatake Sakumo felt a rush of dizziness. Instinctively, he moved towards Reiki.
"Don't touch him!" Shisui's urgent voice cut through the tension. "Reiki's body is saturated with curse energy. If you touch him now, you'll be cursed too!"
Sakumo froze, his hand stopping in mid-air. He turned to Shisui, his expression grave. "Shisui, how much… do you really know?"
From the start, Shisui's behavior had been off. His chakra consumption was too high, even for the Sharingan. It was beyond belief that Shisui alone could contain both Reiki and the malevolent entity.
"Reiki planned for this," Shisui explained, holding up an empty potion bottle labeled *Great Sage Potion*. "He gave this to me. It boosts mental power tenfold for a short duration. That's how I amplified my genjutsu to hold him and the entity at bay."
Hatake Sakumo's gaze softened with understanding, but concern remained. "You believe him?"
"Yes, and I trust him to have a plan that won't cost his life."
Hatake Sakumo sighed, stepping back. He knew Shisui and Nozuki were suffering most in this moment.
"Shisui… do you really think he'll survive?" Nozuki asked, her voice trembling as she walked to Shisui's side. A fragile smile formed on her lips, tinged with desperate hope.
"Yes. I believe in him," Shisui said firmly, his eyes wet with unfallen tears.
"Then I do too," Nozuki whispered, forcing a smile as bright as the morning sun. The sight of her smile sent a jolt through Shisui. His body shook as emotions overwhelmed him, tears mixed with blood streaming down his face.
"I believe you," Nozuki said, her voice barely holding together.
"Roy gave us these potions, didn't he? There has to be something here that can help him now," Shisui said, rummaging through scrolls and taking out bottles of various potions.
Nozuki joined him, searching frantically, their efforts creating a mound of potion bottles in front of them. As the sun reached its peak the next day, exhaustion sank into their bones. The pile of valuable potions, worth a fortune, now seemed like needles piercing their hearts.
"Shisui, you said you believed in him. So promise me… promise me he'll survive," Nozuki said, voice cracking with fatigue and despair.
A sudden breeze swept through the courtyard. Reiki's body shimmered and dissolved like smoke, leaving behind only a long black blade.
Nozuki stood up shakily, parting the pile of potions as she stepped toward the sword. "No, it can't be. Shisui said he believed in you, right? I do too… so come back. Stop hiding," she murmured.
"Nozuki…" Sakumo stepped forward, seeing the vacant look in her eyes, but Shisui held out his arm to stop him.
"Let her," Shisui said, his voice breaking.
Sakumo's eyes widened as he noticed Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, the bleeding eyes of a man who had witnessed unimaginable pain.
Shisui followed Nozuki, kneeling beside her as she reached for Murasame. The moment her fingers touched the blade, black lightning crackled and forced her hand away.
"This sword has its own consciousness. No one but its rightful owner can wield it," Maitreya said, stepping forward. "Anyone who tries will be cursed."
Nozuki turned, tears still streaming down her face. "Shisui… you said you believed him, didn't you?"
"Yes," Shisui whispered.
"Boom!" Nozuki lunged at him, fists pounding his face over and over.
"Didn't you say he wouldn't die? Didn't you say you believed him? That he'd come back? That this was all part of his plan?" Her voice cracked with grief as she lashed out.
Shisui took every blow without protest, tears mingling with blood. He knew she needed this, and as their partner, he bore the weight willingly.
"Ala? Why is everyone so dramatic? You're going to make me, an injured man, do all the work?" A weak voice came from the entrance.
Nozuki froze, her hand mid-swing. Slowly, she turned toward the door.
"Reiki…" she whispered, disbelieving.
"Shisui, I see him. He's really here," she said, tears still streaming but her hands falling limp.
"Reiki?" Shisui muttered, lifting his head just as Reiki stepped into the courtyard, looking exhausted but very much alive.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 520 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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