The medical-nins buzzed around Mahito like dizzy bees.
"I'm okay, really," she said.
"Please stay silent."
"We'd appreciate it if you didn't try talking us out of this."
"Child, your injuries are too deep. Please zip it."
Immediately, Mahito was swarmed with several responses, all telling her to essentially shut her mouth and let them take care of her.
Their hands were coated with chakra as they worked to heal her body to the best of their abilities. Their faces were dead serious, which made her reluctantly stay silent.
After a while, they stopped and let out several noises of relief.
"You're healing well, but you're in no condition to answer questions yet," the lead medic announced, his sharp eyes glancing at the ANBU operative who lingered near the door.
He understood that this child was important for the investigation of the Nine-Tails attack, but he was a medical-nin. His ethics refused to allow him to push his young patient when the older shinobis had already answered everything they could. Surely, this little child didn't have anything more to say.
The masked figure gave a subtle nod and disappeared without a sound. The medical-nins nodded to each other and bid farewell to Mahito. "We'll be leaving you to rest. Please be mindful of your body; the wound isn't completely healed yet."
Soon, Itachi entered the room with Kushina. The woman looked at Mahito lying there with reddened eyes.
"Hey, Auntie. How are you? What about the baby?"
"Oh, you!" Kushina almost hit her but stopped at the last second, realizing this little girl was still injured. She sighed and shook her head.
The bundle in her arms twitched, and an adorable, round face appeared. Kushina's face softened as she handed the baby in her arms to Mahito.
"Woah…" Mahito gasped. "He looks like a damn sun."
"Sister, don't curse."
"Err… the baby can't understand yet, though."
Kushina's eyebrow twitched as she pulled the two kids' ears. "You shouldn't curse as kids! Behave!"
The two kids giggled sheepishly and looked at the baby closer. Kushina let go of them and patted their heads.
"What's his name?" Mahito asked.
"His name is Naruto." Kushina's voice trembled as she touched his face. "I'm so sorry for what happened to you. But the truth is, without you both, this baby would've been an orphan."
Mahito raised her head and looked directly at her dear auntie. She thought for a while before opening her mouth. "Don't apologize then, Auntie. As long as you and Minato-sama stay alive and raise Naruto-chan well, we all will be happy." Her lips curved into a faint smile.
Kushina's eyes moistened upon hearing this. She didn't think she had many people who loved her since she was a child. She had carried the Nine-Tails inside her and bore many grudges.
But somehow, many of the Uchiha had accepted her without restrictions. Mikoto—her best friend—was already calling her to bring Naruto to stay together with her newborn baby, Sasuke.
Fugaku had been investigating alongside Minato the whole time and promised her to ensure her safety.
And here, their two kids were smiling at her happily despite being injured from protecting her and her baby. Not only that, they even wished her the best and wanted her to raise her child well instead of resenting her.
"Thank you," she finally said, unable to say anything else.
After staying together and chatting for a while, Kushina and Itachi left to allow Mahito to rest.
The silence in the room was deafening. The young girl took a deep breath.
Suddenly, pain tore through her chest—not from her wound but from something deeper. She used her chakra to break a few of her arteries.
Her hands trembled as she clutched her hospital gown; the pain was too much. She truly hated pain, but there was no other choice.
"It hurts…" she whispered with a broken voice.
From above, the faint sound of movement reached her ears. She knew who was there.
ANBU.
They were stationed inside the ceiling to keep an eye on her. She was a very important factor for them now to leave her unsupervised.
However, she needed them out of her sight now.
The ANBUs couldn't allow her to die, and they immediately jumped down to check on her. Then, it all happened too quickly.
Inhaling sharply, Mahito activated her Sharingan. The three tomoe spun hypnotically in her irises, which flashed red and gold before piercing through the two ANBUs.
They fell under her genjutsu.
A moment later, she heard the faint thuds of their bodies on the floor. Her hand glowed green, and she carefully healed her broken veins to the best of her abilities.
'This should be good enough.'
With a cold expression, Mahito pulled herself to her feet and left the hospital. Her destination was clear: the Valley of the End.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The wind howled through the Valley, rustling the leaves of the old trees that surrounded the towering statues of the two founders of Konoha: Hashirama and Madara.
Mahito stood there emotionlessly as the moonlight illuminated her figure. She slowly sat down on top of Madara's statue and called out.
"I'm here. Don't you think it's time to come out?"
In front of her, the space shifted, and a shadow emerged. The man wore a long black cloak adorned with red clouds with a mask to cover his face, leaving only his eye visible.
And there was the Sharingan that Mahito had seen when the Nine-Tails attacked.
"Uchiha Mahito," the masked man's voice was calm, almost amused as his eye conveyed a smile. "I expected you sooner. You hindered my plan too much this time."
Mahito pushed herself upright, cracking a ridiculing smile. "You didn't stab me deep enough. I have to thank you in person."
The man tilted his head. "Thank me?"
Without warning, Mahito lunged forward, her hand glowing dark green as she plunged her palm into the man's stomach.
"Ugh—you little brat!"
"Calm down. It's not even on the same level you stabbed me with."
The young girl evaded the man's counterattack and retreated. She then sat down again and growled.
"Do you want to have a calm conversation this time?"
"Ha. You are truly like me. The blood that runs through your veins doesn't lie."
With a shallow laugh, Mahito waved him off.
"Stop pretending you are Madara, fake punk."