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Kaito was waiting for the next battle to begin when he suddenly received a communication from the paper clone he had stationed at Mount Ōeyama.
"Hey, main body! If you don't show up soon, Yūrei is going to be angry."
The words were transmitted directly through the link between the main body and its duplicate.
"Hmm?"
Kaito blinked.
"That does seem a bit problematic."
The paper clone said with clear exasperation, "In any case, if you don't come over, Yūrei is going to force me to summon you directly."
"You can't do that, can you? There are no ley lines on the moon."
Kaito reflexively retorted out of habit.
"Quit the nonsense. You figure it out!"
The paper clone shot back one last time before abruptly severing the connection.
In that case, I really should return to Mount Ōeyama for a while.
Kaito closed the folding fan in his hand. After informing Sasuke and Minato, he turned and walked into the castle.
Once he was out of everyone's sight, he immediately formed hand seals and opened a passage to the alternate dimension.
Passing through the air that rippled like water, the scenery before his eyes transformed entirely.
"Not bad."
Kaito surveyed the alternate dimension, which was now brimming with vitality, and clearly sensed the vastly increased ley line energy flowing beneath his feet.
However, now wasn't the time to inspect the dimension's condition. He formed hand seals once more, opened a spatial gate, and stepped through.
The world shifted again. Kaito now stood within the Uchiha residence at Mount Ōeyama.
"Kaito-chan!"
Accompanied by a faint floral scent, Yūrei's warm, soft form threw herself into his arms.
"Welcome home."
The familiar voice sounded by his ear.
"Ah, I'm back."
Kaito extended his arms and wrapped them around her.
Then, he saw the paper clone standing behind Yūrei, its face the very picture of utter despondency.
Feeling Kaito's gaze, the paper clone merely looked back at him expressionlessly for a moment before spontaneously crumbling into pieces and vanishing.
Kaito's mouth twitched into a helpless smile.
He raised a hand and gently patted Yūrei's back.
Yūrei took a step back, tilting her head to look up at Kaito. Suddenly, she reached up with both hands and pinched his cheeks.
"You really haven't been behaving, Kaito-chan." Yūrei smiled as she stretched the skin of his face outward. "Running off to another world without a word, and after coming back, you didn't even come to see me first."
"Sorryyy…" Kaito mumbled an apology through his distorted mouth.
"Hmph!" Yūrei released his face and gave him a thorough once-over.
"But… you do look much better."
She seemed genuinely pleased.
"Thank you. I am indeed feeling much better."
Kaito took Yūrei's hand and led her to sit on the engawa, the wooden veranda, where he began recounting his experiences of exorcising spirits in the other world.
"Such things can happen?"
Yūrei reached out a hand, gently touching a blooming begonia flower at the edge of the veranda.
"Humans… actually devouring each other."
"Simply a jest of the gods." Kaito replied.
A long while later, his story concluded.
Yūrei withdrew her hand from the flower and turned to look up at Kaito once more.
"That's wonderful. Kaito-chan gained something very precious."
Kaito understood she was referring to the World's Gratitude.
"It is indeed something wonderfully addictive." Kaito laughed. "I just don't know if there will be another opportunity like that."
"Ara, Kaito-chan always loves to run off outside."
Yūrei reached out again, this time twining a lock of Kaito's long hair around her finger.
"Has this world become too small to contain you?"
"Forgive me."
Kaito looked earnestly into Yūrei's eyes, his apology sincere.
"But, you understand me, don't you? I won't abandon my goals."
"Of course I understand you. I watched you grow up, after all."
Yūrei pinched his cheek again, then covered her mouth with a soft laugh.
"Thank you, Yūrei. For always being so tolerant of me."
Kaito continued to gaze at her seriously, offering his heartfelt thanks.
"Ara, what's come over you?"
A faint blush colored Yūrei's cheeks.
"Why are you saying such things all of a sudden?"
"I haven't been very attentive all this time."
Kaito took her restless hands in his own.
"Perhaps it's due to my recent experiences. I've suddenly come to understand many things I used to overlook."
His tone held a note of apology.
"Perhaps… I've been walking too fast all along. My eyes could only see the goal ahead, taking great strides toward it, and naturally overlooking other things I subconsciously deemed less important."
Yūrei looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the shimmering moonlight.
Kaito continued speaking.
"But that was merely my own assumption."
He gave a slight smile.
"From now on, I will still stride forward with purpose, but I will also strive to collect the beautiful scenery along the way into my heart."
Yūrei gently lowered her eyes, her long, thick lashes trembling slightly.
"You've grown up, Kaito-chan."
Her tone was complex, carrying a hint of lament and perhaps a touch of joy.
"You've become a truly mature adult."
Kaito couldn't help but laugh softly. "What are you saying? Haven't I been a reliable adult for a long time now?"
"No."
Yūrei lifted her eyes to meet his again.
"To march clearly towards a goal while still treating those precious to you with gentleness—only a truly mature adult can balance so many things."
"You're right."
Kaito's smile widened.
"Then, shouldn't you change how you address me?"
"..." Yūrei stared at him for a long moment, seeming to concede.
"Kaito." She called his name softly, her cheeks flushing even deeper.
"Ah!"
She immediately covered her face with her hands.
"It feels like I've lost somehow."
Kaito chuckled and shook his head. To spare her further embarrassment, he proactively shifted the conversation.
"Speaking of which, how have things been at Mount Ōeyama recently? I need to pay my respects to Lord Shigeru and Lord Shuten and the others. Later, for the defense of the lunar front, we'll need the help of the yōkai as well."
"Everyone is doing well."
Yūrei visibly relaxed, becoming more at ease.
"However, lately those great yōkai lords have gone to Yomi to watch the spectacle. Only Lord Shigeru remains at Mount Ōeyama."
"I see. It's just that they haven't appeared in the broadcasted footage." Kaito remarked.
Yūrei nodded. "Those lords are probably with Kaori."
"Has Lady Kaori returned to Yomi already?"
Kaito suddenly remembered something.
"Then she couldn't have been back for long, because in one of the recent matches, someone displayed a puppet woven from nine hundred and ninety-nine red spider lilies."
"Kaori must not know about such a thing!" Yūrei's eyes widened in surprise.
"While those who aren't of the same species as yōkai aren't considered their kin... but, nine hundred and ninety-nine? That person is far too greedy. Kaori will certainly punish him!"
"Oh?"
Kaito laughed again.
"It seems we can look forward to a good show starting now."
"Kaito." At that moment, Yūrei called his name once more.
"Hmm?"
Kaito looked at her.
"Since the moon will need the power of the yōkai, I will accompany you there," Yūrei stated.
"Alright."
Kaito lowered his head, slowly drawing closer.
A night breeze swept by, causing the begonias beneath the veranda to sway gently.
The moonlight filled the courtyard, calm and deep as still water.