The downpour over Konoha had stopped, but the sky remained overcast. Normally, this time of day would be the liveliest in the village, as people finished their work.
On any other day, the streets would be filled with the shouts of shopkeepers, the laughter of friends, the sweet whispers of lovers, and the playful shrieks of children chasing each other after school. The sounds would echo in every corner of the village.
But today, it was as if the village's voice had been choked off. The office workers who usually walked arm-in-arm were gone. The bright lights of the shopping district were extinguished. Even the children, usually so mischievous after school, were subdued. The entire village seemed to have fallen into a silent lament.
People had spontaneously donned black clothing. Sakura stood by her window, watching the stream of people making their way toward the Hokage Tower. The sea of black flowed like a dark river through the veins of Konoha.
Sakura herself was already dressed in black. Behind her, Karin and Yakumo stood in silence, also gazing out at the crowd below.
"You two should go get changed as well," Sakura said softly, sighing.
Yakumo had been living alone before, and after leaving the hospital, Sakura had taken her straight to their training ground. So, she was now staying at Sakura's house.
Just before calling them back, Sakura had bought two sets of black mourning clothes from a shop on the street. She already had some at home, of course. In the world of ninja, funerals were all too common. While they were far less frequent than in the Warring States period, they still happened.
Because of this, every household, ninja and civilian alike, kept a few sets of mourning clothes in storage. It was an unpleasant thought, but it was the reality—a bloody, unforgiving reality. The very existence of mourning clothes was a testament to the cruelty of this world.
"Okay." Karin nodded obediently and went to change. Besides her gratitude toward Sakura, the only other person in Konoha she felt indebted to was the Third Hokage. He was the one who had allowed her to stay in the village. If he hadn't approved it, Kusagakure would never have let her go so easily.
His death brought a genuine sadness to Karin's heart. He was gone before she ever had the chance to show him what she could contribute to Konoha.
"I don't want to go," Yakumo said suddenly.
"Hm?" Sakura turned to face her. "Why not?"
"You know why," Yakumo replied coldly.
Sakura understood. She was referring to the Third Hokage's order for Kurenai to eliminate her—and the fact that she believed the Third was also behind her parents' deaths.
Hesitation flickered across Sakura's face. Should she tell her the truth? If she did, the team she had just assembled might fall apart in the next second.
But if she let Yakumo continue to misunderstand the Third, the self-blame she would feel one day, when she finally learned the truth, would be even more profound.
If the Third had simply died of his illness without seeking her out, perhaps Sakura's heart wouldn't be in such turmoil. In her original view, if her plan succeeded, none of this would matter. And if it failed, it would matter even less.
But the Third Hokage's death had shaken her profoundly. When he was alive, he had been an obstacle to her plans. Yet, he hadn't told a soul and had ultimately passed away, leaving no one who could possibly stand in her way.
Even in death, however, his final plea had sent a tremor through her. Her plan would still proceed, but were her actions now truly meaningless?
If the plan failed, she would regret everything she was doing now. Before, Sakura had never considered what would happen if her ultimate goal failed. To her, success or failure, everything she did now was just a stepping stone toward that final objective.
But now, because of the Third Hokage's death, Sakura had to seriously consider what she would have left if she failed... perhaps nothing but an empty shell.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura looked at Yakumo and said slowly, "The truth is, I was lying to you."
"Wh-what?" Yakumo stammered, taken aback.
"I said, I orchestrated all of that to make you work for me," Sakura stated, letting the truth rush out all at once. "The Third Hokage's order to Kurenai was to eliminate the monster inside you—the Ido. And your parents... the Ido is the one who killed them."
"It... it... it... was... me... who... killed... Father... and Mother..." Yakumo was so shocked by the revelation that she could barely speak.
Then, her expression shifted. She regained her composure in an instant. "Hmph, stop trying to trick me," she said. "This is probably just another lie you've cooked up. You've been deceiving me from the moment we met. I'm only helping you because we both have something to gain."
"You're right. It is a relationship of mutual benefit," Sakura acknowledged with a nod. "Which is why I have no reason to tell a lie like this, one that would make you hate me and ruin our cooperation. But I've realized that there are things more precious than personal gain. I don't want you to live with regrets in the future. That's why I'm telling you."
As Yakumo listened, her icy expression slowly melted away, replaced by astonishment, then shock, and finally, agony. Her body began to tremble violently. The light in her eyes faded, dissolving until it was blurred by tears.
Yakumo was no fool. Sakura was right. Given their current arrangement, she had no reason to sabotage their relationship. That meant there was only one possibility: Sakura was telling the truth.
But that truth struck Yakumo's heart like a hammer, over and over again. She collapsed onto the floor. If misunderstanding the Third Hokage and Kurenai-sensei was one thing, the fact that the Ido—the monster born from her own heart—was the true murderer of her parents was enough to make her completely break down.
"So... it... it was me... who killed my parents," Yakumo murmured, staring at her trembling hands.
"It wasn't you who killed them. It was the demon inside you. It has nothing to do with you," Sakura said, crouching down. She placed a hand on Yakumo's chest, using the Mystic Palm Technique to keep her from fainting from the emotional shock.
"Why... why did you make me... make me... merge with that demon?" Yakumo asked blankly.
Sakura sighed and explained, "I already told you. It was so you would willingly help me. But I didn't need the kind, weak you. I needed the strong you. Your dark side is just an amplification of another part of your personality. The Ido could never truly be killed, because it is your dark side. I just made you accept all of yourself. That was the only way to destroy it forever. Think of it as avenging your parents."
In truth, Sakura was just making it up as she went along, basing it on her own assumptions. But this was different from the malicious deception she had used before. This time, it was to save Yakumo from her own guilt.
Yakumo lowered her head and was silent for a long time. Then, she whispered a single word. "Leave..."
"Hm?" Sakura didn't understand. She knew she had done wrong, but she didn't want to let the mistake continue until it was beyond repair.
"Both of you, leave... I... I want to be alone..." Yakumo's voice was a hoarse whisper.
"The clothes are here. Karin and I will go on ahead," Sakura said, seeing that her emotions had stabilized somewhat. She stood up.
Whatever Yakumo decided afterward, whether she wanted to stay on the team or not, Sakura would have no complaints. The Third Hokage had shaken her with his actions. She had realized that, more precious than some distant future, was...
...the present.