"Give me a moment before you leave."
Mei Terumi gave Shigure a glance and smiled faintly.
"I understand. A farewell, is it? Don't worry too much. You're not a missing-nin. If you want to return to Konoha one day, you'll always be free to."
She wasn't worried in the slightest. Judging from the boy's temperament, he wasn't the kind of shinobi who would cling to bonds with Konoha.
An arrogant genius.
Even if he never said it aloud, the pride etched deep into his bones would never allow him to return to the village that had abandoned him. Staying would only remind him of that betrayal.
For Mei, that worked perfectly.
Shigure ignored her words and left without another glance. He returned home, packed his belongings quickly, then made his way to Konoha Hospital.
Inside, Ino was already up and moving about in her ward, looking refreshed.
"Recovering so quickly?" Shigure remarked as he stepped inside.
"Shigure-kun!" Ino turned, her eyes lighting up.
"You're here. Come sit down! Do you want some fruit?"
She grinned, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"I'm recovering fast thanks to you. Yesterday's treatment really worked!"
Shigure nodded lightly. His medical ninjutsu could only treat external wounds for others — never internal ones. For himself, his unique healing could mend everything. But on another person, it had limits. He couldn't simply let his energy flow directly into their bodies.
"Anyway," Ino said softly, "thank you so much, Shigure-kun."
This time, Shigure didn't deflect her gratitude. He sat down, chatted with her for a short while, then said calmly:
"I have to go on a mission soon. And it might take a while."
Ino blinked. "Mission? Where to?"
"…Kirigakure."
She tilted her head, clearly puzzled. But she didn't press. A shinobi's mission was not something to pry into, even if it sounded strange.
"I understand. Then… I hope everything goes well for Shigure-kun."
Shigure rose to his feet. "Alright. I'll be leaving soon."
"Shigure-kun!" Ino called quickly. "Be careful out there."
After leaving the hospital, Shigure went to Konoha Park. On a bench sat Hinata, already recovered, her hands resting in her lap.
"Shigure-kun!" she said, her voice shy but warm.
Shigure sat beside her without hesitation. "You did well in the Chūnin Exams. It shows how hard you've been training."
He reached over and patted her head.
Hinata's face turned pink, but her smile was genuine. "I… I'm still far behind Shigure-kun."
"That's not true. You're excellent at controlling chakra. You might even consider becoming a medical ninja in the future."
"Medical… ninja?" Hinata murmured, her eyes thoughtful. Fighting was never what she loved most. Healing… that suited her.
Her lips curved in a small smile. "If Shigure-kun is injured one day… I'll be able to heal him."
"Then I'll count on you," Shigure replied with a smile. Seeing her a little less nervous, he added gently: "I won't be in Konoha for a while. I have a special mission that will keep me away… maybe for a long time."
Hinata's eyes widened. "So Shigure-kun came here… to say goodbye to me?"
"Mm."
"…I see." Her voice trembled but steadied quickly. "Shigure-kun will come back, right?"
"Of course."
I'll return… but next time, I won't be the same person they traded away.
"That's enough for me." Hinata gave a small nod, though her eyes shimmered faintly. "You're strong, Shigure-kun. You'll be sent on missions far more important than mine. But… please be safe. When you come back, I'll be a medical ninja. I'll be able to treat your wounds then."
Silly girl, Shigure thought, warmth flickering in his chest. My healing activates automatically. If I ever need your help… it would mean I'm on the verge of death.
But aloud, he only said: "Alright. It's a promise."
He reached out and pinched her cheek gently.
Hinata's face turned red instantly, steam almost rising from her head. Shigure chuckled to himself. For a moment I thought she'd awakened the Boil Release.
He had said his goodbyes.
He couldn't take Ino or Hinata with him to the Mist. Their safety in a foreign village couldn't be guaranteed. Better to leave them here.
But one day, when he returned as Mizukage… Konoha would have no choice but to hand over anyone he wanted.
That day, he would settle the score.
Later, Shigure met with Shikamaru and the others at Ichiraku Ramen.
They ate quietly. Shigure told them simply that he would be leaving the village for a while. Most accepted it as a normal mission. Only Shikamaru's sharp gaze lingered, suspicion in his eyes.
At Konoha's main gate, Mei Terumi waited. Shigure approached with a light pack on his shoulder.
"Finished your farewells?" Mei asked.
"…Let's go."
He no longer wore the Konoha forehead protector.
The guards stationed at the gate exchanged confused glances. Why was Shigure leaving with the Mizukage of the Mist? Were they really… heading for Kirigakure?
But just as Shigure stepped beyond the village's boundary, a kunai whistled through the air from behind.
Shigure snatched it effortlessly without even turning his head.
Then he looked back.
"Sasuke."
Sasuke stood there, eyes sharp, his gaze immediately falling on Shigure's bare forehead — no longer bearing the Konoha protector.
"What's going on?"
Shigure met his eyes steadily.
"As you can see… I'm leaving Konoha."
"Why?"
Sasuke wasn't angry or surprised—just confused.
"What can I say? It feels like Konoha doesn't really want me here anymore," Shigure replied.
Sasuke froze for a moment at those words.
Others might not catch the meaning behind Shigure's way of speaking, but Sasuke understood it well enough.
"So you're just going to leave like that?"
"What else do you expect? Am I supposed to cause another uproar?" Shigure said, almost lightly.
Sasuke clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing.
"Are those people really insane?"
Shigure shrugged.
"Who knows? Either way, goodbye, Sasuke."
"Hn. That's right," Sasuke muttered back.
Shigure paused, a sudden thought flashing across his mind. Sasuke's situation wasn't much better than his own.
Things were already diverging from the way the original story was supposed to go. With events off-track, there was no guarantee the future would unfold the same way.
"Sasuke, be careful. Your place in Konoha… it's dangerous too," Shigure said quietly.
That was all he could offer. Beyond this, what came next was out of his hands.
He turned away.
One step.
Another.
And just like that, he was gone.
...
TN:
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