Chapter 204: The Abyss of Despair, a Dance of Light and Shadow
"Hah..." Hyuga Saori let out a long breath, watching the Iwa ninja retreat before her.
Ever since arriving at the northwestern front, she had stationed herself and her subordinates at the very forefront of the battle, partly to avoid encountering Hyuga Hiashi and the others.
After months of intense fighting, even with her considerable strength, her body was screaming in protest. But the Caged Bird seal on her forehead was a constant, searing reminder that she had to keep fighting.
And so, she dragged her exhausted body back into the fray, day after day.
Saori had expected this to continue until the war's end, but an unexpected piece of news had completely altered her path.
"Uchiha Second Elder captured, Uchiha Nagisa killed in action, Kyosuke heading to the enemy camp alone to attempt a rescue."
She had overheard it from a Konoha ninja and, without a second thought, turned back toward the main camp she had been so desperate to avoid.
On her way, she received another message, this one sent directly from the commander, Nara Shikaku.
The message stated that Uchiha Kyosuke's rescue mission had failed. The captured Uchiha had been placed under some kind of curse mark, and Kyosuke had been forced to kill them with his own hands.
Shikaku knew of the close relationship between Saori and Kyosuke—rumors of them being a couple had long circulated through the Konoha forces. That was why he had summoned her from the front lines immediately.
Ever since his return, Kyosuke had locked himself in his tent, refusing to see anyone. Hyuga Hiashi had tried to speak with him, only to be sent flying by a single blow. If not for Hiashi's own strength, he would have been severely injured.
That incident had extinguished any further attempts by others to intervene. But with the war at a critical juncture, they couldn't afford to have their strongest shinobi shut away. Shikaku was now pinning his hopes on Saori.
He was certain that if she could pull Kyosuke from the darkness, it would be an immeasurable boon to their war effort.
Of course, even if Shikaku hadn't sent for her, Saori would have gone to Kyosuke's side the moment she heard the news. Just as he had once saved her from her own despair.
Now, it's my turn to save you.
Elsewhere, Uchiha Nagisa, encased in Tobi's body, was moving rapidly beneath the earth's surface.
"Hey, hey, do you have to go so fast? My body can't take much more of this!" Tobi whined.
"Shut up," the girl's voice was ice. "One more word and I'll erase your consciousness. I can control your body just fine on my own."
She had already begun to understand the nature of her newfound abilities. Against an artificial lifeform like Tobi, her power was a perfect counter, even if she hadn't yet mastered it.
"Puppet." That was the name of her left eye's ability. It allowed her to control any object, turning it into a puppet that obeyed her commands.
Of course, against a living being with an independent consciousness, its effectiveness was greatly diminished. Unless the target was already unconscious, it was difficult to subjugate them instantly.
But Tobi was different. Its power came from Hashirama cells, and its consciousness was merely an offshoot of the original White Zetsu. In essence, it was just a clone. Controlling it was not a difficult task for Nagisa.
If she wished, she could erase Tobi's consciousness at any moment and turn its body into her own personal puppet.
The primal fear Tobi felt in her presence stemmed from this very fact.
Hearing her cold threat, Tobi's body trembled. He could only whimper pitifully and continue to let her control their advance.
They had already reached the Land of Fire. At this rate, they would soon be near the Northwestern Corps' encampment.
As they traveled, the conversation of several Konoha ninja on the surface caught Nagisa's attention.
She slowed their pace, hiding just beneath their feet to listen.
"Did you hear? The Uchiha's Second Elder got himself captured. What an embarrassment," one of the ninja said in a conspiratorial whisper.
"Tch," another scoffed. "Your information is old news. From what I heard, Commander Kyosuke already went to rescue them and came back."
"Oh, really? Tell me what happened!"
"Ahem." The ninja cleared his throat, enjoying the attention. "Well, I heard it from someone else, but it seems Lord Kyosuke's rescue mission... failed."
"I don't know the details, but I heard that useless Uchiha Second Elder and the other prisoners were all killed by Lord Kyosuke. He even burned their bodies to a crisp."
"Huh? Wasn't he there to rescue them? Why would he..." another ninja asked, confused.
"Tch, what else could it be? My guess is those weaklings were too badly injured, and the commander decided to put them out of their misery," the knowledgeable ninja said, nodding as if he had solved the puzzle. "I can understand his decision. If you can't save your clansmen, you have to eliminate them to prevent their Kekkei Genkai from falling into enemy hands. All the great clans do it. Why else would he burn the bodies?"
"Maybe... the commander's real mission was to eliminate those burdens all along."
"Shh, keep your voice down. That's Uchiha clan business. It's not our place to question the commander." The first ninja cut off the speculation, and the group moved on with their patrol.
As the gossip died down, the others dispersed.
Underground, Tobi felt the girl's body trembling violently. "Don't listen to them," he said softly. "You'll expose our position. We should keep moving."
After a long moment, Nagisa's trembling subsided. But Tobi, a master sensor, could feel a distinct change in her chakra. It had become several shades darker, a sign that the hatred in her heart had grown even stronger.
The Mangekyo Sharingan... the Cursed Eyes indeed. To think that a user's power can be amplified by mere emotion... how enviable, Tobi thought to himself.
But the expression on his face held no envy. Instead, a strange, mocking smile flashed and was gone.
Not long after they had departed, the scattered ninja on the surface all stopped. They turned in unison, looking in the direction Nagisa had gone. On each of their faces was the same eerie smile that had been on Tobi's.
In the Northwestern Corps' camp, Kyosuke sat alone in his tent, completely enveloped in shadow.
The area around his tent was deserted. Everyone knew he was in no mood for company.
But there was always an exception. A graceful figure was now hurrying toward the tent.
Hearing the footsteps outside, Kyosuke's voice, thick with killing intent, echoed from within.
"Go away!"
"My, my, what a commanding presence, Lord Kyosuke," a light, teasing voice replied as Hyuga Saori stepped unhesitatingly into the tent.
At the sight of her, Kyosuke's gaze flickered. He turned away, not wanting her to see him in his current state.
Saori sighed softly. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "Let's go for a walk," she said gently.
Without waiting for a reply, she went outside to wait.
It was a considerate gesture, a way to preserve his pride.
Faced with such kindness, Kyosuke couldn't bring himself to refuse. He wiped his tear-streaked face, quickly washed up, and stepped out of the tent.
"Let's go. There's a small river nearby that we use for water," Saori said, taking his hand and leading him out of the camp through a side entrance.
They walked in silence until they reached the riverbank. There, Saori turned and looked at him, her expression serious.
"You don't have to try and comfort..." Kyosuke began, but Saori did something completely unexpected.
She placed her hands gently on his cheeks and smiled. The atmosphere between them suddenly became charged.
Gulp. Despite the grief still tearing at his heart, Kyosuke's pulse quickened.
Just as he was hesitating between leaning in and pulling away, her gentle hands suddenly tightened, and she shoved his head underwater.
"Did you think I was trying to comfort you? Dream on!" Saori said with a mock-ferocious expression, repeatedly dunking his head. "It's been months, and you've turned into a whiny little girl!"
"Wha- what are you doing? Stop! Glub, glub..."
"And were you just about to close your eyes? What sort of perverted thoughts were you having?"
"Gah, the water's freezing! I... glub, glub..."
"Did you think I was going to kiss you? In your dreams!"
"I, I wasn't... glub, glub..."
"What?! You didn't want me to? How dare you! Die!"
"Damn it, you've gone too far!" Finally reacting, Kyosuke used a deft move to pull Saori into the river with him. They tumbled together in the water, splashing and struggling.
After a long while, they resurfaced, sputtering.
"Hiccup!" Kyosuke let out an involuntary burp, the words he had wanted to say dying on his lips.
They stared at each other for a moment, then burst into laughter. But as they laughed, a tear slipped down Kyosuke's cheek.
His head bowed, and his voice, thick with pain, came out in broken fragments.
"I... I wasn't in time. I couldn't save them."
"I tried so hard, but I can't save anyone. I... it hurts so much..."
"Damn it, why was I even brought to this world? What is the point of my existence...?"
Seeing that she had finally broken through his shell, Saori gently pulled him into her arms. "No," she said, her voice soft but firm. "You saved me. You saved me when I was lost and afraid."
"And countless comrades on the battlefield. So many of them are alive because of you. Don't let one failure negate all of that."
"But, but..." Kyosuke sobbed into her shoulder.
"I know. I know everything," Saori said, patting his back as if comforting a child, trying to draw out all his pain. "You couldn't save that little girl, and you couldn't save your clansmen. But... you did everything you could, didn't you?"
"...AHHHHH!!!" Finally, the emotions Kyosuke had been suppressing for so long erupted. He clung to Saori, burying his face in her shoulder and weeping uncontrollably.
"It's okay," she whispered. "I'm here."
"Are you still looking? Have you found him yet?" Uchiha Nagisa, hidden in an underground space just outside the camp, urged impatiently.
"...Don't rush me. I have to carefully bypass the sensory barriers. Just be patient," Tobi said, his voice laced with annoyance.
Nagisa had no choice but to wait, though the impatience was a fire in her veins.
Of course, Tobi already knew from his Zetsu spies that Kyosuke had left the camp. He was simply stalling, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver the final, shattering blow to the girl's psyche.
After another delay, just as Nagisa was about to lose her temper, he finally said, "I've found him."
"...Take me there." The few words were a chaotic mix of anger, fear, and hope, a complexity far beyond the comprehension of the emotionally stunted Tobi.
He simply obeyed, guiding her through the earth until they reached the riverbank.
They surfaced slowly, hidden in a dark, inconspicuous patch of grass.
As her vision adjusted from the darkness to the bright sunlight, Nagisa heard the faint sound of crying from the river.
That's his voice, she thought, a strange mix of emotions swirling within her. So, you can feel pain, too. Her gradually clearing vision focused on the river, where the crying had now subsided.
The brilliant sunlight sparkled on the water's surface. In the middle of the river, two figures were embracing, kissing, creating a scene like something out of a romantic painting.
But to the girl watching from the shadows, it was a vision of hell.
The childish crush, the teenage infatuation—it all shattered in that single, devastating moment.
In that instant, her soul fell into the abyss.
"It shouldn't be like this... Kyosuke... he should be mine... Something must be wrong..."
"Wait... where am I? That man... who is he...?"
"Where is this place...?"
"I... I have to get out of here..."
Revenge, the truth—none of it mattered anymore. All she wanted was to escape.
To escape this hell.
To escape this false reality.
On the river, bathed in the sunlight, the two figures remained, beautiful and radiant.
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