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[— Manga Scene —]
"Sakura… you're heavy…"
Sasuke, who had been dead just moments ago, suddenly spoke.
Sakura—who had been crying bitterly, believing Sasuke was dead—froze in shock and trembled. Then she threw her arms around him tightly and began crying even harder.
'That's great… Sakura.'
Tazuna let out a sigh of relief as he watched the scene.
"Sakura… that hurts…"
"S-Sorry…!!"
"What about Naruto? And that masked kid…?"
"Don't move!!"
Sakura tried to stop him, knowing how critical his condition was.
"Naruto is fine! And that masked kid is dead…"
Sasuke's eyes widened at the news.
"Dead…? Did Naruto kill him…?"
"N-No… I'm not sure, but he protected Zabuza."
Sakura explained.
"I see…"
"I had faith in you. It's impressive that you managed to block attacks on your vital areas!!"
Sakura smiled happily.
"No…"
'He… from the very beginning…'
Sasuke understood then—Haku had never wanted to kill him in the first place.
"Naruto!! He's alright! Sasuke-kun is alive!!!"
When Naruto turned and saw Sasuke waving at him, he understood as well.
'I see…'
"I was worried, but Sasuke is alright too… that's great."
Kakashi let out a sigh of relief as well.
[— End Scene —]
With Sasuke's return to life on the pages of the manga, a collective cry erupted in Konoha's Art Store—like an earthquake people had been holding back for far too long.
It wasn't just a shout of joy, but a mixture of deep relief and stunned disbelief.
In one corner of the store, Mebuki felt a complex blend of emotions—mostly happiness—as she gently wiped her tears with her sleeve.
"He's alive… he really came back!"
Her empathy for Sakura reached its peak, after all the darkness and death that had shrouded the bridge, Sasuke's hoarse voice was what finally brought Sakura's smile back.
Beside her, Kizashi let out a deep breath, feeling as if a mountain had been lifted from his shoulders.
"That boy… he planned everything," he muttered, shaking his head in admiration.
"Haku's heart was too pure to kill anyone… even at the height of his despair."
…
Elsewhere in the store, a gentle smile appeared on Minato's face, especially after seeing Naruto's reaction upon learning that his friend was still alive.
'I'm happy for you. It seems this has a happy ending.'
He paid no attention to the mercenaries who were trying to use their numbers to intimidate Kakashi and the others; he already knew how it would end.
He looked at Kushina, who was practically jumping with joy beside him.
"Did you see that, Kushina? Naruto and Sasuke… Kakashi… they all survived."
"But unfortunately, Haku died…"
As she thought of the snow-pure child whose life had ended in this battle, a bitter sense of sadness returned to Kushina.
"Haa~ He died protecting the person dearest to his heart. I suppose he fulfilled his dream in the end."
Mito said with a comforting sigh.
"Anyway, it seems he put Sasuke into a temporary death state, just like he did with Zabuza before. How did I not consider that possibility?"
Minato analyzed the scene with the eyes of a veteran shinobi. He realized Sasuke's survival wasn't mere luck—it was proof of Haku's combat genius and human mercy, a contradiction that filled his heart with respect for the fallen boy.
…
Meanwhile, Sakumo was watching his young son Kakashi, who was staring at the scene of his counterpart letting out a breath of relief.
"Kakashi, do you see that?" Sakumo asked gently.
"Even in the middle of hell, there's always a spark of hope left behind by those who refuse to abandon their humanity. Haku died, but he left Sasuke's life behind as his final message."
Young Kakashi nodded silently, the light in his eyes showing he had learned a lesson he would never forget about the value of life.
"I understand, Dad… I will never abandon my humanity."
"Good," Sakumo replied with a gentle smile.
He was confident in his son's talent—only a fraction of which had appeared even in the bridge battle.
Kakashi had much more yet to show, and Sakumo eagerly awaited seeing all that he had.
The manga had allowed him to glimpse his son's future, alongside his son's present. For Sakumo, this was a blessing beyond measure—one he deeply cherished.
…
"How unfortunate."
"I thought the trash Uchiha clan had gone completely extinct after that arrogant brat died…"
Danzo muttered coldly as he watched the manga.
"Stop saying that."
Hiruzen took a firm stance the moment his ear caught Danzo's muttering.
"With words like that, you threaten the village's stability. Do you realize what you're saying?"
"Tch…"
Danzo ignored Hiruzen's sharp gaze and continued reading.
'What weakness…' he thought.
'They're celebrating the survival of a single brat, while the Devil of the Mist and his disciple fell into the dirt. Emotions make them forget the heavy price that was paid.'
…
Fortunately—or unfortunately—the members of the Uchiha clan didn't hear Danzo's mockery, or perhaps they simply didn't care at this moment.
All of them were living their own version of this scene.
After a month of mourning the loss of the sole character representing the Uchiha clan—left hanging on a dangerous cliffhanger at the end of Volume Three with Sasuke's supposed death—the situation had finally been clarified.
In a private corner of the store, the fan crest symbolizing the Uchiha stood in silent authority, but Sasuke's awakening caused that silence to crack.
Mikoto Uchiha, still a young woman in the spring of her youth, had not yet formed any official relationship with Fugaku—though she had a few thoughts about him.
From the moment she first saw Sasuke in the manga, a feeling in her heart told her, 'This boy resembles you.'
She clutched the volume so tightly her nails nearly broke, letting out a long breath as her hand trembled while touching Sasuke's image.
"Sasuke…" she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.
At that moment, she didn't see him as a shinobi—only as someone precious who had returned from the brink of death.
Beside her, Fugaku tried to maintain his composure as the most exceptional and talented young man of the clan, but the gleam of the Sharingan in his eyes burned unusually bright.
He clenched his arm and said hoarsely, trying to hide his emotion.
"He succeeded… not only did he survive, but he awakened the Sharingan and endured against a powerful ninja with incredible control over his kekkei genkai. That is the blood of the Uchiha."
Yet inwardly, Fugaku's heart trembled.
'Even though Haku was the one who allowed him to live.'
As for the Uchiha clan leader, Hugaku, he narrowed his eyes while contemplating Haku's precision in avoiding vital points.
"That masked child… his insight far surpassed his generation. Sasuke owes his life to him as much as he owes it to himself."
Hugaku was blunt in his words—Sasuke lived because Haku allowed it.
Not far away, young Obito was bouncing in excitement.
"He's back! Sasuke isn't dead!" he shouted, turning to his father, Uchiha Minoru.
"Dad, He avoided killing him! That's a real shinobi, right?"
Minoru smiled and placed a hand on his son's head, feeling a strange sense of relief.
"Obito, Haku was a rare child in this world. You shouldn't think everyone can be like him—true purity is hard to come by."
The rest of the clan members began exchanging proud looks.
"Sasuke may have a great destiny ahead of him!" one said.
Another added seriously, "But look at that Uzumaki boy… how did he suddenly change like that? That red chakra… It's terrifying."
"That's the Kyubi' chakra, idiot…"
"What's Kyubi' chakra?"
"Have you never heard of the Tailed Beasts? Did you read all the chapters?"
A quiet respect spread through the Uchiha ranks toward Naruto. For a clan that revered strength and bonds, Naruto's desperate defense of Sasuke and Sasuke's awakening for Naruto planted warm feelings in their hearts.
Amid all the clamor, Rob continued to watch calmly.
He saw how the Uchiha, the proudest and bloodiest clan in Konoha's history, had emotionally bowed before the story of two children on a mist-covered bridge.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 111: Snow? No—Haku's Tears.
Chapter 112: The Land of Waves' Art Store!
Chapter 113: Characters from Suna Visit Konoha in the manga.
Chapter 114: The Chunin Selection Exam?
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