The morning sunlight spilled across the streets of Kumogakure, the air permeated with a faint scent of morning dew.
Chiya stood in front of Nii Yugito's house.
Golden light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on him.
Chiya raised his hand and knocked gently on the door, his voice gentle yet firm.
"Yugito, it's me."
The door was quickly pulled open. Nii Yugito stood in the doorway, her golden braided ponytail hanging over her shoulders.
A trace of weariness showed in her eyes, clearly having not slept all night.
Her fingers tightly gripped the hem of her clothes, her knuckles slightly pale, as if she was desperately suppressing something.
"Chiya..."
Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, as if afraid of shattering the tranquility of this moment.
Chiya gazed at her, his eyes gentle and profound.
"I have something to tell you."
Nii Yugito's heart suddenly sank, an ominous premonition surging up.
'Is he leaving alone?'
She had known all along that this day would come.
She just hadn't expected it to arrive so suddenly.
She forced out a hint of a smile and stepped aside to let Chiya enter.
"Come in."
The interior furnishings were simple, yet everywhere revealed warmth.
On the table sat a pot of freshly brewed tea, steam rising in wisps, the tea fragrance permeating the air.
Nii Yugito poured Chiya a cup of tea, her hands trembling slightly, the tea water nearly spilling out.
Chiya accepted the teacup but didn't drink. He simply set it gently on the table.
He took a deep breath and slowly spoke.
"Yugito, I'm leaving."
This sentence was like a sharp knife, instantly piercing Nii Yugito's heart.
Her pupils suddenly contracted, her fingers unconsciously gripping the edge of the table, her knuckles turning pale from the force.
Although she had already learned from Matatabi that Chiya was not from Kumogakure.
But hearing him say the word "leaving" with her own ears still made her feel suffocated.
"Is... is that so?"
Her voice was hoarse, trying hard to maintain calm, but the light in her eyes dimmed bit by bit.
Flashes of her time spent with Chiya appeared in her mind.
The sweetness of dorayaki, gazing at each other in the sunset, his gentle words...
Was all of this fake?
Chiya noticed the change in her emotions and reached out to gently cover the back of her hand.
His palm was warm and strong, as if it could transmit power.
"Yugito, are you willing to come with me?"
Nii Yugito suddenly raised her head, the dimness in her eyes instantly replaced by shock.
Together?
He wasn't leaving by himself?!
Her lips trembled slightly. For a moment she couldn't speak.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, as if it wanted to break free from its restraints.
She didn't dare believe her own ears, afraid this was just an illusion.
"What?"
Her voice carried a hint of choking.
Chiya gazed into her eyes and spoke word by word.
"I want to take you away from here with me. Are you willing?"
Nii Yugito's emotions were like a roller coaster, instantly rushing from the valley bottom to the clouds.
Her eyes immediately moistened, tears swirling in her eyes but stubbornly refusing to fall.
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a smile mixed with tears.
"Yes!"
Her voice trembled but was firm.
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The third time was almost shouted. She could no longer control her emotions. Tears burst from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
Chiya smiled, reached out to wipe away the tears on her face, and said softly.
"Why are you crying? In the future, if you want to come back, you can just come back!"
"So, shall we leave now?"
Nii Yugito nodded forcefully, as if afraid he would change his mind.
She quickly turned around and took out a travel bag she had packed earlier from the cabinet.
Her movements were urgent and flustered. She even knocked over the teacup on the table, tea water spilling all over the floor.
But she couldn't care about these things. She just wanted to quickly keep up with Chiya's pace.
Chiya watched her flustered appearance and couldn't help but laugh softly.
He reached out to take her travel bag, his other hand tightly gripping her hand.
"No need to rush."
Nii Yugito tightly gripped his hand in return, as if grasping a lifeline.
After waiting a while.
The two walked out the door. Sunlight spilled on them.
As if gilding their future with a layer of golden hope.
However, this warmth did not last long.
Just as they were about to turn out of the street toward the village entrance, three figures suddenly descended from above, blocking their path.
The lead ANBU ninja's gaze was icy cold, his voice low.
"Lady Yugito, where are you going?"
Nii Yugito's body stiffened slightly. She subconsciously looked toward Chiya.
Chiya squeezed her hand, signaling her not to worry. He stepped forward, blocking Nii Yugito behind him, and said indifferently.
"Move aside."
The ANBU ninja sneered.
They had long felt that this Chiya was problematic.
Not to mention his frequent contact with the Jinchuriki, the places he went were also rather sensitive.
If it weren't for the captain somehow not letting them report, they would have already moved to capture him and send him to the Raikage.
"Your Excellency is not from Kumogakure, yet you scheme to take away our Jinchuriki. You're really not taking Kumogakure seriously!"
Before the words finished, the three ANBU simultaneously formed hand seals. Lightning gathered in their hands, the air permeated with a murderous atmosphere.
Chiya's eyes suddenly turned cold. He was about to make a move when Nii Yugito suddenly grabbed his arm.
"If possible, don't kill them!"
Her voice carried pleading.
"They... they once helped me."
Chiya turned his head to look at her. The coldness in his eyes faded slightly.
He nodded. His Sharingan immediately activated. A genjutsu silently enveloped the three ANBU.
The ANBU ninjas' movements instantly froze, their eyes becoming vacant and lifeless, the lightning in their hands gradually dissipating.
They stood in place like puppets, motionless.
Nii Yugito looked at this scene in surprise, shocked by Chiya's strength.
At this moment, Matatabi inside her suddenly spoke.
"Sharingan... as expected, someone from the Uchiha Clan."
Only then did Nii Yugito suddenly realize. She looked at Chiya, her voice carrying a hint of complexity.
"Chiya, Uchiha? You... you're the Uchiha Clan Leader of Konoha, Uchiha Chiya?"
Chiya smiled slightly and didn't deny it.
"Only finding out now, isn't it too late?"
Nii Yugito shook her head, the surprise in her eyes gradually replaced by determination.
"Not late. As long as it's you, it's never too late no matter what."
"Let's go. If we delay any longer, Kumogakure's pursuers will arrive."
The two quickened their pace, rushing toward the direction of the village entrance.
The scenery on both sides of the street rapidly retreated, the sound of wind whistling in their ears.
Nii Yugito's heart beat rapidly, both nervous about escaping and anticipating her new life.
However, just as they were about to reach the village entrance, Chiya stopped.
After a while, a familiar figure appeared.
The person was none other than Uchiha Shisui. He ran over from the ANBU direction.
Earlier, he had used a genjutsu to control one of the ANBU captains. Only then were the two able to ensure their own safety and obtain the ANBU's intelligence these past few days.
"Everyone's here! Let's go!"
"Lady Yugito!"
The two Chunin at the gate looked at the three people.
Their brows furrowed tightly.
"You..."
Before that person could continue asking, his movements stiffened, his facial expression frozen.
Clearly he had entered the genjutsu world.
The three successfully left the village, heading in a southwestern direction.
Chiya looked back toward Kumogakure, then just tightened his grip on Nii Yugito's soft, slightly trembling hand and said softly.
"We're safe."
Nii Yugito raised her head, gazing at the gradually distant Kumogakure. A trace of reluctance flashed in her eyes, but more than that was relief and hope.
She looked at Chiya.
"Chiya, thank you."
Chiya lowered his head to look at her, the corners of his mouth curving into a gentle smile.
"Thank me for what?"
She didn't speak, just kept her eyes fixed directly on Chiya.
Everything was understood without words.
Chiya said no more, just raised his hand and gently embraced her.
The figures of the three gradually disappeared into the distant horizon.
About half an hour passed.
Kumogakure's high-ranking officials received a report from the ANBU.
Only then did they realize a fact.
Their village's Jinchuriki had probably "got lost"!!
ANBU poured into the streets, beginning investigations.
The entire village was thrown into chaos by the ANBU, like a pot that had exploded.
Kumogakure, which had always coveted other villages' Jinchuriki, never expected that today they would "voluntarily" lose their own village's Jinchuriki...
How ironic!
━━━━━━━━━━━━
❤️ Enjoying the Story?
⭐ Every 500 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter!
📖 Read 120 chapters ahead on Patreon.
🔗 patreon.com/atomelectron
Thank you for your support!
━━━━━━━━━━━━