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A snow-covered forest.
Not a soul in sight.
The air shuddered.
A moment later, two figures materialized out of thin air.
Hanataki stumbled, falling gracelessly onto the snow. His hair, now grown past his waist, spilled around him, hiding his face.
"Hanataki, are you hurt?" Sasori asked. His gaze swept over Hanataki's form. No scent of blood. No visible wounds or stains.
So what was wrong?
Sasori frowned. He'd never seen Hanataki look so utterly… broken.
Hanataki's shoulders trembled.
Sasori blinked. He looked closer at Hanataki's face.
A single, clear tear traced a path down Hanataki's cheek. It fell, striking the snow.
"Hanataki…"
He was crying.
Why?
Sasori was at a loss. Then, an image surfaced in his usually methodical thoughts. It was the face of the Fifth Hokage, Tsukimi Heshu—the one Hanataki had just fought.
Sasori's eyes widened in sudden shock.
The Fifth Hokage…
Why…
Why did she look exactly like Hanataki?
A dozen possibilities raced through his mind. In the end, he simply fell silent. He waited, staying by Hanataki's side as quiet, broken sobs filled the clearing.
…
The Hidden Stone Village.
The bustling streets and towering buildings of that morning were now just rubble.
Their Jinchūriki was dead.
The losses were catastrophic.
Ōnoki produced a scroll.
"Hokage-sama. The peace treaty."
This time, there were no harsh conditions scribbled in the margins. It was a treaty of complete equality.
"Hokage-sama, as long as you are in Konoha, Iwagakure and Konoha will be eternal allies!" Ōnoki made this vow with grave solemnity.
Heshu smiled and nodded. "Konoha feels the same."
He signed his name. The scroll was split into four copies: one for Heshu, one for Ōnoki, and two to be delivered to the Daimyō of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth respectively.
Ōnoki took the scroll Heshu had signed. His smile froze solid the moment he saw the handwriting.
"Er… fine… calligraphy, Hokage-sama!" Ōnoki forced a grin.
"…"
The corner of Heshu's mouth twitched.
You really don't have to force the compliment.
With the peace treaty signed, Heshu prepared to return to Konoha. He was genuinely worried that overworking Nara Sōsai like this would cause the man to keel over one day.
As Heshu left Iwagakure, the surviving villagers gathered at the ruined main gate, watching him depart.
Deidara watched Heshu's retreating back, his resolve hardening.
I have to become Tsuchikage. It's the only way Hokage-sama will ever acknowledge me.
Ōnoki patted his young disciple's head, the old hostility towards Heshu gone from his eyes.
"A shinobi like the Hokage… now that is a true shinobi."
On the journey back, Masako chattered excitedly about Heshu's battle with Hanataki.
"Hokage-sama, you were incredible! You have no idea how pathetic that masked guy looked when he lost!"
Masako looked at Heshu with starry eyes. "Hokage-sama, you were so cool!"
Heshu froze. He looked at Masako, nearly moved to tears.
He couldn't remember the last time a girl had used the word "cool" to describe him.
Seeing the two of them locked in that heartfelt gaze, Juri, standing behind them, frowned.
The next moment.
Masako stared at Juri, who had now inserted himself between her and the Hokage. A vein throbbed on her forehead.
So infuriating!
Uchiha Juri!
"Uchiha Masako, don't you dare lead the Hokage-sama astray!"
Juri shot Masako a reproachful look. The Hokage-sama and Masako were both women. Juri would not allow any forbidden romance to blossom between them.
If it were with me, though…
Ahem!
Two bright spots of red bloomed on Juri's cheeks.
"Are you running a fever?" Masako rolled her eyes at him, then unceremoniously hip-checked him out of the way, reclaiming her spot beside Heshu.
"Hokage-sama, you're still young. There's no need to rush into… certain things."
Masako clenched her fist with determination. She would never let the Hokage-sama be fooled by some worthless man!
Heshu: "…"
He had absolutely zero desire to discuss this topic. Every time it came up, he could barely suppress the urge to commit murder.
Juri wanted to push forward again to block Masako's shameless harassment, but his peripheral vision caught Shisui, deep in thought beside him.
"Shisui, what's on your mind? So serious." Juri nudged his shoulder.
Shisui snapped back to reality and shook his head, remaining silent.
Juri thought of something, leaned in, and lowered his voice. "Shisui… did your eyes change?"
It was a seemingly random question, but Juri trusted that Shisui, as a fellow Uchiha, would understand.
Sure enough, Shisui paused, then nodded.
"When did it happen?" Juri asked.
"A long time ago," Shisui answered truthfully.
How long ago? Back when the Fourth Hokage died. He'd heard the news and his first thought had been of Heshu. He dropped everything at the border and rushed back to Konoha, traveling day and night. When he arrived, he saw Heshu collapsed on the ground. That was the moment his eyes changed. At the time, he didn't fully understand it himself, so he kept it a secret. That was also why he hadn't been as frantic as Juri during Heshu's earlier battles. He knew that if things went south, he could use his power to help Heshu turn the tide.
"Tell me about it! The eyes!" Juri pressed closer.
"Alright." Shisui began to explain patiently.
A moment later, Juri nodded, enlightened.
Shisui's gaze returned to Heshu ahead of them. After a second's hesitation, he moved to walk on Heshu's other side.
"Hokage-sama… I've never heard you speak of your family," Shisui asked, feigning casualness.
In the masked man's final moment of retreat, he had caught a glimpse of an exposed eye.
It was a pupil identical to Heshu's.
Masako frowned, a flicker of displeasure in her heart.
What's wrong with Shisui? Everyone in the village knows the Hokage-sama is an orphan. It's a painful subject. And now Shisui is ripping that wound open himself?
Heshu glanced at Shisui.
Not bad. More perceptive than I thought.
Heshu sighed, his tone tinged with nostalgia. "Before the war… I had a very happy family."
Though Masako was unhappy with Shisui's question, the moment Heshu started speaking, her curiosity got the better of her. Many people were interested in Heshu's life before he became an orphan. They all crowded closer, listening intently.
Even Kakashi, who was walking while reading his book, pricked up his ears.
"My mother was beautiful and kind. My father… he didn't talk much, but he loved us deeply."
The wistfulness in Heshu's eyes was piercing. Masako felt her own eyes welling up.
Juri saw the tears in Masako's eyes and his lip twitched.
This woman is such a hypocrite. On the battlefield, she kills without hesitation—sisters, fathers, daughters, it doesn't matter. But hear one story from the Hokage, and she turns into a watering pot.
"Actually… besides my parents, I had a little sister, too."
"Nani?!" Juri's eyes widened. Heshu had a sister?
"A sister!" Masako gasped. She immediately blurted, "Then she…" Realizing her mistake, she blinked innocently.
Shisui's heart sank. All the oddities about the masked person flashed through his mind. Why had that person fled so desperately after their mask shattered? Everything seemed to make sense now.
"My parents took me to the battlefield. Later… they died there. I came to Konoha. My little sister, who was left at home… she was gone…"
Heshu's voice grew heavy.
"I'm sure the Hokage-sama's sister is still alive somewhere in the world!" Masako hurriedly assured him, afraid he'd be sad.
"Right!" Juri chimed in. He watched Heshu's face carefully, relaxing only when he confirmed his emotions were stable.
For Shisui, the weight in his heart only grew.
He was almost certain of the masked person's identity now. But… for your only remaining family, your own flesh and blood, to become an enemy… For Heshu, it was too cruel.
Shisui lowered his gaze.
I'll bury this secret. Let Heshu keep the happiness he has now.
…
Elsewhere.
Hanataki and Sasori walked the streets of Amegakure, on their way to report to their leader.
"Hanataki… want some takoyaki?" Sasori remembered Hanataki loved takoyaki. He didn't know what else to do for a grieving Hanataki. The gesture felt pathetically inadequate.
Hanataki hadn't expected to feel genuine concern from Sasori. He smiled and shook his head. "No need. Let's report first. Then I'll go to your lab with you to see your heart-puppet."
Sasori's eyes lit up. "Good!"
[Ding! Target: Sasori's favorability has reached 100!]
Heshu, controlling the Hanataki clone, paused in his tracks.
This silly kid… way too easy to fool.
…
Konan and the Deva Path stood in the dark meeting room. On the broad table lay a portrait. Unlike the abstract sketches from before, this one was a perfect likeness of the Fifth Hokage, Tsukimi Heshu.
"The same surname, Tsukimi. An identical appearance. Prodigious talent…" The Deva Path's voice echoed. "Konoha's Hokage, Tsukimi Heshu, is Hanataki's older sister."
Konan reached out a trembling hand, touching the face in the portrait that mirrored Hanataki's. "Do we… send her back?"
She thought finding Hanataki's family would make her ecstatic. But she felt no joy at all. She didn't want Hanataki to leave. Hanataki didn't need her anymore, but she… she needed Hanataki.
The Deva Path's expression remained unchanged. "It's her choice."
Of course, he wanted Hanataki to stay. But if Hanataki insisted on leaving… they couldn't stop her. He could kill enemies and traitors without mercy, but Hanataki, who had walked this path with them… he could never raise a hand against her. Yahiko's last words had been to protect Konan and Hanataki.
"They're here," the Deva Path said.
Konan turned.
Hanataki and Sasori appeared in the doorway. Hanataki walked forward slowly.
"The Five-Tails is dead. The capture failed." Hanataki hung his head, a picture of dejection Konan had never seen before.
"You fought the Tsuchikage… and the Hokage, didn't you?" Konan asked carefully. She needed to know Hanataki's choice.
News of Iwagakure's devastation had spread across the ninja world in a single day, sparking heated discussion. The Akatsuki, that mysterious organization, had forcefully announced its presence. Killing a Jinchūriki in one move. Nearly killing the Tsuchikage in three. Defeated only by the Hokage. Such a battle record was shocking. The fight with the Hokage had leveled Iwagakure, and yet, Hanataki had returned unharmed.
"Yes," Hanataki nodded.
"She is your sister." Saying the words made Konan's eyes brim with tears. What must Hanataki have felt, fighting her own sister? Konan's heart ached.
This time, Hanataki gave no reaction.
"Hanataki… the family you wanted to find… you've found her. Do you…" Konan couldn't finish. Her teary eyes fixed on the grown-up Hanataki. When had it happened? Hanataki had become her emotional anchor.
"I won't leave," Hanataki said.
Konan was both shocked and overjoyed.
The Deva Path asked, "Why?"
In truth, he already knew Hanataki's choice. He'd known before Hanataki even returned. Hanataki had chosen them. Chosen the Akatsuki. Given up her sister. The intelligence from Iwagakure identified Hanataki as the 'mysterious masked person.' The very act of wearing that mask was Hanataki's silent choice. She had given up the chance to reunite with Tsukimi Heshu.
"My family isn't just her. It's you, too!" Tears glistened in Hanataki's eyes. "I can't forget Yahiko-nii's dream! I can't go back to my sister's side and leave you and Nagato-nii to carry this burden alone!"
Konan stared at Hanataki, tears finally spilling over. She reached out and pulled Hanataki into a tight embrace. Only then did she realize—Hanataki was as tall as her now. Hanataki was an adult. The realization filled her with both sorrow and pride.
The Deva Path said nothing. He watched the two of them, his conviction firm. He hadn't misjudged Hanataki. The future of the Akatsuki rested on her.
Konan held Hanataki's hand, as if she had endless things to say.
Sasori, standing to the side listening, frowned, suppressing his impatience.
Two hours later.
Sasori had reached his limit.
This woman, Konan, just kept talking about useless, pointless things. A complete waste of time.
"Hanataki," Sasori finally interjected. "Let's go see the puppets."
Hanataki remembered his earlier promise. He apologized to Konan and, under her gentle gaze, left with Sasori.
The moment their figures vanished, the warmth in Konan's eyes instantly chilled.
That Sasori of the Red Sand… clinging to Hanataki all day long. Does he have nothing better to do?
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