Eating with them was the best.
Under the night sky and silvery moonlight, Chiba walked back toward the Japanese-style wooden house. Ahead of him was Yukina's slowly moving figure, while Hirohiko had already returned to the camp. As the deputy general supervisor, even if he was on leave, he still had to go back.
At that moment, gazing at the half moon in the sky, a warm smile touched Chiba's lips, and a thought rose unbidden in his heart.
The meal had contained no lavish dishes, only simple home cooking. Yet, eating and talking together with Kushina, Yukina, and Hirohiko had felt just like being with family.
That feeling of family left Chiba's heart restless for a long time. Beyond that sentiment, a vague longing began to stir within him.
It was as though something had been touched, leaving him urgently yearning to obtain something.
But what that something was remained hazy. No matter how hard Chiba thought, he could not figure it out.
That longing, too, made it difficult for his emotions to settle even amid his reflections.
Still, the longing did not linger in Chiba's heart for long. After a while, it faded away. Yet once it had faded, an inexplicable sense of melancholy surfaced in his heart, making him look up at the moon again.
No! This isn't the time to think about that. There are only three days left. I need to properly digest this battle with Pain as well.
Though the melancholy had prompted him to raise his head to the moon, Chiba quickly suppressed it, a grave thought crossing his mind.
His battle with Pain and the power of the Rinnegan had been an extremely unfavorable experience. Yet if he made proper use of it, it could also serve as a means for Chiba