"What did you say? Yukina?"
Hearing Yukina's cry from beside her, hearing those two words that seemed to pluck at their heartstrings—"It beat"—the crimson Nine-Tails Cloak around Kushina vanished with a whoosh. She whipped around to look at Yukina, crying out in shock.
"It beat? Chiba's heart?"
At this moment, Hirohiko seemed to have forgotten even his hatred and rage. The anger and hatred in his heart were instantly overwhelmed by a surge of joy. He turned to look at Yukina as well, and when his peripheral vision caught sight of Chiba, there was nothing left in his mind but concern for his closest friend.
"Mmm... it beat... One minute ago, it just beat. It was very weak, but it beat!"
Yukina, who was clutching Chiba's right hand tightly in both of hers, nodded again and again. Her eyes were already clouded with tears, and when the words left her mouth, they carried a trembling sob.
She had seen it just now. She had seen it clearly. Though weak, Chiba's heart had beaten once.
Along with it, the blood throughout his body had begun to flow slightly again, after only just ceasing because his heart had stopped.
She was certain of it. Chiba's heart had beaten.
Chiba truly...
Wasn't dead! He had merely fallen into some state of suspended death, just as they had guessed. He had not truly died!
They could finally set their minds at ease. Chiba really wasn't dead!
She had seen it. Chiba wasn't dead!
Her Chiba wasn't dead. He was still alive and well, merely in a state of suspended death! As long as his heart was beating, he was alive!
Chiba was alive!
At that moment, Yukina's mind was completely blank. Other than overwhelming joy, she had no other thoughts.
"Is that so... It