Waiting for the Wind

Uzuki Yugao is considered Anbu Captain, or even a department head; the sexy department head is knocking on the window online.

Early in the morning, Naruto almost thought he was dreaming. It's not hard to understand why he'd be acting a bit silly and cute at this hour, but why is the main character Uzuki Yugao?

Wipe!

He rubbed his eyes and squeezed his hands to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He'd overdone it the past couple of days, and his mind was still a little hazy.

Even after returning to Konohagakure, he was still in a state of sweltering heat. But he was used to lying down, and after returning, he hesitated between sleeping and unloading.

In the end, I chose the former, finding relief from all my troubles by lying down.

He lay there for a whole day and night, mainly to ease the effects of the alcohol. I wonder if Kazahana Koyuki has gone mad to concoct such a drink.

He was so sleepy that his biological clock overcame his hormones. If it weren't for the need to alleviate the effects of this stuff and it was just a matter of sobering up, he would have been full of energy a day ago.

I felt a little excited but also a bit sleepy, so I just continued lying down.

"Why are you here?" Naruto walked over casually, opened his eyes with difficulty, and slammed open the glass window of the balcony.

"It's urgent, it's about you." Uzuki Yugao said succinctly, still in her usual manner, "Someone from Amegakure has come, specifically asking for you."

"Amegakure? Who's that?" Naruto was much more awake now.

"I don't know, it's a woman," she replied. "She won't say anything unless she sees you, and she seems to have some connection with Lord Jiraiya."

"Kakashi couldn't make up his mind, so he simply sent me to find you."

"I guess I'd say I'm a disciple of the Pervy Sage, I guess so," Naruto muttered to himself, realizing who the visitor was. "Give me ten minutes to wash up."

"Okay, go ahead." Uzuki Yugao walked into the living room without any ceremony and sat down on the sofa.

Naruto went straight into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and soaked his hair. While washing up, he silently pondered Konan's purpose.

Nagato dead? Or critically ill?

If it's the latter, what reason should I give for not saving him? Something too obvious won't do. But Nagato truly doesn't need saving; his lifespan is nearing its end.

His body was already severely depleted and on the verge of collapse. Forcibly prolonging Nagato's life would only hasten his death.

After washing up, Naruto followed Uzuki Yugao out the door. The two were quite familiar with each other both professionally and personally, and they didn't speak to each other along the way until they approached the Hokage Building.

Uzuki Yugao stopped, Naruto a meaningful glance, and gave him a reminder.

"Be careful, that person is injured."

"Knew."

Naruto stepped into the Hokage Building, went straight to the top floor, and knocked on the Hokage's Office door. If Tsunade had been the Fifth Hokage, she wouldn't have knocked at all.

"Go in!" Kakashi's lazy voice rang out.

With a click, he pushed open the door and entered, only to see Kakashi sitting at the Hokage's desk, his arms crossed, looking at him. There was another person in the office, Konan.

Why are you here?

This is actually a pointless statement. There are only two possibilities for Konan leaving Amegakure: either Nagato is dying, or Nagato is already dead.

"Nagato is dead," Konan said calmly.

He heard the answer he wanted to hear and wasn't surprised. He hadn't attacked Nagato back then. Partly out of respect for Jiraiya, and partly because he knew Nagato was dying.

Otherwise, given Nagato's actions, he should have died long ago.

"Does the Pervy Sage know?" he asked.

"I haven't had a chance to tell Jiraiya- sensei yet, but Nagato wants to entrust his eyes to you," Konan said, pausing as she looked into Naruto's eyes.

He swallowed hard, staring at Konan in shock.

"Why?"

I'm such a good person, I helped you without holding grudges, and you want to harm me? Replace my eyes? These are original factory-made, who wants to replace them!

"This is Nagato's idea. The power of the Rinnegan is too great. He doesn't want his eyes to fall into their hands and wants to entrust them to someone worthy of his trust."

"It's not worth it. Replacing my eyes would hurt a lot. I won't get them replaced." Naruto shook his head without hesitation, leaving Kakashi, who was considering the matter, completely bewildered.

When Konan arrived in Konohagakure, Kakashi, upon hearing Konan purpose, was still weighing the pros and cons. He hesitated, wondering how to advise Naruto to be cautious, but Naruto refused even faster.

Those aren't ordinary eyes; they're the legendary Rinnegan. In terms of rarity, they're even rarer than the Byakugan or the Sharingan of the Uchiha.

Even if you refuse, you should at least hesitate for a moment to show respect for the Rinnegan.

Is eye transplant painful?

Kakashi: "Uh..."

He actually wanted to say that eye transplants could be done under anesthesia. The pain wouldn't last long, and it would be tolerable for a ninja.

"Pain?" Konan couldn't understand what he was saying. How could a ninja be afraid of pain?

"What's wrong? What kind of look is that?" Naruto paused for a moment, then said directly, "Anyway, I don't want to get my eyes changed. Whoever wants to change them can change them."

"Why?" This time it was Konan's turn to ask.

"No matter how much I think about it, it's impossible to change my eyes, and I don't really want the power of the Rinnegan anyway. If all else fails, I'll just destroy it," Naruto said.

Kakashi: "."

Konan: "."

The conversation ended abruptly; Naruto was unwilling to accept the offer, and Konan couldn't force Naruto to have his eyes replaced. The matter was temporarily left unresolved, but Konan didn't leave.

She still held onto a sliver of hope, so she decided to stay in Konohagakure.

Naruto initially thought Konan had come to deliver a message of death, but he discovered she was carrying fragments of Nagato —a pair of Rinnegan. Strictly speaking, those eyes belonged to Uchiha Madara.

Regardless of whose it is, he only wants to hear the news and doesn't want to replace the original parts.

The next day.

"Don't follow me anymore, I really don't want to switch." Naruto looked at Konan behind him with some helplessness. "I mean it, I swear to God."

"Yes, I know," Konan said.

"You know that, yet you still follow me?" Naruto said helplessly, turning to look at Konan.

He had planned to go out yesterday, but the thought of Konan in the village completely killed his desire. He ended up staying home and eating instant noodles all day, only to be caught again the next day.

"The power of the Rinnegan is too strong; only you can control it." Konan remained the same, then added, "This is also Nagato's opinion; he hopes you can accept this power."

"I can't handle it, can I ask someone else?" Naruto said sincerely.

He truly hadn't expected that Nagato would actually drop some skin fragments on him. The Rinnegan was indeed a valuable item, but it was also a hot potato.

Uchiha Madara's stuff, now that Nagato is dead, several parties are eyeing it. Damn it, whoever takes it will never have a peaceful day, especially since it's not like a USB that can be plugged and unplugged.

Naruto wouldn't refuse to try it out.

"No, Nagato said," Konan said coldly, shaking her head with a determined look, "It can only be you, Naruto Uzumaki."

Send!

"I really don't know what you guys are thinking. Fine, I don't want it!" Naruto, somewhat speechless. "Who would want to get their eyes replaced? There's no need to say anything more."

"But."

Naruto lost patience and waved his hand, leaving immediately. There was no room for negotiation; it didn't matter who got the eye, just not him.

He doesn't lack that kind of power, and besides, Obito is definitely searching the whole world for those eyes. At this point, regardless of his purpose, accepting the offer would be tantamount to playing with fire.

The best approach is to ignore it; those eyes will eventually be returned to their rightful owner anyway. If Obito Uchiha doesn't get the Rinnegan, he doesn't know how he'll get revenge on Obito.

Konan watched Naruto's angry departure, stood there for a while, and then sighed softly. "Since that's how it is, then so be it."

In the afternoon, Konan left Konoha.

As evening approached, Uzuki Yugao relayed the message to Naruto in his living room. He didn't react much, simply shrugging.

"You don't seem to care at all about the whereabouts of the Rinnegan?" This time, Uzuki Yugao didn't leave immediately, but sat down on the sofa.

"Yeah, the more power you have, the more things you have to deal with." Naruto lay down on the sofa next to him, looking up at the white ceiling. "I don't lack power. One more or one less won't make a difference."

"Sometimes when I hear you say these things, I feel like you're showing off." Uzuki Yugao's expression was somewhat complicated.

"Huh?" Naruto yawned. "I didn't mean that. You know me, I'm not naturally fond of trouble. It's just that I always end up in trouble."

"So I subconsciously stay away from trouble and avoid getting myself into trouble. For example, right now, with my Rinnegan being very strong, I'm also an easy target."

"Too many people want those eyes. It's not the thief you should be afraid of, but the one who covets them. I can't live in constant fear the rest of my life, becoming the village's Rinnegan Jinchuriki."

"Jinchuriki of the Rinnegan? That's an interesting way to put it." She smiled.

"The Nine-Tails' power is also very strong. When have you ever seen me be greedy?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "If possible, I really hope I have never had anything to do with the Nine-Tails."

"That's true. Most of the trouble you've encountered is related to the Nine-Tails." Uzuki Yugao nodded, then added, "Actually, the moment I learned about the Rinnegan, I wanted to get those eyes."

"Revenge?" He glanced at Uzuki Yugao.

"I wouldn't call it that, it's just an obsession in my heart." She looked up and sighed, "Time really does fade a lot of things, I can hardly remember his face anymore."

"Even Hayate probably didn't expect that after his death, Sand and Konohagakure would form an alliance. In fact, not many people remember him, and no one thinks his death was unfair."

"Others may forget, but I cannot. Not many people remember him. If I had remained silent, there would have been no point in fighting for him in the first place, and I would not be sitting in this position."

"Although I couldn't say what I was fighting for back then, I just used work to numb myself. Only when I looked back did I realize that the hatred had disappeared, but the obsession remained."

"Have you known each other since you were little?" Naruto suddenly asked.

"Mm." She nodded.

"So you could say they were childhood sweethearts?"

"I guess so. We've basically never been apart since we were little," Uzuki Yugao recalled. "We're so familiar with each other that it's impossible for us to let go of each other."

"The village couldn't give him justice, but I won't blame the village. This is our own choice. This is how ninjas should be. Even if they die in obscurity, they should continue to practice their ninja way."

"But?" he asked.

"But I want to give Hayate a fair chance, in my own way," said Uzuki Yugao.

"You can't give it to me," Naruto said softly, looking at the ceiling.

"I'll give it to you!"

"I can't give it to you." He said impatiently.

"Give it to him!" Uzuki Yugao remained stubborn, a struggle deep in her eyes. "I just want an explanation. He can't die without knowing why."

"Isn't this all the village's fault?" Naruto sat up from the sofa. "You refuse to blame the village, yet you want to kill Baki. Isn't that a contradiction?"

"I can kill him by myself!" Uzuki Yugao.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, spreading his hands in astonishment as he looked at her. "Are you kidding me? Secretly infiltrating Sunagakure you're not even familiar with?"

"To kill the Kazekage's teacher without alerting the Kazekage?"

"Then what do you think I should do?" Uzuki Yugao turned to look at him, her lips pursed, her face pale. "What can I do?"

Upon hearing this, Naruto frowned, pondered for a moment, and then spoke seriously.

"If I were you, I would say it's all the Third Hokage. It's a pity that the Third Hokage has already sacrificed himself for the village. Therefore, I would lie low and improve my strength."

"Wait for the right opportunity to strike and kill."

"The right opportunity?" Uzuki Yugao looked at Naruto, a smile on her face, but her eyes were full of bitterness. "Are you trying to comfort me?"

"No." He shook his head, staring into the eyes of Uzuki Yugao sitting on the opposite sofa, and asked in a deep voice, "Haven't you noticed yet?"

"What?" She was slightly taken aback.

"The calm before the storm. When has the Rinnegan ever appeared in front of you as frequently as a cucumber?" Naruto grinned.

"Having the Rinnegan is enough to overturn the entire Shinobi World. Its danger level is no less than any Shinobi World war. What makes you think that the future will always be peaceful?"

"This..." Uzuki Yugao's pupils dilated slightly as she instantly realized what was happening.

When powerful weapons emerge, chaos ensues.

History will always repeat itself. The Shinobi World can fight each other for the Tailed Beast, and it will naturally be restless for a pair of eyes that can overturn the Shinobi World.

Chaos is not far off, Jonin of Sunagakure, Baki, will not stay in the village forever.

Having thought everything through, Uzuki Yugao took a deep breath. She then looked at Naruto and rose to give him a solemn bow.

"Thank you, Naruto."

"Hmm." He nodded, accepting it calmly.

Before long, Uzuki Yugao left. Naruto lay back down on the sofa, looked at the darkening sky, and couldn't help but grin.

He was also waiting, waiting for the wind to come.

Nine-Tails peeked in from the other end of the balcony, not noticing Naruto at first. But when it looked up, it saw Naruto giving it a strange smile and involuntarily shrank back.