I am Tsukimiri Nagato

"They... they..."

Just for a moment, the noise still rang in his ears, yet the scene before him remained calm.

The people who had been staring at them with expressionless faces had vanished without a trace, as if what they had just witnessed was merely an illusion.

Yahiko instinctively turned to look beside him, and only after seeing the same self-doubt in Konan's eyes did he confirm that what he had seen was not a hallucination.

At that moment, Yahiko suddenly understood one thing.

Why, from the city gate to the commercial district and now to this residential area, they had not seen anything like a "patrol squad."

Because, as Yun Chuan had said, they simply couldn't see them.

That was all.

Some people were hidden in the dim shadows, living ordinary lives like normal folk, showing no abnormality on the surface.

But their true identities were those bearing different missions, having undergone Yun Chuan's targeted training in Assassination Art, including but not limited to covertly protecting these residents, as well as...

Surveillance, assessment.

"Hiss!"

Thinking of this, Yahiko felt a chill run down his spine, a cold sensation spreading through his body as he shuddered, imagining a horrifying scene.

If he ever did something to betray Yun Chuan, strolling casually through an alley, thinking his disguise was perfect.

Only to find that the stray dog by the trash can had been watching him all along, and when it noticed he had spotted it, that scruffy dog face twisted into the same cold expression...

That was their most terrifying aspect.

No one knew in what form they would appear, or what identity they would hide among the crowd. Perhaps two people greeting each other on the street were unrecognized members of "Dawn."

Compared to the two guards at the city gate and the so-called household registration, the "Dawn" Yun Chuan spoke of was a far more insidious measure.

"How can this be?" Having figured this out, Yahiko drew a nervous breath and blurted out, "Do they know they're being watched?"

He couldn't quite articulate what was wrong—after all, he hadn't done anything against his conscience, nor did he want to be a petty ingrate—but... it just felt unsettling.

Especially remembering the Construction Workers who had been laughing and joking crudely, only to suddenly turn that utterly unfamiliar, cold gaze on him, then vanish in an instant to who knows where.

When Yahiko looked back at the still vibrant, eerily harmonious scene in the distance, he suddenly felt that everything beautiful had been veiled by a thin curtain.

"You're like this..."

"Hey."

Just as Yahiko was about to speak, a somewhat gloomy voice suddenly came from behind him.

It was like a cold breath blown right into his ear, making Yahiko shiver involuntarily.

Then, before Yahiko could turn to see who it was, a hand suddenly reached out from behind and pressed down on his shoulder. Ruthless force transmitted from the palm, spreading to his left shoulder, left arm, and neck.

"Cough!"

The suffocation forced Yahiko to swallow the words he was about to say, and he was pushed forward, unresisting, pinned to the ground by someone.

"Who is it, which bastard ambushed me?"

Yahiko's cheek was soaked in a puddle of water on the ground, looking utterly pathetic. Even so, he clawed at the ground with the soft flesh of his fingers, trying to get up, turning his head angrily to try and see the blind spot behind him.

But no matter how hard he strained, even scraping his fingertips raw to reveal red flesh, the hand pressing him down remained unshakable.

It felt like a steel bar pinning him to the ground. Yahiko could only see a few strands of hair as vivid as blood—bright red.

"Do you know who you're talking to?"

Seeing Yahiko's uncooperative attitude, the person increased the pressure in their hand, their tone icy: "Do you think that just by saying some pretty words, you can protect everything here and achieve the future we want?!"

"I hate people like you who treat their own stupidity as a bargaining chip..."

"Enough," Yun Chuan said. "Don't use too much force."

"..." The person behind him paused. "Yes."

Hearing this, Yahiko, whose face had already flushed red from lack of oxygen, suddenly felt the force on him release.

"Hah! Cough! Cough!"

He scrambled up, gasping for air, then began coughing violently.

Only then did Yahiko finally see the person behind him.

It wasn't the tall, strong adult man he had imagined.

It was a pale-skinned, almost sickly-looking Red-haired Boy, his eyes wrapped in black bandages.

"You bastard..."

"Brother."

Ignoring Yahiko's indignant expression, not even glancing down at him, the boy simply walked up to Yun Chuan and said softly, "Welcome home."

"You, you," Yun Chuan sighed, a smile returning to his face as he ruffled the boy's short red hair. "You've improved quickly. Before you struck, even I almost didn't notice you."

Hearing this, the corner of the boy's mouth twitched upward, but it quickly flattened. He shook his head and said, "You don't need to humor me. I'm still far from it."

Konan, meanwhile, had helped Yahiko to his feet and stood to the side, taking in the entire scene.

"Elder brother." Jiyun looked at the boy before her, her gaze lingering on his red hair with a hint of curiosity. "And this is..."

It seemed her address of Yun Chuan made the red-haired boy turn his head sharply toward her. His brow furrowed slightly, then gradually relaxed.

Jiyun instinctively narrowed her eyes, feeling a scrutinizing gaze sweep over her from head to toe, so piercing it sent a chill down her spine.

This sensation defied words. It was as if someone had seen through her, inside and out.

But this red-haired boy was clearly blindfolded...

"Oh, let me introduce everyone."

Watching the expressions of the little ones, Yun Chuan let out an amused chuckle. His eyes carried a deep meaning as he looked at the boy and spoke softly. "These children are just like you—I brought them back from outside."

He pointed at the glowering Yahiko beside him, a hint of teasing in his tone. "The one you beat up without asking any questions is Yahiko."

"And she's Konan... Look how scared you made her."

Yun Chuan made a mock exasperated face, patted the red-haired boy on the head, then gestured toward Jiyun. "Her name is Jiyun, and her younger brother is Jiyu—Tsukimiri Jiyun, Tsukimiri Jiyu. I gave them both their names."

"As for this ill-tempered red-haired brat, his name is..."

"Nagato." Before Yun Chuan could finish, the red-haired boy stared straight at Jiyun, a smile spreading across his pale face. "My name is Tsukimiri Nagato."

And as his words fell, a flicker of amusement passed through Yun Chuan's eyes.

With a thought, he sank his consciousness inward.

[Quest Name: [Founding of Akatsuki]]

[Quest Status: Completed]