Autumn winds stirred.
Uzumaki Kuming looked at Might Duy's corpse and the unconscious Uchiha Fugaku, then sighed softly and sat down beside Duy. A faint smile lingered on Might Duy's face, as if he had entrusted the most important thing in his heart to someone before he died.
As Kuming gently touched Might Duy's withered cheek, tears had somehow filled his eyes.
"This is my fault. If I'd brought you into my unit sooner, if I'd refused when the Third Hokage transferred you away, you wouldn't have died."
"Duy..."
Kuming murmured softly as tears slipped from his eyes.
For a long while, the forest remained quiet. Then rustling sounds came from the trees, and twenty figures hurried out, quickly gathering behind Kuming.
"Lord Kuming?!"
The arriving Jonin saw the scene before them and let out a startled cry. They looked at Kuming anxiously. Just as he was about to speak, a heart-wrenching shout rang out from among the Jonin:
"Dad!!"
A green-clad figure darted past the Jonin who had spoken and raced to Kuming. He dropped to his knees beside Might Duy, calling out to him.
But Might Duy was gone, and he didn't respond to Might Guy's cries.
The newcomer was Might Guy. On their way to the battlefield, Kuming's subordinates had encountered Guy and the other two fleeing toward Konoha. At their pleading, one of the Jonin had taken it upon himself to bring them along. None of them had expected that the Jonin who had died would be this child's father.
Seeing Guy collapsed over Might Duy, Kuming gathered himself, wiped away his tears, and stood up. "Go and clear the battlefield. Once you're done, bring everything to me."
"Send word to Aburame Shikuroo. Tell him to take his unit to the northeastern border on his own.