What You Owe Me, Remember to Repay

"Water."

"Water."

Amid endless darkness, within that pitch-black space, Uchiha Yue finally saw a glimmer of light. Then he felt as though his throat were being scorched by blazing fire, desperately in need of the nourishment of cool spring water. At last, he felt a trace of coolness against his lips. With his thoughts still muddled, Uchiha Yue could only rely on instinct, greedily drinking in that coolness to ease the burning heat in his throat.

He did not know how long had passed—one day, or perhaps a year...

As the burning deep in his throat gradually subsided, Uchiha Yue's thoughts finally returned to normal. Yet when he tried to open his eyes, he discovered that even doing so was incredibly difficult. Attempt after attempt did not make the remarkably strong-willed Uchiha Yue give up. After finally using all his strength to force his eyes open, however, all he saw was endless darkness once more.

"Am I dead?"

Looking at the endless darkness before him, Uchiha Yue could not help but smile self-mockingly. Then he murmured, "I remember that, at the very end when I was dying, Mei Terumi helped me form hand seals and use Creation Rebirth to heal the fatal wound in my chest, didn't she? I never expected that I, Uchiha Yue, would still end up buried within the Land of Wind. Maybe... maybe this is the price of killing the Third Kazekage by chance."

"Uchiha Yue, how could you possibly die that easily?"

Just as Uchiha Yue thought that, Mei Terumi's familiar voice suddenly reached his ears. Moreover, as soon as her voice fell, a warm human body moved close beside Uchiha Yue, shielding him from the cold wind outside.

Then, Mei Terumi's voice rang out beside Uchiha Yue's ear again.

"Uchiha Yue, it seems you're