Kou: And You, My Friend, You Are the True Hero

"Sigh..."

Kou shook his head helplessly.

The Mist Village was nothing like Konoha; the disparity in mission rewards was like heaven and earth.

Being a ninja was an incredibly expensive profession. Eight million ryo was no small sum.

Even for a ninja of Mei Terumi's caliber, it was an amount that would definitely break the bank.

Regardless of their respective stances, to be willing to go to such lengths for the future of the Mist Village... Mei Terumi was truly a person he couldn't help but admire.

Seeing Kou sigh, Mei Terumi leaned forward anxiously, her emerald eyes filled with urgency.

"Kou, let me carry out this mission."

"I know there might be risks, but you once said it yourself: the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!"

"For all these years, haven't we relied on adventure after adventure and sheer effort to finally put the Mist Village on the right track?"

Her voice grew louder and more frantic, as if she were trying to convince Kou, or perhaps bolster her own resolve.

Her cold, beautiful face was now flushed with passion and determination, like a warrior about to charge onto the battlefield.

Uh... that was actually just from a script.

Kou looked at the impassioned Mei Terumi with a hint of pity, adding silently in his heart.

Deep within his black eyes, a flicker of complex emotion passed.

Is it because of my presence that she has a reliable companion, sparing her from the hardships of the original timeline and allowing her to retain the idealism of her youth? I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing for her...

His thoughts drifted for a moment before he dismissed them internally.

No, it must be bad.

After all... from beginning to end, she and I have never been on the same path.

Outwardly, however, Kou maintained a contemplative expression, his brows slightly furrowed and his lips pursed, as if he were truly weighing Mei Terumi's words.

After a long silence, he nodded slowly.

The movement was deliberate and solemn, as if he were making a monumental decision.

Mei Terumi's eyes lit up instantly, her emerald gaze brimming with excitement and gratitude.

"Thank you for believing in me, Kou!"

Her voice choked up, and her cold, elegant face was now filled with unconcealable emotion.

Kou put on a gentle smile, radiating the reliable aura of someone who served as her backbone.

He played the part of a leader, steady and earnest.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you. As a fellow member of the Reformist Faction, you have always been my role model."

He paused, striking a grand, heroic pose, and recited with deep emotion:

"Where the morning mist lingers, the water flows endlessly."

"The mist droplets formed from water will eventually gather together, falling upon the soil of the Mist Village to provide the moisture needed for new sprouts to grow."

"Everyone in the Mist Village is a droplet of water, but not everyone possesses the courage to dissolve into the soil of the Mist Village."

His gaze settled on Mei Terumi's face as he praised her with heartfelt sincerity:

"And you, my friend—you are the true hero!!"

That chicken soup for the soul I adapted turned out pretty well, didn't it, Third Mizukage?

He gave himself a silent pat on the back.

He had improvised these lines last night, blending the characteristics of the Mist Village with the culture of the Land of Water. It was sentimental yet unpretentious, sincere without being overly sappy—it was practically perfect!

"Kou..."

Listening to Kou's adapted words of inspiration, moisture welled up in Mei Terumi's emerald eyes.

Her lips trembled slightly, and her cold, beautiful face was now filled with such unconcealable emotion that she was on the verge of tears.

In the days before Kou appeared, there were truly too few people who could genuinely understand her.

It wasn't that she lacked companions or supporters, but most of those people stood by her side only for the sake of profit.

Aside from Ao, who had likely already met his end, and the elder Genji, the only person who truly understood the thoughts in her heart and shared her ideals was the Kou standing before her.

"Thank you, Kou. Really... thank you."

Kou smiled and said:

"Don't be like that. We are companions, aren't we?"

"Yes!"

Mei Terumi nodded vigorously, her emerald eyes filled with firm resolve.

Kou continued, his tone turning a shade more serious:

"Go back and get some good rest, but make sure your work matters are well-arranged.

You don't need to worry about Yagura; I will find a way to keep them from noticing anything."

The emotion on Mei Terumi's face had already faded, replaced by the cold, meticulous nature of a ninja:

"Rest assured, I have long been prepared."

Kou nodded and gave a final instruction:

"If you run into trouble, remember to leave immediately.

Whether for everyone's sake or for the sake of the Mist Village, your safety is always the top priority."

Mei Terumi nodded solemnly, her emerald eyes filled with gravity:

"Sora, while I am away, I leave the Mist Village in your hands."

"Yeah."

Kou replied with a smile.

The two discussed further precautions, ensuring everything was arranged in perfect order.

The moment of parting arrived.

Mei Terumi looked at Kou before her and said softly:

"Well... I'm leaving."

"Yeah, have a safe trip, and come back soon."

Kou replied with a smile, his expression remaining as gentle as ever, like someone seeing off a friend about to embark on a long journey.

Mei Terumi gave a soft acknowledgment, bowed deeply toward Kou, then pushed the door open and stepped out.

The sound of her footsteps gradually faded down the hallway.

Inside the room, Kou was now alone.

The moment the door clicked shut, the gentle, practiced smile on Kou's face vanished instantly.

He slumped into his chair, his entire body going limp like a wrung-out rag.

He rested his head against the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling, his black eyes devoid of their earlier warmth, replaced only by a profound sense of speechlessness.

"The two things I needed to do have overlapped; what an unexpected turn of events..."

He muttered to himself, his voice laced with helplessness and a hint of... something indescribable, like anticipation.

"Still, the Warring States period, the ruins of the Uzumaki Clan, huh..."

His thoughts drifted, and a flicker of contemplation crossed his black eyes:

"Does this count as grave robbing?"

He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.

"No, no, no, how could it be grave robbing? It should be called archaeology—yes, this is archaeology!!"

The corners of Kou's mouth curled slightly, the laziness in his eyes gradually replaced by anticipation.

He raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing against his eye socket. The movement was light, as if he were caressing something precious.

"It feels good to have real power."

His voice was very soft, barely more than a whisper to himself:

"This sense of security... it's the first time I've felt it since coming to this world."

His gaze pierced through the window, through the sky shrouded in mist, and landed in a distant direction.

That was the direction of Mist Harbor.

"I'm actually looking forward to this a little bit..."

The corners of his mouth turned up, his smile filled with anticipation, ambition, and the relief of someone finally able to stretch their limbs:

"This mission."