Farewell, Mist Village

The three stood silently amidst the ruins of the Mizukage Building.

Those two buildings that once stood side by side are now nothing but rubble, with emergency sirens still blaring all around, becoming the only sound in this deathly silence.

A gust of wind blew, stirring up dust that drifted between the three people.

Mei Terumi appeared calm, but her pupils, fixed on Kokoro, were trembling uncontrollably.

"How could I possibly calm down...?"

She said bitterly to herself.

Nine years have passed; these nine years have been the most beautiful and precious period of her life.

Those were the days she dared not even dream of during her suffocating youth, shrouded in Blood Mist.

For the past nine years, they have weathered the repeated infighting of the Fourth Mizukage, endured countless open and covert attacks from the conservatives, and worked together along the reform path that no one had ever believed in, gradually leading Mist Village to a point where even the sky is no longer shrouded in mist.

Port, neighborhood, school, Odd Jobs Agency, Logistics Company...

All that brilliance, that was hailed as a miracle by the entire Ninja World, was the result of their collective hard work.

Now, the village is finally at peace.

Kong can finally breathe a sigh of relief, and everyone can finally stop feeling as exhausted as before.

They should have been together, laughing and relaxed, discussing the little things that are part of life itself.

But all this beauty, every single day they fought alongside "Sky" for the past nine years...

Now they're telling her it was all a carefully planned, staged charade?

"I... absolutely disagree!"

Mei Terumi clenched her fists tightly; the slight pain only made the light in her eyes rekindle.

"The nine years we spent with Sora, everything we gave for Mist Village, the bonds we built up over the years—these are not something that can be so easily denied!"

Mei Terumi stared intently at Kokoro, lost in thought.

"Sora, you must think the same way, right?"

Tell me everything about you, everything about... "Uchiha Kuro"!

Thinking this, she looked at Kou nervously with a hint of anticipation, waiting for his response.

He could be knocked on, but he remained silent.

Time ticked by, and Kou stood before them, saying nothing, simply feeling the tension and anticipation in their eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"I may not have time to explain everything to you."

Looking at the two faces that had suddenly changed color, he forced a smile and said:

"It's time to say goodbye... it has to be earlier than planned."

"Are you trying to escape?!"

Mei Terumi's pupils constricted instantly, and she instinctively took half a step forward:

"Now that things have come to this, you don't think you can leave here so easily, do you?"

Mist Village isn't a place you can come and go as you please!

No sooner had she finished speaking than Kimimaro vanished from his spot, swiftly circling behind Koko.

Kimimaro remained silent, but the prominent bone spurs on his palm clearly conveyed his attitude.

One after the other, Mei Terumi and Kimimaro completely blocked any possible escape routes for Kōki.

"Stay here obediently, or we won't let you leave until everything is explained clearly... We, we, will never let you go!"

Mei Terumi steadily formed several hand seals, staring intently at Koko, as if she would launch an attack without hesitation if Koko retreated even half a step further.

Kō stood still, looking at Mei Terumi, who was desperately trying to scare him, but whose fingertips were trembling. He glanced at Kimimaro behind him, who was clearly prepared but refused to move forward even half an inch. He sighed helplessly in his heart.

"Seriously... if you're going to act fierce, at least make it convincing."

"There's not even the slightest hint of killing intent emanating from either of you."

He murmured to himself, then slowly shifted his gaze from the two men to the vast and new Misty Mist Village.

Under the sunlight, the modern high-rise buildings of varying heights appear exceptionally bright, while the wide streets and crisscrossing cables are faintly visible.

This scene slowly overlapped with the memory of that impoverished village, shrouded in thick fog and the stench of blood year-round, where even children dared not laugh out loud in the streets.

Knocking on the door brought back many memories.

The villagers' sallow and fearful faces when I first went door-to-door with Mei Terumi to mobilize them; the joyful smiles on the day the first Odd Jobs Agency opened.

After finishing overtime, Mei Terumi would always quietly leave hot tea in his office, Kimimaro would always come to the support building to let him know he was safe after returning from a mission.

The Zabuza, barely suppressed smile on Zabuza's fierce face; Haku, Suigetsu, Biwa Juzo... even Obito and Kisame in the Mizukage's Office.

"It's all coming to an end, all of this."

He murmured to himself, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Mei Terumi, Kimimaro."

Mei Terumi and Kimimaro trembled almost simultaneously, both looking at the tall figure that had suddenly appeared in the distance.

Kō turned around and gave Mei Terumi a bright smile:

"Although it all started with a lie, I was truly happy during the time I spent with you all, during my time in Mist Village."

One day, I will definitely explain everything to you all, and to everyone in the Mist Village.

"At that time, let me apologize properly for deceiving you all."

Mei Terumi paused for a moment, but only for a moment.

As if she suddenly understood something, the reluctance and longing in her eyes were instantly replaced by an eagerness that almost set her on fire!

Kimimaro —attack!!

Mei Terumi shouted loudly as she rushed towards the direction of Kou.

The hand, still in the Hand Seals position, stretched out towards Kou with great effort.

Kimimaro was startled at first, but quickly recovered and followed closely behind Mei Terumi, rapidly approaching Kokoro!

Ke Kou stood there, neither retreating nor moving, simply gazing tenderly at the two figures rushing towards him.

Just a split second before that slender fingertip was about to touch the hem of his clothes—Kou's figure vanished from the spot.

Mei Terumi's hand grasped at empty air; her five slender hands suddenly snapped together, but she only managed to grasp a rapidly dissipating afterimage.

She stared blankly at the empty space ahead, then her figure swayed.

Kimimaro arrived in the next moment and quickly helped her up.

"Mei Terumi, are you alright?!"

But at this Mei Terumi could no longer hear Kimimaro's call that was so close to her.

What echoed in her ears were the last words Kou left before he disappeared.

Goodbye, everyone.

Farewell, Mist- Mist Village.

Mei Terumi raised her head blankly, looking up at the vast, blue sky above, where the mist had long since dissipated.

But in her eyes, it seemed as if the last look that figure had cast at her before disappearing was still reflected.

"Mingming, you're saying goodbye."

Mingming still had that bright smile on her lips.

"But... why?"

A gentle breeze blew by, Mei Terumi's hair to flutter and momentarily obscure her vision.

Why do your eyes... look like you're crying?

Mei Terumi tilted her head back, gazing at the vast, blue sky.

It's as if we're trying to find an answer within that, one that no one will ever answer again...

Happy Qixi Festival everyone!