First Meeting, Uchiha Kuro

Sigh~~

Karin trailed off in disappointment, still wanting to struggle and try one more time.

But when she met Kou's fierce gaze, she instantly knew better, lowered her head, and her face fell.

"Yes, Master."

Karin responded softly, then walked out of the meeting room with her head drooping.

As she reached the door, she still gave Mei Terumi a thumbs-up, unwilling to give up, before finally closing the door.

As the door hinges clicked shut, only Kokoro and Mei Terumi remained in the conference room.

The midday sun streamed in through the south window, casting a soft glow between them.

The aroma of tea in the air suddenly became clear at that moment.

Mei Terumi slowly withdrew her gaze from the door and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Is that child your disciple? How interesting."

"I've never seen a child do this much damage to you."

"Don't even mention it."

Kou didn't bother pretending anymore. He waved his hand listlessly, slumped back in his chair, and even his voice sounded a little lazy.

"She used to be such a sweet and considerate girl, but heaven knows when she started to let in the wind."

"Sigh... girls change so much as they grow up."

"I think it's fine this way."

Mei Terumi rested her chin on her hand, looked at Kokoro who was shaking his head opposite her, and naturally began to speak:

"If only Kimimaro could be like that child and learn to let go a little."

He always keeps himself so tense, it makes you worry about him all the time.

"No way, if Kimimaro really turned into Karin, I couldn't stand it."

Kou smoothly took over the conversation, but after he finished speaking, he was clearly stunned for a moment.

He shifted his gaze from Mei Terumi's face to the cup of tea in front of him, which had stopped steaming, and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing this, Mei Terumi remained silent, simply watching the man opposite her who had suddenly fallen silent.

"Kimimaro... how are everyone in Mist Village?"

After a long while, Kou finally spoke slowly, asking the question that had been lingering in his heart for a long time in an almost inaudible voice.

Don't worry, everyone is fine.

Mei Terumi responded softly, then glanced at him sideways, her tone carrying a clear hint of resentment:

"But if I had to say, because of one person, everyone is much more down than before."

"..."

Koko remained silent, seemingly unsure how to respond to Mei Terumi's words.

After a brief moment of distraction, Kou murmured with some emotion:

"Really... I didn't expect that."

"After what happened, it's amazing that we can still sit here like this and chat like before."

He looked at Mei Terumi across from him and tried to force a smile at her:

"So, what is your real purpose in coming to see me?"

Mei Terumi didn't answer him immediately, but instead asked him seriously in return:

"Was the one who asked me this question the leader of the Land of Rice?"

"... It's Uchiha Kuro."

He blinked once and said firmly.

"Yeah."

Mei Terumi gave a meaningful reply and slowly stood up.

She walked around the long, dark wooden table and stepped toward Kou.

He looked up at her, momentarily at a loss for words. Then, as if suddenly understanding something, he resignedly closed his eyes.

"Let's agree on this beforehand."

"You can hit harder, but... don't hit my face."

However, the expected pain failed to materialize.

What touched his cheek was not a slap, nor a fist, but a cold sensation.

The touch was extremely delicate, with a barely perceptible, slight tremor.

Kō opened his eyes in disbelief, and what came into view was Mei Terumi's face, which was extremely close to his.

Mei Terumi gently placed her hand on his cheek; her eyes, usually so calm and composed, now reflected only his face.

"You..."

He opened his mouth, staring at her with utter bewilderment.

"Didn't you just ask me what my real purpose was in coming to see you?"

Mei Terumi interrupted Koko's words, bending down to bring her bright eyes close to his, and said firmly:

"I... I've come to take you home."

"Go home? You mean... go back to Mist Village?"

Kou asked in a low voice, somewhat incredulous, suppressing the expectation that shouldn't have arisen in his heart, and chuckled as he spoke:

"Don't joke around. How could I possibly go back now?"

Kōji observed every subtle expression on Mei Terumi's face and said calmly:

"Don't tell me you still haven't told the people of Mist Village the truth."

I know you; you would never do such a thing.

Kou's expression grew increasingly serious, as if he were using this long-overdue confession to Teuchi the self-deceiving dream on behalf of Mei Terumi and himself.

"Just like I said before, the Shiina Sora that you all know never existed from the very beginning."

The only one who exists is Uchiha Kuro, a guy who has been deceiving you from beginning to end.

Ultimately, you know absolutely nothing about the real me, don't you?

What's the point of bringing a stranger back with you?

Mei Terumi remained silent, simply watching him as if waiting for him to pour out all the words in her heart.

"... Don't pretend you didn't hear me."

Feeling that cool yet soft touch slowly glide across the side of my face, my heart, which I thought was as steady as a rock, suddenly became unsettled.

He subconsciously tilted his head away, as if to avoid that hand, or perhaps simply because he dared not look into her eyes again.

But that only made his profile sink deeper into the soft, white flesh of her palm.

His breath fell on her wrist, and even the words he uttered trembled involuntarily.

"You should understand better than anyone else that once everyone in Mist Village knows the truth, Mist Village... will never have any place for me again."

The Mist Village is now on the right track.

Even without me, without Shiina Sora, things can still continue to develop well.

Whether I'm there or not, it's completely --"

Before he could finish speaking, a soft touch suddenly landed on his lips.

Those are Mei Terumi's hands.

She silenced him.

Kou opened his eyes wide in disbelief.

He felt the touch on her lips, smelled the fragrance emanating from her fingertips, and blankly met Mei Terumi's determined eyes.

"Why, why are you still looking at me like that even at this point?"

He murmured to himself, looking at Mei Terumi in surprise.

For the first time, he felt he couldn't predict what would happen next.

"Now that things have come to this, even if she doesn't hate me, shouldn't she be prepared to go her separate ways?"

"Could it be that Mei Terumi, Mist Village... could accept a liar who they never truly understood and who deceived them for nine years?"

"How is this possible?"

We really don't know you.

Mei Terumi looked directly into Koko's eyes, as if she had already guessed what he was thinking, and said earnestly:

"No matter how much others say or how much you say about who you truly are, it's all meaningless."

"You can never truly know what a person is like without spending time with them."

At this point, Mei Terumi paused noticeably, slowly withdrawing her hand from her lips:

"So, in the days to come, let me get to know you all over again."

"The one you're talking about... the real you."

Mei Terumi smiled and solemnly extended her hand to Kokoro in front of her:

"Nice to meet you, Uchiha Kuro."

"I am Mist Village from Mei Terumi. From now on... please take care of me!"

Thank you to the amazing author, Roast Goose and Foie Gras, for the certification! And thank you to all the readers who have given me generous donations. I will continue to update more frequently, and try my best to maintain three updates a week. Thank you everyone!