A Nighttime Talk

Night fell.

Moonlight spilled over the sea, illuminating its tranquil surface.

In the distance, the sky and sea merged in the darkness, making it impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.

A medium-sized ship sailed across the quiet sea.

Golden light from the ship stretched across the water in a shimmering reflection, swaying gently with the waves.

The sails billowed slightly in the night breeze, making a low sound—the canvas talking with the wind.

Inside the ship was a spacious room.

It was neatly arranged, with a table in the middle holding a teapot and several cups.

A sofa stood against the wall, covered in dark velvet. A bed sat in the corner, its bedding folded neatly.

Everything was simple, yet the place had the unmistakable chill of a temporary lodging.

Water pattered in the bathroom. Steam seeped through the crack under the door, forming a hazy white mist in the lamplight.

The door opened.

Kou stepped out of the bathroom, using one hand to dry his long, jet-black hair with a towel.

He wore a loose white bathrobe, its collar wide open and its belt tied carelessly. It did little to conceal his muscular build.

A long scar ran from his collarbone down to his ribs. Smaller scars and burns marked his arms, silently telling of the dangers he had faced in the past.

But for once, his powerful body was relaxed.

His muscles were no longer tense, and his breathing had steadied.

"Whew... This is the life."

Kou tossed the towel over the back of a chair and grabbed the hot tea on the table, gulping it down.

He set the cup down and murmured with a sigh,

"After a long day, I can finally get some proper rest."

His gaze fell on the shimmering water outside the window as he thought back over everything that had happened today—

First, meeting up with Mei Terumi; then, reuniting with Jiraiya and fighting him; and finally, having Pain use his animal companions to hold Jiraiya off...

"What a day..."

He sighed helplessly, then muttered with some relief,

"But at least, so far, everything's gone pretty smoothly... It's still within my control."

The Shadow Clone he had left behind at Mist Harbor had dispelled, sending its memories back to his main body.

Just as expected, Pain and Jiraiya's battle had been no more than a brief skirmish.

Both had held back for various reasons.

Jiraiya had wanted to probe Pain for information, but Pain knew Jiraiya couldn't fight at full strength here.

From start to finish, Pain had only used the crab summon, the sole one of his summons without Rinnegan eyes. He had simply kept Jiraiya at a distance, trying to buy time.

Once he confirmed that he was aboard the ship and Jiraiya couldn't possibly catch up, Pain seized his chance and withdrew.

"That guy Jiraiya should be on his way back to Konoha by now."

Kou furrowed his brow as he pondered. A complicated look flickered through his dark eyes.

"I wonder how things are in Konoha now..."

It wasn't that Kou genuinely cared about Konoha.

After all, he felt no sense of belonging there whatsoever.

In his twenty-two years of life this time around, he had spent the first seventeen in Konoha.

But the only place where he had truly felt at ease, and where he had spent most of his time, was within the Uchiha Clan Compound.

He wasn't like Obito, that Tomcat who'd been bewitched by a little girl and spent most of his time wandering outside the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Knowing he lacked talent, Kou had spent most of his time holed up in the compound, studying the Uchiha Clan's knowledge while training and thinking about the path he should take.

If he hadn't later gone to the Ninja Academy, he might have stayed cooped up in the Uchiha Clan Compound for the rest of his life.

After leaving the compound and entering the Ninja Academy, he'd been constantly on guard, afraid of attracting Danzo's attention. Living that cautiously had been exhausting as hell.

Those days, when he had no strength and had to put on a cheerful face every day while secretly worrying himself sick, had been suffocating.

Then the Third Ninja World War broke out, and for years he was used as a one-man killing machine on the battlefield.

Only after the Third Ninja World War ended did he return to Konoha and enjoy a period of peaceful life...

And then came the Nine-Tails Incident.

Remembering all those past events, Kou shook his head helplessly.

After everything he'd been through, he really didn't have much reason to miss Konoha.

He admitted that, compared with the rest of the Ninja World, Konoha ranked among the very best.

But that was only because it stood out among the lesser villages. The competition just made it look good; that didn't mean Konoha was truly all that great.

At least, the Kou who had lived a peaceful life in his previous one had never thought much of Konoha.

If there was anything about Konoha worth remembering, apart from Ichiraku Ramen and the old dango shop on the shopping street, it was probably the former "comrades" who had once treated him sincerely...

"Kakashi, Asuma, Might Guy, Kurenai, Anko... I wonder how those little rascals are doing now."

Though they were no longer on the same path, Kou couldn't help feeling wistful as he thought of the people he had known.

"Ah, the good old days..."

He shook his head with a sigh, a hint of self-mockery in his voice.

"Running into that old lecher Jiraiya today must've made me sentimental. Why am I suddenly reminiscing? It's not like I'm old..."

He stretched, raising his arms over his head. His back cracked sharply. His tone was casual, as if to say, "All right, enough thinking about that."

"I'll take the rare chance to get some proper rest tonight—after fifty sets of push-ups."

"Knock, knock, knock."

Just as Kou was about to get started, someone knocked at the door.

He paused, a flicker of confusion crossing his dark eyes.

"Is that Mei Terumi? What's she doing coming over in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Kou wondered, then walked over and opened the door.

Sure enough, it was Mei Terumi.

She wore a loose purple robe and looked as though she had just bathed, but she was wrapped up tightly.

Her long hair was still slightly damp, and a few loose strands clung to her cheeks, glistening softly in the light.

When the door opened, she looked at Uchiha Kou's face. She was just about to speak when her gaze unconsciously drifted down from his handsome features.

The open collar of his bathrobe, his muscular chest...

Her face turned bright red in an instant. The blush spread from her cheeks to her ears, then down her neck, making her look like a boiled shrimp.

"Wah!"

Red-faced, she stammered,

"Y-your clothes... Your clothes!!"

"...If you're really embarrassed, you don't have to open your eyes so wide, you know."

Kou looked exasperatedly at Mei Terumi, who had covered her eyes after his reminder but was still sneaking peeks at him through her fingers.

She's only fooling herself.

He sighed inwardly, tugged his robe closed to cover his chest, and asked irritably,

"So, what are you doing here so late? Are you scared to sleep by yourself?"

Looking at Mei Terumi, Kou suddenly remembered something. His usual grinning expression returned, and his dark eyes filled with teasing.

"How about coming over for an exciting game of Legends of the Three Kingdoms?"

"What's that? It sounds really underhanded..."

Mei Terumi blurted out, a flicker of curiosity in her green eyes, though she quickly suppressed it.

She shook her head, her expression changing from embarrassed to serious.

"I have something important to discuss with you!"

Her voice rose a few notches, as if to emphasize how serious she was.

Seeing Mei Terumi's serious expression, Kou immediately understood.

His frivolous manner vanished, replaced by the seriousness of a professional.

"What... do you want to talk about?"

Mei Terumi took a deep breath, as if gathering her thoughts and trying to calm the nerves that hadn't quite faded.

She straightened her back and met Kou's gaze with her green eyes, speaking earnestly.

"At our current speed, we should reach the Land of Whirlpools tomorrow morning."

"I... wanted to brief you in advance on the details about the ruins in the Land of Whirlpools and this mission."