Though Nawaki had only mentioned his older sister aloud, deep in his mind, familiar faces kept flashing past like scenes in a movie.
There was Mito, who was always lecturing him; Kushina, whom he often annoyed without meaning to; and Michiko, the girl he liked...
Last came the close friends who had played and grown up with him: Gai, Tomohiro, and Shinichi.
Shinichi especially had repeatedly warned him to be careful, but Nawaki's competitiveness and his contempt for the enemy had led him straight into their trap.
At that moment, Nawaki couldn't help thinking that the others might grieve terribly when he was gone, but Shinichi would surely stand by his gravestone and mercilessly berate him for his stupidity.
With that thought, Nawaki slowly closed his eyes and waited for death to come.
A deafening boom rang out, and an explosion erupted behind the boulder. The flames lit up Orochimaru's stunned face. The sudden blast caught everyone completely off guard.
The Konoha Ninja following close behind Nawaki was so startled that he collapsed to the ground. At the same time, a necklace with its cord snapped flew through the air and landed right by Orochimaru's feet.
He looked down and recognized it at once. It was the necklace Nawaki had told him about before setting out on the mission that day—the birthday present Tsunade had given him.
Suddenly, a figure rushed in from the side. No one could make out his movements as he landed behind the boulder.
"Hey! Nawaki, are you all right?"
The shout from behind the boulder brought the Konoha Ninja back to their senses. Orochimaru was the first to rush forward and check what had happened on the far side.
The newcomer was Hyuga Shinichi. Nawaki hadn't been hurt by the explosion and lay there unconscious,