Day five.
Dusk.
Central Tower, in the Forest of Death.
When Guy emerged from the trees, the first thing he saw wasn't the tower. It was the person standing at the entrance.
Ikkaku Umino.
He was still wearing his Chunin vest, leaning against the railing as he gazed ahead.
The moment he saw Guy, his body visibly stiffened.
Then he let out a sigh of relief.
It wasn't just a superficial reaction.
His whole body seemed to relax.
But that relief was immediately replaced by even greater tension.
Guy walked over and grinned at him.
"Teacher Umino."
Ikkaku looked at him.
The kid hadn't changed much in the three days they'd been apart.
Still in that green outfit, still carrying the huge cleaver over his shoulder.
Anko and Shibi followed behind him. All three were filthy, but they seemed to be in good spirits.
"First one," Ikkaku said.
Guy blinked.
"First one?"
Ikkaku nodded. "You're the first group to arrive."
Guy glanced back at the forest.
Night was falling. The woods were pitch-black, and he couldn't see a thing.
"What about the others?"
Ikkaku didn't answer.
He only looked toward the forest.
Guy suddenly understood what that heightened tension in his eyes meant.
The hardest part wasn't waiting those few days.
It was what came after the first person showed up.
Who else would come out?
Who would be lost in there forever?
He didn't know.
Ikkaku didn't know either.
Guy stood there in silence for ten seconds.
Then he lowered the huge cleaver from his shoulder and planted it in the ground.
"All right, I'm going."
Ikkaku stared at him.
"Where?"
Guy didn't answer. He turned and headed back toward the forest.
"Hey!" Ikkaku called after him. "You just came out! It's dark in there—"
"I know."
Guy's voice drifted out from the trees.
Then he vanished from sight.
Ikkaku stood frozen.
He turned to Anko.
"What's he doing?"
Anko pursed her lips.
"Going back to get people."
"Get people?"
"Yeah." Anko walked over to the tower entrance and plopped down. "There are still so many people who haven't come out. He definitely won't be able to sleep."
Ikkaku fell silent.
Unable to sleep?
Yeah.
He wouldn't be able to sleep either.
He looked toward the pitch-black forest.
No one was allowed to leave the tower for seven days.
That was the rule the Third had set.
He had to follow it, but Guy certainly wouldn't.
"I knew that kid would go back to look for them once he realized people were still missing."
The tension in Ikkaku's eyes gradually eased.
He turned away from the forest and looked at Anko and Shibi.
"Go get some rest. You must be exhausted after these past few days."
Anko looked unconcerned.
Shibi didn't say anything.
He only watched the forest.
The green figure had already disappeared into the darkness.
He lowered his head, lost in thought.
Night deepened.
A bonfire was lit at the tower entrance.
Ikkaku sat by the fire. Anko dozed against the wall, while Shibi crouched in a corner, his body crawling with insects.
The forest was quiet.
Only the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard,
along with the occasional roar of a beast.
Suddenly, something stirred at the edge of the woods.
Everyone looked up.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Guy.
He was carrying someone over his shoulder.
The person was covered in blood, but still alive, his eyes half-open.
"Kotaro." Guy set him down. "He ran into three venomous snakes and got bitten. I let the blood out. He'll live."
Ikkaku hurried over to examine him.
He would indeed survive.
But if they'd arrived any later, it would've been hard to say.
He looked up at Guy.
Guy had already turned away.
And vanished into the darkness again.
An hour later.
Guy emerged again.
This time, he had two people with him.
Yamashiro Aoba and Shiranui Genma.
Aoba had injured his leg, and Genma was supporting him.
"We ran into a trap." Genma had a toothpick in his mouth, and his face was a little pale. "It clamped down on his leg. We treated it ourselves, but we couldn't move fast. Good thing we ran into him."
Ikkaku looked at Guy.
Guy turned away for the third time.
In the second half of the night,
Guy came out for the fourth time.
He brought back two classmates whose names he didn't know.
One had a broken leg, and the other had a high fever.
The fifth time.
The sixth time.
Just before dawn, Guy came out for the seventh time.
This time, he was carrying one person over his shoulder and supporting another by hand.
They were all injured.
He set them down, dropped onto the ground, and panted heavily.
He was covered in blood.
Some of it belonged to others, and some was his own.
His sleeve was torn, and several gashes on his arm exposed raw flesh.
But he was smiling.
Ikkaku looked at him.
At this eight-year-old boy.
One night.
Seven trips in and out.
Nine injured people carried back.
And seven more guided to safety.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
But in the end, he only managed three words.
"Rest for a while."
Guy nodded.
He sat against the wall and closed his eyes.
But five minutes later, he opened them again and looked toward the forest.
"Someone's coming."
Everyone turned to look in that direction.
Anko and Rin staggered out of the woods.
Obito was beside them.
They were battered, but alive.
When they saw Guy covered in wounds, they froze for a moment.
Then they hurried over.
"Guy! Are you okay?!"
Obito asked anxiously, while Anko looked on the verge of tears.
Guy grinned, showing his white teeth, and gave them a thumbs-up.
Seeing him like that, the three of them finally relaxed a little.
But then they saw Guy get to his feet and head toward the Forest of Death.
"Guy, where are you going?" Obito asked, puzzled.
Guy grinned. "I'm going to get the others."
"Huh? Oh!"
Obito froze, still trying to process it.
But Anko, upon hearing Guy say that, wore an expression that seemed to say, I knew it.
She didn't try to stop him. Instead, her gaze softened even more.
"I'll go with you."
Anko looked at Guy and spoke firmly.
Guy reached out and ruffled her black hair.
He met her stubborn gaze and nodded.
"Okay."
Anko smiled.
She took Guy's hand and headed back with him.
"You two! Hey! Wait for me!"
Obito clenched his teeth, then hurried after them.
Halfway there, he suddenly turned around.
"Rin, rest here for now. We'll be back soon."
"Not a chance."
Rin came over with a bright smile, gave Obito's shoulder a pat, and walked past him.
"What are you looking at? Let's go."
Obito opened his mouth, but wisely shut it again and hurried after her.
The three had only just arrived, but less than five minutes later, they all left together.
Below the tower, amid the crowd.
Aburame Shikuroo suddenly stood up.
He didn't say a word.
He simply got up and walked forward.
He was practically invisible.
His presence was so faint that even after Guy had saved him twice, he still hadn't remembered his name.
But this time, someone noticed him.
"Hey!"
Anko leapt to her feet.
"Where are you going?"
Shikuroo paused and looked back.
Sunlight fell across his face. For once, there was something unusual in those ordinary features.
"I... I'm going to look for people too."
Anko grew anxious.
"Are you crazy? Don't you know how strong you are? What'll you do if you run into danger?"
Shikuroo was silent for two seconds.
Then he spoke.
"I know how strong I am."
"I won't go too far."
"I'll just look around nearby."
He paused.
"But what if there are other people nearby?"
"What if they're only a little way from here?"
Anko opened her mouth.
She wanted to argue.
But the words caught in her throat, and she swallowed them.
She looked at Shikuroo's face.
That ordinary face, the one no one had ever paid attention to.
Now it was frighteningly serious.
Anko gritted her teeth.
"Idiot!"
She cursed at him.
Then she ran over and stood beside him.
"Come on! What are you waiting for?"
Shikuroo stared at her in surprise.
"You..."
"I'm afraid you'll die in there!" Anko turned her head away. "Then Guy'll have to go in and fish you out!"
Shikuroo looked at her.
He was silent for two seconds.
Then he nodded.
"Yeah."
As the two of them started to leave, footsteps sounded behind them.
Ebisu pushed up his sunglasses and walked over.
"It's not like I'm worried about you two," he said with a cough. "I've just been sitting too long and need to stretch."
Then he took his place beside Anko.
Yamashiro Aoba walked over.
He said nothing, only pushed up his sunglasses and stood beside Ebisu.
Gekko Hayate coughed twice and joined them.
Uzuki Yugao followed behind him.
Shiranui Genma strolled over with a toothpick in his mouth and his hands in his pockets.
Then one.
Then two.
Then three.
More and more people stood up and headed for the edge of the forest.
Some still had bandages wrapped around them.
Some were still limping.
But they all walked toward the Forest of Death with determined expressions.
Ikkaku Umino stood at the tower entrance, watching them disappear into the darkness one by one.
He thought back to six days ago.
He remembered standing at the entrance to the Forest of Death, sending them in one by one.
Back then, he hadn't known how many of them would make it out alive.
Now he knew.
"Everyone will make it."
"Everyone will come back alive..."
Ikkaku's vision blurred.
He suddenly remembered what Guy had shouted through a megaphone outside the school that day.
"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are trash."
"But those who don't know how to value their comrades are worse than trash."
He smiled.
Looking at the forest, he spoke softly.
"Guy, what you said back then came true."
The wind blew past.
The leaves rustled.
Shouts came from the distance as people called out to one another.
Ikkaku turned and walked into the tower.
He didn't look back.
He knew.
They would all return.
On the seventh day, dawn broke.
The sun rose in the east, shining on the Central Tower.
The entrance to the tower was crowded with people.
Some were lying down, some were sitting, some were leaning against the wall, and some were injured.
But they were all breathing. They were all alive.
Twenty-three people.
Not a single one was missing.