Messenger

Naoki slowly shook his head, saying nothing more.

The two returned to the tavern, tidied up the interior and exterior, and then retreated to their respective rooms.

The night had deepened, and the tavern fell completely silent.

Naoki returned to his room and closed the door, but instead of lying down, he walked to the window and pushed it open, letting the night breeze blow in to carry away the stuffiness of the room.

Moonlight spilled in, stretching his shadow long across the floor.

He looked down at his own hands.

The knuckles were distinct, slender and powerful, having been stained by the blood of many—enemies on the battlefield, the thugs from earlier, and even Todo Ichiro.

He had grown accustomed to the feeling of killing.

What he truly could not ignore was something else: the blood-red mist deep within his consciousness, which had grown a few shades thicker than before.

"Is it because I harbored the intent to kill?" he muttered to himself.

"Perhaps not, but what exactly is it..."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Aikawa Yumi stood in the doorway.

She had changed into simple pajamas, her long hair draped over her shoulders, making her look less glamorous than usual and more gentle in temperament.

"Can't sleep?"

Naoki looked at the woman standing at the door; the moonlight shone from behind her, outlining her slender silhouette.

Aikawa Yumi did not answer. She walked into the room and sat on the edge of his bed, crossing her legs, the hem of her pajamas sliding up to reveal a large expanse of snow-white skin.

"Anu," she said, patting the spot beside her, "come sit."

Naoki stood where he was, unmoving.

Aikawa Yumi was not annoyed; she simply rested her chin on her hand and watched him, her gaze lingering on his face as if admiring an exquisite artifact.

"Do you know," she suddenly spoke, her voice much softer than usual, "back in that bastard's room, I thought I was going to die."

"You already said that."

"Then do you know what I was thinking at the time?"

Naoki remained silent.

Aikawa Yumi stood up and walked over to him, tilting her head to look at the man who was a head taller than her.

The moonlight spilled in from the window, overlapping their shadows.

"I was thinking, if I just died like this, what would happen to my Anu?" She reached out and stroked Naoki's cheek, her fingertips cool. "He's so foolish; if I'm not watching over him, wouldn't he just get taken advantage of?"

Naoki lowered his eyes, not pulling away from her hand.

"I'm not a fool."

"Yes, you are." Aikawa Yumi laughed, her fingers gently stroking his cheek. "You clearly hate me to death, yet when I'm in danger, you still come to save me."

"Anu, tell me, aren't you a fool?"

Naoki did not speak.

He did not know how to answer that question.

Rationally, he should hate this woman. She was the one who planted that damnable thing inside him, forcing him to live every day in the fear of dream erosion, making him afraid to sleep, afraid to close his eyes, afraid to think about the nightmare that might one day become reality.

But when he saw those bloodstains in the tavern, when she had gone missing, the first thought that flashed through his mind was actually...

Naoki closed his eyes, suppressing the thought.

"Anu." Aikawa Yumi's voice became even softer. She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Look at me."

Naoki opened his eyes and met her gaze.

Under the moonlight, those eyes that were always filled with a smile were now unnervingly serious, reflecting his image in their depths as if he were the only person left in the world.

"Will you stay by my side forever?" she asked again, the same question as before in the woods.

Naoki was silent for a long time.

It was so long that Aikawa Yumi thought he wouldn't answer, but then he spoke.

"I don't know."

This answer made Aikawa Yumi pause for a moment, and then she smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.

"Not knowing means yes." She buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled. "My Anu is so cute."

Naoki stood frozen, letting her hold him.

He could feel the warmth of her body, smell the faint fragrance of her hair, and hear the faint beating of her heart.

After a long while, Aikawa Yumi finally let go of him and took a step back.

"Alright then." She turned and walked toward the door. "Get some sleep early; we still have to open the Space Gate for business tomorrow."

She stopped at the doorway, suddenly turning back to glance at him.

"Anu."

"Hm?"

"That piece of trash you killed tonight seems to have been the illegitimate son of the Land of Hot Water's daimyo."

Moonlight spilled in from the window, casting light and shadow across her face.

"Tell me, if that daimyo finds out his favorite son had his head chopped off, how many men do you think he'll send to hunt us down?"

Naoki suddenly recalled something... he had seen quite a few Kirigakure ninjas in Todo Ichiro's castle.

Why would there be so many Kirigakure ninjas in the Land of Hot Water?

Could it be that after the Southern Border was swept clean by the great army, the remaining Kirigakure ninjas didn't return home, but instead fled to the Land of Hot Water?

He felt it was possible.

If that were the case... things might get a bit troublesome.

The number of Kirigakure ninjas remaining in the Land of Fire was likely not small; even if the Konoha army's sweep was effective, a considerable portion would have escaped. If the daimyo of the Land of Hot Water intended to recruit them...

Naoki said slowly, "This is not a good thing."

Aikawa Yumi looked at him with a beaming smile.

"Is my Anu afraid?"

Naoki did not answer, simply turning and walking back to the window, gazing at the moonlight outside.

Afraid?

He was not afraid.

He had experienced life and death on the battlefield and had even dared to face a powerhouse like Karatachi Yagura head-on; a mere daimyo of the Land of Hot Water was not enough to make him feel fear.

But the problem was, he was not alone right now.

There was Aikawa Yumi behind him.

This woman had no chakra and was just an ordinary person. If a large number of enemies attacked, could he protect her?

"Anu." Aikawa Yumi had walked up behind him at some point, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, her cheek pressed against his back. "What are you thinking about?"

Naoki did not struggle, nor did he respond.

"Thinking about how to protect me?" Aikawa Yumi's voice was muffled, carrying a hint of a smile. "Don't worry, big sister here isn't so easy to kill."

The next day's sun rose as usual, and the tavern opened its doors as usual, as if nothing had happened last night.

Naoki remained behind the bar wiping glasses, and Aikawa Yumi remained lazily seated on the counter.

Compared to before, business at the tavern was quite cold today. Occasionally, a few regulars would come in to drink, lower their voices to discuss the commotion in town last night, and then leave in a hurry.

Aikawa Yumi seemed not to care about such matters, and more than ten days passed just like that.

Until the afternoon, when a messenger pushed open the tavern door.

The messenger was a middle-aged man dressed decently and behaving respectfully, the type who clearly often handled affairs for the powerful.

He stood at the tavern entrance, holding a letter sealed with wax in both hands, and said humbly, "Excuse me, are you Lord Uchiha Naoki?"