"Whoosh!"
Sakumo suddenly flashed back to where he had been and collapsed to his knees, utterly drained.
Tsunade's expression tightened. She immediately covered her hands in a shimmering green chakra glow and began treating his injuries.
Sakumo's forehead was slick with cold sweat, and his lips had gone pale. Though both his arms were now gone, he kept his eyes fixed on Sosuke.
His only reason for living now was to avenge his former comrades!
He was willing to pay for it with his life!
Sosuke, however, stood where he was without making the slightest effort to stop him, letting him retreat.
"Clang!"
He casually tossed White Fang aside, where it landed beside Sakumo's blood-soaked severed arms. The blade's gleaming white surface and the vivid red of the arms looked blinding in the sunlight.
A faint smile played on his lips as he glanced at everyone with cool indifference and spoke softly.
"If you keep thinking of me as the comrade I used to be, you might accidentally lose your lives."
His words startled everyone.
Just then, Dai took a step forward. With a grave, earnest expression, he looked at Sosuke and said firmly,
"No matter what, I still consider you my comrade, Sosuke. Even if everything from before was a lie, those memories are still precious to me."
As he spoke, he slowly unwound the bandages around his hands, one turn at a time.
The bandages fell away, revealing Dai's hands, covered in old scars. He looked straight at Sosuke, his gaze earnest, and said quietly,
"So... even if it was all an illusion, as your comrade, I won't let you leave the village!"
Everyone present felt the same way.
They all looked toward Sosuke, hoping he might change his mind.
Unfortunately, Sosuke merely glanced at Dai's hands, a