October had arrived, bringing crisp autumn weather and bright sunshine.
Zeyu lay in Yangmei's arms as she strolled around their courtyard.
Their home was a traditional-style courtyard house with cherry blossoms, tucked away on Konoha's outer street. It wasn't very big, but it was warm and cozy.
For Zeyu's sake, his father, Aihua, had even picked out a trustworthy young woman from his shop to help around the house. She had graduated from the Ninja Academy and had some training, but she'd chosen to work instead of fighting. When Yangmei went out, she could come along to protect her, too.
She and Yangmei got along very well, like sisters.
They'd originally planned to hire a wet nurse as well, but Yangmei insisted on raising the baby herself. She said they only needed someone to help with the chores.
Yangmei truly loved this baby.
She took care of everything to do with him herself. Even when her husband, Aihua, came home and offered to help, she refused.
She was clearly exhausted, but a smile never left her face.
Zeyu was deeply moved by this.
Being a baby was the easiest and most comfortable time of all. He couldn't do anything, but the sense of security was intoxicating.
It stood in stark contrast to all the hardship that came later.
The maternal love Zeyu had felt as a baby was largely what kept him from being broken by death after death.
By now, Zeyu was three months old.
Over those three months, he'd pieced together the general situation.
They were in Konoha. His mother was named Rilu Yangmei, and his father was Rilu Aihua. His mother didn't work; she was a housewife. His father sold fabric from a shop on Konoha's Central Street, and business was going well. His father had bought their home with his savings. It was on the outer street, not far from the gate, but owning a house in Konoha was proof that they were fairly well-off.
Too bad they were in Konoha, and it seemed to be October already.
If I remember right, Naruto's about to be born, Zeyu thought, looking at the calendar hanging on the wall.
When the time came, that beast Obito would betray his teacher and plunge the village into chaos. After that, it would all be up to fate.
I really do like this mother of mine. Too bad I'm just a baby and can't do anything.
Because he was a baby, his unhappiness felt magnified, and he couldn't control his expression. He pouted, looking thoroughly displeased.
Yangmei noticed the baby in her arms pouting and immediately began soothing him.
"What's wrong, Zeyu? Are you hungry? There, there. Don't be sad."
Hearing how much his mother cared about him only made Zeyu feel worse, and he started crying.
"There, there. Don't cry. You're hungry, aren't you? Mommy will feed you..."
Still soothing him, Yangmei hurried into the room.
It was the evening of October 10.
After seeing the workers from his shop off, Rilu Aihua picked up the ledger from his desk, planning to go over it carefully at home.
Yangmei was waiting at home for her husband, Aihua, to return.
Meiling, the young woman who helped around the house, was there with her.
It had become routine for her to stay until the head of the household, Aihua, came home. She'd been doing that for months.
Though night had fallen, lights still shone in many homes. The day's work was tiring, but the hours spent together in the evening felt all the warmer and more comforting.
Everything seemed just as peaceful as usual.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A man wearing a tiger-striped mask appeared in the city. He knelt and pressed his right hand to the ground, and the technique spread out.
Then a crimson fox nearly a hundred meters tall appeared out of thin air. It had nine tails that thrashed wildly in the air, making its already enormous body seem even larger.
All of Konoha looked tiny beside the fox, as if it were a toy.
As soon as the fox appeared, it threw back its head and let out a deafening roar. The tremendous noise jolted Konoha awake just as the village was settling in for the night.
"Alert level one!"
A member of the Uchiha Clan on duty with the Military Police Force spotted the fox and immediately used the loudspeaker to notify every department.
Everyone began assembling in an emergency.
They quickly gathered their equipment and prepared to head to the front lines to confront the colossal monster.
"Squads one and two, set up a security line on the outer street. Don't let anyone enter the central district.
"Squads three and four, evacuate the villagers. Take them to the shelters."
The one giving the orders was Uchiha Clan leader Uchiha Fugaku, who had just arrived.
The clan members on duty were stunned, but they didn't dare stop preparing their equipment. One of them stepped forward and asked,
"Clan leader, shouldn't the Military Police Force be stopping the fox?"
"This is Lord Hokage's order," Fugaku replied with a stony expression.
"But..." The officer was about to say more when someone behind him patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to let it go and follow orders.
The two of them then left with the rest of the group.
Watching them go, Fugaku could only sigh helplessly. He turned to look out the window at the Nine-Tails.
As soon as the Nine-Tails appeared, an emergency order had come down from above: the Military Police Force was to focus only on evacuating the villagers. It was a blatant sign that they were targeting the Uchiha and didn't trust them.
"Hmph," Uchiha Fugaku grunted in displeasure.
"No, I have to find Aihua!" Yangmei said anxiously.
"You can't, Yangmei. It's too dangerous. The village will send people soon. Let's go to the shelter with them," Meiling said, gripping her arm as she tried to stop her.
The enormous noise caused by the Nine-Tails' arrival had sent people into a panic. Many rushed outside to see what was happening.
Yangmei had also carried Zeyu outside with Meiling.
When they saw the enormous Nine-Tails in the distance, many people were horrified. Some fell to the ground, trembling.
The street was suddenly filled with people running, crying, and screaming.
In the distance, the Nine-Tails swung its claws and slammed its tails into the ground, causing even more destruction. The houses beneath its feet had already been razed to the ground.
"No, I have to go. I have to see Aihua!" Yangmei wrenched her arm free from Meiling's grip and strode forward.
"Yangmei, calm down! What about Zeyu?"
Yangmei froze. Looking down at the baby in her arms, she didn't know what to do.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sank helplessly to the ground.
Meiling came over and crouched beside her, cradling her head as she gently comforted her.
"Let's go to the shelter first. Aihua will be all right."
Yangmei looked up at Meiling. "Really? He'll be all right?"
"I can't live without Aihua. If he's gone, I don't want to live either. I love him. I don't want anything to happen to him."
"I... I..."
Seeing Yangmei like this, Meiling's heart ached. She'd seen for herself how deeply the couple loved each other.
They were the very picture of a happy family, warm and loving.
Why would fate treat them this way?
But that was reality.
Just as the two of them stood there at a loss, someone behind them called out.
They quickly turned and saw an old woman they knew. Her name was Shanping, and she lived alone at the end of the street. They usually called her Grandma Shanping. She was a kind woman, and Yangmei and Meiling often took Zeyu to visit her. She'd even shared her childcare advice with them.
She often said that Yangmei and Aihua were a perfect match, and that she envied them.
Her own husband had died young, and her children had been away from home for years.
Thanks to Yangmei and Meiling visiting her so often, she didn't feel so lonely.
"Yangmei, Meiling, what are you doing? Hurry and get to the shelter!" the old woman called, waving to them.
When Yangmei saw Grandma Shanping, her eyes suddenly filled with resolve. She wiped the tears from her face and handed Zeyu to Meiling.
"Meiling, please look after Zeyu. Take him to the shelter with Grandma Shanping." With that, she stood up and looked toward Central Street.
Meiling realized what she meant and grabbed Yangmei's right hand.
That stopped Yangmei from leaving at once. She looked back at Zeyu in Meiling's arms. Her eyes glistened as she bent down and kissed him, then quickly turned away.
She didn't dare look again. If she did, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to leave.
Zeyu's feelings were complicated, too. He knew what his mother was going to do. She was going to her death, without a doubt. But if he cried now, he would surely make her waver. That would be disrespectful to her.
After all these days together, Zeyu had felt just how much his parents loved each other.
Their love had long since transcended life and death. If one of them somehow survived, they would probably take their own life afterward.
If he interfered now, his parents wouldn't blame him, but he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.
Meiling, holding Zeyu, saw the resolve in Yangmei's eyes and decided not to say anything more. She simply said,
"Be careful."
Then she let go.
"Thank you," Yangmei said, understanding that her good friend was supporting her. She was deeply moved.
She had to see Aihua.
Then she ran toward Central Street without looking back.