These Eyes Opened for You-Without You, I Would Rather Not Have Them

The lights at Naka Shrine are the first to illuminate the Dusk.

Natsu pushed open the door of the side hall, and the familiar scent of sandalwood wafted towards her. From the direction of the main hall, she could faintly hear the laughter of several children—they had probably just finished Clan Academy and the mischievous kids were still reluctant to go home.

He walked through the corridor and paused slightly as he passed the main hall.

Sasuke was sitting cross-legged on the veranda, a Ninjutsu Scroll spread out on his knees, his brows furrowed, muttering incantations to himself.

Natsu walked over, bent down and pinched his chubby little face, which still felt as good as ever.

"It's so late and you're still studying here. Go back and eat." Sasuke was startled by his pinch, then angrily slapped his hand away, muttering complaints like, "Natsu, why are you pinching my cheek again?"

Natsu chuckled, gently patted his head, and turned to walk towards the side hall.

There were already people waiting in the side hall.

Uchiha Fugaku stood by the window, holding a cup of hot tea. Hearing footsteps, he turned around, his Mangekyō Sharingan gleaming faintly in the candlelight.

He looked Natsu Yin up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on the wound on his abdomen, which was covered by the new robe. Then, without asking anything, he simply placed his teacup on the table and calmly said, "The Whitebeard fleet has arrived at Hillguard Island, accompanied by Marco, Jozu, and Vista. Newgate would like to see you tomorrow to discuss an alliance."

Natsu walked to the table, picked up the cup of tea that was originally poured for Fugaku, took a sip, and found the temperature to be just right.

"Then tomorrow. I'll discuss the alliance with him personally. Also—" He set down his teacup, his fingertips tapping lightly twice on the table.

"Have Uncle Qi arrange a few Shadow Guard to take Whitebeard and his Division Commander to Origin Island for a visit tomorrow."

You can see the Training Ground, the area surrounding the Clan Academy, and even the ordinary residential areas.

The laboratory, Treasure Vault, Scroll Library, and Cell Cultivation Zone were all sealed in advance, Shadow Guard took turns watching over them, stopping any outsiders from approaching immediately.

Fugaku nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave the side hall.

Natsu sat alone under the candlelight, slowly finished her cup of tea, then leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and let out a long sigh.

His mind was still replaying Imu's expressionless face, but there were more important things to do right now—he needed to have a good talk with Whitebeard tomorrow about the conditions for the alliance and how the Uchiha should proceed on this sea.

When Natsu came out of the Naka Shrine, it was already completely dark.

He didn't return to his own residence; his feet seemed to make the decision for him, turning several stone paths and heading towards a familiar house.

From afar, I could see a figure curled up on the stone steps by the door, its little head sinking down little by little, then suddenly lifting up again. It struggled several times, but finally couldn't resist the sleepiness and fell asleep leaning against the doorpost.

He knelt down in front of her, Gecko fell perfectly on her profile, illuminating the faint bluish-gray ring under her eyelids.

Quan is usually a very strong-willed girl. She gets first place in every subject at the Clan Academy and practices Sealing Jutsu and Mystical Palm Technique alternately without ever complaining of being tired.

But now she was curled up on the stone steps, like a cat soaked by the rain, unaware that he was even standing right in front of her.

"Why don't you go back to sleep?" He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips touching her slightly cool cheek.

Quan suddenly opened his eyes, his large eyes still misty with sleep.

She froze for less than a second, then crashed into his arms like a cannonball, making him stagger.

"Idiot! Bastard! Didn't you say everything would be alright? Do you know how terrifying you looked when you came back? You bastard, you promised you wouldn't lie to me!" Her voice was muffled in his chest, trembling at the end.

Natsu's body stiffened.

He had seen many kinds of springs—the smiling one, the angry one, the one so serious on the Training Ground that people were afraid to approach, and the one who secretly slipped an extra roasted Dango into his lunchbox and then turned around and ran away as if nothing had happened.

But he rarely saw her cry.

Her shoulders trembled incessantly in his arms; the way she finally couldn't hold back her sobs after suppressing them for so long made him feel like a complete bastard.

He raised his hand and gently patted her back, one pat at a time, as if soothing a frightened kitten.

"I'm sorry, Izumi. I swear, this is the last time, I promise."

"If there's ever a dangerous situation like this again, I want to go with you!"

Upon hearing Natsu's apology, Uchiha Izumi looked up at the boy before her with unwavering eyes and said, "No matter what danger it may be, I will face it with you. I never want you to face these things alone again!"

"Quan... I..." Upon hearing the other person's words, Natsu instinctively wanted to refuse.

Quan lifted her head from his embrace, looking at him through teary eyes.

The next second, the crimson in her eyes suddenly lit up, and the Three-Tomoe Sharingan that he had seen countless times from afar had changed its appearance at some point—two Mangekyo Sharingan patterns that he had never seen before were silently rotating in the Gecko.

"These eyes were opened for you. Without you, I'd rather not have them. Don't leave me alone at home in fear anymore—even if I get hurt, even if I can't help you in any way, at least let me be with you."

Natsu opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

He had never hesitated when facing Akainu's Hound Dog or Imu's Heavenly Punishment Blade on the battlefield, but now, facing these eyes and these words, he found himself speechless.

"...

In the pitch-black night sky, Natsu, holding the girl in her arms, fell into a deathly silence.

At that moment, he seemed to understand something.

I seem to have been... a bit too selfish.

In the past, he always habitually shielded her behind him, thinking it was a way of protecting her.

But he never considered things from her perspective—when his life hung in the balance in Marineford, she could only pace back and forth in the room, clutching that Kunai.

If it were her charging ahead while he was trapped alone on Origin Island, he would go crazy.

He suddenly remembered a passage he had seen online in his previous life.

Two lovers embraced tightly when disaster struck; in that moment, they stood at the pinnacle of their love, mocking the powerlessness of Death God.

However, when Death God only takes one person, the one left behind suffers the cruelest fate.

Death is not scary; what is scary is loss.

If that day ever comes, dying in front of a spring might actually be an easier choice.

The one left behind will have to face countless moments in the rest of their life when they need him but can never find him again.

He had never considered this weight before, but now he understood.