Brothers Reunited

In the simple treehouse of their youth, Sabo was writing at a crooked angle, Luffy slept soundly curled up on his back, his clothes covered in drool.

He squatted to the side, grilling fish, letting the charcoal fire char the fish meat until it was blackened, not bothering to clean it, only concerned with watching his two younger brothers play and keep him company.

The fragmented, warm memories of the past are as vivid as if they happened yesterday.

"Sabo."

Ace spoke softly, his voice gentle yet firm.

The figure at the desk suddenly froze. The pen tip hovering over the paper stopped abruptly, not falling another inch.

After a long moment of silence, Sabo slowly turned around.

Time has etched mature features on his face; the youthful sharpness in his brows and eyes has faded, replaced by a calm and reserved demeanor born from years of quiet forbearance and the responsibility of holding important positions.

Yet those clear eyes remained as bright and clear as ever, exactly like the boy who set sail from the harbor and waved goodbye back then.

The Setsuna their eyes met, the entire small house fell completely silent.

Only the crackling of the oil lamp flame became the sole sound in this world.

Ace raised the corners of his lips, revealing his signature bright smile, warm and open, just like the boy who protected his younger brother back then.

"Long time no see, Sabo."

Sabo did not respond.

He simply stared fixedly at the black-haired youth before him, at that bright and dazzling smiling face, his eyes churning with emotions he couldn't even control.

The fingertips holding the charcoal pencil trembled slightly uncontrollably, not out of fear or confusion.

It is a kind of obsession and longing that has been sealed away by time and buried deep in the bottom of memory, which is now frantically crashing against the memory barrier that has been sealed for many years, desperately trying to break free.

He recognized the face.

He recognized that smile.

He recognized this person clearly.

The next second, the long-buried memories burst forth completely.

Countless forgotten images burst through the darkness, surging into my mind, each frame vivid and clear as if from just yesterday.

At a campfire in the forest of Mount Colubo, three dirty boys clinked their stolen wine bowls together and shouted that they were now sworn brothers, bound by life and death.

Inside Dadan's hut, she lay sprawled out a blueprint for the sea, with Luffy fast asleep on her back, and Ace beside her, oblivious to the burnt fish.

In the sun-drenched harbor, the young man boards a ship for a distant voyage, turning back to wave vigorously to the two people on the shore, promising that once he has seen the world, he will return to fetch them.

Following the beautiful memories came the blinding gunfire and the deafening explosions. The shadows of the Celestial Dragons' ships loomed over the sea. Intense pain swept through my body, salty seawater filled my mouth and nose, and suffocating darkness swallowed all consciousness.

After that, there was only endless blank space.

Wandering, rescued, reborn, and rooted in the Revolutionary Army.

He had a completely new identity and a completely new life, but he always carried an empty heart, feeling that his life was missing the most crucial piece.

It wasn't that there was nothing there; he had simply completely forgotten about it.

Sabo's lips trembled violently.

He opened his mouth several times, but his throat seemed to be completely blocked by burning emotions, and he couldn't make a sound.

The longing and guilt that had been building up for more than a decade completely overwhelmed all reason at this moment.

After a long while, he finally mustered all his strength and squeezed out a broken and trembling syllable from his hoarse throat.

"Ace?"

It's a question, but it contains a deeply certain answer.

Ace did not respond; no response was necessary.

He stepped forward, steadily walking to Sabo, and pulled the stiff man up from his seat, embracing him tightly with all his might.

The embrace, after more than a decade, has been far too long.

"It's me." Ace's voice was hoarse and warm, filled with the utmost tenderness and relief. "Sabo, I've come."

Sabo stood stiffly, his hands hanging at his sides, still reeling from the tremors of his resurrected memories.

In just a few breaths, he slowly raised his hand and gripped the fabric of Ace's back tightly, with such force that it seemed to be embedded into his bones.

He buried his face deeply in Ace's shoulder, and tears he had held back for years burst forth, silently soaking Ace's clothes.

His shoulders heaved and trembled violently; all his restraint, composure, and forbearance crumbled completely in front of his dearest brother.

"I remember... Ace, I remember everything."

He choked back tears as he murmured, each word trembling with sobs.

"I remember that bowl of sworn brotherhood wine, I remember that little boat, I remember that morning when I promised you I would come back... Over the years, I've always felt a piece missing from my heart, that someone is always waiting for me, but I can't remember what you all look like, and I can't find my way home."

For so many years, he has been carrying a heavy burden alone, with nameless worries and emptiness in his heart, struggling to grow in the chaos of the world, but he has never known who he was worried about or what he was waiting for.

Ace tightened his arms, holding his long-lost younger brother firmly in his embrace, his strength both gentle and firm.

"It's alright now."

"It's okay if you can't find your way, I'm here to pick you up."

"I am your older brother. No matter where you are in the world, I will find you."

A few simple words soothed more than a decade of ups and downs and emptiness.

Sabo stopped speaking, but gripped the person in his arms even tighter, pouring all his longing, grievances, regrets, and relief into this belated embrace.

The oil lamp on the corner of the table still flickered, casting a gentle and lingering light. Outside the window, the wind howled across the desolate plains, swirling white dust across the land, while inside the room, the air was warm and cozy.

The door to memories, which had been forcibly sealed by fate for over a decade, has finally been opened completely.

The story, abruptly interrupted by life, now connects perfectly.

In the years to come, their lives will never again be filled with blanks or absences.

In the brand-new Ninjutsu research laboratory on Origin Island, white paper was laid out on the table, instruments were placed still, and a faint, cool aura of medicine and Chakra floated in the air.

Izuna Uchiha raised his hand and slammed a scroll of techniques covered with dense annotations onto the table. The paper trembled, and tiny specks of ink splattered slightly.

He, who was always gentle and had a warm smile on his face, had completely lost that gentle smile at this moment, and his whole face clearly said: I am extremely unhappy.

He stared intently at the intricate diagrams of the Impure World Reincarnation technique covering the wall, his mind brimming with complaints that he couldn't contain.

"Tobirama Senju is truly outrageous."

Izuna Uchiha slammed his fingertip against a tangled knot in the scroll's spell formula, his tone a mixture of disdain and exasperation. "Back then, all you knew was some random, underhanded tricks. And you're this careless with even Forbidden Technique? What kind of shoddy, half-finished product is this Impure World Reincarnation?!"