Gift

"A few days ago, a Minato Namikaze appeared out of nowhere. Today, you're telling me that besides Rasa, the Sand Shinobi have produced another Pakura..."

"Just how many more geniuses are going to appear?! Tell me! Tell me!"

The Third Raikage grabbed the ninja who had come to report from the battlefield. Violent Chakra surged from his body as his eyes turned bloodshot. Like a monstrous beast ready to devour its prey, he stared fixedly at the young ninja before him.

"R-Raikage... sir..."

The young ninja's voice trembled. Fine cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his entire body had gone rigid. He did not know how to respond. He knew the Raikage had been irritable lately due to the war's setbacks, but duty compelled him to come regardless.

"Hmph... Speak... What other intelligence is there..."

The Raikage slowly calmed down and set the reporting ninja down. Though enraged for a moment, he was not some savage leader who could not distinguish right from wrong.

"Y-Yes... It's a letter from the Tsuchikage..."

The young ninja hurriedly handed over Ōnoki's letter, then stood respectfully to one side without daring to make a sound. He stood there like a statue, seemingly afraid that the Raikage might remember there was still someone else in the office.

"Ōnoki! You've gone too far!"

With fire in his eyes, the Raikage swiftly scanned the scroll's contents, then punched a hole through the office wall with his clenched fist. The lightning still bursting from his body made the young ninja involuntarily swallow.

The Raikage's gaze instantly settled on the young ninja. The waves radiating from his body made the young ninja take half a step back...

"Go! Write that bastard Ōnoki back! Tell those Stone Shinobi to get the hell out!"

"Yes!"

The young ninja, who had just lifted his foot to leave, finally processed what the Raikage had said. He could not help turning back to look at him uncertainly.

"Didn't you hear what I said?!"

"But..."

"Hm?"

"Yes!"

The enraged Raikage often made baffling decisions, and the young ninja had grown used to it. But after confirming it once more, he understood that the Raikage was not joking this time.

After gently closing the Raikage's office door, the young ninja finally let out a complete sigh of relief.

Boom!

The sudden crash from behind the door made his face twitch. He knew he should bring a new desk when he came tomorrow...

Time slowly passed. As the heavy snow began to melt, Kato Xu gradually adapted to his new identity—Konoha's newly promoted Special Jonin.

He could participate in higher-level meetings and exchange his achievements for more advanced ninjutsu.

Yet compared to those things, the looks people in the Konoha camp gave him—as though he were some rare beast—made him even more uncomfortable.

Those gazes seemed to remind him that, in everyone else's eyes, he had completely become a member of Minato Namikaze's faction—though he had never had a choice.

In the Konoha camp, the snow atop the high ground had begun to melt. Amid the glistening Haku world, the sunlight seemed to have turned everything gold.

Alone beside an open patch of ground far from the camp, where a few remnants of snow still clung, Kato Xu took out a Kunai and repeatedly threw it. The Kunai that struck the ground sent countless pellets of snow flying, but his expression did not change in the slightest.

With a faint sigh, Kato Xu's thoughts swirled. Strange light flickered in his eyes as he slowly walked toward where the Kunai had landed.

They should be heading back soon...

The Cloud Shinobi had completely ceased their attacks. Even probing assaults had vanished entirely. During this period, Kato Xu had only encountered three Cloud Shinobi squads. One squad recognized him and immediately retreated, while the other two merely threw a few Kunai before withdrawing into the forest as well.

The tense atmosphere in the camp seemed to be gradually melting away along with the snow. All ninja with experience in war understood that the Cloud Shinobi were about to withdraw.

Following the usual process, there would be truce negotiations, discussions of war reparations, and a new non-aggression treaty between the two sides. Then they would wait for one side to tear up that treaty again—though that might not happen for several years, perhaps even more than a decade.

"Xu... You're here... I've been looking for you forever..."

Rin Nohara's voice came from the distance. Her breath became a long stream of silvery Haku mist in the air. She wore an adorable Haku rabbit-ear ornament, seemingly a gift from Obito Uchiha, also on a snowy day.

"What is it?"

Kato Xu answered and silently continued toward where the Kunai had fallen.

"Xu, so you were practicing with Kunai..."

Rin tilted her head as she looked around. Perhaps it was the rabbit-ear ornament, but she seemed especially playful and cute today.

"Obito and I discussed it. We want to visit Kakashi Hatake today..."

"He still hasn't recovered?"

Kato Xu walked slowly ahead, his steps crunching over the snow. Rin followed behind him, continuously breathing into her hands.

"No... I don't know why. Obito's injuries have all healed... but Kakashi is still in the infirmary..."

More worry appeared in Rin's eyes. Following behind Kato Xu, she stopped where the fallen Kunai had kicked up a patch of snow. She watched as he slowly crouched and parted the snow, confusion appearing in her eyes.

Lying quietly atop the rotting leaves and pine needles beneath the snow was a snow-Haku fox. Its eyes were full of fear. Kunai encircled its body like a cage, pinning it firmly in place. The Kunai had not harmed it in the slightest, but it did not dare move even a little.

"So cute!"

Before Kato Xu could speak, Rin hurriedly pulled up the Kunai embedded in the ground, picked up the Haku fox, and held it in her arms. She shot Kato Xu a reproachful look.

"I happen to need a fox-fur scarf..."

Kato Xu's quiet voice seemed to frighten the little fox. It bared its teeth and flailed its claws as though condemning his cruelty, then suddenly bit Rin's hand.

"It hurts!"

Rin pulled back her hand, and the little fox leaped from her arms. Like lightning, it vanished into the forest, leaving behind a stunned and somewhat disappointed Rin, who glared reproachfully at Kato Xu.

"Xu! It's all your fault! You scared it!"

"Next time... I'll give you a Haku fox-fur scarf..."

Kato Xu smiled faintly and said nothing more. He walked ahead alone, leaving Rin to stare indignantly in the direction the Haku fox had fled. Only after a long while did she catch up with him.

"Xu, you said it! Don't you dare forget!"