A New Idea

What is the most important thing for a person?

Kato Osamu didn't answer the question; he merely glanced at the person who had asked it— Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi Uchiha emerged from the jungle and quietly landed beside Kato Osamu, while this sudden encounter was already nearing its end.

A bright red figure danced in the sky, playing the final movement of his life, like a crimson butterfly fluttering in the dim sky.

It was impossible to tell whose blood it was, but it bloomed in the sky like a blood mist, and a gentle breeze carried the gloomy red, which fell to the earth like blood rain.

Kato Osamu was somewhat curious about what Itachi Uchiha was thinking. His eyes rarely showed such obvious emotions, as if he had discovered a new world. He was staring intently at Might Duy, who was already stained with blood, with a strange light flashing in his eyes.

A drop of blood, drifting down from the sky, suddenly landed on Itachi Uchiha's cheek, seemingly shattering his Itachi Uchiha inner world and bringing him back to his senses. However, noticing Kato Osamu's gaze, he lowered his eyes slightly.

"Blood..."

"It's so hot..."

The faint sound was almost imperceptible. Kato Osamu remained silent, lost in thought, still watching Itachi Uchiha.

He roughly knew the status of the Uchiha Clan in Konoha. Although they seemed to be high and mighty, they were like a lone tree in the wind, proud and independent, yet in danger of collapsing.

Itachi Uchiha's fluctuating emotions allowed Kato Osamu to roughly guess some of his thoughts. However, the silent genius boy in front of him seemed to remind Kato Osamu of himself when he was struggling in Root —a path that seemed to offer choices, but in reality, the answer was already predetermined.

"It seems Itachi knows him..."

"I've only met him..."

"So, this powerful figure has remained quietly in Konoha, seemingly unaffected even by the war..."

Itachi Uchiha frowned deeply. He had never thought about this before, and couldn't help but look up at Kato Osamu.

Even though he was a genius, he was only seven or eight years old. His mind still retained the peace and beauty that Konoha had built. When he saw anything, he would not think about it from the perspective of something seemingly dark—regardless of whether there was such a possibility.

Kato Osamu chuckled softly, glancing only at Itachi Uchiha before his gaze swept through the cover of the jungle and landed on Might Duy.

"He's going to die..."

Itachi Uchiha didn't speak, but his eyes revealed his thoughts, as if he was waiting for Kato Osamu's explanation.

"It's probably this secret technique that allowed him to unleash his potential..."

Itachi Uchiha stared at Might Duy Guy, remaining silent for a long while with a hint of contemplation, as if talking to himself, or perhaps revealing his troubles for once, before frowning and looking at Kato Osamu.

"So, regardless of whether it's some secret technique or special Ninjutsu that allows him to unleash such power, could it be said that he didn't want to sacrifice his life for the war and the village, but he could give his life for his family?"

"Maybe..."

Upon hearing Itachi Uchiha's words, Kato Osamu's eyes narrowed slightly. He was implying that sacrificing one's life for Konoha and sacrificing one's family were two opposing things...

A barely perceptible smile crept onto his lips. From the Uchiha Clan's question, Kato Osamu seemed to have obtained the answer he sought—the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha appeared to have reached a critical point.

Seemingly realizing his slip of the tongue, Itachi Uchiha looked at Kato Osamu with a hint of doubt and wariness. However, as if his secret had been exposed, he still harbored a touch of naive resentment and looked at Kato Osamu coldly.

"Teacher Xu, I've discovered something interesting."

"Oh?"

"As Special Jonin of Konoha, you never refer to the village as a 'village' in your speech; you only say Konoha or Konoha..."

"It's as if they're like... the Mist Shinobi and the Stone Shinobi..."

Kato Osamu's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of coldness in them as he looked at Itachi Uchiha, before he chuckled softly.

"Haha, isn't the village called Konoha? Itachi, do you think the person standing in front of you is a clone of Mist Shinobi or Stone Shinobi?"

"You really underestimate me..."

With a flick of his Kato Osamu struck Itachi Uchiha on the forehead before he could react Itachi Uchiha. A flash of eerie blue light disappeared in an instant, but Itachi Uchiha's body flew out like a cannonball and crashed into a tree.

A mere flick of the finger left him no chance to dodge, as if struck by a heavy hammer, causing him to cough violently.

"When you see the village ninjas in danger, your first instinct should be to rescue them. Itachi, you must strive to be a ninja who cherishes your comrades..."

The sounds from the edge of the jungle attracted Iruka and Uzuki Yugao, who were on guard and following Kato Osamu's orders. Although they were unaware of the situation on the battlefield, they rushed over.

"Teacher Xu? Itachi?"

With some doubt, Itachi Uchiha, who had arrived first, glanced curiously at Uchiha Uzuki Yugao, whose forehead was swollen and who was silent. She then focused her gaze on Kato Osamu, but before she could speak, a loud explosion came from the battlefield not far away.

Might Duy, his entire body erupting with intense red light, let out a roar, as if using all his strength, and delivered an unparalleled punch to the body of an unknown Hidden Mist Village Mist Shinobi from the Land of Water. The Hidden Kirigakure Ninja, deeply embedded in the earth, could no longer be found, and the war seemed to have come to a complete end.

"That's... Might Guy?"

With a few beads of sweat on his forehead, Iruka rushed out of the forest, staring blankly at the scene on the battlefield.

Staring in disbelief at the jungle that seemed to have undergone a cataclysmic transformation, the enormous crater made his Adam's apple bob. He scanned his surroundings, as if spotting a familiar face...

"The person who was fighting just now...? Was it... Kai's father?"

Compared to a genius like Kakashi Hatake, the only thing Might Guy might be able to catch up with right now is his fame within the Konoha Ninja Academy.

Even if he came from a prominent family, it was impossible for everyone in the Ninja Academy, whether they were upperclassmen or lowerclassmen, to know him. What was even more remarkable was that they also knew his father.

"Teacher Xu... shouldn't we... go and help them?"

Before Iruka could recover from his shock, Uzuki Yugao asked the question he wanted to ask, and he couldn't help but look at Kato Osamu.

"It seems there's no need for that..."

"Teacher! What... does this mean?"

Although the constant splatter of blood suggested that Might Duy's condition might not be good, Iruka still couldn't quite believe it, and seemed to be thinking of something as he looked at Kato Osamu.

"It's probably some kind of forbidden technique..."

He was already at his last gasp...

Kato Osamu ignored Iruka's disbelief; a glint of dark blue light flashed in his eyes, sharp enough to pierce through Might Guy.

"Chakra..."

"It's starting to weaken..."

A person's ability is always limited, yet also limitless. When Might Duy unleashed the strongest punch of his life, his aura surged like a mountain collapsing, and his entire body crackled like popping beans.

His ability to move, which he had forcibly maintained with Chakra, seemed to have been completely lost at this moment. His body could no longer withstand such pain, and he began to fall from the sky like a meteor.

Might Duy's entire body seemed to have escaped from a fire. Without the protection of Chakra, the aftereffects of the bloody steam left his skin completely charred, and he seemed to have lost all consciousness due to the pain.

"Dad..."

Might Guy ran frantically toward the spot where Might Duy was about to fall, an indescribable sorrow threatening to overwhelm him like a raging storm.

"Daddy..., Daddy..."

His injured body always seemed to create a certain distance between him and Might Duy, as if they were separated by a vast chasm.

"Is it over...?"

"This is truly unbelievable..."

Kato Osamu flashed into the battlefield and appeared abruptly. Not far from Might Guy, he gently released Chakra with one hand and slowly placed Might Duy's body on the ground.

Might Duy suddenly opened his eyes, saw the Konoha Forehead Protector on Kato Osamu's body and completely let go of his last bit of worry. He endured the pain, twisted his head, and looked at Might Guy, who was staggering towards him. His lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, tears kept rolling down his cheeks.

"Dad..."

Seeing Might Duy's body, which was no longer recognizable as human, Might Guy suddenly stopped in his tracks. Unable to bear the sight, large tears welled up in his eyes without warning, and he sobbed mournfully. He wanted to reach out and touch Might Duy, but he was afraid that the slightest movement would plunge his father into even greater pain.

Might Guy turned around and instantly knelt on the ground, looking at Kato Osamu with his last glimmer of hope.

"Kato Jonin... please, please save my father! You are a great hero of the village, you must have a way, you must have a way!"

Kato Osamu hadn't expected to become so famous. Might Guy recognized him at a glance, but when he saw Might Guy kneeling on the ground, he couldn't help but frown and sigh softly.

"Give up..."

"No... no... how could Daddy...?"

Might Guy's head kept slamming against the ground, as if he wanted to smash his head open and bleed profusely. However, Kato Osamu, who had just looked at Might Duy's injuries, remained silent and did not respond.

The sky was dark, tinged with a grayish-blue light that sadly illuminated the ravaged land. A chilling wind blew, swaying the few remaining withered grasses, burying Might Guy's heart deep into the blood-red earth.

Kato Osamu, seemingly deep in thought, suddenly raised his eyes. An unprecedented idea appeared in his mind. Without hesitation, a dark light subtly appeared in his hand and quietly entered the body of Might Duy, who was already on his deathbed.

"Instead of begging me, you should spend some time talking to him."

"His time is running out..."

Kato Osamu flicked his sleeve, and a specially made Soldier Pill landed in front of Might Guy.

"I probably don't need to tell you what this is, but it will likely help him spend his last few days in less pain."

Might Guy stared blankly at the scarlet Soldier Pill in his hand, then looked at his father. Might Duy's pained eyes held a hint of gratitude as he nodded slightly to Might Guy. However, even this small gesture seemed to cause him immense pain, and fine beads of sweat once again covered his forehead.

Might Guy couldn't stop his tears, but he still fed his father the scarlet Soldier Pill. This special Soldier Pill could suppress the pain and unleash his last potential. It was only swallowed when he was certain of death, and he would fight to the death with his enemy. But now it had become Might Guy's last life support.

"Thanks..."

After swallowing the Soldier Pill, Might Duy's pained expression eased considerably. He struggled to sit up and thanked Kato Osamu.

Kato Osamu said nothing more, slowly walked away, leaving his last moments with the father and son, but a sudden sense of unease rose in his heart.

No one stepped forward; they simply stood a short distance away, watching Might Guy and his father bid their final farewell. The sobbing echoed through the air, and the scene of parting in life and death silenced everyone. Everyone seemed to understand what was about to happen.

"Teacher Xu... you actually carry something like this with you all the time..."

With a hint of silence, Uzuki Yugao spoke softly, causing even the usually talkative Iruka to fall silent. Might Guy's two teammates, with their heads bowed, had tears streaming down their faces, whether from grief or guilt, it was hard to tell. Only Itachi Uchiha gazed intently at the figures of Might Duy and his son, lost in thought.

"One million taels per pill, remember to make that little brat pay me back..."

Kato Osamu ignored Uzuki Yugao and walked away on his own, his fists clenched, as if countless heavy hammers were pounding on his chest.

"Why didn't I think of that sooner...?"

The lush jungle carried a hint of bloodshed. Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, reflecting reddish glints where the blood mist had settled, giving the entire jungle an eerie and mysterious aura.

Kato Osamu quietly on a branch of a large tree, seemingly deep in thought, when a black light wrapped in a blue glow suddenly shot into her body.

He knew that Might Duy was dead... or rather, that his physical body was dead...

Slowly closing his eyes, he entered the spiritual space. A ball of pale blue light hovered quietly in the air, drawn to the spirit within the space. Its soul energy continuously emanated, and wisps of pale blue light slowly flowed into the spirit.

With a wave of his hand, Kato Osamu sent the dark sealing chains climbing up the ball of pale blue light, completely enveloping it. The constantly leaking spiritual energy was also sealed away, ensuring that not a single drop would leak out again.

Gazing at the ball of soul light silently suspended within the dark chains, Kato Osamu remained silent for a long time, his eyes gleaming with an unprecedented light.

With a slight smile, Kato Osamu didn't touch Might Duy's soul again, but simply stored it away quietly before exiting the mental space.

"Orochimaru- sensei... is truly a genius..."

Kato Osamu suddenly opened his eyes and couldn't help but look towards the direction of Mist Shinobi, where his 'mentor and friend'— Orochimaru —was.

"Teacher Xu..."

"Kai and the others are going back..."

Uzuki Yugao hurriedly emerged from the forest, her face still bearing a trace of sorrow, and even her voice was somewhat low.

"Hmm... we should go too..."

"Itachi, have them take the other two Mist Shinobi corpses with them... then we don't need to go back. Let's get to the Mist Shinobi battlefield as soon as possible..."

"Yes..."

After Kato Osamu's 'guidance', Itachi Uchiha seemed to become even more silent, only occasionally glancing at Kato Osamu, but almost never meeting his gaze.

"Let's go..."

When Kato Osamu saw Might Guy again, he didn't know what Might Duy had said to him, but although Might Guy still had some sorrow, he seemed to be more resolute now.

"Perhaps, the quest and exploration of each generation begins from the moment they bury their fathers in the earth."

"Kato Jonin... I will repay you the one million ryo as soon as possible!"

"Thank you..."

Might Guy stood straight in front of Kato Osamu, his eyes filled with determination and gratitude as he looked at Kato Osamu.

"What ever..."

Kato Osamu nodded without saying anything more, and led Iruka and the other two slowly into the jungle, continuing their journey towards Mist Shinobi.

"Thank you, thank you so much..."

Watching Kato Osamu's retreating figure, Might Guy slowly bowed, bowing to Kato Osamu for a long time until the four of them disappeared into the jungle.