Raikage's Office.
"..."
Shinji stared at Darui, who looked ready to die, and blinked. "Wait... why would you think that? I'm a good person. I don't like killing people!"
Darui: "?"
Shinji waved a hand. "And beheading someone? That's a cruel way to kill. You're the leader of a village, but your thoughts are awfully dark, and your methods even worse."
Darui's mouth twitched. "...Then what do you want?"
"I'm just here to pick up a few weapons: the Kōkinjō, Seven-Star Sword, Benihisago, Banana Palm Fan, and Amber Purifying Pot. Unless something's changed, they should all be in Kumogakure, right?"
Shinji spoke with a smile, then held out a hand.
He opened his palm.
"Hand them over."
It didn't take long.
Dodai watched Shinji Uchiha leave, looking thoroughly satisfied, then collapsed into a chair with a clatter and gulped down air.
Darui let out a breath too.
Bracing one hand against the desk, his expression shifted. "He actually let me live..."
Dodai recovered and shook his head with a bitter smile. "I suppose that, compared to what he wants to accomplish—or his vision for the future—killing you would be too insignificant to make any difference. But with his strength, what does he need those things for?"
"..."
Dodai's blunt assessment left Darui silent for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"I don't know. But those things don't matter to Kumogakure anymore... I wonder what Mabui and the others discussed with him."
Dodai took a deep breath. "Why didn't you ask just now?"
"Would it have made any difference?" Darui turned toward the window. The sight of battered Kumogakure sent a stab of pain through his heart.
The war was over.
But...
Kumogakure was barely better than a ruin.
If Mabui hadn't taken charge and shouldered the burden at the