Parting

As dawn breaks, the brilliant sunrise dances across the distant horizon, like a magical golden paintbrush, painting a faint golden-red hue on the edge of this boundless forest.

In the western sky, a crimson moon had not yet set below the horizon, its soft light blending with the dawn to create a dreamlike scene.

Upon hearing the news of Koki's return, the three hurriedly embarked on their journey back, with Yahiko leading the way, followed closely by Konan and Nagato.

"Why isn't Koki awake yet?" Yahiko's gaze was fixed on Koki.

"He should wake up soon, don't disturb him." Konan's eyes showed a hint of worry.

"I didn't mean to disturb him, but I wanted to check if he was hurt. Isn't he hungry? Should I bring over the food I've prepared?"

"Yahiko, can you please be quiet? You're disturbing Koki's rest." Nagato's words were stern and left no room for argument.

"Hey, Nagato, how could you do this to me? He's still not awake. Look, he doesn't react at all when I touch him. Hmm, his skin is quite smooth though."

Yahiko gently touched Koki's cheek with his fingertips, feeling his body temperature.

"Yahiko!" Nagato was angry!

"It's alright, Nagato, don't worry..." Yahiko didn't realize there was anything wrong with his behavior.

In his hazy state, the constant noise around Koki annoyed him, gradually bringing him to his senses.

My head was throbbing with pain, and my body felt heavy and unusable, as if it didn't belong to me.

Before he even opened his eyes, Koki felt someone gently touching his cheek and whispering, which finally woke him up completely.

Koki slowly opened her eyes, and there were three familiar faces in front of her.

"Koki, you're finally awake! You've been sleeping for too long!" Yahiko withdrew his hand, his worry lessening slightly.

"You're awake!" Konan looked at the awakened Koki and smiled broadly, like spring flowers blooming, warm and bright, instantly illuminating the entire room.

Koki, clutching her throbbing forehead, slowly sat up, her gaze sweeping over the three people in the room.

How are you feeling?

Nagato sat on the edge of the bed. The window was open, and a bird fluttered in, gently flapping its wings and landing on his shoulder.

"Have you been looking for me? How long have I been asleep?" Koki's voice was slightly hoarse.

His sudden departure left them deeply worried, while he unknowingly fell into a long, deep sleep.

"How dare you ask?" Konan turned her head, feigning anger. "You disappeared without a word, we were so worried."

She couldn't imagine what they would do if something happened to Koki.

"Hehe." Koki touched his hair. "Wasn't this a special case?" The situation was indeed urgent, and he had no choice but to leave.

Nagato handed Koki a cushion to make him more comfortable, saying, "It's already ten o'clock in the morning."

"Ten o'clock?" Koki was stunned for a moment.

He realized he had slept for so long, and thinking about the impending separation, he didn't know how to begin.

Yahiko stood up. "Yes, are you hungry? I'll go get the food."

Soon after, Yahiko entered the house carrying steaming hot dishes.

Koki's hands moved unconsciously in the porridge, but her mind was in turmoil, like a tangled web of threads.

The moment Nagato and Konan's eyes met, they sensed the turmoil in Koki's heart. They silently watched over him, their hearts filled with worry.

Only Yahiko continued to sip his porridge nonchalantly, jokingly saying, "Koki, the Ninjutsu you taught me is truly amazing. I plan to take revenge on Hanzo of the Salamander soon."

"There's no need to go." Koki finally smiled, but there was a hint of complexity in her smile.

"Hanzo of the Salamander is no longer alive."

Nagato and Konan were dumbfounded and utterly astonished.

The formidable enemy who had once driven the Akatsuki to the brink of destruction has now perished.

Upon hearing this, Yahiko's porridge gushed out from the corner of his mouth.

"I see." After hearing what had happened, Yahiko leaned slightly closer to Koki, placing his arm tightly on Mitsuki's shoulder.

"That's wonderful, Koki. Thanks to you, the deep-seated hatred of the Akatsuki has finally been avenged." It all felt like a dream.

"We can finally reach the other side of our dreams. From now on, you will become the leader of Akatsuki." Yahiko firmly believed that Koki was the best candidate to lead Akatsuki to glory.

"I..." Koki's heart was filled with complicated emotions.

He would eventually return to Konoha, where his family and close friends were, but he found it difficult to speak when faced with Yahiko's expectant gaze.

Nagato had been silent since the start of the meal, his gaze fixed on Koki with an increasingly profound intensity.

He could sense the inner struggle within Koki.

Just as Koki was deep in thought, he suddenly felt a tight grip on his hand.

"Koki." Nagato stared at him with unwavering eyes. Koki looked back and met his gaze in silence.

"Are you...?" Nagato's hands clenched involuntarily, his voice filled with suppressed emotion and trembling.

His gaze was fixed on Koki, as if trying to find the answer in his face.

"I always feel like you're about to leave. Are you... going to leave me?"

Koki remained silent; he was indeed about to leave. Koki's silence filled Nagato with despair.

"You seemed restless just now, as if you were ready to leave at any moment. Was it just my imagination?" Nagato's voice was full of suppressed emotion, and her expression revealed pain and bitterness.

However, Koki remained silent, while Nagato waited patiently for an answer.

Nagato Nagato in Koki's unusual emotions, clearly sensing the look of impending separation and the sense of estrangement.

That is a keen perception of the emotions of a loved one.

He didn't know how to persuade Koki.

Silence filled the air. The two stared at each other for a long time, but neither spoke. One waited patiently for an answer, while the other found it difficult to utter a word.

Konan gave the anxious Yahiko a wink, signaling him to wait patiently.

Koki noticed a suppressed bitterness flickering in Nagato's purple eyes, which were always gentle towards him.

"I understand..." After a long while, Nagato lowered her eyes and murmured softly.

His voice carried a hint of melancholy and helplessness, "During this time, I've always been by your side. You must have been troubled inside, just not knowing how to refuse me."