Why Are You Crying?

A wave of joy surged within Ban's heart, one after another, yet his expression remained as cold and stern as ice, revealing no emotion.

He gently lowered his eyelids, his thick eyelashes like fans, concealing all the emotions in his eyes, as if trying to hide them away.

After a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out a few words from deep in his throat. "Actually, it's nothing."

"Really?" A look of understanding flashed across Koki's clear eyes. He tilted his head slightly and responded with a smile.

Suddenly, he took a step towards Ban, and then he reached out and gently embraced Ban, tenderly drawing him into his arms.

Ban's body stiffened instantly, every inch of her skin became abnormally sensitive, and her heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably.

Koki nestled against his chest, exerting no force whatsoever, yet Madara felt as if he were being crushed by an invisible mountain, unable to move.

He could feel Koki's body temperature seeping through his clothes; that warmth made him feel uneasy, yet it also brought him a strange sense of peace.

"Are you sad, Madara?" Koki's voice drifted into his heart like a wisp of smoke.

The voice instantly opened the floodgates of his memory, taking him back to that distant night—the moonlight, like water, spilled into the courtyard of the Uchiha Clan.

At that time, his father summoned him into the house. Under the dim light, his face was serious and solemn, his eyes fixed on Madara. He told him in a solemn tone that as the future head of the Uchiha clan, he had to bear the responsibility for the rise and fall of the clan and could not have any weaknesses.

Each word struck Ban's heart like a heavy hammer, making him feel a sense of oppression in his chest.

What caused him even more unbearable pain was that his father forced him to keep his distance from Koki, stating unequivocally that if he did not agree, Koki would be expelled, making him disappear from the Uchiha Clan's sight forever.

At that moment, Ban felt lost for the first time.

He had been alone in the darkness for a long time when Koki found him, gently embracing him like this, and asking in a concerned voice, "Are you sad, Madara?"

They were so close, it was as if the whole world had shrunk to this small space. He pressed against Koki's chest, and in this incredibly intimate distance, the surrounding air seemed to thicken.

Every breath he took carried the other's scent. He could clearly hear Koki's heartbeat, and at the same time, he could also keenly detect his own heartbeat, which was incredibly fast.

His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of his chest, echoing in his ears, drowning out all other sounds.

Everything around him became blurry, except for the beating of those two hearts, which he perceived as infinitely magnified.

Time flies by like a fleeting moment.

Now, the scene from my memory has returned, and the moonlight, like a ribbon, pours down, still illuminating that familiar courtyard.

Koki opened her arms again and gently embraced him.

In that instant, he was suddenly struck by a realization: time had quietly slipped away, and the years had been long.

That year, faced with the same embrace, he chose to back down, fearing that his emotions would become a burden to his family and worrying that his vulnerability would bring disaster to Koki. So he locked his heart away in the loneliness of the dark night.

At this moment, he chose to embrace her tightly, unwilling to let go. This time, he was no longer the naive child he once was.

He now has the power to protect Koki; he has grown up and is no longer the helpless child who was overwhelmed by family pressure.

Leaning against Madara's firm chest, Koki could feel the strength hidden beneath the thin yukata, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Madara has really grown up.

This feeling froze abruptly when Koki touched the glistening tear on his neck, and his heart jolted.

Koki has never seen Madara shed a tear. Whether it was during the countless times they fought side by side or the countless hours they spent together in daily life, she has never seen a trace of Madara's tears.

But he often wondered in his heart if Madara simply never showed that vulnerability in front of him.

Will he hide in the shadows, shedding tears alone?

This idea, like a seed that had seeped into the depths of her heart, quietly took root in Koki's mind and gradually sprouted.

In his childhood, when Ban's scarred face first came into Koki's view, those shocking wounds sparked a strange fantasy in his heart at that moment.

He imagined himself silently licking his wounds in some unnoticed corner, in that dilapidated and simple hut, with mottled walls, a few weak beams of light shining through the cracks, and dust dancing in the air.

Ban curled up in that dark corner, hugging his knees, his body trembling slightly, a silent sob coming from his throat, tears sliding down like broken pearls.

Pfft—Whenever she recalls this scene, Koki can't help but chuckle.

Such a scene was simply a fantasy for Madara, who would later become a legendary figure of immense power.

However, the atmosphere tonight is somewhat unusual.

Was it due to the lingering effects of that thrilling battle, or the intricate power struggles and conflicts of interest within the family?

"Why are you crying?" Koki asked softly.

"I didn't cry." Ban suddenly snapped out of his reverie and hurriedly cleared his mind of the chaotic thoughts.

She subconsciously turned her head away, not wanting Koki to see the undried tear stains in her eyes.

He hurriedly wiped away his tears with his sleeve, his movements somewhat rough.

A boy's pride is always sudden and intense; Koki for Ban's reaction, thinking to himself, "It's good that he didn't."