Recognition

"Adults' matters are not for children to worry about."

Seeing that Black Zetsu loli continued to ask questions, the embarrassed Kaguya finally couldn't handle it and took on the authority of a parent. She put on a stern face, showing a demeanor of not giving any information. This naturally caused dissatisfaction from Black Zetsu loli, but her protests were in vain, as Kaguya pinched her soft face.

Stepping out of the dango shop, the sky outside was ink-like and the night was deep. The sky was adorned with countless stars, like a brilliant Milky Way, radiating dazzling brilliance. It was the beginning of the month, with a crescent moon hanging high, hidden among the stars, and the moonlight was as clear and cold as water.

At this moment, everything was silent, and the village of Konoha was gradually settling down, free from the daytime hustle and bustle, peaceful and serene.

"Come out, you've been following us for quite a while, haven't you?" Kaguya turned around, her eyes emitting a cold glow, staring intently at the distant bushes.

When they emerged, Kaguya's face fell, showing a bit of embarrassment, as she coughed lightly and said, "Why are you here?"

The newcomers were none other than Konan, Mei Terumi, and Yugao, who had not been seen for a long time.

"You've grown bold, coming back without even telling us." Mei Terumi spoke as she approached Kaguya with a scent of fragrance, reached out with her fair fingers, and pinched Kaguya's soft cheek.

"Ow, ow, ow."

Kaguya couldn't help but beg for mercy. Normally, when Mei Terumi pinched her, she would only pretend to be in pain, and Mei Terumi wouldn't exert much force. However, this time, perhaps out of anger, Mei Terumi added a bit more strength, which genuinely hurt.

"Not only did you not tell us, but you also tried to run away." Yugao came to Kaguya's side as well, pinching her other cheek with a look of dissatisfaction.

Kaguya felt truly unlucky; these two girls loved pinching her cheeks, and she felt her face going numb from the pinches, prompting her to plead continuously.

"So, you know it hurts?" Mei Terumi's beautiful eyes shifted as she snorted, "Do you know how worried we were about you?"

"Let's go home first," Konan smiled gently, subtly rescuing Kaguya from Mei Terumi's grasp, "We can talk about everything once we're home."

"Konan, you always indulge her," Mei Terumi chided, "She's getting out of hand. If we hadn't noticed early, she might have run away."

Kaguya gave a few embarrassed laughs, not knowing how to argue.

"I'm not indulging her, but if you keep pinching her, someone won't be happy." Konan's elegant face bore a faint smile.

Mei Terumi blinked in surprise and turned around. She had been focused on Kaguya and had overlooked the two little girls nearby.

She saw a blond twin-tailed loli with her beautiful eyebrows furrowed and cheeks puffed out in anger, looking at her, who was none other than Black Zetsu loli.

Seeing her mother treated like this, Black Zetsu loli was very unhappy, but since they were familiar with Kaguya, she found it hard to speak up.

Mei Terumi's eyes suddenly brightened as if she had spotted something interesting. She quickly ran over and, with a playful smile, said, "Little sister, do you want to go with big sister to eat something delicious? Recently, several ice cream shops have opened, and the ice cakes are very tasty."

Black Zetsu loli turned her head, ignoring her, which made Mei Terumi chuckle, her eyes sparkling like stars.

Kaguya's mouth twitched. Did she have some kind of peculiar hobby?

"The ingredients are already prepared at home, just waiting for you to come and show off your cooking skills," Konan said with a slight smile, taking Kaguya's hand.

"Okay." Kaguya didn't say much, just nodded gently and walked toward the house she had lived in for many years. Her mood was like a calm lake into which a stone had been thrown, creating ripples.

The six of them walked together, laughing and chatting, with Black Zetsu loli and Cat-Ear loli in the middle, being treated like dolls because they were so adorable. Black Zetsu loli's indignant but helpless expression made her seem even cuter. The initial awkwardness faded with the playful atmosphere, and they became familiar again.

Throughout the walk, Konan didn't mention why Kaguya hadn't visited them in so long. Instead, she talked about interesting stories and anecdotes from the past year. For example, the people on the battlefield had been resurrected, and those who were resurrected with Edo Tensei had returned to rest. Villages and towns that suffered severe damage were rebuilt through collective effort, and they are now even better than before.

"It's a pity that my Rinne Rebirth technique can only resurrect those who have recently died. I can't revive those who have been dead for a long time," Kaguya clenched her small white fists, looked up at the starry sky, and sighed softly.

Kaguya indeed had the intention to use her powerful chakra to resurrect all the unjustly killed people. However, she later realized that it was impossible. Even as someone with the world's greatest power, she couldn't achieve it.

Resurrecting people requires not only chakra but also a vast amount of spiritual energy. Under the guidance of spiritual energy, chakra can be transformed into jutsu. Kaguya had enough chakra, but her spiritual energy wasn't sufficient to revive hundreds or thousands of people at once.

Moreover, the higher the person's strength, the greater the consumption for resurrection. With her abilities, reviving a few was the limit. She couldn't use it recklessly. If people knew she had such power, countless would come to her, and she would be overwhelmed. There's a saying about acting within one's means; helping others within one's abilities is good, but sacrificing oneself isn't her level of selflessness.

"You've done your best, haven't you?" Konan placed her white palm gently on Kaguya's shoulder. "Stop dwelling on these things. Everyone has their destiny, and you can't help everyone."

"Yeah." Kaguya held Konan's hand, smiling. "By the way, how did you know I was here, and how did you recognize me?"

Konan smiled and mentioned his name, and Kaguya was stunned, showing a surprised expression.

"You mean Uchiha Sasuke?" Kaguya asked in shock.

"Yes." Konan nodded lightly.

"So he..." Kaguya seemed to understand.

"He ran into you on his way to the ninja academy, and you probably didn't notice," Konan said with a smile. "Then he told us about it."

"Ninja academy?" Kaguya was puzzled. "What is he doing at the ninja academy?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Sasuke is now a teacher at the ninja academy."