Chapter 28

The surrounding Kiri ninjas were tense and confused, ready to rush forward and subdue the two men—until a weak voice stopped them.

Yagura, barely sitting upright, raised his hand and signaled them to stand down.

"You're awake..."

Juzo muttered, stunned, as he stared at the familiar face of the Mizukage.

"Yeah... I'm awake," Yagura replied, his voice soft and distant.

"But now, it's time to be alone..."

He struggled to prop himself up, and Juzo instinctively stepped forward to help him sit. Yagura exhaled, then spoke gently.

"Kirigakure still needs you. Will you stay...?"

He didn't mention the Three-Tails, nor the battle just fought. He only looked at Juzo with quiet sincerity.

To Yagura, Juzo's presence meant more than any beast.

"Juzo, stay," Itachi added, his voice calm.

"This village is your home."

Juzo's expression flickered with inner conflict.

"But..."

He hesitated, caught between past bitterness and the weight of new trust.

Itachi recalled what Kakashi once told Yamato—that those who had once walked through darkness had a duty to help others find the light.

Now, with Yagura's sanity restored, something long dormant in Juzo's heart stirred—hope.

Seeing that glimmer in his eyes, Yagura motioned to a few of his most trusted men.

"Promise me... Take care of them," Yagura said softly.

"Act as Mizukage for now. And if someone comes along who can lead the village into a brighter future... help them take the mantle. Just like we did... back then."

It wasn't just a request. It was his dying wish.

Yagura didn't trust anyone else the way he trusted Juzo.

And though he knew Juzo lacked the ambition or traits of a permanent leader, he believed in his heart.

Juzo's eyes trembled. The doubt that clouded him finally lifted.

He dropped to his knees.

"I will carry on your will... and see it fulfilled."

Yagura managed a faint smile. From within his robes, he pulled out a small item and handed it to Juzo.

"This is my token. Take care of them for me... I'm sorry for everything."

Tears streaked silently down Yagura's cheeks.

The years of confusion, of battles fought in shadows—all of it rushed back to him in fragments.

As Juzo accepted the token with trembling hands, Yagura extended his small palm, forming a fist.

A silent gesture between men—a final promise.

But before their fists could meet...

...his hand fell.

Limp. Lifeless.

The clenched fist never opened again.

"Yagura!"

Juzo's anguished cry tore through the silence.

Yagura's loyal subordinates fell to their knees in reverence.

One by one, dozens of Kiri ninja behind them also knelt—not out of obligation, but respect.

Even Itachi, silent and reserved, watched the scene with conflicted emotions.

Yagura, despite his cruelty and mistakes—most of which were not truly his own—had earned deep loyalty.

He had been their shadow, their leader, their soul.

Maybe when things got unbearable, these soldiers had consoled themselves with the thought that their Yagura would return.

And now, with his death, that story found its final, wordless ending.

—

Later, beneath the misty forest canopy, Juzo stood beside Itachi, watching the sun filter through the haze.

Behind them, a newly formed unit of Kiri ninja stood ready—not to mourn, but to follow. To move forward under Juzo's leadership.

"Thank you, Itachi... for everything."

Juzo's voice was soft but sincere.

"It's what I had to do," Itachi replied, meeting his gaze.

He knew this was goodbye.

Though Juzo lived, their paths would rarely, if ever, cross again.

"Promise me," Juzo said, placing a gentle hand on Itachi's head.

"Don't rush into things so recklessly anymore."

Itachi gave a faint smile.

"We can't always make the right decisions," he said quietly.

"Sometimes, we just choose the ones that make us feel... at peace."

"Build your future, Itachi."

Juzo then removed the ring from his finger and placed it in Itachi's palm.

"I will," he said, his voice resolute.

Juzo turned back toward the village—toward his new burden.

"And keep my role as acting Mizukage a secret, for now," he added.

"You know the Akatsuki's inner workings. If word gets out, it could bring disaster upon Kiri."

Itachi nodded, the weight of their shared secrets hanging heavily in the air.

And then, without another word, they parted ways—warriors of different battles, carrying the same kind of burden.

"Yagura is gone. From now on, I'll live behind a mask—guiding the village toward a better future, until a true Mizukage appears... someone worthy of leading my brothers and me."

Hearing those words, Itachi's smile bloomed, bright and full of warmth, like sunlight breaking through mist.

"Kid," Juzo said, his voice catching with emotion, "smile more often. You look good when you smile."

Moved by Itachi's rare display of joy, Juzo couldn't help but grow greedy for more of it...

But Itachi didn't reply. He turned his back to Juzo, lifting the hand with the ring in a casual wave.

"I won't pay you back," he said with a faint smile.

"We're even now."

And just like that, he walked away—his slender figure elongated by the low sun behind him.

"That kid..."

Juzo stood frozen, watching the younger ninja's retreating form disappear into the golden light.

Then, suddenly overwhelmed, he rushed forward and pulled Itachi into a firm embrace.

"You little brat, don't ever take risks like that again. You hear me?"

"Live well, for my sake! And you will repay that debt—so we're truly even!"

Juzo clutched him tightly, voice shaking, not ready to let go.

"I don't like men," Itachi mumbled, his body stiff.

"Let go. You're giving me goosebumps..."

Slowly, Juzo released him.

Hot tears slid silently down his cheeks.

Itachi left.

And though he walked away light and free in Juzo's eyes, a deep unease lingered in Juzo's heart.

Something wasn't right.

When he had hugged Itachi, the boy's body was wound tight with tension. Even now, Itachi hadn't sensed someone approaching behind him.

That... wasn't like him.

Changing fate always comes at a cost.

Nothing in this world is truly free.

And the more intangible something is, the more priceless—and the more difficult—it is to hold onto.

Night fell fast.

Itachi sat beneath the forest canopy, his half-lidded eyes bloodshot and weary.

"Cough... cough..."

He stared down at the blood staining his palm, thoughtful and somber.

The strength he had gained came at the price of his own vitality—borrowed time, already slipping through his fingers.

But when he thought of the hope he had seen in Juzo's eyes, he knew it had been worth it.

And within him... the Three-Tails slumbered.

This mission had been costly—but undeniably fruitful.

As silence settled over the forest, Itachi summoned a few shadow clones, then leaned against a damp tree trunk.

He was beyond exhausted. His body screamed for rest.

And so, finally, he let himself sleep.

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