Village Hidden in the Clouds (Kumogakure)
The battlefield had reached a stalemate.
The Eight-Tails (Gyūki) was restrained by the Wind and Lightning Chains, its body trembling from the numbing current, its strength greatly diminished.
But Gyūki was no Two-Tails (Matatabi), that soft and cuddly feline. It was a true muscle-bound beast—a philosopher in its own right.
Even as numerous shinobi pulled at it with all their might, it roared furiously, thrashing about with unyielding determination.
On the other hand, the shinobi of Kumogakure were struggling. A dozen of them gripped the long Wind and Lightning Chain, their faces red with exertion, veins bulging on their foreheads. They took turns pulling, one group replacing another as exhaustion set in.
For now, they managed to hold on.
But over time, this was nothing short of slow suicide.
Gyūki was the epitome of endurance—it could wrestle for three days and nights without breaking a sweat.
Watching her comrades alternate between tugging the chain and swallowing soldier pills, Yawai was growing increasingly anxious.
She had already dispatched the ANBU.
No matter what, she had to send word to the Raikage.
Amid her frantic thoughts, a face suddenly and unreasonably forced its way into her mind.
Rinjin. Sokuhō Rinjin.
The man who had attacked the Two-Tails!
According to eyewitnesses, this man had single-handedly held Matatabi at bay for nearly ten minutes.
And—he possessed that mysterious space-time ninjutsu.
The realization hit her like a lightning bolt. Yawai grabbed an ANBU by the collar and demanded, "Where... where is Laimu'i?"
The ANBU shook his head without hesitation.
"I haven't seen him since the battle began."
"I heard he was sent on an external mission!"
At that moment, another ANBU rushed over, panting heavily, and knelt before her.
"Lady Yawai... urgent news from the Wind-Lightning Temple!"
"What is it?!" Yawai's voice shot up an octave, her impatience evident.
"The Two-Tails' jinchūriki, Taku, has been killed in the Sealing Fire Cave. The Two-Tails... has vanished!"
Rinjin!
Rinjin's name instantly surfaced in Yawai's mind.
There was no mistake—it had to be him. He had been targeting the Two-Tails all along!
But why? Out of all the tailed beasts, why had he chosen the Two-Tails?!
In that moment, Yawai's heart felt as if it were being torn apart.
On one side was the village that had raised her; on the other, the man she secretly harbored feelings for.
The once-determined Yawai's beautiful face twisted in pain.
"You! Summon Tsuchishō to take command! Maintain the current situation until I return!"
She spoke rapidly and turned to leave.
The ANBU called after her, "Lady Yawai, where are you going? Let us protect you!"
As the commander of the ongoing battle, Yawai had earned the respect of her comrades through her calm and decisive leadership.
In Kumogakure, strength was revered.
But her departure at this critical moment would undoubtedly affect morale.
Yawai understood this all too well.
But she had no choice.
She was utterly desperate.
The images haunted her mind:
An old man rolling on the ground, engulfed in flames.
Children staring blankly, their parents gone.
A husband charging into a burning house, trying to save his wife.
And her comrades, gritting their teeth, risking their lives to suppress Gyūki.
These scenes gnawed at her heart like grotesque, fanged worms.
She was at her breaking point.
She was just a secretary—not a Raikage, not a Kage-level shinobi. She had already given everything she had.
She had to find Sokuhō Rinjin, the only person in the village who could use the Heaven-Sending Technique to relay information to the Raikage.
Could anyone else find him?
As much as she hated to admit it, she knew:
No one else could locate this cold and ruthless man.
Only she could.
Even though the odds were slim.
Without another word, Yawai disappeared into the darkness.
The night grew deeper.
The closer she got to the village center, the more destruction she saw. Crumbling buildings and weakly flickering flames painted a desolate picture.
Soon, Yawai arrived at Laimu'i's house on the village outskirts.
The small building had miraculously remained intact, though not a single window was lit.
Slowly, Yawai's heart sank to its lowest point.
Her high heels had fallen off during her frantic run, and her tender feet were now raw and bleeding. But she paid no attention to the pain as she hurried toward the house.
With a loud crash, the door shattered.
Desperate, Yawai rushed into the dark room.
The air was thick with the smell of dust, a sign that no one had lived there for some time.
The light in Yawai's emerald-green eyes dimmed, extinguished along with her last shred of hope.
Torn between conflicting emotions and overwhelmed by despair, she collapsed.
Her body felt heavy, weighed down by the crushing sense of helplessness.
Step by step, Yawai walked to Rinjin's bed. She stared at the thin layer of dust covering the mattress and pillow, then curled up and lay down.
Her dim green eyes stared blankly at the pillow. Silence enveloped the small, dark room.
She didn't know how much time had passed...
A faint, despairing voice broke the stillness.
"Rinjin, did you know?
When I first met you, I actually looked down on you.
You were all talk, making my uncle laugh. But to me, you looked like a clown—awkward and ridiculous."
Her voice trembled as tears began to fall, soaking the pillow.
"Later, I started to suspect your identity. I used every means I could to investigate you.
All I thought about was exposing you, using you.
You were right—I am a selfish woman.
I never told my uncle about you because I feared his impulsiveness. I only cared about protecting my family's interests.
Looking back now, I realize how foolish I was."
A bitter smile appeared on her lips as she continued staring at the pillow.
"Then you kidnapped me. At the time, I refused to yield.
Even after learning who you really were, even after everything you did to me, I still thought of you as nothing more than that brat from the Land of Rain.
But as we spent more time together, I became afraid.
I'm sorry—I was truly afraid.
I think... I might have fallen for you."
Her tears flowed freely now, soaking the bedding.
"I became less bold, less brave. I was scared and guilty. Sometimes, I even avoided my work.
I couldn't even look my uncle in the eye.
I was afraid, Rinjin. I was terrified."
Her voice grew softer, her tears falling like rain.
"I was afraid I would betray my village for you.
But I couldn't stop wanting to be near you.
I wanted to shop with you, to quietly sit beside you.
Even just leaning against you would have been enough."
She let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"I'm such a hopeless woman."
She wiped her tears with a dusty hand, her emotions buried in the scent of Rinjin's pillow.
Weakly, she pushed herself up, smiling faintly as she prepared to leave.
There was no hope left. She would return to her comrades and die alongside them.
Staggering to her feet, she was about to step out when—
From the small bathroom in the corner of the room came the sound of a toilet flushing.
"Whoosh—"
Then, a pained voice muttered:
"Damn this immortal hemorrhoid—it just won't go away."
The bathroom door creaked open, light spilling into the dark room.
Rinjin, dressed in black, walked out, one hand pulling up his pants, the other holding a roll of toilet paper.
His steps were awkward, his legs stiff.
Yawai froze, her tears streaming uncontrollably. She shouted through her sobs:
"Why... why are you still here?! Didn't you already take the Two-Tails?! Get out of my village!"
Rinjin ignored her outburst, limping toward the window. He set the roll of toilet paper down and pointed to the massive figure of Gyūki in the distance.
"Is that thing okay?"
"It's fine! Even if it isn't, that's none of your business!"
Yawai lowered her head, her face hidden in shadow.
Rinjin asked again, his tone indifferent:
"Is that thing okay?"
Silence.
After a long pause, Yawai suddenly looked up.
"It's not okay. It... it bullied me. Sob sob sob—"
Her tear-filled eyes, tightly pressed lips, and trembling smile—all of it was an attempt to please.
Just like before.
But this time, Rinjin didn't remain silent.
He walked over, wiped the tears from her eyes, and said with disdain:
"Honestly, your smile is so ugly. It's nothing like you."
Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the door—toward the Eight-Tails.
Yawai stared at his back, tears streaming down her face. Choking on her sobs, she murmured:
"A smile... just for you."
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Sorry, everyone! I previously uploaded the wrong chapters for 47, 48, and 49. Thanks for pointing it out—I've already corrected them. Hope you enjoy the reading, and feel free to leave your comments!
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