A warm current ran through Wayne's heart — this blunt, occasionally irritable cousin was unexpectedly reliable in key moments.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Wayne stubbornly pulled back his hand. "Hiding forever isn't a solution. I can't be guarding against attacks every second."
"Whoever provokes me… I'll cut them down."
A cold glint flashed in Wayne's deep eyes, his tone resolute.
"You brat, haven't seen you in a bit and suddenly you're talking big now?"
Terumi Mei raised her brows, half-annoyed and half-amused. "And—hey! Underage kids aren't allowed to smoke!"
She reached to snatch away the cigarette between Wayne's lips.
But Wayne flickered away in a blur, reappearing casually behind her.
"You used… the Body Flicker Technique?!"
Terumi Mei turned her head, stunned. Her lips parted in surprise as she scrutinized him. "Pretty smooth…"
"I haven't wasted these years," Wayne smirked confidently.
"Oh dear, my little brother's all grown up now," Terumi Mei said with faux sentimentality, then suddenly pulled out a thick manga volume. "Still, you should lay off this kind of book. It's no good for your health."
On the cover were scantily clad kunoichi drawn in exaggerated poses, thick makeup, suggestive eyes — the title practically screamed scandal.
Wayne froze, then flushed bright red.
"You… you horse-riding!!!"
A piglike squeal tore out of Wayne's throat. His face burned.
She found that stash.
"You actually snuck into my room while I was out?!"
Wayne trembled with fury, his eyes burning as he glared at her.
"Hehe… if anyone hears that shout, I won't be the embarrassed one."
Terumi Mei flipped through the pages with a smirk, then coughed awkwardly as her face reddened. "I was just checking if you changed your bedding. These books… I stumbled on them. Accidentally."
"Accidentally?!"
Wayne's gaze darkened. Tch, what kind of joke is that? Accidentally finding something I locked away with chakra seals?
"Hmph, I'm just worried about your health, and you treat me like a criminal—so cruel!"
Terumi Mei covered her face in mock tears, then slyly peeked through her fingers to see if Wayne's expression softened.
"Boo-hoo-hoo!"
Seeing Wayne still glaring, she cried louder, now clearly exaggerating.
Swish!
A gust of wind passed between them. Terumi Mei gasped — Wayne was already looming over her.
He grabbed her by the wrist and pressed her to the table.
"Y-You better be gentle! That hurts!"
Terumi Mei flushed with embarrassment, still teasing.
This woman… either she has a severe brother complex or she's addicted to family drama…
Wayne groaned inwardly. "Enough. Don't come snooping around me anymore."
He snatched back his manga, exhaling. Though she was annoying, Wayne couldn't bring himself to scold her too harshly — she did care in her own odd way.
She often came to clean, bring food, and… sometimes did things that crossed boundaries. Like crawling into his bed when he wasn't home.
Her excuse?
"It's cold! I needed to test if your sheets are warmer."
"Scram."
Terumi Mei lifted her head like a proud swan, swaying her hips as she strutted out.
Just before exiting, she turned with a mischievous smile and shot Wayne a final jab. "But it seems… my sweet cousin has grown up. Giggle~"
Her laughter echoed down the hall.
Wayne shook his head helplessly.
"I've lived two lives… I'm technically over forty. Isn't it normal to read these books? Should I be watching Teletubbies instead?"
Muttering to himself, Wayne slipped the book back into his drawer.
After Terumi Mei left, he lit another cigarette and exhaled calmly.
"I heard Yagura's son died in the battlefield… maybe this really is going to be troublesome."
His eyes narrowed slightly. Even if he had no direct ties to the Uchiha in Konoha, he still bore the clan's blood. Maybe someone out there wanted to stir trouble just for that.
Kirigakure's nights were especially eerie. Cold mist curled in from all directions, making even the air feel haunted.
Inside Wayne's home, the lights remained on. He laid comfortably on his bed, chuckling every so often as he skimmed the questionable manga Terumi Mei had turned up.
Swish!
He didn't know how long had passed when a sharp whoosh pierced the silence.
His drowsy eyes shot open.
A shadow loomed just beyond the window, flickering through the fog.
Creak.
Wayne didn't panic. He calmly stood and opened the door.
"Wayne. Come with me."
The voice belonged to a cloaked figure in black. It was light and youthful — clearly someone young.
Wayne stared for a second, then snorted.
"If you think that mask's enough to fool me, you're dead wrong, Zabuza."
"…"
The black-robed figure paused, then wordlessly removed his mask.
A youthful but savage face emerged — his lower features hidden beneath bandages, only his fierce eyes exposed. They gleamed with the coldness of a predator.
The two weren't strangers.
In fact, they had once graduated from the same class — the infamous class where only two students survived.
One was Zabuza Momochi.
The other… was Wayne.
Everyone else in that class?
Slaughtered.