Inside the Raikage's office, the Third Raikage looked at Yugito and Musai standing in front of him and spoke in a deep voice. "Half an hour ago, we received news from the front lines. The advance scouting team was ambushed by Kiri while landing on an island near the Land of Water. Special jonin Osoi was killed in action."
Yugito stared blankly at the Third Raikage, seemingly unable to believe what she had just heard.
Tears streamed down her cheeks in silence, and the world before her eyes became hazy and blurred.
"Raikage-sama, my... my father..." Musai's mind went blank. Tears fell uncontrollably. He opened his mouth several times but had no idea what to say or ask.
His retirement request had already been approved. He was no longer a ninja. Yet, he had suddenly been summoned to the Raikage's office by the ANBU. On his way here, countless possibilities crossed his mind, and he had mentally prepared himself.
But when he truly heard the news of his father's death, he realized he was not as strong as he had imagined.
"During the battle with Kiri ninjas, he remained fearless in the face of danger. He devised the best combat strategy, protecting the inexperienced jonin Nigai and successfully rescuing jonin Toroi, who was in a life-threatening crisis. To create an escape opportunity for his teammates, he chose to stay behind and delay the enemy's pursuit. In the end, he sacrificed himself heroically. He was a hero of Kumo! A true ninja who embodied the Will of Lightning!" Dodai, who had been standing silently at the side, stepped forward and explained the situation in detail.
"A hero?" Musai sobbed uncontrollably, wiping his tears over and over again with his sleeve.
He recalled the proud expression on his father's face when he was admired by others. His heart ached even more. In truth, he had never really idolized heroes. He only idolized his father.
"Liar! You're all liars! He promised me..." Yugito murmured softly.
Like a helpless cub that had lost its only support, she stared blankly at everything around her. At that moment, the chakra of the Two-Tails wrapped around her body like blue flames and two chakra-formed tails swayed behind her.
The tailed beast chakra—it was showing signs of going berserk!
"Yugito! Calm down!" The Raikage frowned, exuding the terrifying aura of a Kage-level powerhouse.
But in her current state, Yugito couldn't hear a single word he said or feel his presence at all.
A sharp, tearing sound echoed in her mind. Her consciousness instantly plunged into the depths of her inner world.
A young man with bright golden hair, wearing a Konoha jonin vest, was sitting atop Matatabi's head. He was chatting with the Two-Tails while casually patting its head.
The usually hot-tempered Matatabi was now lying on the ground, looking utterly dejected, not daring to resist.
Seeing Yugito enter, the Two-Tails stiffened for a moment, then slowly covered its face with its paws.
Yugito tilted her head slightly.
Some sealed memories began to resurface. Along with them, various sealing techniques, tailed beast control secrets, and training experiences flooded into her mind...
"Are you happy to know I'm not dead?" The young man jumped down from Matatabi's head and approached the iron-seal-formed cage.
He walked up to her and ruffled her hair.
"Liar." Yugito pouted, looking pitiful.
She stood on her tiptoes slightly, savoring the familiar touch on her head.
"Right now, Matatabi's chakra is masking my presence, so the Raikage won't notice anything unusual. But if too much time passes, he'll realize something's off. So I'll keep this brief..."
The young man lightly patted Yugito's head.
This version of himself was merely a shadow clone, sustained by the Iron Armor Seal and infused with Yin chakra and fragments of his memories.
Though limited by his mediocre sealing skills and the not-so-reliable Iron Armor Seal, the total amount of chakra he left behind was nowhere near what Minato had stored inside Naruto. However, thanks to his vastly superior mental energy, the quality of his chakra was significantly higher.
As long as it wasn't recklessly depleted, this presence could accompany Yugito for a long, long time.
Back in the Raikage's office, the Third Raikage watched as Yugito's tailed beast chakra rapidly receded, leaving her standing there, dazed and empty-eyed.
She was indeed an exceptional talent, and Osoi had been a trustworthy man. His previous deployment order was actually meant to reduce the dangers Osoi faced during missions outside the village. To allow him to properly accompany the growth of the jinchūriki.
Who could have expected that Osoi would fall on his final mission?
"Liar." Yugito lowered her head and muttered softly once more.
Without greeting anyone, she turned around, opened the door to the Raikage's office, and walked out.
"Raikage-sama..." Dodai stepped forward, watching Yugito's departing figure with some concern.
"It's fine. She won't let Osoi's wishes go to waste," the Third Raikage spoke in a voice that clearly reached Yugito's ears.
The young girl hesitated for a moment but then continued walking out.
Did you hear that? The Raikage acknowledged you. A voice echoed in Yugito's mind—it was Kei.
I'm so nervous! Stop joking around~ Yugito muttered quietly in her heart.
She kept her head down, not letting anyone see her expression, and walked home without saying a word.
"Raikage-sama, I'll be taking my leave."
Musai wiped the tears from his eyes and bowed to the Third Raikage.
"Live well." The Raikage opened his mouth, but in the end, he only spoke these two words.
As a ninja, Osoi had already fulfilled his duty with excellence. And as a father—since Osoi had wanted his son to live a peaceful life—then as Raikage, he would respect that wish.
Watching Musai force a smile, nod in acknowledgment, and then turn to leave the office, the Third Raikage spoke again, instructing Dodai beside him. "Tell the logistics team to keep an eye on his family. If necessary, prioritize purchasing goods from their farm in the future."
"Understood." Dodai nodded in acknowledgment and quickly jotted down the note in his notebook.
"Have the sealing squad monitor Yugito's condition today. Also, notify the next fallen ninja's family."
The Third Raikage stood by the office window. As he watched the rolling clouds outside, his grip on the railing tightened slightly. The metal creaked under the pressure, twisting and warping.
Kiri... Assassinations in the shadows, deliberate provocations, preemptive ambushes... Very well! If they refuse to take Kumo seriously, then we'll make an example out of them first!
Yugito, walking faster and faster, eventually broke into a sprint all the way home.
After shutting the door to her room, she dove under her blanket. Once she let out a deep breath, she pouted and complained, "I'm terrible at acting! What if someone catches me messing up in the future?"
Ding ding ding~! Welcome to the special acting class~! Kei spoke in an exaggerated, storyteller-like voice, sharing his years of experience in disguise.
At this stage, even if Yugito slipped up and laughed on the spot, most people would probably just think she was overwhelmed by the emotional shock.
As for the future, with his guidance by her side, acting would be no problem at all!
"Why don't you just take me to Konoha?"
Yugito rested her chin in her hands, indulging in a childlike daydream.
That's a great idea. If the main body works really hard, let's see how many years it'll take him to make it happen.
How about this—you put in the effort yourself, become a perfect jinchūriki, and then come find me?
"Hehe~ Sounds good~!"