"Where is Jiraiya right now?"
Kaoru looked confused when Kyūsei suddenly brought up her teacher.
"I think he's in the Land of Water at the moment."
Since the war ended, Jiraiya had left Konoha to wander around while writing that flop of a novel.
"Tell him to come back as soon as possible."
"He might have some clues about Paper Release."
Kyūsei waved his hand.
As Konan's teacher, even if Jiraiya didn't know Paper Release itself, he definitely understood the technique.
When researching or developing a jutsu, the hardest part was usually the beginning.
Sometimes all it took was a small lead.
Once you had that—
Everything else would fall into place.
If Kaoru could master Paper Release—
Then the sky would be filled with Flying Thunder God coordinates that explode.
She would also gain physical immunity, meaning only ninjutsu could harm her.
Yes, Water Release could counter paper—
But with Flying Thunder God speed, what Water Release could even hit her?
And once Paper Release was mastered—
It meant producing countless explosive tags.
Combine that with Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags…
Single-point continuous detonation.
Even Susanoo could be blown apart.
"?"
"Jiraiya-sensei would know about it?"
Kaoru looked more confused than ever.
Just like before—
Kyūsei always seemed to know things others didn't.
Yet they had grown up together.
"Um… Kyūsei…"
Kaoru hesitated.
"Hm?"
"What's wrong?"
Kyūsei was still thinking about how to force Jiraiya to come back.
"Why do you know Jiraiya-sensei has information about that secret Paper Release technique?"
"And last time too…"
"That Uchiha's Yatsuka Magatama…"
Hearing her question, Kyūsei froze.
Right.
They had grown up together.
Kaoru knew almost everything about him.
They lived side by side—
Even their houses were separated by just one wall.
There was nothing he could hide from her.
"Kaoru … do you know what a dimension is?"
Kyūsei sat beside her bed, holding her hand, his eyes conflicted.
"A dimension…"
"Like Kushina's situation?"
Kaoru 's mind worked quickly.
She immediately thought of an example nearby.
"…Yes. And no."
Kyūsei nodded, slightly surprised.
From her perspective, people like Kushina or Naruko really did come from different parallel dimensions.
"Kushina's world is still centered around ninjas."
"It still has the Five Great Nations and the Five Great Ninja Villages."
Kaoru listened carefully.
A strange thought slowly formed in her mind.
Seeing the confusion and disbelief in her eyes, Kyūsei sighed inwardly.
He didn't know if telling her the truth was right.
But now that the conversation had reached this point—
There was no point hiding it.
And besides…
Looking at the pale girl on the hospital bed—
He didn't want to lie to her.
"Kaoru … in my previous life, there was something called manga."
"And one of those manga was called Naruto."
Kyūsei spoke softly.
"Naruto…?"
Even without knowing what manga meant, the name alone resonated with her.
The ruler of Konoha was called Hokage.
"What is manga?"
Kaoru immediately caught the key point.
"It's entertainment."
"Like the novels Jiraiya writes."
Entertainment…
Kaoru fell silent.
After a long pause, she finally spoke.
"So what you're saying is…"
"Everything in my world is fake?"
Kyūsei quietly held both of her hands together.
They felt slightly cold.
Looking into her eyes, he asked gently:
"Kaoru … do you think I am fake?"
"Are the things we've experienced together imaginary?"
"I'm holding your hand right now."
"You can feel my warmth."
"Do you think the person holding your hand is fictional?"
His gaze was full of emotion.
Kaoru looked down at their intertwined hands.
She felt the warmth from Kyūsei's palm.
Softly, she asked:
"Then Kyūsei…"
"Are you still you?"
She didn't ask about Akatsuki.
Or Uchiha Hikaru.
Or the war.
She asked about him.
"I have always been me."
Kyūsei gently rested his forehead against hers.
"If you hadn't come into my life…"
"Who would I meet in the future?"
She continued quietly.
"You would meet another Kyūsei."
"Like the adult Kyūsei inside Naruko."
"You would love him very much, and he would—"
"No…"
Kaoru interrupted him.
Her forehead dropped onto his shoulder.
Her voice trembled.
"I don't want that…"
"I don't want that Kyūsei…"
"I only want my Kyūsei…"
Kyūsei smiled softly and patted her back.
"I only want my Kaoru too."
Kaoru hugged him tightly—
As if afraid he might disappear.
Then she asked quietly:
"Then what was your real name…?"
"That's too unfair…"
"You never told me your real name."
Moonlight streamed through the hospital window.
The night breeze gently lifted strands of golden and red hair.
Kyūsei opened his lips.
His voice was soft and distant.
"Warmth."
—
"W–W–Warmth…"
Morning arrived.
Kaoru had spent the entire night asking Kyūsei countless strange questions.
She never doubted him.
But saying that name out loud was still difficult.
It sounded…
Too much like a girl's name.
"Just call me Kyūsei."
He sighed helplessly.
In his previous life, he had been an orphan.
One snowy night, someone left him at the gate of an orphanage.
The director once told him—
Inside the blanket there was only a single note.
Two words written on it.
Warmth.
"That's why…"
Kaoru suddenly giggled.
"Hehe… Kyūsei."
She looked at him with silly happiness.
Although she had accepted his unbelievable story—
Her mind still hadn't fully caught up.
Now everything made sense.
Why he once kept his distance.
Why his cooking was so good.
Why he had no hatred toward the Nine-Tails.
"Tch…"
Inside the sealing space, Kurama muttered quietly.
"So that's why…"
Old man…
Maybe this is the kind of person you meant.
The one who can truly laugh and play with the tailed beasts.
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