Kakashi sped along the path to Inu Base (Dog Base), with only his own heavy breathing and his heart pounding at its limit in his ears.
His body, long since exhausted, ached every moment; his numb, cramping legs and lungs, feeling as if they were being seared by fire, intensely conveyed the signal that he had reached his limit.
But he kept his gaze fixed on the Susanoo, on the person who was very likely the most important to him.
"Naraku... Naraku... This time, you must wait for me..." Kakashi stumbled, but quickly readjusted his posture and continued on his way.
However, fate had other plans. Before he could reach the location, the Susanoo gradually faded, disappearing under the night sky where flames and moonlight intertwined.
"No, don't!" Kakashi felt his heart leap into his throat, almost falling from the tree.
Fortunately, Uchiha Fugaku's Susanoo immediately shot up into the sky, and he could even hear his furious roar echoing through the clouds... By the time Kakashi arrived at the battlefield, it was already pitch black, with some residual flames still clinging to the trees and burning.
Uchiha Fugaku knelt on the ground with his back to him, seemingly holding someone in his arms.
Beside Fugaku, Lady Tsunade, who had arrived a step later, was speaking excitedly, her palms emitting a faint green light. Suddenly, she cursed in a low voice: "Damn it... you bastard...!" Her voice trembled slightly at the end.
After uttering that curse, Tsunade's shoulders slumped, whether from a sigh of relief or a complete loss of hope.
The side of her face facing Kakashi was largely obscured by her hair, making her expression unreadable.
"What's wrong with Lady Tsunade?" A bad premonition instantly filled his mind. Kakashi felt his internal organs frozen by a certain fear, and his soul, along with his emotions, seemed to be pulled away, leaving only a final trace of obsession controlling his body to move forward.
He stepped into the center of the battlefield, which was covered in char and ash, circled around Fugaku to the other side, and paused for a second before daring to look directly at the person lying in his arms, to confirm if it was Naraku.
That face, which he had seen countless times and dreamed of countless times, appeared in the center of his vision, eyes quietly closed, no different from before.
"It's Naraku!" "Thank goodness, Naraku is alive!" "He's okay! He's not..." Before joy could even ripple in his heart, panic had already seized Kakashi's brain and every limb.
He saw Naraku's brows tightly furrowed, his expression pained, his face as white as paper, dark red bloodstains clinging to the corners of his mouth and chin, and his hand lying limply on the ground, covered in much dust.
Kakashi's legs gave out, and he fell to the ground, laboriously inching forward two steps. He reached out his hand but it stiffened in mid-air, hesitant, not daring to touch Naraku, not daring to confirm if he was still alive.
Self-reproach and guilt transformed into another him, tightly gripping Kakashi's throat.
"I... I came too late...?" "Naraku... Did I... come too late again?" "Why am I always like this...?"
Kakashi lowered his head, emitting a faint, mournful sob, and the hand he had extended slowly dropped.
Just a second before he completely succumbed to despair, a finger gently touched the back of his hand.
"Ka... Kashi..." An almost inaudible whisper, carried by the breeze, brushed past his ear, bringing back Kakashi's wavering consciousness.
He gasped for air as if rescued from drowning, and quickly looked up at the person who had spoken.
Naraku barely opened his eyes a little, his fingertips gently tapping Kakashi's cold hand, trying to comfort him in this way.
"It's okay... don't... be sad..." Naraku's syllables were so indistinct that no one could hear them clearly, but Kakashi understood exactly what he was saying.
"Mm..." Kakashi nodded vigorously, fighting back tears, tightly gripping Naraku's hand and raising it to his forehead... Konoha, Hokage Building.
Fugaku's Shadow Clone returned here with a group of children. Several young Uchiha embraced their parents, and their cries gradually merged into a chorus.
Everyone present—especially the Konoha Ninja—sighed in relief.
This civil war was likely averted. The remaining issues were few, mainly how to deal with Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru, whom he had implicated.
Inuzuka Hana, following the scent, arrived beside the Inuzuka Clan Head, who excitedly pulled her over, examining her from head to toe, and even sniffing carefully to confirm there were no wounds on her body.
"Grandpa, what are you doing? Are you discussing with Hokage-sama how to save us?" Thinking about how dangerous it had just been for everyone, Inuzuka Hana complained about her elder's efficiency.
"Then your actions were too slow, weren't they? If it weren't for Senior Naraku, we would have been blown up long ago."
"What about the explosion?" the Inuzuka Clan Head asked nervously.
"When we were escaping from underground, everything above us was blown up, and we were almost buried alive by the enemy."
The Inuzuka Clan Head clenched his fists abruptly, his body trembling with extreme anger. He had to exert all his strength to suppress the urge to confront the Hokage.
"Alright, alright, you said the children wouldn't be in danger, and then you almost blew up my granddaughter!?" "Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, you're really something!"
The Ino–Shika–Chō clans were nearby. The Nara Clan Head raised his eyelids, a barely perceptible killing intent hidden in his gaze towards Danzo.
Coveting another's Bloodline Limit was an undeniable heinous crime. Now, to destroy the evidence, he even dared to harm children from Ninja Clans other than the Uchiha... Danzo Shimura truly could not be allowed to live.
He had crossed everyone's unspoken bottom line.
Even if it angered the Hokage, Danzo had to die.
Although Ino–Shika–Chō were staunch Hokage loyalists, this did not mean they could accept all actions from the Hokage or the highest echelons, nor did it mean they could not choose to resist when their own safety was severely threatened.
If they were to be obedient subordinates, only to end up with their families and clans destroyed, then who the hell would want to be such a subordinate!
He exchanged glances with the Akimichi and Yamanaka Clan Heads, and the two old friends, who knew each other well, immediately understood his meaning and nodded in agreement.
Hiruzen, seeing the atmosphere somewhat eased, immediately said, "Since the children have all returned safely, and Uchiha Naraku is not dead, Danzo Shimura will still be taken into custody by the Anbu. Once the evidence is fully collected—"
"Why bother with such trouble," Fugaku's Shadow Clone retorted, unyielding. "Danzo Shimura seized Bloodline Limits and harmed Konoha Ninja. The evidence is conclusive. He should be executed on the spot here, serving as a clear example!"
"Yes!" "We don't need the children's information, he's useless!" "Clan Head! Kill him!"
The Uchiha expressed their unreserved agreement with their Clan Head's words.
With the Uchiha Clan leading the charge, the Inuzuka Clan Head, who had almost lost his beloved granddaughter, also voiced his stance: "I agree!"
If he remained silent even when dealing with the murderer who tried to kill his granddaughter, how could he face his daughter and son-in-law in the future?
Especially his daughter, Inuzuka Tsume, wouldn't she tear him apart alive?