Chapter 94:- Aftermath of Kaede's attack

Kenshin felt his consciousness slipping, but inside his mind, the other Kenshin activated his right eye's ability. There was a resolute tone to his thoughts, as if he were addressing no one but himself, saying, "I gotchu. I'll restore the body."

Kenshin's body began to heal, closing the deepest wounds and preventing further damage as he lost consciousness completely.

Kenshin's shadow clone, positioned far outside, quickly returned to the scene. Seeing Kaede gone, he rushed over to Kira, who lay clutching the blood-soaked patch where her right eye had been, her body finally beginning to tremble as the adrenaline faded.

The clone knelt by her, trying to reassure her. "Kaede is gone. You're safe now. Hold on a bit, I'll heal you."

But as he activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he realized something; his chakra reserves were depleted, the result of launching two high powered Gust Bullets, and he dispelled in a puff of smoke, leaving Kira alone in the silent cave.

"Why did you leave? I'm all alone, Kenshin." Kira whispered, as the adrenaline wore off, giving way for the pain to be felt fully.

She clutched her face, gasping as the reality of her injury settled in, her remaining eye watering with pain. All alone, she finally allowed herself to cry, the night passing slowly as she lay curled beside Kenshin.

The next morning, Kenshin awoke with a dull ache all over his body. He blinked a few times, disoriented, before his gaze fell on Kira lying next to him, her face and hands smeared with dried blood.

Her hand rested over her empty right eye socket, and Kenshin's heart sank as he realized the full extent of her injury.

He instinctively activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, his right eye searching for any glow to indicate that he could heal it. But as he looked at her face, he saw nothing—no blue glow, no flicker, just empty darkness where her eye should be.

"No…" he whispered, the realization sinking in. Kira's eye was truly gone, beyond even his power to restore. Guilt clawed at him, his throat tightening as tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. "No matter what I do… I always fail to protect the people close to me."

Kira stirred, her remaining eye fluttering open. Seeing him awake, her face lit up with relief, and without a second thought, she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay, Kenshin," she murmured, her voice filled with warmth, even as her own pain lingered.

Kenshin couldn't hold back his emotions, his tears spilling over as he looked at her, guilt heavy in his gaze. "Kira… I'm sorry," he choked, but she only laughed softly, brushing away his apology with a small shake of her head.

"Don't be silly," she said, offering him a faint, reassuring smile. "It's nothing. I still have a spare eye left, don't I?" she added with forced cheer. "And if anything, it was my fault. I let myself get caught by her."

Kira shifted, slowly pulling herself up, though her movements were careful as she steadied herself on her feet. Kenshin noticed her slight wince and reached out to support her. Before he could say anything, she gave him a small, determined smile.

"Where are you going?" he asked, still feeling the weight of everything that had happened.

Kira gave him a playful look, trying to mask her pain. "To wash off all this blood," she replied lightly. "It's annoying."

He hesitated, but the thought of leaving her alone right now was impossible. "Let me come with you," he offered, guilt still shadowing his words. Kira paused, then gave him a nod, letting him follow.

As they walked, Kenshin noticed how she stumbled and occasionally bumped into trees, each time her hand reaching out to steady herself.

He bit his lip, feeling another pang of guilt at how she struggled, her missing eye affecting her balance and depth perception. He watched as she pressed a hand to her right eye socket every so often, a flicker of pain flashing across her expression, though she quickly covered it up, acting as if it were nothing.

But Kenshin could tell—the wound was still raw, the pain excruciating, yet she was doing everything she could to hide it from him. Each time she stumbled, he instinctively moved closer, ready to catch her if needed.

Finally, they reached a small stream. Kira knelt by the water, gazing down at her reflection. Her remaining eye caught the sunlight filtering through the trees, sharp and resolute.

Seeing her face, now forever changed, she resolved not to let it weigh her down, and once her mother came for them, she would grow stronger under her, for herself and for Kenshin.

Kenshin watched her, the turmoil in his chest making it hard to breathe. He wanted to do something—anything—to help, to somehow ease the burden he felt responsible for.

He slipped off his jacket, fingers brushing over the pockets as he checked for a storage scroll, hoping to find a towel or at least a change of clothes for Kira.

Instead, as he searched, his hand closed around something small and thin—a storage scroll he'd forgotten about entirely. Kenshin unrolled it, eyes widening in surprise.

It was Shisui Uchiha's right eye, the one he'd stored carefully before the mission to the Hidden Grass, so that it'd be safe with him.

In the rush of events, he'd completely forgotten it was there, tucked away in his jacket pocket. Now, in this moment, it felt like a stroke of fortune, a chance to ease the suffering she endured because of his failure.

Swallowing, he took a deep breath, knowing he'd need to approach this carefully. For now, he gently removed his shirt, soaked it in the stream, and turned back to Kira.

He knelt beside her and brought the damp cloth to her face, gently wiping away the dried blood. His touch was careful, especially as he cleaned the hollow of her right eye socket.

"I'm sorry, Kira, I couldn't protect you." he whispered, his voice thick with guilt and regret. Each swipe of the cloth felt like a small attempt to erase the damage he'd failed to prevent.

As Kenshin gently dabbed her face with the wet cloth, Kira huffed and gave him a stern look. "Listen, Kenshin. If I hear you beating yourself up about this one more time, I'm going to lose it." She narrowed her remaining eye, the playful threat evident in her voice.

Kenshin paused, then let out a soft laugh, letting her words sink in. "Alright, alright. I get it," he said, a small smile finally returning to his face. He decided to try easing her pain with what little medical ninjutsu he knew.

Gently, he placed his hand over her empty socket, channeling healing chakra into the wound. But he could tell immediately that it was futile—the sensation she was feeling was phantom pain, something medical ninjutsu couldn't touch.

After a moment, he pulled his hand back, his expression pensive. "Kira…would you want a Sharingan?" he asked quietly, the thought that had occurred to him just now filling him with a tentative hope.

Kira blinked, clearly confused. "What do you mean?"

Kenshin reached into his jacket, retrieving a small scroll. Unrolling it, he revealed Shisui Uchiha's right eye, carefully sealed away. "I kept it with me in case I ever needed it," he explained. "It'll probably drain your chakra heavily since it's not your own, and the Sharingan's demanding on the body. But it might help replace what you lost…"

Kira studied the eye, deep in thought, before nodding slowly. She'd felt the emptiness in her right eye deeply, and the idea of having a replacement—even one that wasn't hers—was something she was willing to try. "Alright, let's do it."

Kenshin positioned himself carefully, gently opening her eyelids around the empty socket and placing the Sharingan within, using medical ninjutstu to reattach the optic nerve enough to allow it to connect so that he could use his right eye's ability.

Then he activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, using his right eye's ability to heal. Kira felt a slight easing in the pain, though she could still sense the unfamiliar chakra from the transplanted eye.

Kenshin took his t-shirt, tearing it into a strip, and wrapped it around her right eye to keep it safe.

They spent the rest of the day quietly, Kenshin finding another scroll in his jacket that contained a bit of cream stew. He fed it to Kira, grateful to see her adjusting better to normal food.

Once she was settled, he stepped outside, eager to try his wind chakra mode. His mind felt clearer now, the mental exhaustion from Kaede's earlier assault having dissipated.

As he practiced, he found it easier to control his wind chakra, finally sustaining it without strain. After a few moments, he tested a new application, releasing a steady flow of wind chakra from his feet. The propulsion lifted him slightly, and by directing bursts of chakra from his palms, he managed to navigate through the air, similar to how Iron Man flew.

Though his movements were still unsteady, Kenshin's face lit up with excitement. He continued for nearly an hour, only stopping to conserve his chakra in case Kaede returned.

"I guess I'm windy man now." Kenshin muttered to himself, pleased with him now complete chakra mode. This jutsu alone could give him an edge in battle that would make him a force to be reckoned with, alongside his adamantine sealing chains.

Later, as the sun began to dip in the sky, Kira looked up at him, her expression curious. "Can you open these bandages now?" she asked, tapping the cloth around her eye. Kenshin nodded and carefully unwrapped the cloth, revealing her new eye.

His eyes widened in shock. The Sharingan was deactivated, but instead of the usual round pupil, Kira's new eye had a long, slit pupil like a cat's—much like her other eye. He stared, dumbfounded.

She looked at him with confusion. "What? Is something wrong?"

He urged her, "Channel chakra into it."

As she did, the Sharingan activated, the familiar red iris with tomoe appearing—but her pupil remained elongated, slightly smaller, just reaching the bottom tomoe. He stared, dumbfounded, realizing that the eye had fused with her chakra and body in a way he hadn't thought possible.

Unlike Kakashi, whose Sharingan was always draining due to it being foreign to his body, Kira's had integrated fully, like it was a natural part of her. This was quite possibly the result of Kenshin's right eye, as the restoration properly integrated the eye, making Kira's body treat it as a part of it and not a foreign entity.

He took a breath, trying to process what he was seeing. "The eye… it fused with your body and chakra. It's not acting like a foreign transplant—it's part of you now, like a natural eye."

Kira blinked, absorbing the information before narrowing her eyes playfully. She gave him a light smack on the arm. "Don't scare me like that! You had me thinking this Sharingan would be draining me dry!"

Kenshin chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Honestly, I didn't know this would happen. But I'm glad it did."

A thought struck him, and he looked at her with concern. "Kira… do you still feel it? That pain—like your eye's still being… you know..?" He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, a flicker of sadness in his expression.

Kira's mouth opened in surprise. She'd been doing her best to hide it, but now that he'd asked, she nodded, slightly embarrassed. "How did you know? That I've been feeling this really bad pain in my right eye, as if it was still being gouged out."

Kenshin's gaze softened as he spoke, "When my mother got sick, I tried to learn everything I could about medical ninjutsu to help her. While I'm far from an expert, I know a bit about that pain… the kind that lingers, when you lose a part of your body. They call it phantom pain."

Kira let out a quiet sigh, her posture relaxing. "Well, whatever it was, I don't feel it anymore. Since you gave me this new eye, it's just… gone."

Kenshin's shoulders seemed to ease at her words, relief evident in his eyes. Before he could respond, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

"I promise I'll never let something like this happen again," she murmured, her voice low and protective. "I don't want you beating yourself up over my injuries. I'll make sure you don't have to. And I'll cherish this eye, as long as I live."

Kenshin stilled, the weight of her words settling in. He returned her embrace gently, feeling a deep sense of gratitude he couldn't quite put into words.

After a moment, Kira pulled back, giving him a determined look. "When we get out of this place…" She glanced around, the walls of their otherworldly prison cast in dim light. "I want you to make a contract with me."

Kenshin blinked, caught off guard by the sudden proposal. "A contract?"

Kira's cheeks flushed, and she gave him a playful smile. "I want you to be my master," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Or should I say… Myaster." She added a teasing purr to the word, mimicking the way a cat might speak, her voice lilting playfully.

Kenshin's serious expression broke, and he couldn't help but laugh, her playful tone lifting his spirits. "Myaster, huh?" he said, smirking. "Is that a formal title in your tribe?"

"Only for you, myaster." Kira replied, grinning back.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the cave grew cold, and a tense quiet filled the air. Kenshin and Kira prepared for what they both sensed—a night on edge, ready to defend against Kaede's return.

Kenshin kept a vigilant watch at the entrance while Kira silently sharpened her senses, her fingers brushing her new eye, its presence still unfamiliar yet reassuring.

Hours slipped by, and as midnight approached, there was still no sign of Kaede. Just as Kenshin began to wonder if Kaede had other plans, a ripple disturbed the air in the cave, and a portal opened without warning. Kenshin sprang to his feet, but his tension melted into relief as he saw Aruna and Sora stepping through, their expressions anxious and searching.

"Kira!" Aruna's voice broke with relief as she spotted her daughter, and in an instant, both she and Sora had enveloped Kira in a tight embrace.

Kira's eyes widened in surprise before softening, her hand reaching to grip their shoulders as she held them close. "I'm alright, Mother. Sora. Kenshin protected me." Her voice was steady but held a vulnerability she rarely showed.

Sora looked at her sister with tear-bright eyes, then glared playfully at Kenshin. "Thank you, but don't go getting any ideas just because you saved her," she teased, though her voice cracked slightly with emotion.

Kenshin gave her a reassuring smile but quickly turned his gaze back to the cave entrance, Kaede's chilling words echoing in his mind: "It would be a waste to kill you right now. I will return when your precious Nekomata comes for her kitten and worm."

His muscles tensed. Now that Aruna had arrived, he knew Kaede's return was inevitable.

Aruna, sensing his unease, turned to him. "Kenshin, you've done more than enough. We can go home now. You don't need to worry anymore."

But Kenshin shook his head, glancing warily at the shadows beyond the cave. "I appreciate that, but… there's something you should know. Aruna-sama, do you know about a woman named Kaede?"

Aruna's face turned pale as she heard Kenshin's words. She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking.

"How… do you know of Kaede?" she asked, her voice a mixture of shock and worry.

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