187.One Word

A thank you for being my patron:

"Human Path":

-Codeseed g

"Outer Path":

-chris

-Mohamed

-BlueFern XO

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The next day, at the break of dawn, Yuki awoke. The silky satin sheets slipped from his body, revealing a symmetrical, muscular, and perfect jade-like physique. A beam of bright sunlight pierced through the window, casting a radiant glow upon him.

The girl, who had spent a delightful time with Yuki, had left early that day. Scattered pieces of paper littered the ground, evidencing her hasty departure.

"Hehe~ Such a lovely woman," Yuki mused, picking up his flat-frame glasses from beside the bed and putting them on. They concealed the lively spark in his eyes as much as possible.

Konan's visit the previous night had genuinely surprised him. He had anticipated her arrival to admire the moon with him much earlier. Yuki had prepared himself mentally, simply waiting for Konan to come to him. This was one of the reasons he had prolonged his stay in the Rain Shinobi Village. After all, before leaving, he wanted to have at least one memorable encounter.

However, he ended up waiting six years, which led to some disappointment. He wondered if his charm was not strong enough. Unexpectedly, on the last night before his departure, Konan finally arrived. Their connection was instant, leading to a profound and mysterious exchange of their ninja way.

They delved into the origins of life and its meaning, engaging so deeply in conversation that they lost track of time. No words or elegant rhetoric could fully capture the essence of that moment. In the end, it could only be summarized by one word—change.

When Yuki left the Rain Shinobi Village, his former students assembled neatly at the gate for a grand farewell ceremony.

"I am very happy to have met all of you," Yuki said. "Though I leave today, my heart will always remain connected with yours."

He delivered a heartfelt speech, moving many to tears.

"Goodbye, sensei," they replied, tears streaming down their faces.

"Remember, if you ever grow weary of waiting, you're welcome to visit us," Suigetsu said with a wide grin.

"Sensei, allow me one last word—thank you," Jūgo added, his expression sincere.

"Should you ever need us, just give the command, and I will follow you!" Kimimaro declared solemnly.

"So will we!" Sakon, Youkon, Kidōmaru, Jirōbō, and Tayuya chorused.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh!"

Karin howled on the spot, bursting into tears. Her tears and nose ran together. Although it detracted somewhat from her beauty, her emotion was sincere.

"Goodbye" Ajisai whispered, her head lowered.

"Feel free to come back anytime; the door of the Akatsuki will always be open for Yuki-sensei! Hmm~" Deidara waved her hand energetically.

Observing the core members and young talents of the Akatsuki organization, it was clear they all felt a strong reluctance to part with Yuki.

Nagato felt a mix of discomfort and jealousy at the farewell ceremony. "Am I the leader here, or is Yuki?" he thought, while also feeling relieved to see Yuki leave. Otherwise, he feared, the Akatsuki's core might eventually pledge their loyalty to Yuki instead.

"Che~ A mere teacher getting all this attention? Too arrogant, right?" Hidan remarked disdainfully. As a recent addition to Akatsuki, his unique jutsu had caught Nagato's eye, earning him a spot as a core member.

"I'm really curious about how he managed to train so many outstanding ninjas," Kakuzu mused, surprised. Being a ninja teacher isn't ordinary; it requires more than just words—strength is essential. And yet, Yuki, with his severely damaged Chakra meridian and lost ninja power, had achieved this.

"It's not just about teaching ninjutsu; manipulating minds is his greatest skill," Sasori added in a low voice.

Deidara, despite his superb strength and rebellious nature, was as docile as a puppy in front of Yuki. "It's truly intriguing!" he thought.

"Who knows? Maybe we underestimated the Konoha teacher from the start," Kisame pondered, equally puzzled.

"Right, anyway, isn't Konan close to him? Where is Konan?" they suddenly realized one person was missing. Konan, usually detached, showed particular concern for Yuki. Her absence from the farewell was puzzling.

"Konan," Nagato muttered, his voice reflecting a complex mix of emotions. Despite his feelings for the kind yet distant Konan, he knew she had feelings for their late friend Yahiko. Nagato had hoped to win her over by leading Akatsuki and filling the void left by Yahiko. However, everything changed with Yuki's arrival. Konan's closeness to Yuki sparked jealousy in Nagato for the first time.

Yet, with Yuki's departure and Konan's absence at the farewell, Nagato dared to hope that perhaps Konan didn't care for Yuki as much as he feared. This thought brought a slight lift to his spirits.