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A few days later, at the Norio residence

*Sniff**Sniff*

"Kushina, you should go back, you have had a bad cold since last night," Aayu said.

Kushina looked back at Aayu. Her nose was completely red and her eyes were red too, like her hair. She held some clothes in her hand.

"I am alright, aunt. I have the Uzumaki vitality, I'll be fine soon. Moreover, Kiyome is also not available." Kushina said. She continued folding the clothes.

For the whole previous month, Kushina and Kiyome have stayed in this house and have even brought over some clothes.

The always cheerful and joyful personalities of both Kushina and Kiyome helped Aayu spend the previous month very smoothly.

"It's alright Kushina, I'll be fine. Just take some rest, go outside and roam around. You don't need to be cooped up in the house for me." Aayu said. She sat in the Kotatsu and silently sipped on her tea.

"But-" Kushina was speaking but before she could even complete one of her words, she was interrupted.

"Just go, give this old woman some time alone," Aayu said.

After a long time of persuasion, Kushina finally agreed to leave.

Aayu made herself another cup of tea. She continued to sit in the Kotatsu while she sipped down her tea with a straight face.

She simply looked out of the window of the living room. She looked at the orange evening and her green lawn.

"Where did I keep the paper?" Aayu asked herself. She got up after drinking the tea and searched for paper.

She took a sheet of paper and a pen and sat on a seat. She kept the paper on the table and started writing.

"My precious Cutie Pie,

I am sorry I wasn't able to talk to you one last time. I feel very bad about that. I hope you read this letter when you are safe and sound. You have not sent any reply since you went on the mission, I and Kushina had been very worried for you. I cannot tell you anything right now but, you will know about it in the future. About the box I told you to open when you turned 24, I believe it would be better if you open it a little sooner, as for when to open it, it is your choice. I love you a lot my son, always remember that. Mommy will always love you no matter what."

Aayu finished writing the letter, folded it and put it in an envelope. On the envelope, she wrote Yukan's name and sealed the envelope.

She then started writing another letter on another sheet,

"My precious Sweetie.

How have you been, sweetie? I hope that you….."

Aayu wrote another letter and put it in another envelope. On the envelope, she wrote Minato's name and sealed it.

Aayu then took out an alcohol bottle and sat at the dining table. She poured some of it into a glass and drank it.

"Bleh, it tastes so bad, how do people come to like it?" Aayu said. She had the same reaction as someone who drank for the first time.

Aayu then left the glass full of wine right where it was and then started moving around the house.

She touched all the furniture, the walls of the house, the edge of the wall where Yukan's height while growing was marked, the wall where she hung her artwork she made as a hobby…

She finally reached back to the living room. There, she picked up a recent family photo with Minato included.

Aayu touched the photo with a light hand and closed her eyes. She lifted her head but a small drop of tear fell from her closed eyes.

She sniffed once and kept the photo of her, Yukan and Minato back where it was.

Then, she looked at a couple photo of her and Hyatt they had clicked on their first wedding anniversary. Aayu seemed very young and beautiful in the photo as she blushed a little. Hyatt looked exactly like Yukan but he blushed a lot more than Aayu.

"We'll meet soon, darling." She looked at the photo and said,

When the night fell, Aayu walked out of the house wearing a white dress. Her face was completely dry and her bones were a little visible. Her hair was white from the roots but it was not completely white.

She once again walked continuously for a while in the forest.

"I guess, at least my body should be found, otherwise, burying an empty coffin would be bad according to the tradition," Aayu said and then disappeared into the dark forest.

-The Next Morning-

In the morning, at 7 A.M. Kiyome was walking to the Norio residence while jumping between her steps as if she was very happy about something.

"I learned a new dish from grandpa yesterday. I will feed it to moth- Aunt today." Kiyome said and happily moved forward.

As she walked to the house, she saw two kids, one with grey hair and one with blonde hair heading in the same direction. When she looked at them carefully, she noticed that they were Yukan's students, Kakashi and Kozuki.

Kiyome hurriedly made a nice expression and went to the two.

"Where are you two kids going?" Kiyome asked.

"Woah, you surprised us, Nee-San. Nothing, we were just going to do some training." Kakashi said.

"Yup, where are you going, Nee-San?" Kozuki asked. Although they were not someone who met every day, Kozuki was also close enough to call Kiyome Nee-San.

"I'm going to Aunt Norio. You two, come with me. I'll feed you some tasty food." Kiyome said.

Kakashi and Kozuki, who had tasted Kiyome's cooking before, nodded their heads immediately, without any hesitation.

Kiyome chuckled a little seeing their reaction and then started walking.

When they finally reached the Norio residence, Aayu once knocked out of formality and then opened the door.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw something she had never expected to see.

"AHHHHH!!!!" Kiyome suddenly shouted.

"What's wrong?" Kozuki said. Kakashi and Kozuki quickly came in front of her and took out their blades but, when they saw the scene, they hurriedly put the blade back and rushed forward.

In front of the three lay Aayu, without showing any movement. Her hair had turned completely white and her arms were looking very thin. Even her face looked like she was someone more than 70 years old.

Kozuki held Aayu's wrist for a while but in the end, he shook his head.

He said, with his voice full of sadness," She's... gone."

-THE END-

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