Chapter 165: Strange sensation.

They walked through the house and entered a room that had a door. In fact, this was the only room with a door. 

"Open it," Okamitsuki said, to which Konan silently obeyed. 

When the door opened, they could make out that boy. He was on a handmade bed. It had sheets made of animal skins, just like the ones Konan saw when she woke up, only there was one particularity with these ones. The sheets were stained with blood. 

"Uh..."

A sharp, pained gasp was heard. 

Konan rushed over and her eyes widened as she saw the state Toru was in. His face was pale, he was sweating profusely and the bandages on his torso were stained with blood. The expression on this boy's face was unlike any other Konan had ever seen, as she could clearly see how Toru was in agony.

"..." 

Konan was always an expert at hiding her emotions, but lately there has only been one person who was able to make her cry from the bottom of her heart. When she saw Toru lying on this bed, she immediately lowered her gaze and clenched her fists and teeth tightly. She refused to believe that this boy is about to die.

Beside him, Okamitsuki watched silently. However, a smile formed on her face.

-In a strange place-

That flame caused a high-pitched sound. It gently illuminated Toru's face, which made him wake up inside that place he already knew from so long ago. He was confused, but still sat on the blood and reached out his hand, touching the flame in front of him.

'What is this...?' 

The flame didn't burn him, instead, it caused a slight feeling of satisfaction. 

A voice rang out and Toru, as if very sleepy, closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

-Okami Clan-

Okamitsuki smiled, for, as Konan closed her eyes, she saw that reaction in Toru's body. It was obvious that this was going to happen, as she has already seen it with her own eyes more than once. The reason why she was so calm.

"Regarding what I said before. You are not to blame. So just relax. Before I simply wanted to annoy you. Open your eyes and look at him. This kid is not going to die so easily."

Konan felt confused by these words. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see steam coming out of Toru's wounds. The hole in his abdomen was slowly beginning to close and the blood on the sheets and bandages was evaporating strangely. His pale face slowly regained color and the agonized expression he had was replaced by a more relaxed and tired one.

At that moment, there was a small tear on Konan's cheek. She wiped that tear away and remembered that strange regeneration that Toru has. Still, while this was happening, she realized something and Okamitsuki confirmed it.

"'That's not regeneration' That's what you think, isn't it. I've seen it many times, but I don't even know what it is. I'm sure Toru is human, but ever since I met him, I've seen something weird about him. That's why I know he won't die easily" She smiled "Look at his body, look at the blood that evaporated, it's as if the time in his body..."

"Had sped up..." replied Konan.

To which Okamitsuki nodded. In the end, Toru's wounds finished closing and he opened his eyes. For a second, Rinnegan could be seen in his gaze, but it faded moments later.

"Toru!"

Konan wanted to know if Toru was okay, but the boy didn't respond. He got up from the bed, touching his head in pain. He looked disoriented, swaying from side to side and his breathing was heavy.

"Ko...nan...Konan..." he repeated over and over as he approached the door. 

Watching him silently, Okamitsuki stepped aside and watched Toru try to leave the place. However, when the boy reached the door....

Bam! He hit his face against the wood of the door and fell to the floor.

"Uh... it hurts too much..." He rubbed his forehead and then lay down on the floor. He seemed to regain consciousness when he hit his face against the door. He immediately opened his eyes in shock. Remembering what happened in Amegakure, he touched his wrist to summon the daggers, but realized he was naked from the torso up. He didn't have the seals on his wrists and the only thing covering him were his shorts and the bandages on his torso, legs and arms. "Light..."

*Drip...drip...* A couple of tears fell down his cheeks. His eyes saw something, saw a bit of light. It was all very blurry, but he could see something. Slowly his vision came into focus until....

"I can see... I can see..." The light returned to his eyes. Toru regained his vision, but he didn't understand why. It was two seconds before he realized that there were people with him. "Okamitsuki... how did I get here?"

The she-wolf sighed wearily. "The old wolf brought you."

"I see..." He looked at the surroundings and his eyes widened. There was a window nearby, where the evening light illuminated the room and, right in front of that window, being caressed by the sunlight, he saw her... he saw an angel. "Konan..." was the only thing he could say after seeing her.

And she had the same reaction. Konan barely assimilated that Toru was still alive, that his body was in perfect condition. Unconsciously she looked straight into his eyes, those eyes that had somehow regained a little of their light.

Okamitsuki noticed this, that Toru and Konan were staring at each other. A smile tugged at her fangs and she shook her head. 'Ha~, youth...' She thought, but then it occurred to interrupt. "Toru. Hey, Toru..." The boy didn't hear her. "Brat!"

"Uh..." Toru finally snapped out of the trance he had gotten himself into. "What happened, I..."

"Are you still disoriented? Get up off the ground at once. And you, Konan-san, if you want to talk to him, I'll leave you two alone for a while. I'll go inform the others. Don't do anything strange while I'm gone" Saying strange things, Okamitsuki opened the door with her teeth and left the room. Leaving these two alone.

For a moment the silence that lingered there was awkward, but Toru sat down on the bed and looked at Konan before speaking.

"I'm sorry. We couldn't defeat Madara. So Nagato's eyes-"

"No. Don't apologize. You've already done it many times. It is I who must apologize to you. From the beginning, when we forced you into Akatsuki, none of our business had anything to do with you, but I forced you to be a part of this and look how it all ended. It's my fault, that's why-"

"Your fault?" he tilted his head in confusion. "It was Madara who attacked first. In any case, it would be the one who is to blame. So there's nothing to feel guilty about and nothing to apologize for."

"I see..." She lowered her gaze. "Thank you..."

Silence again. Though Konan remembered what Toru said after hitting his head. 'I can see...' That was what Toru said. Despite the silence, she wanted to ask, but she noticed that Toru was staring at her. He was simply looking at her silently, with an expression very different from any she had ever seen. It was a curious expression, relaxed, so to speak... 'Cute...' but she immediately shook her head and asked another question to get those thoughts out of her head.

"You said earlier that you could see, is that true?"

"It is. I don't understand it, but I can see everything again. Also, I feel something new in my brain, but I don't know what it is. Everything is scrambled in my mind. So I'll need to rest for a while to get my thoughts in order. Besides..." He hadn't wanted to tell Konan this, but, like him, she only had bandages covering her torso and chest. Because the bandages are tightly attached to the body, he could see the entire outline of Konan's body. 

"....? ...Ah....."

Konan could tell by Toru's intense gaze. She covered her chest with her arms and looked away. In response to this, Toru smiled gently. He got up from the bed and, at the tables, searched for something until he found it. Almost immediately he sat down on the bed and in his hand displayed a paper seal, which was slightly singed.

"Release..." He made a seal with his hand and a cloud of smoke appeared between his hands. When the small cloud of smoke dissipated, an Akatsuki robe could be seen in perfect condition. He took it in his hand and then held it out to Konan. "Your clothes must be in tatters. So you'll need something to wear."

Her eyes widened. It was strange, but she had a deja vu. It was that night, when Toru joined Akatsuki. She offered him this very robe. Without waiting long, she took the robe in her hands shyly as she remembered everything. She lowered her gaze and continued to think.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" said Toru. "This was the robe you gave me. It was a little big on me at first, but it eventually fit. Just like that night, this robe is for you." He stood in front of her. "Thank you... Konan..."

She looked up and realized how tall this boy was. They were both the same height, he was almost so perfect that they could both look directly into each other's eyes. She hugged the robe and, for the first time in a long time, a smile formed on her face. Toru thanked her, gave her a gift and didn't blame her for anything. He was able to pull the real Konan out of that abyss she was hiding in.

'What a strange feeling...' There was a time when she felt the same. In her youth with Yahiko. It was... a strange and enigmatic feeling, a gentle feeling that somehow made her feel calm. "A lot has happened since then."

"I know. It's been... too much..." He walked over to the door and opened it. He gazed intently at the trees stretching out of it and the wolves chattering and training together. He thought he would never see the light again. And now that he had regained his sight, he felt confused to the max. It was almost unreal that this had happened and he couldn't think of a reason for it.

After this, a strangely comfortable silence was felt in the room. They both talked about the fight with Madara. Konan remembers everything that happened, but Toru only remembers up to where he was kicked by Marada and the moment he sank into the water, after that, all memories are hazy.

"Well, I... I should go to the house I was assigned. She told me that I should rest to recover, so that's what I'll do."

"Okay," Toru walked away from the door and approached Konan. "Go at your own pace. Don't overexert yourself." 

"Yes. Thank you..."

Even though Toru said that, he, in his mind, started to plan everything possible to increase his power. If Madara attacked again, then he would be prepared. With this in mind, he took off his bandages and grabbed all the things Okamitsuki left for him on the table. He put on the cloak and scarf, accompanied by a long-sleeved shirt, which was quite close to his body. He tied the seals for storing things to his wrists and, on top of that, tied a pair of bandages for training.

After that, without telling anyone, he left the village.

To be continued...