Chapter 6

Not so long ago—about a month and a half ago, when the troops were withdrawn from Ame—another concern arose. Also related to a woman—after a very long time, I detected a familiar chakra. Keiko's chakra! Though its source was not as strong as I remembered from our last meeting, there was no doubt—it was indeed her, alive! However, I only managed to find the time to visit my old acquaintance and former lover a week and a half later.

  ***

Shunshinning to the roof of the building where Keiko still resided (considering my busy schedule, I used this technique more often than walking like a normal person), I grabbed the eaves and, with a soft motion, jumped down in front of the door.

Since there were no kekkei genkai or other protective techniques on the residence, I clearly felt the kunoichi's chakra in the apartment. So, taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and knocked on the door. The agonizing seconds of waiting began…

But after a minute, no one answered. Hmmm…? Tilting my head in confusion, I estimated the kunoichi's chakra's location with a vague plan of a typical apartment and confirmed she was in the kitchen, not sleeping. Given that chakra users' senses are about twice as acute as those of ordinary people, she couldn't have missed me.

Knocking more insistently, I took off my hood and removed my mask, taking off my glasses and discarding my standard headgear for disguise. For some reason, I thought my old friend would be more pleased to see an uncovered face. However, these preparations turned out to be unnecessary—after a few more minutes of waiting, no one opened the door.

After knocking for the third time and preparing to move to the other side of the building to look through the kitchen window and figure out what was happening, I heard the sound of shuffling footsteps and the clatter of wood against wood from inside, and the source of the chakra began to shift. I frowned—what the hell? Even injured and sick shinobi move almost silently!

But there was no time to ponder this fact as the door opened, and the kunoichi appeared on the threshold.

— Keiko?

Although the familiar chakra (albeit weakened and somewhat altered) did not deceive me, I barely recognized my friend at first glance. Very thin, with sunken cheeks, dull hair, hollow eyes, and deep dark circles underneath them—clearly indicating a severe lack of sleep—the kunoichi bore little resemblance to the vibrant woman I remembered from our last meeting.

Noting with some relief the presence of all the necessary limbs, I frowned when I realized that Keiko was using a stick to support herself in a vertical position, and her slightly trembling knees, which were actually quite small in weight, clearly hinted at problems. The simple light gray dress with short sleeves also did not hide the extensive scars on her arms, left by fire…?

No, more likely from a potent poison or a weak acid. On her once-white, now grayish skin, faint stripes of new scars were visible, and I was particularly unsettled by the swollen purplish scar on the left side of her neck, which had not yet healed, indicating a relatively recent injury.

Overall, I had seen some corpses that looked better, but what troubled me the most were her eyes—meeting her gaze, I barely managed not to flinch. During the war, I had seen many things, but such a look was only seen in those who had completely lost the will to live and existed only by inertia. Most of such individuals either died very quickly or committed suicide. And it seems to me that Keiko was not far from the last push into the abyss.

— R-Ryo? — the weak whisper from the kunoichi unexpectedly struck deep in my heart.

Frowning, I shook my head. Not the people I had grown attached to! Even if it means I first have to knock some sense into her and then put it back together! Stepping forward, I carefully pulled Keiko into a hug around the waist.

— I'm glad you're alive, Keiko-chan, — I whispered into her ear.

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