Hearing his hesitation, Chiho remained silent in his arms for a long ti before slowly pushing him away.
She looked up, searching his face with an intensity that made Shisui's pulse skip. He could feel the profound sense of loss radiating from her, yet she maintained that sa gentle, weary smile.
"You've grown taller, Shu-kun. Your shoulders are broader, and you seem... more reliable," she whispered.
Her fingertips traced his brow and the bridge of his nose before resting on his cheek. "But I can't keep waiting like this."
"I used to spend every day you were gone fantasizing about our life together. One day, two days, ten days, half a year... I'd wake up at the slightest sound in the night, thinking you were ho. But most of the ti, it was just the wind."
Chiho withdrew her hand and took a step back. The smile remained, but her eyes had hardened with a quiet resolve. "Let's break up, Shu-kun."
Shisui looked at her. After a few seconds of heavy silence, he nodded slowly. "Alright."
"I'm sorry," he added, scratching his head with a look of genuine apology. "I really can't give you the stability you're looking for. Chiho... I hope you find soone who can truly make you happy."
His imdiate, calm acceptance caught her off guard. In fact, his lack of resistance seed to deepen her lancholy.
She opened her mouth to say sothing more, but eventually, it only manifested as a long, weary sigh.
"Don't say things like that. Just... take care of yourself. Stay safe." She stepped forward one last ti, opening her arms. "Can we have one last hug?"
"Of course." Shisui pulled her into a soft embrace, lightly stroking her hair.
To be honest, he felt a small pang of regret, but logically, this was the best possible outco. Chiho held him tightly, as if trying to morize his warmth.
Shisui felt two small patches of dampness soak into the fabric of his shirt. Finally, she let go, turned around, and walked away without looking back once.
Her long shadow stretched across the village path until she vanished around the corner.
Shisui stood there until she was completely gone.
Did she notice sothing?
The doubt flickered in his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. From their interaction, it was clear her decision stemd from the accumulated anxiety of years of waiting, not from any suspicion of his identity.
"Well, this works out," Shisui muttered to himself. "One less intimate tie makes the role of Takigawa Shu much easier to maintain. Now I can focus on the plan."
Returning to his cabin as darkness fell, Shisui didn't light a lamp. He went straight to work.
He moved to the corner of the room and perford a sequence of seals. Imdiately, a faint rustling echoed from beneath the floorboards—the Soil-Eating Insects he had released the night before.
These creatures were voracious, capable of consuming earth and stone alike.
He noted with interest that so of them had already begun to differentiate. Their waste ford a hard, gravel-like substance that was initially sticky; with enough chakra control, he might be able to weaponize it into a unique form of Earth Style.
Underneath the house, a tunnel a ter wide and twenty ters deep had already been carved. Shisui intended to build a subterranean laboratory here to store the insect colonies that were no longer part of his primary combat roster.
He planned to keep only a thousand of his original Kikaichu for experintal material and historical record.
The Shikaichu (Destruction Bugs) also needed an overhaul—while they were excellent for scouting, their appearance was too distinct.
He needed to engineer a new "skin" for them, mimicking common wild insects while enhancing their ability to mask chakra.
Then there was the Invisible Scorpion, which had grown lazy in its box. Once the basent was complete, it was ti to let it out to hunt.
This creature was high-end combat strength, a vital dium for his future research into Senjutsu and natural energy.
He also checked on his Floating Insects, which survived on water alone and—conveniently—could convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, solving his ventilation problems.
Hours later, the temporary basent began to take shape. He migrated the bulk of his colonies, freeing up half of his twelve-slotted insect box.
Finally, he unsealed a half-side of pork and stroked the scorpion as it shimred into visibility.
"Eat. When you're done, manage the others for ." The scorpion clicked its pincers affectionately against his finger and began its feast.
By the ti everything was settled, it was well past midnight. Shisui collapsed onto his bed, closing his eyes. Just as sleep began to pull him under, a nagging feeling that he had forgotten sothing tugged at his mind.
If I forgot it, it probably wasn't important, he thought, drifting into a deep, dreamless slumber.
At the sa ti, in the woods behind the waterfall...
Natsuhi sat alone on the flat rock. Two cans of beer and a bag of snacks sat untouched before her. She humd a tuneless lody, her eyes constantly darting toward the forest path.
The moon climbed to its zenith. The mosquitoes grew bolder. At first, she swatted them away, but eventually, she just sat still, letting them buzz around her.
The beer turned lukewarm. The snacks grew cold. The roar of the waterfall was the only thing filling the silence.
A cold night wind blew past.
"Achoo!"
Natsuhi sneezed, pulling her knees to her chest and shivering. Ti ticked away.
As the first light of dawn touched the eastern sky, Natsuhi finally moved her stiff limbs. Her face was a mask of indifference, though dark circles shadowed her eyes. She stared at the beer for a mont, then picked up a can.
The aluminum crumpled and groaned under the pressure of her grip until—POP—it burst, spraying cold liquid over her hand.
Without a word, she wiped her hand on her pants and began the long walk back to the village.
Early the next morning, Shisui was jolted awake by a violent crash.
He opened his eyes just as his front door was kicked off its hinges. Natsuhi stood in the doorway, her face shadowed, eyes burning with a murderous glint.
"Taki... gawa... Shu!"
Shisui sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Suddenly, the mory he had discarded the night before ca rushing back.
Right... soone invited for drinks in the woods.
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