The mont the kunai sank in, Terumi i didn't let go.
The blade buried itself deep in the other person's chest. She remained frozen in that close-quarters thrust, her body pressed against his.
He didn't fight back. He didn't retreat. He didn't even struggle.
Terumi i looked up, staring intently into his eyes, waiting for the next move. She waited for the killing intent, for a trap, for him to suddenly seize her wrist and turn the tables.
But nothing happened. Those eyes were so quiet they made her uneasy.
Slowly, Terumi i's fingers began to stiffen.
"...Sothing is wrong," she whispered, her voice so faint she could barely hear herself.
Kitahara Kaede could feel his chakra draining. The Transformation Jutsu could no longer hold. White smoke billowed around him; though the disguise remained, his silhouette had already shifted.
Terumi i watched as the outline of the man before her returned to its original form. The width of the shoulders. The way he stood. The stubborn straightness of a spine that refused to bend even after being wounded.
The light in her eyes flickered.
Terumi i raised her hand, reaching toward his face. Just as she was about to touch the disguise, she stopped. Her hand was shaking violently.
She didn't dare reveal him. As long as the mask stayed on, the person in front of her could still be soone else.
The masked man looked at her without dodging. He raised his hand and covered the back of hers. Terumi i's entire arm tensed; she wanted to pull away, but he guided her hand, pressing it against the side of his face.
The disguise was peeled away inch by inch. Kitahara Kaede's face was revealed.
Terumi i stared at him, her lips trembling. No sound ca out. She tried again, but her throat felt blocked.
Her gaze dropped. She saw that her hand was still gripping the kunai, the blade driven deep into his body. Blood welled up from the edges of the wound, flowing down her fingers.
Terumi i instinctively tried to let go, but the mont she moved, Kitahara Kaede's body swayed. She froze instantly, trapped in a deadlock—unable to move closer, unable to step back.
"Why... why is it you...?"
Her voice finally returned, though it sounded fragile and foreign. "How could it be you...?"
She reached out to cover the wound, but her hand stopped halfway. She was terrified to touch him.
She tried to form hand signs, but her mind was a chaotic ss. Water Style, Boil Release, Lava Style—none of her techniques could stop the bleeding.
Terumi i looked up, her eyes reddening. "Why didn't you dodge?"
Kitahara Kaede didn't answer.
She pressed forward half a step, her voice beginning to tremble. "You could have dodged it! That opening just now... you left it on purpose, didn't you? Speak to , Kitahara Kaede!"
Kitahara Kaede simply looked at her, maintaining that sa quiet expression.
Terumi i couldn't stand it. She would have preferred he lied to her, or shouted harsh words, rather than look at her like this.
Kitahara Kaede raised his arm, wrapping it around her waist and pulling her into his embrace. Terumi i's hand twitched, attempting a weak resistance.
"No... don't move. The wound will—"
She couldn't finish her sentence. Kitahara Kaede had already pulled her tight against him. The movent shifted the kunai, driving the blade a fraction deeper.
Terumi i felt it clearly. She went rigid, her breath hitching. She wanted to push him away, but her hand hovered in mid-air. She was terrified that one more touch would be the breaking point.
Kitahara Kaede's arm circled her. His grip was light—so light it didn't feel like a hug, but rather a confirmation that she was actually there.
Terumi i's hands hung awkwardly behind his back, finding nowhere to rest. Finally, she let them drop slowly to her sides.
Blood dripped steadily onto the ground. Her shoulders began to shake, and tears splashed against his chest. She gritted her teeth, refusing to let herself sob aloud.
Kitahara Kaede leaned close to her ear, his breath hitching. "I'm sorry."
Terumi i shook her head violently. "Don't say that. I don't want to hear that!"
She clung to his back, her voice completely breaking. "I'll take you back. There are dical ninjas in the village. I'll take you back right now. Just hang on, don't fall asleep, do you hear ?"
Kitahara Kaede paused for a mont, then shook his head with a faint smile. He seed to gather every remaining shred of strength to speak.
"It took ... so long... to respond to you."
Terumi i froze.
All those unspoken words. All those tentative tests. All those monts where she had intentionally drawn close, only to fear he would pull away.
He had known.
Terumi i's tears flowed unchecked. "Then why are you only saying it now? Why did it have to be now?" She gripped his clothes, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "Kitahara Kaede, you bastard... you're such a bastard."
Kitahara Kaede looked at her, the corners of his mouth twitching. Blood seeped from his lips.
Terumi i hurriedly used her sleeve to wipe it away, but her hands were already covered in blood. The more she wiped, the ssier it beca; the more blood sared across his skin.
Tears stread down her face in desperation. "Stop bleeding... please, stop..."
Kitahara Kaede's voice was so low it almost vanished into the wind. "I love you."
Terumi i stopped moving. She looked at him, her lips parting several tis. She wanted to answer. She wanted to answer him imdiately. But the words were lodged in her throat, refusing to co out.
Kitahara Kaede's strength finally vanished. His body began to slump.
Terumi i imdiately caught him, her own weight giving way as they both collapsed onto the rubble. Her knees slamd into the stones, but she didn't care. She only cradled his head, protecting him from hitting the ground.
"Don't die. Kaede, look at . Look at !"
Kitahara Kaede's gaze began to wander. Terumi i pressed her hand over the wound. Blood surged through her fingers. She shifted her position, pressing harder.
It was useless. The blood continued to seep out. She couldn't stop it.
"Stop bleeding..." she whispered, her voice shattering. "Please... I beg you, stop bleeding..."
She had never hated herself more. She hated that she didn't know dical ninjutsu. She hated that her strike had been so precise.
Kitahara Kaede had taught her how to spot an opening. He had taught her how to close the distance. He had taught her how to end a fight with a single blow.
She had learned it all from him. But he had never taught her how to keep soone alive once the blade had gone in.
Terumi i looked at his face, tears falling onto his chin.
In this mont, the rumors of him being a spy, the masked man of the Lightning Style, the years of secrecy—none of it mattered. She didn't want to ask about any of it.
She only wanted him to keep his eyes open. She only wanted him to say one more thing.
Terumi i lowered her head, resting her forehead against his. His breathing grew lighter and lighter, until she had to press herself against him just to feel the faint flutter of life.
"Please... don't leave alone."
Finally abandoning all caution regarding the wound, she hugged him tightly. "Kitahara Kaede, do you hear ? I won't let you die. You promised . February eleventh... you promised you'd let cook for you. You promised..."
Kitahara Kaede did not respond. The man in her arms grew heavier and heavier, until, at one specific mont, he fell completely silent.
Terumi i held him, motionless. After a long ti, she pressed her cheek against his and whispered in a trembling voice:
"I love you too."
On the other side of the canyon, Ao and Midori navigated the mountain path and reached the bend.
Ao's Byakugan saw the scene inside first. He stopped dead in his tracks.
Midori glanced inside, and his expression shifted.
In a pool of blood, Terumi i was kneeling on the ground, cradling Kitahara Kaede in her arms. The Kirigakure headband lay silently beside them.
Midori instinctively took a step forward.
Ao raised a hand to stop him. His gaze lingered on Terumi i before dropping to Kitahara Kaede's limp hand.
After a mont, Ao spoke softly.
"Wait."
Midori frowned, but Ao didn't lower his arm.
"There's no point in going over there now."
Midori fell silent.
Within the canyon, Terumi i finally broke down and wept. She had held it in for far too long; once the first sob escaped, she could no longer hold back.
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