---
Night Fight!
Just as Ye Dou turned to leave, someone called out to him. When he turned around, he saw her—Hyuga Hanabi—wearing a soft tea-flower-colored kimono, hands behind her back and a sly smile on her face.
"Staying over at Teacher Might Guy's place tonight?"
Ye Dou nodded, replying with a quiet and repetitive "Mm."
"That settles it then." Hanabi beamed as she pressed a gift-wrapped box with a bow into his hands. "This is for Mr. Guy. Try to get along with Mrs. Guy, okay?"
Of course, there was no Mrs. Guy. Hanabi didn't clarify who the gift was from—she didn't need to. The message was clear: she wanted to leave an impression on Ye Dou's world.
Without waiting for his reply, Hanabi waved and turned to leave, as if embarrassed by her own boldness.
"Night fight..."
Ye Dou looked down at the box in his hand and murmured to himself. Then he turned and muttered, "Time for a stop at the pharmacy."
He didn't reject the gift. Instead, he tucked it under one arm, ducked into a quiet alley, and used the Transformation Jutsu again before heading toward the nearest pharmacy.
---
Evening.
The setting sun set the sky ablaze, golden rays streaking across the roofs of Konoha.
In the civilian district, white and black chimney smoke curled into the air as dinner fires were lit. Villagers returned home after a long day, the streets filled with the comforting rhythm of everyday life.
In the forested outskirts of the district, at Might Guy's modest home, Ye Dou had already taken over the kitchen.
"You're such a guest, Ye Dou—and yet you're the one cooking?" Guy laughed boisterously as he walked in, arms full of grocery bags. "You're making me feel bad!"
Then, with a warm grin:
"But you're my student. As the saying goes, one day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father! Think of this as your second home!"
Guy's heart swelled. This simple domestic moment reminded him of his own childhood—of his father, Might Duy. But unlike then, Guy was no longer the boy sitting at the table—he was the adult now, nurturing the next generation.
"Let's eat."
Ye Dou didn't say much. He quietly set the food on the table—no flourish, no ceremony.
The wooden house was larger than Ye Dou's usual space but still plain. There was no proper dining room—just a shared meal in the open central room, knees on tatami mats, in true shinobi fashion.
"I'm gonna start now!" Guy declared with enthusiasm. He washed his hands, sat cross-legged, pressed his hands together, and dug in.
Ye Dou didn't touch his food immediately. Instead, he placed the gift box on the table and gently pushed it toward Guy.
"This is for you."
"A gift? For me?" Guy blinked in surprise. Then, tears welled up almost instantly. His emotional response was unpredictable as always.
"The teacher is… so touched, Ye Dou…"
"Hyuuga Hanabi gave it to you."
Ye Dou had anticipated this reaction. He picked up his chopsticks and waved them in front of Guy's face, just in case he tried to launch into a flying hug.
"Ohh, I see!" Guy's emotions deflated like a balloon—but the tears didn't stop. It was as if he had a faucet for tear ducts, with an invisible on-off switch.
Still, even if the gift wasn't from his student, Guy cherished it. He carefully unwrapped the package.
"Let me guess… Oh! A bottle of sake? That Hanabi girl—so thoughtful!"
"You want a drink, Ye Dou?"
"I'm underage."
"A real pity! In that case, I'll taste the flavor of youth myself!"
Without hesitation, Guy popped the bottle open, poured himself a glass, and downed it in one gulp. A loud sigh of satisfaction followed.
---
After dinner, Ye Dou quietly cleaned up the table. Guy, slightly tipsy, swayed back and forth with the empty bottle in his hand. His tone turned serious, and his eyes—despite the alcohol—were filled with clarity.
"Ye Dou."
"Mm?"
"There are things in this world… even if they bring pain or sorrow, we must fight for them to the very end. Even if it costs our lives."
"Mm."
"There are people worth protecting… and if that time comes, we must guard them with our very hands. That way, even if we fall, the world will know—we lived as men."
And with that, Might Guy collapsed backward, dead asleep.
Ye Dou had been expecting this. He walked over, lifted Guy with ease, and carried him into the nearby bedroom.
He stood there in silence, looking down at the man who was, in many ways, Konoha's embodiment of perseverance.
Then, without hesitation, he turned away.
He tied sealing-tag wristbands onto his arms, sheathed a standard-issue shinobi sword on his back, and pulled a plain ANBU-style mask over his face.
Once everything was in place, he quietly closed the wooden door behind him.
"If people die, then nothing remains, Teacher Guy…"
---
[Conflict Erupts]
At the dilapidated Naka Shrine by the banks of the Naka River, two silhouettes faced off.
Uchiha Shisui and Shimura Danzo had agreed to meet here—ostensibly to discuss the future of the Uchiha clan and their strained relationship with Konoha.
But in truth, it was a trap.
From the start, Shisui had hoped to prevent bloodshed by using his Mangekyō Sharingan's ultimate technique—Kotoamatsukami—on Fugaku Uchiha during the upcoming clan meeting. It would overwrite Fugaku's will and avert the coup.
Danzo, however, had other plans.
"Lord Danzo…"
"I heard from Hiruzen. You plan to use that eye technique of yours—Kotoamatsukami—to change Uchiha Fugaku's mind."
"Yes. The root of the conflict between the Uchiha and the village is mutual distrust. If I can shift the hearts of the clan, I believe peace is still possible."
Shisui's voice was firm.
It was he who had volunteered to monitor his clan at the Third Hokage's request. He believed he could mediate both sides.
But Danzo had no interest in peace.
"The Uchiha's dojutsu… it's too dangerous to remain in their hands."
Shisui's eyes narrowed.
Danzo stepped forward.
"I cannot allow you to use Kotoamatsukami on your own people—not when it could be used in service of Konoha."
And then it happened. A swift strike. A blinding clash of chakra. The betrayal of a comrade. The loss of an eye.
Blood stained the sacred grounds of the Naka Shrine.
---