The night reached its end, and before the slumbering sky completely awoke, a hazy twilight-like glow lingered, especially for those standing high in the Valley of the End. The land below stretched out before their eyes, and the world seemed veiled in a layer of bluish-green gauze.
Logan found himself facing the returned card-playing duo. He offered them an awkward, forced smile.
What had just happened would undoubtedly require a lot of explaining.
"Not bad, Hattori. Never thought you were that kind of guy." Deidara said, hands on his hips, eyebrows furrowed, feigning indignation and disapproval, "Here we are, diligently searching and scouting the perimeter, and you sneak off behind our backs to do this kind of thing!"
"It's not…"
"Hattori, you specifically brought us to the Land of Fire and had us wait for days just to do this sort of thing?" Sasori chimed in from the side, his expression as cold and deadpan as ever.
'I never asked you guys to come, I said it was personal and boring. You're the ones who insisted on tagging along…' Of course, he couldn't voice this internal retort. Logan helplessly grabbed both of them, "Hey, what nonsense are you talking about? You've got it all wrong."
He adopted a sincere tone, "There are many reasons for it, it's not what you think."
As mentioned earlier, as the night waned without any sign of Mai, Logan grew worried and set out to check. Seeing their leader leave, Sasori and Deidra, unable to continue their card game with one player short, had no choice but to take up the scouting duties for the other directions.
Unexpectedly, they did find something. The Root's forces deployed tonight were excessively large, with more than one team spread throughout the northern forest. Those other unfortunate Root's members were then caught by Sasori and Deidara, receiving a taste of the infamous former Akatsuki's Art Duo's reputation.
They weren't playing cards.
After that came the subtle scene: returning from their work, they happened to witness a petite, cute girl leaning in as if to kiss Logan.
"Nonsense!" Deidara shook his head like a rattle-drum, wide-eyed, not buying Logan's explanation, "What misunderstanding? I saw it with my own eyes! After that, you two…"
To verify his words, Deidara made a gesture with his hands mimicking a light peck, provocatively raising his eyebrows at Logan.
"…" Logan fell silent. At this moment, the other's spiky blond hair seemed particularly punchable.
Seeing that Sasori also looked convinced, he said, "I thought you guys left?"
"Sorry, we didn't go far."
His eye twitching, Logan suppressed his irritation and first calmly explained the situation, roughly outlining his relationship and circumstances with Mai.
"Oh, so that's how it is." Deidara looked enlightened, still rhythmically tapping the deck of cards in his hand. After a moment of thought, he said, "As expected. I didn't expect you to be this kind of person, Hattori…"
'Your train of thought didn't move at all, right?' Logan snatched the playing cards and clamped a hand over Deidara's mouth.
Fortunately, Sasori was ultimately reasonable. The mature and cold puppet master just went along with Deidara's antics for a moment. He looked at Logan and said, "Since we're on the topic, rather than explaining to us, you probably have more important things to do right now."
With that, Sasori's gaze shifted to the side.
The glowing horizon slowly solidified, the dim light casting outlines on the waterfalls and streams within the Valley of the End. At the edge of the wide stone platform at the top, a girl sat alone, hugging her knees and gazing into the distance.
The dawn temperature was still very low. This chilly scene against the backdrop seemed to be the true tone of the miscellaneous night's end.
The atmosphere was infectious. Deidara looked between them and became slightly more serious, "Sasori-danna's right. No matter what, Hattori, if you don't do something, you'll kind of seem like those guys in the entertainment houses who turn their backs afterward and don't acknowledge…"
Two sharp glances shot his way finally made Deidara shut up. This time, Sasori sided with Logan.
Sighing, too lazy to deal with Deidara's inability to utter anything decent, Logan stopped engaging with the two. He made a gesture and walked towards the girl.
He hadn't been idle. After Mai ended that act filled with courage and recklessness, and after Logan experienced shock, confusion, panic, and various other emotions, he had properly explained things to the girl.
Every aspect of her expression was sincere and touching, but even so, he still had to reject her.
Of course, Logan's explanation, at a time like this, certainly couldn't bring the girl much comfort.
Hence, the image of Mai sitting in the corner. Giving each other space to cool down might improve the situation.
Directly ahead was a fish-belly white sky. In the hazy dim light, everything seemed illusory and fantastical, and people's faces also appeared upright and beautiful.
Logan sat down beside her, experiencing the chilly morning breeze together on the rock, not speaking.
Mai hugged her knees, her head seemingly buried, revealing only her eyes watching the horizon. She remained motionless, sensing the new presence, even instinctively wanting to avoid this particular person who had just rejected her confession.
Creak.
The girl shifted slightly to the side, bumped into a small stone, and then immediately stopped carefully.
Their actions and the atmosphere froze at this point. The two seemed utterly speechless.
After an unknown length of time, Mai whispered, "I'm sorry."
Logan tilted his head, "What do you have to be sorry for?"
"For acting like that earlier, letting others see… it's embarrassing, all sorts of things…"
"Isn't that reversed? Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Logan stared at the part of her head she dared to show. The impression of her softness and kindness hadn't faded with the passage of time but instead seemed to shine more brightly, "You're always this accommodating? Won't you get bullied in the village like that?"
"No, I'm the one who bullies others." Mai muttered in response, "I know when to be nice, when to…"
Later, her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
Another long silence followed. Logan faced the round, cotton-like clouds floating in the now visible sky, took a deep breath, reached out, and patted her shoulder, "It's okay. I came here precisely to see you, Mai, and to talk to you like this."
"Mm."
Mai gave a soft mm, though it was unclear if she heard or understood.
Her accumulated thoughts, doubts, and innocent emotions from the past few years had surged intensely during her decision to confess last night. Like the dawn breaking over the horizon, it had briefly melted away the ending night.
It was like a moth flying into the flame of love. Knowing full well the overlapping obstacles and thick walls ahead, she still felt she had to fly once at the final moment. Whether she made it past or not, at least she wouldn't be left with regrets in the end.
There was some heavy sadness, and some feeling of embarrassment and ridiculousness. So Mai buried her head and curled up. Her moth-to-the-flame love was utterly unsurprising.
'What had I been thinking?'
Her fingers clutched her own clothes, gripping tightly for a long time, gradually loosening.
Mai turned to look at Logan. The faint light was hitting his face. Presumably, the morning light was similarly falling on hers.
Actually, just moments like this were already very beautiful, like the salty, fishy sea breeze on the never-boring beach of her childhood, sitting beside him in front of the house.
"Hattori-san…"
She spoke softly, using a particularly formal and polite address for the first time. As the man looked over in surprise and confusion, Mai said, "Thank you."
Logan was taken aback, feeling somewhat at a loss, "Haha, what is there to thank me for…"
"We'll still be together always from now on, right?"
Mai said, then noticed a flicker of hesitation on his face. Realizing the ambiguity, she immediately added, her face flushing crimson, "O-of course, not like that between a man and a woman! Just… the literal meaning."
Flustered covering and explanation, her voice and expression normally lively.
'Was she recovering?' Logan thought, then nodded solemnly, "Definitely. You can rest assured."
"Then it's a promise." The girl smiled radiantly.
Logan had treated her like a little sister, she had always known that from their interactions.
However, there was more than one way to offer companionship and lasting affection. Mai touched her lips. At fifteen this year, just at the beginning of her Ninja career, she had experienced some battles, never drank alcohol, and had now experienced what it was like to like someone.
Her green years had left many irreparable regrets like any ordinary person's, yet her green years had also only just quietly begun.
The feeling on her lips lingered. Recalling the experience of that first, and perhaps last kiss moments ago, she was glad she had made the choice.
'This was enough.'
…
The two sat together, sensing each other's breath and heartbeat. Having figured things out, Mai's state of mind became calm. She sniffled, rubbed her sore eyes, and her face became full of vitality.
She glanced subtly to the side and saw two strangely dressed, strangely speaking people secretly observing them, trying their utmost to appear as if they weren't.
"Those two, they're members of Akatsuki, right?" Mai asked. She had actually recognized Deidara and Sasori, but due to the circumstances and their lack of hostility, she hadn't paid them attention until now.
"Hattori-nii, you're still hanging out with them?"
The use of 'hanging out' was meaningful. Logan didn't mind. He also looked over and the two figures dozens of meters away instantly turned their heads back, lowering them earnestly as if busy with tasks.
A smile tugged at Logan's lips, "They're not with Akatsuki anymore. They just got out clean."
Then, he explained his plans for the two and the establishment of the new team.
"Hattori-nii, you left the Akatsuki? That's great." Mai's expression showed some pleasant surprise, strongly approving of this kind of job-hopping without notifying leadership, "I knew you wouldn't wallow in the mire with them."
'Emmm…' Logan secretly wiped cold sweat, ignoring the girl's strange approval.
"Then, since you're free agents now… can't you come back to the village?" Thinking of something, Mai said carefully, "Actually, the village's attitude towards you isn't that bad. The Missing-nin's status…"
As a Konoha's Ninja who loved her village yet stood on Logan's side, it was natural for her to immediately leave aside other unfavorable factors and think of this.
But Logan could only shake his head calmly, "Some things, once changed, can't be restored to their original state."
Matters of identity weren't simple to judge or fix with a single sentence. At this critical juncture, there wasn't a sufficient need to support it anyway.
Both had clear discernment. Mai quickly understood she had been too rash and impatient. She hummed in acknowledgment, puffing her cheeks slightly as she lightly moved past the topic.
"By the way, the team's name is 'Daybreak', right?"
"Yes." Logan said without blushing or his heart racing. "I came up with it. Quite profound, right?"
The intelligent girl understood the meaning in a short moment. Her eyes rolled, "Since the leader is you, Hattori-nii, how about I join too?"
Logan was taken aback, "Huh, is that okay?"
"Is it not okay?"
He frowned and looked over, only to hear her counting on her fingers, as if having considered it, "Joining Daybreak doesn't seem to conflict with me being a Konoha's Ninja, right?"
"...Well, temporarily no, it doesn't." Logan answered truthfully. The team was newly formed, with no strict rules, and there wouldn't be in the future.
Mai's joining might seem strange, but only because the current members had poor 'track records', an issue that didn't exist now.
"See? I don't necessarily have to follow the team all the time, I can provide support from the shadows." Mai's eyes sparkled with a clever light, "So it's settled then?"
"Hey hey, it's not that casual." Logan said disapprovingly, but his momentum weakened. It seemed they were quite casual, whether during discussions or usually…
Thus, the matter of Mai joining his hastily assembled team arrived before Logan and the others so suddenly, inexplicably, and naturally.
Initially, they needed manpower, especially since Logan wouldn't be coming to the Ninja World in the future. From a recruitment perspective, there was no reason to refuse a ninja skilled in sensing and Medical Ninjutsu, young and promising, highly reliable in loyalty, with huge potential to help the team.
When Logan half-jokingly asked Sasori and Deidara for their opinions, after all, they were team members, and to ensure the team's fairness and justice, he needed to consider their feelings, he seriously introduced Mai to them.
He tried to be objective in his evaluation, then thought before asking.
"What do you think about her joining?"
"Pretty good. One more for cards. Can play even without you."
"…"
Sasori and Deidara's carefree attitude gave Logan a slight headache. But on second thought, this was just their nature.
Thus, Team Daybreak gained a new member. In the unforeseeable future, they might emit light and heat that would attract the world's attention.
The card-playing duo began greeting the girl enthusiastically, introducing themselves, talking earnestly about their purpose and cool past, then pick up the card with great relish…
Logan watched the people interacting before him, 'The welcome ceremony should be… considered friendly, right?'
Watching this strange scene, as Sasori and Deidara saw her lack of interest in cards, they brought out puppets and clay with great interest instead, saying something like, 'Little sister, want to learn about bombs and human body research?'
Mai offered an awkward yet polite smile, constantly throwing him pleading, pitiful looks.
Watching them, Logan felt a slow emotion well up inside, as if a sprouting, growing green plant was shimmering with hopeful possibilities.
Suddenly, he felt an itch on his face. He lowered his head to touch it, it was a beam of sunlight.
The daybreak from the sky burst forth from beyond the mountains, the magnificent sunrise emitting its light.
Morning had just arrived, all things were awakening.
…The continent he had traveled to had begun a new journey.