After Terumi Mei left, Master Gen quickly appeared beside her, his expression heavy with conflicting emotions. Before he could speak, Terumi Mei cut in firmly, "Master Gen, please train me under the strictest standards. I want to become strong—strong like the Mizukage."
Master Gen had always known this girl possessed tremendous potential, but until now, she lacked focus. Though her training was diligent, she was still young—easily distracted by childish things. Surprised yet pleased, he asked, "What made you change your mind all of a sudden?"
Suddenly shifting from love-struck to ambition-driven, Master Gen felt utterly confused, secretly wondering if she had been shocked into this sudden maturity.
Terumi Mei, however, seemed to have matured overnight. She took a deep breath and said, "A true ninja village shouldn't be like this. I want to change it and make it full of vitality."
Of course, there was one sentence she kept to herself: Once the village finds stability and no longer relies on me, I'll finally be free to seek my own happiness.
Master Gen gazed at her deeply and nodded. "Alright. In the future, if Kiri truly falls into your hands, I hope you'll remember these words."
After a full day of rest, Anya finally recovered much of her chakra—enough at least to control the Hawk Puppet. White had also noticeably improved under her attentive care, his complexion regaining some color.
As for Kakuzu, Anya naturally hoped he could accompany them partway. After all, they were still within Kiri's territory. If even Terumi Mei had managed to track her down, the Seven Pursuers might do the same if they were still after them. But lacking funds and confidence, she hesitated to ask.
Kakuzu must have sensed her hesitation. He spoke up first, "Now that my injuries have mostly healed, let's go. I happen to be leaving as well."
Upon hearing this, Anya's eyes immediately lit up. Smiling, she said, "Uncle's right. This dump looks poor anyway. Let's hurry and leave before we catch its poverty."
Thus, Anya rode the Eagle Puppet with White, while Kakuzu summoned a wind-natured beast to follow closely behind. Only after safely entering the Land of Fire did Kakuzu silently vanish into the distance.
Anya understood everything clearly. She felt a warmth in her chest toward this man she always called "uncle." If he hadn't shown up when he did, she would've met her end.
This time, Kakuzu seemed far more merciful than during their last meeting. Last time, even if Anya dared to offer a necklace as collateral—no matter if it had belonged to the Sage of Six Paths—it likely would've earned her a slap in the face.
Filled with urgency, they flew continuously from day to night. Konoha Village was now within reach. Even Anya, normally so composed, couldn't hide her excitement. Teacher, I'm back safe.
Walking into Konoha village, seeing the familiar surroundings, Anya's heart gradually calmed. She decided to get White settled first.
She brought White to the house she barely lived in. There was still light inside—it seemed Konan hadn't gone to sleep yet.
Anya walked up and knocked on the door.
Inside the room, Konan, who had been training, opened the door in surprise. Spotting the familiar figure immediately, she called out, "Teacher, welcome back! You've finally returned!"
Seeing the sweat stains and marks on Konan's body, Anya immediately realized she had been training. She couldn't help but advise, "Konan, remember to balance work and rest. At your age, you still need enough sleep. Don't overtrain and exhaust yourself."
Konan obediently replied, "Yes."
Anya moved aside and gestured to the girl behind her. "Her name is Haku. You should call her Onee-san from now on. She'll be staying here to look after you for a bit."
Konan looked at Haku in surprise, then suddenly got it. She asked curiously, "Is this our master's wife?"
Haku turned bright red and quickly waved her hands. "No, really, I'm not like that at all!"
Konan let out a breath in relief. She knew every last detail about her best friend Kurenai Yuhi's feelings. If she found out she'd randomly picked up a new master's wife out of nowhere, there'd be a full-on meltdown.
Anya rolled her eyes, thinking inwardly that *she* was the one who hadn't come back yet—the so-called 'master's wife.' Since Haku had already made things clear, she didn't say anything else and turned to leave.
"Teacher, wait..." Konan called out.
Anya gave her a strange look but kept walking, waving her hand. "If it's important, tell me when I get back. Right now I'm kind of busy."
After watching Anya disappear completely, Konan sighed deeply, her eyes filled with worry.
Haku saw this clearly and couldn't help asking, "Did you have something important to tell him?"
Konan didn't answer right away. Instead, she asked, "Onee-san Haku, what kind of person do you think our teacher is?"
Haku thought for a moment before replying, "Decisive but careful, bold and dominant."
And deservedly so—after all, not just anyone could tear through Kiri and make it out alive.
"It looks like we think alike about him," Konan sighed. "Well, here we go again." Now that she'd been in Konoha for so long, she had already figured out everything about her so-called teacher—his background, his identity, even some understanding of his personality. That's why she knew exactly where Anya would go. Who knows what consequences this trip might bring?
Anya rushed excitedly to her former teacher's house. Full of joy, she immediately spotted Kakashi lost in thought. In an instant, she appeared behind him. Unexpectedly patting his shoulder, she teased with a smirk, "Your reaction speed? Still Chunin level? I think ordinary Genin are faster than you."
At the sound of that familiar voice, Kakashi's frail body trembled violently. He lifted his head to look at Anya, remaining silent for a long time.
"What's wrong?" Anya felt uneasy under his gaze and couldn't help asking, "Where's the teacher?"
Kakashi's voice caught instantly. He opened his mouth several times before finally speaking, "Father… he's gone."
"Gone? Where did he go? On a mission?" Looking around, Anya noticed the house was empty and unusually cold. Her heart sank. Gripping Kakashi's shoulders tightly, her voice trembling slightly as she pressed urgently, "Tell me! Where is he? Where did he go?"
Although Kakashi winced from the pain, his face showed no reaction at all—like a puppet with no life left in it. His hoarse voice said flatly, "He's dead."
"Impossible," the words thundered in Anya's mind like a bolt from the sky, shattering any chance of belief. His heart churned violently, his breath growing labored. Without thinking, he whispered, "No way! Teacher was so powerful; how could he possibly die? I don't believe it! I refuse to believe it!"
This outburst came to an abrupt halt when Kakashi pulled out the bloodstained White Fang Blade. The dried blood on it indicated the injury had occurred several days ago. Kakashi said gloomily, "Father... he took his own life."
No one noticed when Anya's black eyes transformed into the [Three-Comma Sharingan]. He snatched the White Fang Blade, staring at the bloodstains on it, speechless for a long time. The whole house was swallowed by a deep darkness.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>