Mikoto, who had been chatting with several women, froze for a moment, then smiled and said, "Excuse me for a second."
Walking to the back of the Grand Hall, Mikoto immediately spotted Anya, who wore a look of helplessness on her face. Knowing she was at fault, Mikoto spoke first. "You promised me you'd help revive our Clan. No taking it back."
Anya smiled and took a couple steps forward. "Miss Mikoto, close your eyes. I have something for you."
"Huh? What is it?" Mikoto asked curiously. It was the first time in her life that Anya had ever given her a gift.
Following instructions, Mikoto closed her eyes and immediately felt a smooth, jade-like sensation on her forehead. Before she could savor it, she heard Anya say, "Done."
"So fast? Is it jewelry?" Mikoto reached up and touched her forehead.
Anya held up a mirror.
A crescent moon-shaped mark now adorned Mikoto's forehead, giving her delicate features a mysterious and ethereal charm.
"So beautiful."
Since coming to Takigakure, Mikoto had never once looked into a mirror. She knew she was aging, and her exhaustion had made her appear much older. Yet now, she looked somehow youthful again, momentarily returning to her childhood in spirit.
Seeing Mikoto's mood improve, Anya seized the opportunity to speak. "Sasuke… he's left the Village."
"Sasuke? He's awake?" Mikoto said happily. "Good! But Konoha really shouldn't have given him a mission so soon after just recovering."
"Well, not exactly a mission," Anya hesitated.
Mikoto finally noticed something was off and grew anxious. "Not a mission? Then why would he leave the Village? Why hasn't he come back here? He should know I'm alive already. What happened? Tell me quickly—you're going to make me worry myself to death!"
Anya sighed. "To be precise, Sasuke has defected from the Village. He's on his way to find Orochimaru."
A bolt of lightning shot through Mikoto's heart at those words. Her eldest son was still out there, unresolved and roaming as an S-Class Rogue Ninja, and now her youngest son had run off again. This was adding salt to her wounds.
Driven by instinct, Mikoto activated her Sharingan. Three tomoe began to spin within her pupils.
But as the crescent-shaped mark on her forehead pulsed with a deep blue glow, her Three-Comma Sharingan stopped spinning and couldn't transform into the Mangekyō.
At this point, Mikoto understood exactly what Anya had done earlier. She angrily demanded, "This is the gift you gave me? Anya, release it immediately!"
"Calm down, Miss Mikoto," Anya tried to reason. "Please, just calm down first."
"Calm down? How can you expect me to stay calm? After everything we've been through, we were finally going to be a family again—and now he's gone? I don't even know what happened!"
"Don't worry," Anya reassured her. "Tsunade has already dispatched a Ninja Team to pursue him, and I've sent people too. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll catch up to him soon."
"Really?" Mikoto clung to Anya's words like a lifeline, tightly gripping her hand.
Anya nodded firmly. "As long as Sasuke still holds you dear and wishes to return to Konoha, we will bring him back—no matter what it takes."
"But what if...?" Mikoto said uncertainly. "What if he refuses to come back?"
Anya already knew that with Sasuke gone, there was little chance of bringing him back.
After thinking for a moment, Anya spoke up. "Miss Mikoto, Sasuke is no longer that five-year-old child he once was. He now has his own mind. He wants to grow stronger and accomplish his goals with his own strength. Actually, this is a process of growth. If he really sets his heart on leaving, even if you try to force him to stay, he won't be held back."
"Can't he grow stronger by staying in Konoha? Why does he have to go find someone as dangerous as Orochimaru? He must have his own hidden agenda for helping Sasuke," Mikoto said, her eyes filled with concern.
Anya comforted her, saying, "I understand why Orochimaru is after Sasuke. Don't worry; I've already prepared a contingency plan on Sasuke. Orochimaru won't succeed. Moreover, Sasuke isn't stupid—he's actually a genius of Konoha who clearly understands what he needs. Even if he doesn't return to Konoha, he won't be in any danger."
After repeated reassurances from Anya, Mikoto finally felt much more at ease. Then she pointed at the crescent mark on her forehead and asked, "What exactly is this? It's capable of restricting my dojutsu."
"It's a cursed seal I've improved from the Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird Seal. I named it [Moon in the Well]. Miss Mikoto, I knew you'd be tempted to use the power of the Mangekyō. But your soul's energy is already extremely weak. You mustn't use it anymore."
When Anya had previously helped Neji remove the Caged Bird Seal, she had thoroughly researched it. After all, it was a miraculous cursed seal capable of suppressing dojutsu power and was highly valuable for study, which ultimately led to the creation of the Moon in the Well.
She had originally wanted to wait for an opportunity to test it, never expecting that the right opportunity just came along unexpectedly, and she used it on Mikoto with surprisingly effective results.
Thus, Mikoto no longer had the heart to help Anya find a romantic partner, and the matter was temporarily shelved. Anya stayed behind to accompany Mikoto, waiting for news from the squad.
One day later, Shizune hurried over and knocked on the door.
Mikoto and Anya both came out together and asked, "What's the result?"
Shizune shook her head anxiously and said, "Uncle, Tsunade-sama wants you to come over immediately. Someone is severely injured and needs your help."
Anya supported Mikoto, who nearly collapsed in weakness, and told Shizune, "Alright, I'll head over immediately."
Leaning on Anya, Mikoto murmured helplessly, "He still went."
Anya wasn't surprised by this outcome at all and softly said, "I have a cooperative relationship with Orochimaru. Regarding information about Sasuke, I will make sure he sends regular updates. One day, a young eagle must leave its mother's nest and spread its wings across the sky. Miss Mikoto, try to believe in your own child. Both of them are excellent individuals. As their mother, you need to be even stronger."
After a moment of silence, Mikoto's face finally showed some relief. "Okay, I understand. You go ahead and do what you need to do."
Arriving at the hospital, he found all three representatives from Sunagakure were already there. Shikamaru was lightly injured and waited anxiously outside the operating room.
Anya didn't say much and went straight into the operating room.
Tsunade was sweating, evidently having worked for a while already. Seeing Anya, she asked, "Do you currently have enough chakra to help save someone?"
Anya said calmly, "You don't necessarily need chakra to save people. No one understands the human body better than I do. Just follow my instructions."
An hour later, the operating room door was pushed open.
Tsunade and Anya stepped out side by side, each exhaling a deep, weary breath.
Shikamaru looked at them with hopeful eyes.
"They're all going to be okay. Everyone made it."
As soon as Tsunade spoke those words, Shikamaru couldn't hold back any longer, tears streaming down his face.
At this moment, Shizune also rushed over and said, "Kakashi has successfully brought Naruto back. Though seriously injured, he's out of danger."
"Mission failed, but not a total loss."
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