By the time Akashō opened his eyes, night had already fallen.
He sat up and rubbed his aching head. That guy Minato… damn, he really didn't hold back.
Glancing to the side, he saw Kakashi and Minato both wearing complicated, conflicted expressions.
When they noticed Akashō was awake, Minato immediately tensed up, worried he might still be mentally unstable like before.
"What's wrong with you two?"
Before Minato could ask anything or begin explaining and apologizing, Akashō spoke first, puzzled.
"Huh…"
Akashō pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Was I dreaming? I remember Kakashi bringing me back to the Hidden Leaf Village…"
"But after that… I can't remember clearly…"
Seeing him frown as if trying hard to recall, Kakashi and Minato exchanged glances.
Did that punch really knock his memory out?
After hesitating for a moment, Minato carefully probed,
"Akashō, do you not remember what happened on the way back to the Hidden Leaf Village?"
"Huh?"
Akashō rubbed his chin, confused, then shook his head. "No… I don't remember…"
He really doesn't remember…
Minato secretly let out a sigh of relief. Not remembering was good—at least he wouldn't pull a blade on him again and force him to make a choice. It also meant he wouldn't have to keep explaining and apologizing.
But inside, Akashō sneered.
Amnesia? As if.
He remembered everything perfectly.
He was only pretending so he could get through this situation more smoothly.
After all, no matter how justified his reasons were, he had still used his true body to kill a Hidden Leaf ninja in front of others. That responsibility couldn't be avoided.
Only by feigning amnesia could he distance himself from it as much as possible.
In the end, only Minato and the others knew about it. As long as it wasn't reported and the village didn't officially hold him accountable, everything would be fine.
Besides, even if he didn't pretend, dwelling on it was meaningless. At most, Minato would apologize—what else could he do? Expect him to die to atone?
As if that would happen.
As the saying goes, take a step back and the world opens up.
So, with both Akashō and Minato each stepping back, they tacitly agreed to never bring it up again, as if nothing had ever happened.
Things continued as before. The only difference was that when Minato later explained the events to Akashō, he made a few small alterations.
Basically, Kakashi had been escorting Akashō back to the Hidden Leaf Village when they were caught up to by ninjas from the Hidden Cloud Village. In the end, Akashō and Kakashi worked together to defeat the enemy, but Akashō suffered a head injury and lost some of his memory.
"By the way, Akashō, how did you learn Kokushibo's swordsmanship?"
Minato asked what had been bothering him the most.
"Oh, you mean Moon Breathing."
Akashō casually gave the excuse he had already prepared.
"Back when I was in the Hidden Leaf Village, I got beaten up by some kids from the orphanage, right? I felt like I was too weak, so later I learned it from Kokushibo."
"I see…"
Minato nodded thoughtfully. That made sense—if Akashō had already mastered Moon Breathing before coming to the Hidden Leaf Village, he wouldn't have been beaten so badly by a few kids.
Then again, could it be that Kokushibo took such an interest in him because they were master and disciple?
No… Akashō only decided to learn swordsmanship afterward…
"Right, Akashō, it's best not to show your Moon Breathing in front of others too easily."
Minato added a reminder.
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Akashō waved it off casually. "I learned it to protect myself. You think I'm scared of people coveting it?"
He understood Minato's concern. If too many people knew he could use Moon Breathing, those who held grudges against Kokushibo might come after him. More importantly, this power existed outside the ninja system—it could easily attract unwanted attention from certain individuals.
Of course, Akashō didn't care.
If someone came while Minato was around, Minato would deal with them. And if Minato wasn't there… then it would just be his turn to have some fun.
Seeing how unconcerned he was, Minato didn't press further. After all, someone who had chosen the path of pursuing strength above all else couldn't realistically avoid every danger.
...
The days that followed were peaceful once again. Compared to before, however, Akashō no longer bothered hiding his Moon Breathing since Kakashi and Minato had already seen it. He would even practice with a blade inside his tent.
This quiet routine lasted for about a month—until one night, when a familiar figure stepped into the main tent.
"Well, well, if it isn't Orochimaru-sama?"
Akashō had been sitting side by side with Kakashi at a low table, reading a novel, when he turned his head and saw a figure in a black robe.
"Uzumaki Akashō?"
Orochimaru was also slightly surprised. "What are you doing here?"
As he spoke, he glanced around the tent, seemingly checking whether Kokushibo was present as well.
In response, Akashō pulled open his collar, revealing the Flying Thunder God mark.
"I've been imprisoned. Imprisoned, I say."
"What imprisonment? This is protection."
Sitting at another low table, Minato said helplessly. He had explained it so many times already, yet Akashō still insisted on calling it imprisonment. Honestly, he just hoped Orochimaru wouldn't misunderstand again.