"Kimimaro, are you still going to fight Raiga?"
"That depends on him. If he retreats, we won't chase. But if he returns and takes out his anger on the villagers… I won't ignore that."
Ranmaru lowered his gaze. "No, let me talk to him. We were in the wrong."
Over the past two days, Ranmaru had experienced a world he'd never known—kindness without conditions. For the first time, he understood that the missions he'd helped Raiga Kurosuki carry out had brought suffering to innocent people. Yet despite that, a part of him still saw Raiga as the man who once protected and cared for him.
"I want to persuade him to change," he added. "Because deep down… I know he cared for me, in his own way."
"If he doesn't return soon, we'll have to move on. We can't wait here forever."
"I… I can't leave yet. Not without seeing him one last time."
"What if he never comes back?"
"Then I'll stay here and help Granny Sansho run her shop."
Kimimaro paused, then turned silently and walked away. The collection of the Seven Ninja Swords wasn't something to be rushed.
The next morning, Kimimaro's group prepared to depart. They stood before the curry shop, bidding farewell.
"Sansho, since you've chosen to explore the world, go boldly. This old woman will always be here," Granny Sansho said, patting her daughter's hand.
"I understand, Mother." Sansho smiled softly, then looked to Ranmaru. "Are you really staying?"
"I have to. Until I see Raiga again, I can't move on. But once I do… I'll come find you all."
As Kimimaro and the others disappeared down the road, Granny Sansho gently placed a hand on Ranmaru's shoulder. "Come inside, child. I'll teach you how to make curry."
That evening, storm clouds rolled in. A sharp wind blew open the door with a loud bang.
Raiga Kurosuki stood there, cloaked in mist and thunder, the Kiba blades crackling faintly at his sides.
"Raiga!" Ranmaru rushed out. "I knew you'd come!"
Raiga's face was shadowed, eyes distant. "I never abandoned you, Ranmaru. But it seems you're ready to abandon me."
"No! I stayed. They left, but I waited. I still believe in you."
Raiga's expression tightened. "You even considered going with them."
"I… I wanted to understand. And I do now. Raiga, we made mistakes. We hurt people. But we can stop. Let's change together. We can start over."
Raiga let out a cold, mirthless laugh. "Mistakes? You've been poisoned by their talk. The world's the one that's wrong, not us! If you're still my companion, prove it. Those fools left—good. Now let's give this village a proper farewell. Starting with that old hag!"
Ranmaru froze. He had hoped, naively, that Raiga could change. But in this moment, he saw the truth. The man who once held him with care now only held onto rage.
"Don't hurt her. Please," he whispered. "I'll go with you… just don't touch her."
Raiga scoffed. "You've grown soft. A few warm meals and you think they're family?"
"They healed my body… They cared without asking anything in return."
"Feh. With me, you never needed anyone else."
Ranmaru didn't argue. He only stepped forward and climbed onto Raiga's shoulder like he used to.
"Let's go," he said quietly. "It's getting misty… your favorite weather."
Raiga grinned. "Yes. Let's give them a send-off they won't forget. Maybe we'll let the old lady live—if I'm feeling generous."
From the window, Granny Sansho watched as the mist thickened around them. Despite the clear night sky above, fog clung only to Raiga and Ranmaru, trailing them like ghosts.
As the haze drifted toward the cliffs, Raiga's voice echoed.
"Look ahead, Ranmaru. Are those our next targets?"
Ranmaru was silent.
"They won't even know what hit them!"
Raiga stepped off the cliff.
Ranmaru closed his eyes.
Raiga… If you truly can't see you were wrong, then let me end it. They say I wasn't at fault—that I was used. But I followed you willingly. So I must bear this sin, too.
Ranmaru suddenly felt a strong grip seize his arm.
He opened his eyes in shock, only to be met with Raiga Kurosuki's twisted, rage-filled expression.
"Ranmaru... you betrayed me!" Raiga snarled. "I'm a shinobi of the Hidden Mist—did you really think I wouldn't notice your deception in a moment of crisis? You used your Red Eye to cast an illusion on me. You turned your back on our cause! Today, I'll hold a funeral for you first!"
With a furious roar, Raiga flung Ranmaru toward the edge of a nearby cliff.
Ranmaru's body hurtled through the air. Raiga remained still, waiting—expecting the dull thud of a body hitting the ground far below.
But the sound never came.
"The cliff isn't even that high. Why the delay—?"
Before he could finish his thought, a soft pink glow shimmered below. A massive crystal dragon burst upward, wings spread in a radiant arc of refracted light.
"Tch. That guy actually guessed it right," Guren muttered as she soared into view atop her Crystal Release construct, Ranmaru held safely in her arms.
She gently set the boy down on solid ground. "You foolish child," she scolded. "Did you really believe someone like Raiga Kurosuki—someone with a heart hardened by war and cruelty—would change because of a few kind words?"
"I… I thought you all had left," Ranmaru whispered, stunned.
"We didn't go far," Guren replied with a wry smile. "Kimimaro can be cold, but he always finishes what he starts. He figured Raiga wouldn't leave so easily—not with you still here. When he saw you heading toward the cliff, he told me to get ahead of you just in case."
She paused, then added, "Honestly, were you really planning to die with him? What did it feel like, being so close to death?"
"…It felt like… I didn't want to die after all."
Guren's eyes softened. "Maybe that's how Kimimaro felt too… That's why he turned his back on Orochimaru."
"You damn woman!!" Raiga bellowed from above, fury surging. "Always ruining my plans!"
Lightning crackled violently from his twin swords—Kiba—flooding the air with destructive chakra. The bolts raced toward Guren and Ranmaru.
Reacting swiftly, Guren slammed her hand into the ground. "Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Shield!"
A dome of glimmering crystal enveloped Ranmaru, protecting him from the surging electricity. At the same time, crystal pillars erupted beneath Guren's feet, launching her high into the air.
"This time, I'll show you a true killing technique," she declared.
Raiga sneered. "You? Alone, you're no match for me."
"You're right," Guren admitted. "But I'm not alone."
A calm voice echoed from nearby.
"Jugo," Kimimaro called out, stepping into view with composed resolve. "Go ahead. Show Raiga your new power. I think Guren would be glad to fight at your side."
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