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A faint hiss broke the silence. From a crack in the scorched earth, a pale white snake slithered forward the last fragment of Orochimaru's will.
Besides Sasuko, Itachi collapsed at last. His body tilted sideways until he lay on the ground, eyes half-lidded, his face strangely peaceful.
There was no fear in his expression, no regret only quiet release, as though this end had been expected all along.
One drifting ember of [Amaterasu]'s black flame floated down. It landed upon the serpent.
The snake shrieked once, twisted violently, and burned to ash. Orochimaru's final escape route was gone.
Itachi's eyes, now clouded and fading, turned toward the sky. Clouds gathered again overhead, dark and heavy with rain.
But that storm no longer mattered to him. His purpose was complete.
Forgive me, Sasuko…
This is the last time. No more painful memories. No more hatred. From now on, you stand on your own, strong enough to protect yourself. All the secrets I could reveal, I have. The only gift left to give you… Are my eyes.
With them, guard yourself… and let my death bury the darkness and the sins I carried.
Rain fell. It always seemed to rain when someone passed away, whether in mourning or as a final farewell from the heavens.
Drops slid from Sasuko's eyes, mingling with the rain as she leaned back against broken stone. Her gaze drifted down to Itachi's face. For so long she had hated it, dreamed only of killing the man behind it. Now, in death, his features were calm. Almost gentle.
Her lips curved faintly. She didn't even know why she smiled. Was it satisfaction, finally seeing him dead by her hand? Or something else entirely?
Her body grew heavy, exhaustion dragging her down. Her eyelids fluttered. She started to slump forward, about to hit the rubble—
And a warm force caught her. Invisible hands lifted her gently before she struck the ground.
"You've understood, then."
A soothing, green glow spread across her body, chakra mending and steadying her. Sasuko didn't need to turn her head. She knew who had arrived.
Yes… she understood. She understood Neji's choices before her, and she still didn't regret her own.
But some wounds could never be erased. That night of blood the loss of her brother, her parents, her clan. Those choices had been forced upon her, without warning, without consent. Her life had never been hers since.
"I don't regret it," Sasuko rasped.
Thunder split the sky, lightning scarring the clouds.
The black flames of [Amaterasu] sputtered out at last. Itachi's life had reached its end. His lips curved into one final smile as his eyes slid closed.
Neji shook his head softly. Fate had left Itachi with no other path. Some choices aren't changed by words or willpower they are carved by circumstance, by burdens too heavy to set down.
No one truly escapes destiny.
With a wave of his hand, Neji wrapped Itachi's body in bandages and shielded it from the rain. A towel draped over Sasuko's shoulders, and he lifted her into his arms.
The girl who whispered, "I don't regret it," was carried away from the battlefield.
Elsewhere, Kimimaro watched the conclusion and spoke calmly:
"It's over. Let's return."
A sealing scroll glowed with chakra, engulfing their group in light before vanishing from the ruined field.
Rain continued to wash the earth, erasing the scars of battle in its quiet, relentless way.
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Days Later — Land of Waves Base
Sasuko awoke, her body bandaged, every muscle aching. She blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling until the arrangement of the room clicked she was back in the Land of Waves base.
"How long… have I been asleep?" she asked hoarsely.
[You've slept for three days. Your body is still weak. Please don't move unnecessarily.]
Three days. For three years she had never let herself sleep deeply, always alert for danger. Not even in Orochimaru's hideout had she felt safe. Yet here… her body had given in completely.
The door creaked open. Neji entered in a white coat.
"Awake at last? Hungry? After three days, you should be."
Her stomach answered before she did. She nodded faintly.
"[Ai], bring something light," Neji ordered.
[Understood, Boss.]
A puppet girl entered carrying a steaming bowl of porridge, setting it on a tray before adjusting the bed upright and placing a small table in front of her.
"Eat slowly," Neji advised. "Don't force too much at once."
Sasuko obeyed, spooning the food into her mouth in silence until the bowl was empty. Then she looked at him, voice low.
"…Where is he?"
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