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"Yeah, okay, I'll be waiting."
As he said this, Kagaya's gaze drifted towards the ceiling, becoming somewhat melancholic.
Naruto was taken aback and cautiously asked,
"Kagaya, what's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
Kagaya pursed his lips, then turned his head to look at Naruto again.
"Naruto, in one year, do you have the confidence to defeat me?"
Naruto scratched his head awkwardly.
"Haha, well... that..."
In one year, Naruto truly didn't have the confidence to defeat the genius before him.
Kagaya continued asking.
"Naruto, if one day the village orders you to kill me, what would you do?"
Naruto looked puzzled.
"Kagaya, why would the village ever send me to kill you? Did you have a nightmare?"
Kagaya spoke gravely.
"Naruto, remember this. If one day in the future, the village sends you to kill me, then please, don't hold back. Use your full strength to kill me!"
Naruto stared wide-eyed at Kagaya. He had a feeling Kagaya wasn't joking. Was he serious? Swallowing hard, Naruto asked,
"Wh-why?"
Kagaya smiled slightly.
"Because by that time, we might no longer be friends. I don't want you to be burdened by that meaningless baggage then."
Naruto stood up agitated.
"How could we not be friends? The bond between us is definitely not baggage! No matter what happens, I would never raise a hand to kill you, Kagaya!"
"How can you be so sure? What if, by then, I come to you with the determination to kill you? Can you still say with such certainty that you wouldn't kill me?"
"No! It won't happen! You wouldn't do that, Kagaya!"
Kagaya looked at the extremely agitated Naruto, remained silent for a moment, then looked out the window.
"Naruto, perhaps you can't understand it now, but sooner or later, you will realize that some things are inevitable. You must learn to accept them."
Naruto frowned.
"Kagaya, why are you so strange today? Saying all these confusing things."
Kagaya watched a bird fly past the window and smiled.
"Sooner or later, you'll understand."
******
Not long after, Naruto left Kagaya's hospital room. As Naruto departed, the entire room began turning white. Soon, Kagaya's surroundings became a completely white world.
"System, I want to stop."
Alone in this white world, Kagaya spoke to the system.
He suddenly didn't want to continue. Regarding the matter between Naruto and him, this was enough. It was sufficient. There was no need to delve deeper. Kagaya didn't want his tragedy to involve Naruto. It would be best if Naruto forgot about him completely. That way, without any feelings, without any burdens, it would probably be easier for both sides when they became opponents in the future.
[It has already begun and cannot be terminated!]
However, the system's response was as such.
"I see..."
******
A short while later, the white world faded. Kagaya found himself walking on a street, where he encountered Naruto.
He looked up at the snowflakes drifting down from the sky. This...
'Is this the day after my parents' funeral?'
"Kagaya! Kagaya!"
Naruto waved and called out.
Kagaya slightly turned his head and glanced at Naruto. He remembered that on this day in the past, he had actually spoken to Naruto, even asking him, ["What would you do if I were to make a move against the village?"]
Back then, he had been dominated by hatred. That was all he could recall.
But now, Kagaya had no intention of speaking to Naruto. Let it be like this. Less contact, let the relationship fade.
Without acknowledging Naruto in any way, Kagaya strode forward.
"Eh? Kagaya! Kagaya! It's me!"
Naruto kept shouting, hoping Kagaya would stop and wait for him to catch up.
Yet, no matter how Naruto called out, Kagaya didn't pause in the slightest, gradually disappearing into the crowd.
As the two separated, the surrounding world slowly turned white. This scene had ended.
[The Genius Acknowledged by Others and the Deadlast Acknowledged by the Genius—Completed]
With the system's announcement, everything was declared over.
Having briefly returned to the past, it seemed Kagaya had done nothing, yet it also seemed he had done a lot.
[A New Bond has been formed.]
A starry sky appeared in Kagaya's vision. Then, the star representing Kagaya extended a golden thread, connecting to the star representing Naruto.
[You were the only light in his childhood, constantly encouraging him. Your defection is an unbearable loss for him. Sooner or later, he will catch up to you and demand an explanation!]
[Chakra reserves have been moderately enhanced.]
Kagaya looked at this newly formed bond and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he just let out a soft sigh.
"Why bother..."
******
The scene began to change. Kagaya and Haku stood in the distance, looking towards Konoha.
Haku looked at Kagaya and asked,
"Shall we make our move now?"
Kagaya slightly lowered his straw hat.
"No. We are not capturing the Nine-Tails. Let's go."
Haku was stunned.
"But... didn't the Leader order us to capture the Nine-Tails? However, if Kagaya says we won't capture it, then we won't! By the way, Kagaya, where are we going?"
Kagaya started walking north.
"No particular destination. Let's go. For the next while, we'll train while traveling. Your Ice Release is very powerful; don't waste it."
"Mm-hmm!"
Haku followed Kagaya happily. For Haku, what happened to others didn't matter. Only Kagaya was truly important.
Kagaya, meanwhile, cast a sidelong glance at Konoha. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to make a move against that blond boy. Perhaps he was too sentimental? But he didn't want to become an emotionless killing machine. He was a person.
Feeling the scroll in his embrace, Kagaya smiled slightly. Ever since obtaining the scroll for practicing the Impure World Reincarnation, he seemed less gloomy. There was still hope! They could be revived!
However, all that would have to wait until after Danzō's death. Otherwise, Shisui would surely stop him from making a move against Konoha.
He looked at Konoha once more, speaking silently in his heart.
'Wait a little longer, Naruto. Now is not the time for us to meet. Three years from now, after you become a Genin, I'll come to see you then.'
As for the Akatsuki, Kagaya didn't want to bother with them anymore. Whatever Pain's final opinion of his actions might be, Kagaya didn't care. When it came down to it, the Akatsuki was just a tool for his revenge, not his master. He couldn't bring himself to kill that blond kid who challenged him every day, just because of an order from the Akatsuki.
His goals were twofold: Danzō, and mastering the Impure World Reincarnation. Kagaya had no intention of wholeheartedly helping the Akatsuki grow stronger, nor did he have the mind to accompany Obito in implementing some Eye of the Moon Plan.