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Not long after Hayato left, Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko came running over, drawn by the noise.When they saw the dead Rain Ninja on the ground, their hearts jumped—but even though Hayato wasn't in sight, there was no sign of his body either.
They let out a small breath of relief. Still, when they noticed the corpse with its head blown apart, the three of them couldn't help but look a little sick, their stomachs churning.
But with no sign of Hayato around, Konan grew anxious."Let's hurry up and find any trace of Hayato!"
"Yeah. This way! Someone passed through here… though these tracks don't look like Hayato's," Nagato said, sharp-eyed as always, pointing toward the faint trail.
"Even if they're not his, they've gotta be connected to him. Let's go!" Yahiko called out, already sprinting ahead.
The three of them dashed along the path Hayato had left behind, following the signs with ease.
After all, when Hayato had transformed into the hulking green giant, he'd been moving fast but had no clue how to hide his trail. He left obvious marks everywhere he went, so Konan and the others had no trouble tracking him.
By the time they were closing in, Hayato had already reverted back from his Hulk-like form. This time, his transformed body hadn't been too massive, and since his clothes were slightly loose and stretchy, even though they'd ripped in a few places, they still managed to cover him well enough.
He grabbed a few branches to pin the torn fabric together, finally breathing a sigh of relief. But then he heard movement behind him. His eyes narrowed, chakra flaring through his body as he readied himself for a fight.
When the figures drew closer, he finally saw who it was and relaxed.It was just Konan and the others.
"Hayato, you're okay! That's such a relief!"
"Hayato!"
"Hayato!"
The three of them broke into smiles the moment they saw him, and Konan even ran straight into his arms.
"What are you three doing here?" Hayato asked, patting her on the head.
"We heard the sounds of fighting and came to check. But we couldn't find you anywhere, so we kept following the trail until we did. I'm so glad we finally found you," Konan said with a happy grin.
Hayato shook his head."Konan, listen to me. Next time you hear anything like that, don't come looking for me. Ever. It could be dangerous."
"Don't underestimate me, Hayato. I'm not weak anymore," she pouted.
"Konan, I'm serious. I've told you before—I'm a monster. If you show up when I'm fighting, I might not be able to control myself. I don't want to hurt you… I'd regret it forever." His voice was firm, his eyes locked on hers.
"Eh? But…" She wanted to protest, but seeing his serious expression, she could only nod.
"You'll understand someday. I can't explain it now, so just leave it at that," Hayato said, shaking his head, leaving Konan looking puzzled.
The four of them headed back the way they came. When they reached the battlefield again, Yahiko and Nagato stared at the four ninja Hayato had killed. Their eyes burned with excitement, even if the bloody scene still made their stomachs turn a little.
"Hayato, these guys… they were jonin, right? I recognize the Rain Village headbands, and their gear—there's no doubt about it. You took down four jonin?" Yahiko asked, his gaze practically glowing.
"Yeah." Hayato gave a firm nod. Sure, the main reason he'd been able to take out those four jonin was because they'd already been strong enough to be jonin before this… but also because they'd been careless, completely underestimating him.
Still, the fact that he'd managed to kill four jonin was more than enough to make him satisfied. Even if, in the final moments, the poison and his injuries had forced him to transform into the Hulk again, it only proved how much stronger he'd gotten compared to before.
The transformation didn't bother him anymore. In fact, it made him happy—though it also made him want to keep pushing his strength further.
Ideally, he wanted to be able to take down his enemies without having to transform at all. That way, he could leave that power untouched forever.
"Whoa! That was insane, Hayato! You're crazy strong! When am I ever gonna be as strong as you?" Yahiko's eyes were practically sparkling with admiration. He wasn't even at genin level yet, so jonin-level strength was already beyond his wildest dreams—let alone reaching the power of a Kage.
Nagato, standing nearby, had the same look of awe in his eyes, though he was a lot quieter than the ever-energetic Yahiko. He was shy, withdrawn even, and he secretly hated the Rinnegan he'd been born with. He didn't even know exactly what those eyes were—just that they made him feel like a freak. So even though he vaguely knew they could be used for certain powerful jutsu, he'd never once tried to learn them, or even considered it.
Hayato didn't pay much attention to the admiration in Yahiko and Nagato's eyes. But after spending enough time together, he'd started to warm up to the two.
That said, in Hayato's mind, the only one he truly considered family was Konan.
Looking down at the four jonin corpses in front of him, Hayato frowned. He'd thought things would finally calm down once the fighting between Konoha, Suna, and Iwa in the Land of Rain had ended. But instead, the Rain ninja themselves had decided to stick their necks out and come after him.
"Maybe… it's time to just finish this once and for all," Hayato murmured, narrowing his eyes. A cold glint flickered in them.
"....."