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After cutting down every last Rain ninja who'd rushed in like they had a death wish, everything suddenly went quiet. Hayato let out a series of guttural, almost animalistic roars.
Konan and the other two stared at him—now towering and monstrous like the Hulk—with a growing sense of dread. Their legs trembled despite themselves. Even so, Konan clenched her teeth, forcing herself to take step after step toward him.
"Konan! Stop!" Yahiko and Nagato's faces changed when they realized what she was doing. They rushed forward, reaching out to grab her before she could get closer.
"No. That's Hayato. I'm going to him." Konan shook her head stubbornly. She was terrified, but her steps didn't falter.
Yahiko and Nagato exchanged a helpless look and let out bitter smiles. In the end, they grit their teeth and followed her.
The three of them came to a stop in front of the towering figure.
"Hayato, it's me—Konan!"
"Raaagh!"
What came back wasn't words, just a deafening roar that made the three of them flinch and turn pale.
"Hayato, what happened to you? It's me! Don't you remember? It's Konan!" she shouted, edging closer without even realizing it.
Then, with another deep, guttural cry, Hayato raised a massive fist high over his head—and brought it crashing down.
Yahiko and Nagato nearly wet themselves, but still lunged forward to drag Konan away. She, however, stood her ground, staring up at him, unmoving, even as that huge fist came hurtling from above.
The blow landed with an earth-shaking crack. The ground trembled, and deep cracks spiderwebbed out from the impact.
"I knew it!" Konan gasped, her voice full of relief and joy. "I knew you still recognized me, didn't you, Hayato?"
It turned out his punch had been aimed right at them—until, at the very last moment, it swerved aside, smashing into the ground just next to where they stood. Stone shards flew, cutting into their skin and drawing blood, but they were still alive.
Konan smiled through it all and ran toward him again.
With another roar, Hayato didn't attack—he turned and bolted instead.
That massive frame moved with surprising speed, bounding away like it was spring-loaded. In just a few leaps, he was gone from sight.
"Phew…"
Yahiko and Nagato both let out the same long breath, then collapsed onto the ground as if their strength had been drained all at once, gasping for air.
"Hayato…" Konan called after him, trying to chase, but her legs gave out beneath her. She could only sit there with a bitter smile as Yahiko and Nagato made no move to follow.
Hayato didn't know how far he'd run before his mind finally cleared. His body shrank back to its normal form, and he realized he'd been heading into the emptiest direction possible—away from everyone. At least that meant he didn't have to worry about running into someone by accident.
He found a few huge leaves and wrapped them around himself for modesty before sinking down to the ground.
Now what?
Should he go back to find Konan? But she'd seen him like that—as a green, raging monster. Would she see him as nothing but a freak now? Would she… stay away from him because of it?
He vaguely remembered that when he'd turned into the Hulk, Konan hadn't shown the slightest hint of fear. She hadn't even flinched from getting close to him. Maybe… just maybe, she really didn't care that he could turn into a monster.
With that thought, Hayato decided to go find her. As for Yahiko and Nagato? What they thought, how they felt — honestly, that wasn't even on his radar.
Once his mind was made up, Hayato turned back the way he'd come. He wanted to see her reaction for himself. If she wasn't afraid of him, he'd still treat her like a little sister, like family, and protect her for life. But if she was scared… he'd quietly walk away.
With that resolution, he retraced his steps. Before he even made it back to where he'd been, he heard movement ahead. His brows knitted and he tensed, ready for trouble. After all, he'd just killed Hanzō the Salamander — who knew what kind of enemies might be waiting.
But then, a small figure appeared.
Hayato's eyes lit up. It was Konan. She had actually come looking for him.
"Hayato!"
Konan, who had been following his trail, spotted him instantly. Her eyes sparkled, a smile blooming across her face like a flower in full sunlight. She ran straight at him and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, refusing to let go.
"Konan, you…"
Hayato was momentarily stunned by her sudden affection, but warmth flooded his chest. In that moment, he decided — Konan was his sister. His family. Someone he would protect for the rest of his life.
Then he noticed the scratches and scrapes all over her from rushing through the forest, likely from branches and leaves along the way. His heart ached for her. Without a second thought, he scooped her up in his arms in a full-on princess carry, making her squeak in surprise, and started heading back.
Being held like that made Konan's face turn bright red — especially since Hayato was currently wearing nothing but a few leaves for modesty. Embarrassment aside, she nestled quietly against his chest, feeling a deep, unfamiliar sense of safety.
When they were almost back to Hanzō's mansion, they ran into Yahiko and Nagato walking together. Both of them froze when they saw Hayato, instinctively stepping back. But when they noticed Konan's smiling face, they relaxed, scratching their heads awkwardly.
Hayato glanced at them. They hadn't run off, but had actually followed his trail here. That alone told him they weren't bad people — maybe even worth trusting. So he gave them a small nod in acknowledgment.
"....."