Hearing Yagami's name, Mukade's eyes widened abruptly.
Of course he knew that name.
It was practically thunder in the shinobi world.
A legend spoken of in hushed tones.
It was just a shame that before his time travel, he'd never had the chance to actually see what Yagami looked like.
Otherwise… how could he possibly have failed to recognize such a famous shinobi?
"So it really is you… Yagami-sama…"
Mukade suddenly laughed, his voice filled with a strange sense of release.
"To fall by your hands… I… I have no regrets…"
Even the honorific slipped naturally from his mouth.
[Ding! The host has killed a Kage-level powerhouse. Gained 1000 Prestige Points.]
The system notification echoed in Yagami's mind, causing him to turn his head in surprise.
Mukade was already dead.
…He didn't expect this guy to be worth that much prestige.
Looking at the faint smile still frozen on Mukade's face, Yagami shook his head helplessly.
It seemed his future reputation was even greater than he'd imagined.
"Yagami-sensei!"
Just as Yagami was briefly indulging in that thought, Kakashi's voice rang out.
Yagami turned and saw Kakashi's body beginning to glow with soft white light.
"This… this is—"
"Time is correcting itself…"
Yagami immediately understood.
In the original events, once Sārah shut down the Ryūmaku and Mukade was defeated, the timeline would automatically repair itself.
Naruto and Yamato had also been wrapped in this same white light before being sent back to their original era.
"Naruko!!!"
Yagami shouted.
His perception spread instantly, and after locking onto her presence, he burst forward without hesitation.
He had finally met his daughter…
Even if it was only for a short while.
How could he not be reluctant to let her go?
After all… she was his future daughter.
"Daddy!!"
White light enveloped Naruko as well, and she immediately realized what was about to happen.
She rushed toward Yagami and Kakashi at the same time.
Father and daughter embraced tightly.
"Daddy…!"
Naruko tried to say something but no sound came out.
"What? What are you trying to say?"
Her lips moved again.
"******"
(Silent.)
"It's okay… speak slowly…"
Seeing sweat bead on her forehead, Yagami gently tried to calm her, his voice soft with reassurance.
But then he realized—
Naruko couldn't hear him anymore.
Her body, wrapped in white light, was becoming increasingly transparent.
Reluctance welled up in his chest.
Yagami cupped her head and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
Naruko froze.
In that instant, memories surged back to her.
Every time her dad left on a special mission… he would always do this.
A kiss on the forehead.
Then he'd smile strangely and say:
"Here's the kiss you forgot."
Now she finally understood what that meant.
Naruko suddenly grinned, even though no sound could escape her lips.
She knew.
Her dad would understand everything in the future.
As she smiled at him, her figure faded further and further.
Yagami raised his hand and waved, unable to hide his reluctance.
When he turned around, Kakashi's figure had also become almost completely transparent.
"Hah…"
Yagami let out a quiet, helpless sigh.
In the end, he could only watch as the two of them vanished completely before his eyes.
"Yagami-sensei!"
"Captain Yagami!"
Voices called out from a distance.
Yagami looked up and saw Kakashi, Tekuno, and Sārah approaching together.
Behind them followed thousands of Rōran's citizens—some holding rakes, others clubs or makeshift weapons.
"Yagami-sensei, where is Mukade?"
Sārah glanced behind him before speaking again.
"All the people of the Kingdom of Rōran came together to defeat Mukade…"
"Yes… we gathered everyone…"
An elderly voice rang out from the crowd.
Yagami looked over and recognized him—it was the minister of Rōran who had issued the original mission.
"Down with the villain! Down with Mukade!"
"Down with the villain! Down with Mukade!"
The crowd erupted, their voices filled with anger and momentum, as if they truly believed they could still fight.
"Calm down. Be quiet. Listen to me."
Yagami raised his hand, suppressing the noise before speaking clearly:
"Mukade is already dead."
"…Eh?"
"R-Really?"
A brief silence spread through the crowd.
After all, they had seen the massive puppet towering near the central tower not long ago.
"It's true."
Yagami nodded solemnly and pointed behind him.
"His body is near the central tower."
"Excellent!!!"
"That's wonderful!!!"
"He's finally been defeated!"
Once Yagami confirmed it, the crowd erupted into cheers.
To be honest, most of them had come with determination—but not confidence.
Now that Mukade's fate was certain, how could they not celebrate?
"Captain Yagami… what about Yamato and Naruko?"
Tekuno asked, noticing only Yagami remained.
Kakashi looked over as well, curiosity in his eyes.
"They've returned to their original era…"
Thinking of Naruko and the Kakashi who had just left—Yagami's expression dimmed slightly.
A quiet melancholy lingered in his gaze.
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