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Chapter 45: In the Cold of the Night
The best comfort isn't always found in words of grand wisdom. Sometimes, facing tears, silence is the truest companion.
Liumu wasn't good at giving speeches or empty platitudes. All he could do was sit beside Tsunade, sharing the quiet weight of the moment.
Tsunade looked at the tissues offered to her, then lifted her gaze to the boy beside her. Her eyes, clear and bright as the moon above, held a complex mix of emotions.
The world was frozen in a deep winter hush. In the distance, pinpricks of candlelight flickered within Kirigakure's walls. Only Liumu and his companions were out here, bathed in moonlight, planning their next move in the biting cold and constant vigilance.
"Can you tell me about your brother?" Liumu asked, leaning back on his hands to look up at the star-dusted sky.
"Nawaki?" Tsunade's voice softened.
Liumu nodded.
A faint, bittersweet smile touched Tsunade's lips as she was pulled into memory. "He wasn't a genius like you. He was actually a bit of a blockhead." She pulled her cloak tighter, hugging her knees. "When we were little, I used to bully him, making him follow me around. Whenever my mischief got discovered by the elders, I'd always pin the blame on him."
"The thing he said most often was that he wanted to be like our grandfatherâto become Hokage one day. I'd always hit him for it, trying to knock that dream out of him."
As she spoke, her eyes grew moist again. Two silent tracks of tears traced down her cheeks, and her voice began to tremble.
"And then he was gone. In the war. When I heard the news, I thought it was another one of his jokes. Until I saw his bodyâŠ" Her words hitched, swallowed by the returning silence. "My entire world⊠just collapsed."
Liumu glanced at her, then slowly stood up. He took off his own cloak and draped it carefully over her shoulders, adding its weight to her own.
Feeling the sudden warmth and weight, Tsunade looked up at him, confused.
The six-year-old boy stood beside her, his expression carrying a strangely adult mix of lazy resolve.
"A man once told me," Liumu began, his voice calm in the cold air, "that the sky is vast. To hold it up requires more strength than most people have."
"But," he continued, looking down to meet her gaze, "if you grow tired from holding it up, it's okay to let your arms down. Because there will always be others around you, helping to bear the weight."
"Even if the heavens seem to crumble, there will be tall figures there to support them. We⊠the little people⊠we just need to lower our heads and do our part, cheering them on."
Liumu's eyes flickered toward a dense thicket in the distance, a knowing chuckle escaping him. He looked back at Tsunade, their eyes locking.
"I'll definitely grow taller than you someday. So, until then, I'll take responsibility for your piece of the sky."
With that, he turned and leaped away, his form dissolving into a streak of golden light that shot into the distant darkness like a fallen star.
"This kidâŠ" Tsunade murmured, a genuine, watery smile finally breaking through as she watched him go. A quiet, warm thrumming started in her chest.
Thump.
A twig snapped underfoot.
"Who's there?!" a voice hissed from the shadows.
Liumu materialized from a stream of light particles, finding himself face-to-face with a familiar group emerging from the gloom: Yugito Nii and a squad of Kumogakure shinobi, including the hulking forms of A and the slouching Killer B.
"It's you!" Liumu and Yugito said in unison, surprise coloring both their voices.
"Lightning Relâ" a Kumo-nin began, hands flashing toward a seal.
"Hold!" A's commanding voice cut through the tension. He stepped forward, his impressive stature looming as he scrutinized Liumu. "You Leaf-nin are here too."
Liumu offered a thin smile. Why else would Kumo shinobi be here? The reason was as transparent as his own. No need for coy games.
Killer B peered at Liumu's silhouette in the dark, a sense of familiarity nagging him. It wasn't until Liumu spoke that recognition clicked into place.
"So it was you that night," B said, his posture shifting subtly into a ready stance.
A shot B a questioning look, then back at Liumu. After a moment's thought, understanding dawned on his face as well.
Yugito had little direct history with Liumu. They'd been opponents in the exam bracket but never fought. Still, anyone who could subdue Haku in an instant commanded respect and caution.
For Kumogakure to deploy both of their Jinchƫriki, along with the formidable A-B combo, spoke volumes about how seriously they were taking the Three-Tails. They were going all-in.
"Take it easy," Liumu said, waving a dismissive hand at Killer B. "I'm not here to pick a fight this time. Besides, we're all camped on Kiri's doorstep. Starting a brawl now would be stupid."
As the words left his mouth, another rustle came from a bone-dry thicket farther off.
Liumu focused. A let out a cold snort. "That'll be the Iwa dogs. We spotted them making landfall earlier."
A wry smile touched Liumu's lips. "So, the cast from the Chunin Exams is having a reunion tour, is it?"
With a free-roaming Tailed Beast in play, no major power could afford to ignore the opportunity. The strategic value of a Jinchƫriki was undeniable; it was why everyone had converged here.
Despite being a six-year-old, no one in the Kumo squad treated Liumu as a child. The fact that Killer B had been soundly thrashed by him was an open secret among Kumo's upper echelons. Anyone who could go toe-to-toe with a full Jinchƫriki forfeited the right to be called "ordinary."
Liumu returned to the Konoha hideout and promptly reported the presence of Kumo and Iwa forces.
Orochimaru's voice was a low hiss. "Their appearance complicates our objective."
While more searchers increased the odds of locating Isobu, it also turned the situation into a potential free-for-all. It was better than searching for a needle in a haystack, but far more dangerous.
"And when it is found?" Yuhi Makoto asked, his tone grave.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a thin, predatory smile, a sharp glint in his serpentine eyes.
"We take it."
As two of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru and Tsunade were well aware of the threat posed by the A-B combination. Adding two proficient Jinchƫriki like Killer B and Yugito to the mix meant that engaging Kumo head-on with their current force was unwise. Yugito's power in the exams was likely just a fraction of what she could unleash in a true Tailed Beast transformation.
"You should rest," Orochimaru stated, rising to his feet. "I will investigate their underground prison complex again tonight. Minato, maintain vigilance."
After carefully concealing the cave entrance with snow and debris, the team settled into a watch rotation. Minato was paired with Yuhi Makoto. Liumu was grouped with Tsunade.
The cave was small. Minato had erected a simple wooden partition, dividing the space into two makeshift rooms.
Tsunade watched, bemused, as Liumu burrowed decisively into the sleeping roll on her side of the partition. She reached out and hooked a finger under his ear, pulling him back.
"Go sleep on your own side!"
"No!" Liumu clutched a bundle of clothes serving as a pillow, putting on his best "terrified" expression. "I'm scared to sleep alone."
"Scared?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, studying the determined child before her.
After a long, silent moment, she sighed in resignation. She lifted the edge of her own heavy blanket. "Fine. Get in. I suppose acting like this⊠is more fitting for your age."
(End of Chapter)
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