"How is this possible? Never did I..."
Nagato's voice trembled, filled with disbelief. He couldn't finish his sentence as he grew emotional.
Once he lost the sight, he thought it was gone for forever. To some extent, he thought he deserved this, since Akashi lost his for their sake.
His brand new eyes grew teary as he looked at Akashi in gratitude.
"...Thank you."
Just then, Nagato noticed that Akashi, too, had both eyes. Although the vertical scar on his eyelid remained, his eye was back—no longer closed and empty.
"Is this real? Am I dreaming, Akashi?"
"Why, you seem happier from the fact that I regained mine than that you regained yours."
It felt as if everything was going back to where they were supposed to belong to.
Akashi felt as if he was finally taking a breather after countless ordeals, one after the other.
'Life isn't only about suffering. Just as there are bad times, there are good times as well.'
Born within harsh conditions, despair was one of the first sentiments that Akashi became familiar with.
It was through the bonds he made that he learned hope.
No matter how good or bad one's circumstances may be, life flows. All worries, once they become the past, become nothing but trivialities.
'As long as one perseveres and lives with hopes and aspirations...'
There is nothing that a human cannot do.
'An ideal that cannot be fulfilled is nothing but a delusion. Madara, you must be stopped.'
With strength, Akashi clenched his fist.
"There is one more job that must be done."
Akashi stood up, and Nagato's eyes followed his movement.
"Come with me, Nagato."
Walking out, Akashi waited as Nagato locked the house.
Raising his head, he felt the rain pouring as always.
Closing his eyes, Akashi enjoyed the sensation. He was very nostalgic, as many memories that he acquired under the rain were unravelled in his mind.
"...Akashi?"
Nagato then called, seemingly confused by Akashi's lack of movement. Returning to reality, Akashi chuckled.
"Let's go."
Akashi held Nagato by the shoulder before the two instantly teleported to the central tower of the village.
"Akashi. Nagato, you're here as... well..."
Immediately, Yahiko, noticing their presence, greeted them, only to be shocked by Nagato's brand-new eyes.
"...Huh?"
Yahiko's eyes slowly widened before they were filled with tears.
"How... no... right... I'm... I'm so, so glad..."
Yahiko hugged Nagato in a crushing grip, causing the latter to yelp in pain.
"Sorry to interrupt, but now isn't the time to get emotional."
Mei, as she played with the Flying Thunder God kunai that was in her possession—the exact one that Akashi just teleported to—spoke coolly.
"You're here for Hanzo, right, Akashi?"
"Indeed."
Akashi nodded.
"Then you should go. He doesn't have much time left."
Nodding once more, Akashi turned to Yahiko and Nagato.
"Come with me."
However, they shook their heads, much to Akashi's surprise.
"No, I think you should go alone, Akashi."
"Yeah."
Yahiko stated, and Nagato agreed to that.
"Although I hate to say this... Hanzo really did improve. Ever since that 'supposed' act of assassination, he seemed to have realized that he was doing harm more than good. I used to think that if there was a devil, it must be the replica of Hanzo... heh, the world isn't so black and white, eh?"
"He is, in the end, your last relation by the blood, Akashi. He was waiting for you to return up until now, always complaining and grumbling about how incapable we are in comparison to all that you've accomplished..."
Nagato gazed at the central tower in front of them.
The civilians were still gathered around, crying and praying.
"We shouldn't be there to interrupt you."
"...Is that so?"
Akashi viewed the tower with an inexplicable feeling.
He took in a deep breath. Letting it out, he walked, walking past the group of civilians who immediately scuttled over the moment they saw him.
"You..."
One of the ninjas who was guarding the entrance sweated profusely upon noticing Akashi's approach.
"What are you trying to do...?"
Akashi paused, staring down at the ninja who gulped as Akashi's hazel eyes struck him.
"Guide me to where Hanzo is at the moment."
Without bothering to explain the reason, Akashi demanded.
"But..."
"Quit it, Eida."
The other ninja then nudged the sweating one, sighing.
"He saved us just before. If he had an ulterior motive, he simply would've killed us all already."
Then, looking up at Akashi, he pointed his thumb at his back,
"We'll guide you up. Follow us."
Turning, he walked in, opening the entrance as he did so.
"Damn it, what am I doing, talking casually with the literal dude with the highest bounty of all time on his head..."
Akashi followed the ninjas up the building.
In no time, he stood in front of another door, one that was almost as huge as the entrance.
"Hanzo-sama is in this room, resting."
"I-If possible, please don't disturb him. He doesn't have much time, and... we don't want him to suffer any further during the last moment of his life."
As the ninjas opened the door, Akashi walked into the room.
It was a huge room, desolate except for a bed that lied in the middle.
Lying on top of such a bed was Hanzo, without his usual mask that was supposed to keep his poison contained.
It meant that the venom sac of a salamander, which he implanted into his body, was no longer there. It was probably removed through a surgical operation, for his body was no longer able to handle the poison due to the drop in his immunity.
Akashi took a step. Immediately after, Hanzo's mouth opened and let out a weak voice,
"...Akashi."
Akashi froze, wondering how Hanzo knew it was him with nothing but sound.
"Never did I expect that this would be how I would be seeing you after our talk during the last week..."
Hanzo, slowly opening his eyes and looking up at the ceiling, squeezed his throat to let out the words.
"So, so many regrets... I have so many..."
Akashi resumed moving. Taking another step, he walked near the bed, eventually stopping by Hanzo's side.
"I always think back to that day... when I attacked the Konoha's base that was set near the village... back then, I used to wonder why you looked so familiar to me..."
Akashi found himself surprised, not expecting Hanzo to recognize that one of the children he saw during that incident was Akashi himself.
"I was blinded... not even knowing that my own daughter died... I thought power would solve everything... and pursued power... only to lose everything that I cherished..."
Hanzo's eyes slowly moved, managing to meet Akashi's hazel eyes.
That's when Akashi noticed that Hanzo's eyes were hazel in color just like his. It seemed that... he got his eyes off of this man.
"I just wanted to say... I am sorry..."
Akashi felt a deep regret and sorrow in Hanzo's eyes.
It wasn't the death that Hanzo feared. Rather, he was filled with sadness that he wouldn't get to make amends with his grandson, the only living descendant of the Hattori Clan.
"You know..."
Finally, Akashi opened his mouth.
"I used to hate you with everything that I had. I used to blame you for all the situations in Ame back then. I used to train with the thought of punishing those whom I considered the 'higher-ups' in this society."
Departing his eyes from Hanzo's, Akashi stared at the thin air.
"As I wandered around the world and experienced the war, I learned that in truth, Ame was nothing but a weak village surrounded by hyenas. I also learned that those so-called hyenas had circumstances of their own. There were evil ones, but there also were good ones."
And then, when Hanzo threatened Akashi with the lives of Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato to attain the chance to make him affiliated with Ame, Akashi felt nothing but contempt for this man. However, when Akashi saw Hanzo taking in those three after he revealed that he was Hanzo's grandson mid-fight, Akashi didn't know what to think.
"We've come a far way. The gap between the two of us may be irreparable. However..."
Akashi solemnly placed his hand over Hanzo's heart, causing Hanzo to stare at Akashi questioningly.
"That doesn't deny the fact that you're the leader this village needs. Now isn't your time yet, Hanzo of the Salamander."
Ba-Bump.
"So live, and correct your wrongdoings."
Hanzo's eyes widened.
"You..."
Hanzo was healing—no, he was regenerating. It was a feat that not even the medical ninjutsu was capable of.
"What kind of technique..."
Hanzo was flabbergasted as he found that he was no longer in a critical condition. While he would still require a lengthy period of recovery, he was no longer dying. His heart was beating once again with that of vibrancy.
As Akashi removed his hand, Hanzo slowly sat up in bed. Then, carefully placed his feet on the floor before pushing himself off the bed, now standing.
Akashi watched as Hanzo slowly took a step. Then, another.
"...Thank you."
Without turning around, Hanzo spoke. His shoulders, looking small and withered without armors draped around, were trembling.
"..."
Akashi turned around, not wishing to see the man named Hanzo in his weak state.
It was raining even though they were indoors. Pretending that he didn't realize this, Akashi exited the room, walking past the two ninjas who wondered what was going on inside.
"You're done with your business?"
One of the two ninjas asked. Akashi nodded.
"Then let's go—"
"Akashi!"
Before they could move, a shout was heard from inside, loud enough to be heard all the way out.
"H-Hanzo-sama?"
The two ninjas were clearly shocked, unable to believe that the old ninja, in a critical state is able to generate a shout as loud as this.
Akashi, without turning, stood still, listening.
"I don't know what I can do for you, but...!"
Hanzo, in an earnest voice that didn't hold any of his usual authority or charisma, was shouting.
"Come back here anytime you need a home! I will be waiting for you, for as long as you need!"
"..."
Akashi resumed walking, causing two ninjas to jolt back up into reality.
"H-Hey! You can't just go alone like that!"
"Wait up for us!"
Akashi felt as if another huge burden on his back was gone. He felt lighter than ever.