It had been half a month before Uchiha Hayashi finally opened his eyes again.
The ceiling came into focus slowly. As he tried to rise, a sharp pull of pain ran through his body. Bandages covered him from chest to ankles, and the room smelled strongly of disinfectant, the familiar scent of the temporary medical ward at the forward base.
A long, tired breath escaped him. He had survived after all.
The door creaked open.
Orochimaru stepped inside, his pale kimono brushing lightly against the wooden frame. His face carried visible exhaustion, but beneath it simmered a quiet, contained killing intent. Hayashi had never seen his teacher look quite this worn.
"You're awake," Orochimaru said, voice low and controlled. He clearly wasn't surprised. "Tsunade predicted you would regain consciousness today."
Hayashi swallowed, his throat dry. "Did you save me, Sensei?"
Orochimaru pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed. "In a manner of speaking. Aoda returned to Ryūchi Cave and reported to the elder, Dabai. Dabai passed the information to the messenger snakes and relayed it to me. That is how I found you."
Hayashi replayed the scattered fragments in his mind. It made sense. "How long was I unconscious?"
"Half a month," Orochimaru answered. "You've awakened, but your injuries are still severe. You'll need at least another month of rest before you can move freely. For now, stay here and recover fully."
Hayashi nodded. Instinctively, he looked around the room, searching for familiar faces. Himeji was nowhere in sight, and neither was Yuu. Then something on the bedside caught his attention: a bouquet of flowers, wilted from age, petals shriveled yet carefully arranged.
"They were left by the girl on your team," Orochimaru said. "Taki Toru."
Hayashi felt a quiet heaviness settle in his chest. "Where is she now?"
Orochimaru paused before answering. "…She is no longer a ninja. Her battlefield memories have been sealed for security reasons, and she's already returned to the village."
Hayashi's hands tightened slightly on the blanket. "I understand."
"Tatsumi—Hayashi," Orochimaru corrected himself, "this kind of outcome is not rare. Many civilian shinobi come into this life casually, chase their dream casually, and sometimes… they abandon it the same way. Do not burden yourself with guilt."
Hayashi didn't answer. The silence between them stretched until Orochimaru let out a breath of mild frustration. Emotional comfort simply wasn't his strength.
"Your other teammate is here," he said after sensing movement outside. "I have duties to attend to, so I'll leave you."
Orochimaru stood, walked to the door, and opened it. Himeji stood there quietly, bandage wrapped around her head, posture firm despite the fatigue in her eyes. Orochimaru hesitated as though he wished to speak—then decided otherwise and left.
Himeji stepped in.
Her injuries had healed well; aside from the wrapped bandage, her condition was far better than his. When she had taken that blow during the battle, several bones had cracked, but she had recovered after proper treatment. In truth, she had spent almost the entire half-month caring for Hayashi while he lay unconscious.
After a few moments of silence, she reached into her sleeve. "Captain… Toru asked me to give you this."
Hayashi accepted the letter. He opened it carefully and began reading.
---
"To Captain, respectfully:"
"By the time you read this, I should already be back in Konoha. I asked Himeji to deliver this to you once you woke up."
"I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly. It's simply… I don't have the courage to face you."
"My brother died. Himeji was badly hurt. Captain, you nearly died… and only I, the weakest one, survived with barely a scratch. Isn't it ridiculous?"
"I've thought about everything these past days—my brother, Himeji, you, our missions together… but the more I think, the more everything feels distant, as if those memories slipped past me and hid behind time."
"I finally realized something: I should stop. Stop chasing the dream of becoming Hokage, stop pretending I am strong enough to continue as a shinobi."
"So I used all the points I accumulated as a Chunin and applied to retire from ninja duty."
"Some of my battlefield memories will be sealed for the sake of village security. After that, I'll return to living as an ordinary villager."
"We may meet again years from now… or perhaps never. Even if we do, I may not remember this journey."
"Captain, please live a happier life from now on."
"And after I leave, please take care of Himeji. She is quiet, but she fears loneliness. She avoids approaching others, yet wishes to be accepted. She wants warmth but has learned to stand alone."
"So I leave her in your hands."
---
The letter wasn't long, yet Hayashi read it several times before folding it carefully and placing it into his sealing scroll. Toru had lost her brother and surrendered her dreams. She had stepped away from the path—perhaps forever.
After a moment, he asked quietly, "Himeji… have you ever changed your dream?"
Himeji looked down. "…No."
Her tone was steady but soft. "I want to change the Hyūga clan. That has never changed."
"You said the same thing four years ago," Hayashi said. "Is it still because of Hizashi-san?"
She shook her head. "I have seen too much since then. Captain… before you joined us, our squad leader was Hyūga Mura."
"In the Land of Rain, he chose to stay behind to protect the three of us. He had a chance to survive, but he gave it up. I thought he did it because the Branch Family must protect the Main Family, but he told me… it was simply his duty as a Jōnin sensei."
She looked at Hayashi, eyes clear despite the exhaustion. "Captain… why must someone like him bear the curse of the Caged Bird just because of his lineage?"
"You're right," Hayashi said gently. "He shouldn't."
Himeji rarely spoke this much. She looked at him again. "What about you? Do you have a wish?"
Hayashi gazed at the ceiling for a moment. "My dream is similar to yours. You wish to save the Branch Family. I… want to save more people, like Yuu and Isamu."
"So my wish is to bring peace to this chaotic world."
"Bring peace…" Himeji whispered. "If it's you, Captain, I believe you can do it."
"Then will you help me?" Hayashi asked softly. "And in return, I'll help you resolve the Hyūga's future."
Himeji hesitated. "With my current strength, I may not be useful."
"You can," Hayashi said with certainty, looking out the window. "I believe you'll become very strong."
Himeji didn't fully understand his confidence, but she followed his gaze. Outside, the full moon had risen, bathing the land in a pale, gentle glow.
"Hey, Himeji."
"Mm?"
"Doesn't the moon look a little like a giant Byakugan tonight?"
Himeji blinked, caught off guard, then let out a quiet, breathy laugh.
For the first time in half a month, Hayashi felt something light stir in his chest.