At the tavern, while Sasuke was telling Itachi about his supposed family life and his talented daughter, the most loyal shinobi, Kisame, sat quietly at another table, alone.
Thuck!
Seeing the cup of water placed beside him, Kisame replied, "You don't have to give me anything. The one with the money is gone."
"It's just water. Just treat us to some of your stories in return." Syr sat beside him, joined by Ryuu, Anya, Chloe, Lunoire, and Mia.
"My story is not that great. It's pretty gruesome and scary. I don't think you can handle them." Kisame grinned, flashing his shark teeth, trying to joke around.
"Don't worry, we're pretty brave," Syr replied confidently. Seeing this, Kisame started his story.
10 minutes later
"It's so sad, nya…" Anya was crying her eyes out, while Chloe and Lunoire also had tears streaming down their faces. Kisame's story was too sad for them.
"What will you say when you meet her again?" Ryuu asked the main question weighing on her heart.
"What do you mean?" Kisame replied.
"After you die… what do you think you'll say to Miru?" Ryuu clarified — the Kiri kunoichi he had killed to safeguard intel.
"Hmm, I already met her," Kisame answered.
"Did she survive? Is she alive, nya?" Anya asked excitedly.
"Did you confess, nya?" Chloe went straight to the happy-ending route.
"You didn't know, right? I met her after I died," Kisame said.
"That… then how are you here?" Ryuu asked, shocked.
"We are just temporarily summoned by Akira-kun. We'll go back after our time is over." Hearing this, Ryuu understood what Akira's earlier words meant. Guilt pricked her for treating him coldly before. She promised herself to treat him better from now on.
"So what did you talk about, nya?" Anya pressed on, refusing to let the case go.
"She only asked about what I did after leaving her. She said she wanted to follow me on the journey forward." Kisame's voice softened as he remembered her persistence.
"What was your answer?" Syr leaned closer, enchanted. For her, this was a story straight out of a fairy tale.
"Of course, I declined at first. But she was so stubborn and persistent… I let her follow me at her own risk."
The waitresses smiled through their tears. Their image of the fierce, shark-like shinobi softened; they saw a man who thought of himself as a 'monster' but had a conviction more noble than a hero.
Shine!
The remaining Akatsuki members began glowing, knowing their time was up.
"Kisame-san, do you believe everyone gets to see their loved ones when they die?" Ryuu asked quietly.
"I don't know. I'm not smart enough to figure it out."Ryuu felt saddened by this answer, Kisame guessed her situation from her reaction and continued, "But even a man like me had someone waiting for him. I bet most people will have someone like that."
With those words, he lifted Samehada and walked to Itachi's side.
"Nii-san, I still have so much to tell you…" Sasuke clung tightly to Itachi.
Smiling, Itachi gently touched his forehead. Sasuke knew what those fingers meant.
"Forgive me, Sasuke… again, next time."
Sasuke released his grip as Itachi and Kisame broke down into golden sparks.
"Nii-san…" Sasuke's trembling hand tried to wipe his tears, even as his body dissolved into light.
The three Akatsuki leaders — Obito, Yahiko, and Nagato — were still laughing and sharing embarrassing stories. As their bodies began to scatter into light, they simply bumped fists. Words weren't needed; they would meet again on the other side.
In the now quiet tavern, Anya laid her chin on the table and murmured, "I feel sad, nya…"
-----------------------------------
On the walls of Orario.
Three figures lay on their backs, gazing at the stars. They were the last three Akatsuki members left in this world: Naori, Akira, and Konan.
"Pretty…" Konan whispered. Back in their village, rain was constant — stars had always been rare for her.
"We should make the sky clear for a few nights every year, just for stargazing," Naori suggested softly.
"Hmm." Akira hummed, lost in thought.
"What's wrong? Why so down?" Konan asked gently.
"To save our world, I fought tooth and nail… and you were all there, helping me. I don't know if I can ever create such a miracle again." Akira's voice trembled with doubt.
Naori pinched his cheek, "Akira-kun is getting arrogant. Saving the world isn't your burden alone. You'll meet new companions, and with your nature, you'll become friends with them. Just… don't make any more women fall in love with you, alright?"
She tugged harder until he hurriedly nodded.
"That's better." She smiled, but her hands began to glow. "This is it for me, too."
"Come back quickly, alright? I don't want to marry an old man." Naori teased.
"Of course. I'll be back in the blink of an eye," Akira promised.
"Then now… for my goodbye kiss."
She pulled him into a kiss. Akira wrapped his arms around her thin waist — she was already becoming lighter. Her arms clung to him desperately, reluctant to leave. When they finally parted, her face burned with a blush, her Mangekyō Sharingan shimmering like red gems.
"Take care of yourself, darling." With those words, she broke into glowing fragments, slipping from his embrace.
Akira's chest tightened. He turned and clung to his wife. Konan hugged him back, grounding him as he breathed in the faint lavender of her hair.
"Konan… I feel weak. It hurts so much, knowing you won't be here when I wake up." His voice cracked with fear.
She gently pushed him back to meet his eyes. "Tomorrow you'll wake without me. And tomorrow, you'll save people — just as you saved me. It will be hard, but you'll do it. Because that's who you are: a hero. My hero. When it's over, you'll come back home, where I'll be waiting. We'll live a life of happiness together, side by side. My dear husband, Akira."
Her voice, steady and loving, filled the cracks in his soul. He chose to believe in her — believe in her who believe in him.
"As expected of my wife. Every word heals my heart." He wiped his tears and forced a smile.
"Ah… it's morning already." Konan turned toward the sunrise. Her blue hair and lavender eyes glowed in the golden light. To Akira, she was more beautiful than anything in the universe.
There was so much she wanted to tell him, but all she said was, "Stay strong, my hero."
She leaned in for one last kiss. Their lips locked, neither willing to let go. Akira pulled her closer, desperate to keep her. Her body began glowing, fading in his arms. Their lips parted, a thread of saliva lingering between them. Konan mischievously twirled it around her finger and licked it away, smiling softly.
As her body broke apart into sparks, she whispered her final words: "I love you, Akira."
"I love you too, Konan," he replied. She could no longer see, her eyes already gone, but her radiant smile told him she heard him.
His arms were left empty. The strength left his body, and he collapsed to the ground. The medicine had worn off. The next time he opened his eyes, it would be in a world without her.
......
(A/N: It has been so long that I wrote something by myself that I feel I forgot how to write. Any advice to improve would be a huge help)
You can Support me on p@treon: [email protected]/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
I mainly translate other fanfics on there.