Mai placed her hands on her knees, sitting upright.
She sat amidst the vibrant colors of late autumn, her eyelids lowered slightly. Every now and then, she couldn't help but glance at the man beside her, shifting her gaze away naturally before being noticed.
Logan's grumbling had become a familiar sound over the past two days. Mai fiddled with the fabric of her clothes, glancing at the cave entrance.
By now, she had a rough understanding of the relationship between the two Uchiha targets and Logan.
Other than thinking 'so gentle', she didn't have much else to say.
Her thoughts weren't overly complicated. As a rookie Ninja fresh out of her village, she carried a naive simplicity.
As a girl, she was more inclined to focus her gaze on what she wanted to see.
"By the way, Mai, when are you planning to go back?" Logan suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?"
Her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as she looked out at the rolling hills, "I'm not in a hurry…"
The incident had ended, but Mai, who had fought her way into the final showdown, had stayed behind with Logan and the others. It was impossible for the people of Konoha not to worry.
"Really not in a hurry?" Logan had expected her answer. He turned his head slightly, studying the girl who had come from a small village to the outside world. Still, he smiled, "Even though I swooped in like a hero during the fight and took down opponents even Kakashi couldn't handle, earning everyone's admiration, if you disappear, they'll probably think I've got ulterior motives."
"That's not true." Mai muttered, her gaze dropping to the ground, "What kind of ulterior motives could you even have…?"
"Haha…"
Logan chuckled dryly. Normally, he'd have no trouble playing along with such banter. But the silence that followed, paired with the girl's youthful, budding emotions, made even the densest person sense something amiss. It left him feeling restrained.
Mai's involvement had been crucial to their victory in the final battle. On top of that, as Tsunade's apprentice, whether from past or present perspectives, Logan had to ensure she was properly taken care of.
"Cough, anyway, as you can see, the situation around me is complicated right now. You should understand…"
Before Logan could finish his serious spiel, Mai cut him off with slight impatience.
"I know, I already said it. I'll leave once you've fully recovered. And… my injuries are healing well. My Medical Ninjutsu is pretty good, though there might be a few scars… When I get back, I'll explain everything to Shisou and the others. After this incident, I'm sure the village's opinion of you will improve a bit. Stop worrying so much."
Logan blinked, taken aback by her lengthy response. He nodded. There really wasn't much else to say.
"Oh, alright then…"
The rustling of leaves swept over the hills, dry branches and fallen foliage skittering past them as if in a hurry. Reflecting on the battles, their reunion, and the strange atmosphere now, Logan faintly sensed Mai's feelings toward him.
The girl had grown, drawn to him like a guiding light, perhaps partly due to his influence, but more so because of her own resilient character.
Logan had assumed her attachment was something akin to a little sister's admiration for an older brother or mentor. But reality didn't quite match that assumption.
Through all this, the girl's one-sided pursuit of the man she admired had brought their relationship to a delicate turning point. Mai had chased him from the autumn rains to the yellowing leaves of late fall, still clinging to her secret for now.
Logan, too, wondered if there'd be a suitable opportunity to gently correct her feelings.
Sasuke left at dawn on the third day.
As the first light of morning touched the sky, dressed in white with the Kusanagi Sword at his side, Sasuke sought out Itachi for a private conversation.
Despite his lingering injuries and incomplete Chakra recovery, he left the cave without looking back, his three teammates in tow.
Before departing, Sasuke also approached Logan, who was munching on a fruit at the time, caught off guard.
A long silence passed before Sasuke uttered a simple 'Thank you'.
'Thank you' was something Logan could accept. But as for what this now-diverged-from-canon young man was truly thinking, Logan had no idea.
Everyone's inner world was sacred and private. Logan could tell that Sasuke was deeply uncomfortable with the idea of harmoniously coexisting with the brother he had hated for so many years.
Leaving behind a cold silhouette, Sasuke vanished into the mountains and rivers.
Logan wondered what would he do next. Would his path align with the original fate, or diverge entirely?
Change had undoubtedly occurred. At the very least, Sasuke hadn't been left staring in shock and confusion as his brother died before his eyes.
Logan had prevented one tragedy. But after the initial joy, he also realized that the days ahead for these Uchiha brothers wouldn't be so simple.
"Hey, Itachi, what did Sasuke say to you?"
On the small hill near the cave, Logan sighed and turned to Itachi, who had just walked over.
Down the narrow path, a black dot could be seen rapidly disappearing into the distance. Itachi had just finished saying his goodbyes to Kisame.
With almost everyone gone, the once-crowded campsite now felt empty. The stifling atmosphere had dissipated, replaced by a hollow quiet.
"Aren't you curious about what Kisame wanted with me?" Itachi sat down beside Logan.
"That shark-face? What's there to ask?" Logan scoffed, unimpressed, "In a situation like this, it's always the same old spiel."
Itachi and Kisame had been partners in Akatsuki, working together on numerous missions. They knew each other well, yet always maintained a guarded distance. Faced with shifting allegiances, there wasn't much left to say.
"…" Itachi smiled faintly and nodded slowly.
"Did I guess right?"
The black dot in the distance had vanished entirely. The relationship between Itachi and Kisame had always been more complicated than most in Akatsuki. When the time came to part ways, their words had been straightforward, "Next time we meet, we'll be enemies."
"You do what you must, and I'll do the same. No holding back…" That was their final kindness.
"After all this, I don't see your relationship with Sasuke improving much. Tch." Logan threw an arm around Itachi's shoulders and shook him in exasperation.
Itachi calmly pushed Logan's hand away and shifted slightly, "It has improved."
"Where? The fact that he didn't summon lightning to strike you the moment his Chakra recovered?" Logan retorted, "Then left just to avoid seeing you?"
"You're as good at joking as ever, Senpai."
"Actually, you're not particularly happy about the current situation I helped create, are you?" Logan's tone suddenly shifted.
Itachi paused but said nothing, merely shaking his head. His eyes, mostly pale and hollow, no longer carried the intimidating aura of a villain.
Instead, he seemed calm and detached. Logan had saved his life, but the vision lost from overusing his Mangekyo could never be restored.
"Sasuke said he doesn't agree with my methods. He might do something reckless." Itachi's voice was quiet, his pale pupils reflecting the sky.
"I see."
Hearing this, Logan gazed into the distance, his thoughts drifting. He felt an odd sense of calm, unsurprised.
People's thoughts and beliefs weren't easily changed. The experiences they needed to go through, they would still choose to go through.
"So, I'm sorry, Senpai. I might not be able to rest just yet."
"You…" Logan glanced at the weathered man beside him, wanting to say something, but Itachi's tranquil expression stopped him.
"What about you, Senpai?"
"Me?"
Logan lowered his head, rubbing his temples before exhaling.
"I'm going home."