As Mitsuki walked through the camp, his thoughts kept circling back to the same conclusion — he should head to the Land of Water, finish off Kirigakure once and for all, and then move on to the Land of Hot Water to deal with Kumogakure.
Just as he decided that, a familiar figure appeared ahead — Ruri, leaning against a wall, rubbing her temples with both hands.
Mitsuki, having nothing pressing to do, strolled over casually.
"Yo, if it isn't Ruri. Haven't seen you for a few days — what's with the headache?"
Without even looking up, Ruri kept massaging her head and muttered,
"Felt a bit dizzy this morning, but it's nothing serious. You, on the other hand…"
"Me?" Mitsuki blinked, pointing at himself.
"You look awfully cheerful. Who'd you take down today — another famous Mist-nin squad?"
Of course. A true teammate could always read your mood.Mitsuki's lips curled into a mischievous grin.
"Heh… the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
That smile — dark, smug, and slightly unhinged — really didn't suit his face.
Ruri couldn't help it; the absurdity of it made her burst out laughing. Sometimes, when words failed, laughter was the only reaction.
Then she caught herself, eyes widening.
"Wait — you went to fight the Seven Swordsmen without me?"
"Ah?" Mitsuki blinked, suddenly remembering something.
Once, he, Ruri, and Shisui had gone on a difficult mission together — and around the campfire one night, this very topic had come up.
…
Crackle, crackle —
The flames danced along the damp wood, flickering warmly in the sea breeze.
Shisui returned from his second round of firewood gathering and placed the bundle down carefully.
"Mitsuki, starting a fire here might attract the enemy, don't you think?" he asked, worry in his tone.
"Relax" Mitsuki waved it off. "I already checked — there's no one within sensing range."
Shisui, trusting Mitsuki's sensory skills completely, nodded and sat down.
"Still… aren't we being a little too relaxed?" he murmured, glancing at the flames.
Mitsuki was busy cleaning a large sea fish — not with a knife, but with his Fire Release. A dark violet flame flickered at his fingertips as he inserted them into the fish's belly.
Under the precision of the Six Eyes, the intense heat incinerated the organs instantly without harming the meat at all.
He could have cooked the fish with fire directly, but where was the fun in that?
He handed the cleaned fish to Ruri, who had just finished sharpening a wooden skewer with a kunai. She smoothly slid the fish onto it and planted it beside the fire.
Hearing Shisui's comment, Mitsuki sighed, shaking his head like a disappointed teacher."Shisui, listen — none of us were born into this world just to suffer."
Shisui frowned. "But… shouldn't we wait until the war is over to enjoy things like this?"
"He's right, Shisui," Ruri interrupted calmly. "There's no guarantee we'll even see the end of the war. If you enjoy something now, that's real enjoyment. If you wait, it might never come."
In Ruri's eyes, war and peace were meaningless concepts — what mattered was growing stronger. And if she could make that path a little more pleasant along the way, why wouldn't she?
"Well said, Ruri," Mitsuki grinned, handing her another cleaned fish. "This one's yours too."
Mitsuki completely agreed with Ruri's philosophy — at least on this point, they saw eye to eye.
Nearby, Shukaku was lounging back on a boulder, legs crossed, gazing up at the star-filled Fire Country sky. It turned lazily toward them and snorted.
"Shisui kid, you should be grateful for a night like this. A life this peaceful? Hah, back in my day I couldn't even dream of it. Enjoy it while you can — you never know when the chance will be gone."
And with that final jab, Shukaku shattered Shisui's last bit of composure.
"Ah… is it just me, or am I the weird one here?" Shisui muttered, stunned. His entire worldview — the "a ninja must endure hardship" creed — was starting to crack.
Nice, Shukaku.
Mitsuki met the tanuki's gaze, and the two silently gave each other a thumbs-up.like.jpg
Before long, the smell of grilled fish filled the air.
Drawn by the scent, Shukaku leapt from its perch like a starving beast, snatching up a skewer — only for Mitsuki to swat it out of his hands in one smooth motion.
"Hey!"
Mitsuki's hand became a chopping blade, bonking Shukaku lightly on the head.
"Idiot, you forgot the seasoning."
He pulled out a small bottle and sprinkled a perfectly balanced blend of spices over the fish before handing it back.
Shukaku's eyes lit up. One bite later, it was twirling in delight, doing little circles of pure joy.
Mitsuki seasoned the rest of the skewers and handed them to Ruri and Shisui.
Ruri took hers, leaned in to sniff it, and raised an eyebrow. "You actually carry spices with you on missions?"
She hadn't expected to be outdone in even this kind of detail.
"Picked them up at the market in that coastal town we passed earlier" Mitsuki replied with a casual grin.
"Oh, that time?" Shisui realized. "You said we were gathering intel on the Seven Ninja Swordsmen — but you were just looking for seasoning?"
Mitsuki's face turned a bit red.
"Tch— what do you mean shopping? A ninja collecting information — that's not shopping, that's reconnaissance!"
Shisui laughed.
"Sure, sure. Well, if I ever get any intel on the Seven Swordsmen, I'll let you know first."
Mitsuki's mood instantly lifted. "Deal!"
Ruri listened to the two make plans together, feeling like a third wheel crashing their party.
She bit into a piece of tender, crispy fish, her normally cool expression softening slightly.
"Then when you go after them next time, make sure you take me along."
"Me too!" Shukaku shouted, waving its little arms. "I'm coming too!"
Mitsuki, never one to ruin the mood, nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, of course."
Shisui looked at them all — Mitsuki, Ruri, Shukaku — laughing and eating by the fire.And in that moment, he finally understood.
This — this simple, fleeting joy — was exactly what it meant to enjoy life while you can.