Chapter 11

Yuki believed that as long as Minato Namikaze rescued Nawaki Senju in time, everything would be fine.

But they never imagined that on the battlefield, you can't dodge a situation countless times just because you dodged it once.

On his way back to the village, Senju Nawaki encountered a human bomb disguised as a Konoha child from Kirigakure. In order to save the child, whom he had never met and whose identity he did not know, he was severely injured by the impact of the bomb and was instantly on the verge of death.

In the end, the child couldn't be saved.

On the battlefield, the medical ninja could only perform simple bandaging and stop the bleeding before hurriedly sending him back to Konoha Hospital.

I heard that he lost one arm and both legs.

When Uchiha Yuki arrived at the hospital, a large group of Konoha high-ranking officials, their expressions grave, had already gathered outside the operating room. She had never seen so many important figures here at once, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. A woman with light blonde hair sat on a bench in front of the operating room, clutching Nawaki's necklace tightly in her hand, her expression somber. When she saw Yuki, a tear flashed in her eyes, but she quickly turned her face away, unwilling to let Yuki see her vulnerability.

Xue clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, but she felt no pain. She didn't know how long she had been waiting there; every second felt incredibly long. Finally, the red light in the operating room turned green, and medical staff slowly pushed a mobile hospital bed out.

On the hospital bed, Senju Nawaki's entire body was almost completely wrapped in bandages, but his exposed face still managed a weak smile as he tried to comfort those around him.

He spotted Xue, who was bowing her head, in the crowd and gently called out to her with his only remaining hand, "Xiao Xue..."

Xue bit her lower lip, trying hard to keep her voice from trembling: "Shengshu-nii..."

"Smile! Xiaoxue looks the most beautiful when she smiles." Rope Tree's voice was extremely weak, and even her lips were so pale that it seemed as if she would leave this world at any moment.

"Who are the family members?" the doctor asked, holding up the notification slip and speaking into the crowd.

Tsunade wiped away her tears, her voice choked with emotion: "I am."

The doctor looked at Nawaki on the hospital bed, sighed, pulled Tsunade aside, and lowered his voice: "He had most of his organs removed, plus massive bleeding and limb necrosis. His current state is just a final burst of energy before death... Prepare for the worst, it should be within the next day or two."

Tsunade had almost no idea how she signed that critical condition notice.

Back in the ward, she forced a smile and said to Uchiha Yuki, "Nawaki will get better, don't worry, Yuki."

After Yuki left, only Nawaki and Tsunade remained in the ward. Nawaki stared at the incandescent light on the ceiling, feeling his life slipping away like sand in an hourglass, disappearing little by little.

"I'm sorry to have made my sister come all the way back from the front lines. Is the situation alright?" Nawaki's voice was weak, tinged with concern.

"You child, the most important thing right now is to get some rest!" In her haste, Tsunade pretended to be busy and knocked over the kettle on the table. She bent down to pick up the kettle, wiped away her tears, and said in a trembling voice, "The doctor told me that Nawaki, you will get better."

“Sister…” Nawaki forced a smile, “The front lines in Sunagakure really need you, right?”

Tsunade fought back tears, her heart filled with immense grief. Nawaki… he was such a kind child, destined to become Hokage. Why did he have to suffer like this?

It rained on the day of Senju Nawaki's funeral, a light drizzle mixed with a few snowflakes, as heavy as the mood of everyone present. Uchiha Yuki felt a little discomfort in her eyes, as if someone had gently touched her shoulder. She looked up and saw Namikaze Minato.

He was dressed all in black, his face devoid of its usual smile. Xue had always felt there was a certain aloofness in his smile. But now, that aloofness felt somewhat real to her. She looked away from him, her voice low and heavy: "Minato-senpai..."

In the dim light, Minato Namikaze could see a fleeting crimson glint in Yuki Uchiha's eyes.

The Uchiha clan requires strong negative emotions to awaken their Sharingan. These emotions are converted into chakra, which acts on the optic nerve, causing changes in the eyes.

Minato Namikaze frowned, but when she looked at Yuki again, her eyes remained the same.

"Don't be too sad, Yuki. Death is a part of life for ninjas..." Minato Namikaze tried to comfort her.

Xue subconsciously felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, a few pixels of a smile appeared on her lips: "I'm fine, Minato-senpai."

It's fate...fate cannot be changed.

Yuki raised her head, while Minato Namikaze beside her lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the tombstone of Nawaki Senju in front of him.

Therefore, she and Minato-senpai... could not be together.

Even liking something isn't allowed.

The funeral ceremony proceeded in an orderly manner, with raindrops gently tapping on the cold coffin, making a dull and mournful sound, as if even the sky was mourning the passing of Senju Nawaki.

Xue clenched her fists tightly. After the ceremony, she held up her umbrella and walked alone back to the Uchiha territory. Lost in thought, she suddenly bumped into a tall figure. Her umbrella fell to the ground, but strangely, she didn't get wet at all.

Sakumo Hatake slightly turned his body, tilting the umbrella a little towards her. This Uchiha girl seemed to have a good relationship with Lord Nawaki. She had been absent-minded throughout the funeral and hadn't come to her senses yet.

"Ah...sorry." Xue realized what was happening and quickly picked up her umbrella from the ground. She looked up and saw a man with silver hair, wearing a Jonin uniform, with a white armband on his left shoulder embroidered with flame-shaped patterns. He had a short sword at his waist, which was said to be the "White Fang" who had slain countless powerful enemies.

“It’s Lord Hatake…” Yuki paused for a moment, then noticed the child he was holding. The child looked to be the same age as Obito, with the same silver hair, wearing a mask that revealed only a pair of calm and clear eyes, showing a maturity beyond his years… He was practically a miniature version of Hatake Sakumo.

"Is his name Yuki? Kakashi should be the same age as Obito. This September, both of them will be going to the Ninja Academy." Sakumo Hatake's voice was gentle yet powerful, giving people a strong sense of security.

Hearing Obito's name, Yuki felt a little relieved. "Hmm... I guess so," she replied softly.

There was really nothing to talk about between the two. Before parting, Hatake Sakumo asked Yuki with concern if she wanted him to buy her a three-colored dumpling.

He said, "When you're in a bad mood, eating something sweet might make you feel better."

Yuki shook her head and politely declined, saying, "Thank you, Lord Hatake."

Sakumo Hatake, holding Kakashi's hand, watched Yuki's receding figure and couldn't help but sigh.

"Don't the Senju and Uchiha clans have a bad relationship?" Kakashi asked, somewhat puzzled.

Hatake Sakumo gently tapped his head and chuckled, "That's all in the past. Younger generations like Fugaku and Yuki have a pretty good relationship with Lady Nawaki. Besides, the Senju clan is almost extinct now. After Lady Nawaki's passing... only Lady Tsunade remains from the line of the First Hokage."

Kakashi covered the spot where he had been hit, remaining silent.

-

On the surface, the passing of Senju Nawaki didn't seem to cause much of a stir in Konoha. Everyone's lives continued as usual. After washing up in the morning, Yuki would prepare lunchboxes for herself and Obito. If Obito stayed overnight at her house, the lunchboxes would be put in the refrigerator so he could eat them when he woke up; even if he wasn't there, Obito had a key to her house and could come over for meals anytime.

At lunchtime, Yuki would have lunch with Tokuma, Shikara, Genma, and Aki. After school in the afternoon, she would walk with Aki, who would occasionally complain to her about why Ritsu had to graduate from the Ninja Academy so early. She felt she could never keep up with him, and would always add, "Yuki, you're the best."

Sometimes, Xue would see Ritsu and Fugaku walking together in the clan's territory, and it seemed that Ritsu had become Fugaku's confidant.

Mikoto has also successfully been promoted to Chunin, but it feels like she's the only one... as if she's the only one still stuck in the same place.

Sometimes when everyone gets together, Fugaku would talk to Ritsu about his experiences on the battlefield; or he would discuss with Mikoto the engagement date and venue.

Xue felt completely unable to get a word in edgewise.

One day, the teacher called her and Nara Shikara to his office alone. He handed each of them a graduation notice, his expression serious and earnest: "You two have already met the standards for graduating from the Ninja Academy." He interlaced his fingers, rested his chin on his hand, and continued, "However, Konoha Village is not short of genin at the moment. If you are willing to study for another year like the other students and graduate normally, that is perfectly acceptable."

Upon hearing this, Nara Shikara turned his gaze to Yuki, who was also looking at him. After a moment of eye contact, they spoke almost simultaneously:

"Teacher, we/I'd like to think about it."

Lu Liang said "we", while Xue said "I".

For some reason, Lu Liang became somewhat angry.

Yuki was still a little confused, her head filled with questions. Why had Nara stopped talking to her after coming back from the teacher's office?

During lunch, Hyuga Tokuma gently nudged Yuki's shoulder. Yuki turned her head, her gaze falling on Tokuma's distinctive center-parted braids—two small braids tied on either side of his forehead. Tokuma lowered his voice and leaned close to Yuki's ear, asking, "Did you and Shikara have a fight?"

Yuki glanced at Nara Shikara, who usually sat beside her but was now sitting far away, and felt a little uncertain. She hesitated before answering, "I guess... no?"

At this moment, Genma Shiranui also came over and asked curiously, "What did the teacher say when he called you to the office?"

Xue bluntly stated, "The teacher asked me and Nara-kun whether we wanted to graduate early."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a "crack" was heard, and the thin twig that Genma Shiranui was holding snapped in two.

Hyuga Tokuma then pressed on, "And then? What was your answer?"

Yuki glanced at Genma Shiranui, who had spat out the twig from his mouth, and continued, "I told the teacher I needed to think about it; Nara-kun said we need to think about it."

Hyuga Tokuma nodded slightly and analyzed, "I understand. The key to the problem lies in your answer, Yuki. Shikara considers you to be on his side, and sees you and him as a unit. But the way you answered made Nara feel that you excluded him, which is why he was a little angry."

As expected of the Hyuga clan with their Byakugan, their perception and analytical abilities are truly outstanding.

Xue was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and quickly explained, "I just feel that everyone has different ideas, and I can't make a decision for Lu Liangjun without his consent..."

At this moment, Genma Shiranui interjected, "Why don't we just ignore him?"

Upon hearing this, Xue frowned immediately and retorted, "Isn't that inappropriate? It will upset Lu Liangjun."

Upon seeing this, Genma Shiranui quickly changed his tune: "I was just joking."