Hidden acts of kindness and a worried heart
The atmosphere on the return oxcart became somewhat tense. The earlier, playful, relaxed atmosphere was gone, replaced by a dull, vaguely uneasy feeling. Several cousins whispered among themselves, occasionally glancing with a mixture of curiosity, fear, and a hint of disgust at the auxiliary cart in the middle of the procession, where the unconscious boy lay.
Uchiha Aoi sat quietly in the corner of the main car, head bowed, hands clasped tightly in her lap. She looked horrified by her recent discovery, still reeling from her shock. Only she knew that beneath her wide sleeves, her fingers were trembling slightly from nervousness and subsequent worry.
She saved him. A dangerous ninja.
This realization weighed on her heart like a heavy stone. Reason told her that this was an extremely dangerous and foolish act. If he were a ninja from a clan hostile to the Uchiha clan, even if no one else knew she had rescued the injured ninja first, even if she didn't face severe punishment, she would be consumed by self-blame and regret.
On the other hand, watching a life disappear before her eyes without reacting went against her most fundamental moral compass. In particular, the young ninja's pale face and pained frown made her involuntarily think of her brothers, Madara and Izuna, far away on the battlefield. If her brothers were in danger, would anyone offer them a helping hand? This empathy was a key driver of her impulsive behavior.
Now that she had calmed down, the fear that followed surged like a cold tide. She could only pray, pray that the boy's injuries were too severe to be saved (this thought made her feel a little guilty), or pray that he would leave immediately after waking up, so that no one would ever know what happened today, and no one would be able to trace her to be the first to discover him.
The oxcart creaked back into the walled mansion. Entering through a side door, the question of how to accommodate the unconscious ninja arose. Calling in the mansion's physician was out of the question; word would surely reach Grandma. Ultimately, the experienced captain of the guards made the decision: to place the man in a secluded backyard storage shed. He would then personally find a close-mouthed, uninformed doctor to examine him. Whether he was dead or alive would be left to fate. In short, the masters of the inner chambers must not be disturbed.
This arrangement made Aoi feel a little relieved. At least, the situation was temporarily under control within a smaller scope.
For the next half day, Aoi remained restless. She made frequent mistakes during etiquette practice, was absent-minded while arranging flowers, and even ate very little at dinner. Her grandmother simply assumed she was frightened by the day's "scarce" experience and offered a few words of comfort before pursuing the matter further.
As night fell, the mansion gradually quieted. Kui lay on the couch, unable to sleep. Her ears perked up, listening carefully to the sounds outside. She seemed to hear faint, subtle noises coming from the backyard (probably a figment of her imagination), and she wondered if the young man was still alive, if the doctor had arrived, and what his injuries were like...
An inexplicable worry, mixed with immense fear and uneasiness, gripped her. By saving him, she felt as if she had established a subtle yet dangerous connection with him. She even began to regret her impulsive actions, which might indeed bring about unforeseen disasters.
But at the same time, there was a faint voice in my heart saying: You did what you thought was right at the time.
She spent a long night in this state of extreme conflict and self-torture. The next morning, she excused herself for not sleeping well from the previous night's fright and decided to take a walk around to calm herself. Cautiously, she approached the backyard area. She saw the captain of the guards emerge from the hut, his face calm, and whisper a few words to a trusted guard standing guard outside.
"...He's quite strong, he won't die for now... The fever has subsided a bit... Just keep an eye on him, don't make any noise..."
The intermittent words floated into Aoi's ears, and her heart, which had been hanging high, finally settled down a little.
He survived.
This realization filled her with mixed emotions. A sigh of relief, but then came a deeper worry: What would happen when he woke up? Would he remember? What kind of person would he be? Would he turn against her?
She didn't dare ask any more questions, nor did she dare approach the hut again. She could only force herself to return to her normal routine, burying her anxiety and secrets even deeper, like a detonator that might explode at any moment. All she could do was cast a quick glance in that direction when no one was paying attention, silently praying: Get well soon, and then, quietly, leave.
Her adventurous act, which was motivated by instinct and kindness, was like throwing a stone into a calm lake. The ripples were slowly spreading beneath the surface, unknown to anyone.
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