As Chizhao walked home, a flurry of thoughts, like circling birds, lingered in her mind.
She had already altered parts of this world's plot, so relying on her previous memories could no longer accurately predict future developments.
Therefore, many of her decisions were fraught with difficult choices.
Rubbing her temples with a headache, she navigated the winding alleyways, her heart heavy with worry.
Suddenly, a figure glided lightly from the other side, catching her attention.
"Hm?"
Chizhao looked over and noticed a faint, mottled glint of some liquid reflecting light on the ground in the corner.
A pang of worry surged within her, and she quickly ran deeper into the alley.
Sure enough, not far ahead, she saw Kakashi Hatake, swaying slightly, his iconic white fox mask askew on his head, dressed in Anbu battle attire.
A glaring wound was clearly visible on his exposed arm; blood snaked down his arm, dripping from his fingertips onto the ground, painting a series of poignant blood flowers on the path behind him.
He finally exhausted his last bit of strength, slowly leaned against the wall, took off his mask with his right hand, and sat on the ground with his head bowed.
It seemed he must have completed an extremely arduous mission.
"Big Brother Kakashi!"
Kakashi paused at the sound, covering the wound on his left arm, and sharply turned his head, his weary eyes struggling to stay open, as if they could close at any moment.
The faint scent of blood wafted through the alley, and Chizhao quickened her pace, jogging towards Kakashi.
"Don't come closer....."
Kakashi's tired voice was accompanied by heavy gasps.
"But your injury..."
"You don't need to worry about it, just leave quickly."
His voice was light, yet it conveyed an undeniable resolve, mixed with an inexplicable chill.
Looking at the girl who had stopped, Kakashi couldn't help but think to himself:
He hadn't expected this mission to take so long, so much so that days of fatigue and pain had left him so weak.
He had even accidentally caught her attention.
"I don't think I need to follow your orders, do I?"
Chizhao retorted stubbornly, ignoring Kakashi's slightly dangerous gaze, and resolutely ran to him, squatting down, her brows tightly furrowed as she stared at the bleeding wound.
"You......"
Just as he was about to get angry, she interrupted him first:
"Big Brother Kakashi, you've been monitoring me for so long, haven't you noticed anything special about me?"
Kakashi was stunned. He had indeed been monitoring her, but for a long time, he hadn't found anything unusual about her.
The Third Hokage had also said that the priority level was not high, which led to a slackening of her surveillance.
However, this girl in front of him, not only was not surprised by his identity, but instead actively inquired about his mission progress… all of this seemed so illogical.
It was as if she already knew everything, yet had always been cooperating with him.
His vigilance increased a few notches.
"What do you mean?"
"Then let me tell you......" She gently touched Kakashi's injured arm:
"My special quality."
Anyway, for the Old Man Hokage, it was no longer an important secret.
Kakashi watched the girl in front of him; compared to a few years ago, her hair had grown quite a bit, and her emerald green eyes were still as bright as ever in the dim alley.
He looked at Chizhao gravely, as if at this moment, she was her most authentic self.
Chizhao, who was about to pull out a Membrane Card, hesitated.
She looked at Kakashi's lifeless right eye.
His left eye remained tightly closed, a vertical scar running through the middle of it, appearing even deeper in the dim light.
It's better not to be seen.
"This is a secret healing technique, I can't let you see it."
With that, she took it upon herself to reach out and cover Kakashi's eyes.
"Hey....."
Suddenly, darkness enveloped him, making Kakashi's body stiffen.
He was about to raise his right hand to stop her somewhat dangerous action, but she preempted him, pressing his hand down.
The warmth on the back of his hand made him pause for a moment, and the girl's relaxed tone, as if comforting him, came from the darkness in front.
"Just so you know, if you're going to thank me, I only accept watermelon."
Amused by her nonsensical words, Kakashi hesitated in his movements and slowly said:
"It seems I'm inextricably linked to watermelon....."
He lowered his hand, looking resigned.
Chizhao released her hand, and seeing Kakashi close his eyes, letting down his guard, she then took out the Membrane Card to heal him.
【Good Deed Progress +2】
Feeling the pain in his arm disappear bit by bit, Kakashi pondered inwardly.
Is it a healing Ninjutsu?
Can she use such precise Ninjutsu before even graduating from the Ninja Academy?
And who did she learn it from?
I had no idea, this is truly.......
"Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Hearing this, Kakashi opened his right eye, and to his surprise, he found that the wound on his left arm had already healed as if new, with only some dried bloodstains still congealed on the surface of his skin.
"Is that your..... healing Ninjutsu?"
"Something like that. How is it? Isn't this a special discovery?"
Looking at the girl's gentle face, Rin's face flashed through Kakashi's mind.
A long time ago, Rin also used to heal his wounds like this.....
He lowered his head and pondered for a while, his white hair a bit disheveled from his travels.
He stood up, his previously gentle demeanor gone, his tone suddenly becoming serious:
"You are too unguarded."
His powerless right eye instantly sharpened, staring intently at Chizhao, who stood frozen, a low pressure emanating around him:
"Not everyone will accept your kindness, and not everyone is as friendly as you perceive them to be."
"Your naivety will sooner or later be your undoing....."
A cold aura filled the surroundings, and Chizhao felt something catch in her throat, making it hard to swallow.
Kakashi glanced at her indifferently:
"This world is cruel; those who harbor fantasies do not deserve to live."
With that, he vanished from the spot in an instant.
The surroundings suddenly became quiet. Chizhao looked at the dried bloodstains on the ground, Kakashi's voice still echoing in her mind.
She didn't understand why Kakashi had suddenly become so stern.
Her chest felt as if it were weighed down by a stone, making it hard for her to breathe.
Naive?
It was such a beautiful word, yet why did it make her feel so awful?
Standing on the rooftop, Kakashi watched the girl's lonely retreating figure.
His eyes drooped slightly, hiding all his emotions beneath his mask.
He knew his words had been a bit harsh.
But one day, she would have to leave the greenhouse and face the unknown on her own.
Only by doing so could she survive in this bloody world.
And survival was more important than anything else.
Finally, he cast one last glance at the girl's back, and in a gust of wind, disappeared from the rooftop.
.......
Chizhao returned home a little dejectedly. Opening the door, she smelled the aroma of food and saw Keiko walking towards her, which brightened her mood slightly.
"I'm home, Grandma."
"Welcome home. How was school today?"
After neatly arranging her shoes, Chizhao stepped onto the entryway and, without warning, tightly hugged Keiko. The scent of family, like a spring breeze, instantly calmed the ripples in her heart.
Keiko was startled for a moment, then gently patted Chizhao's back, her voice as soft as the warm sun of spring:
"What's wrong? Did something unpleasant happen?"
The girl in her arms shook her head.
Then she raised her eyes and looked at Keiko, whose eyes were already lined with wrinkles, and the emotions surging within her turned into a bittersweet ache.
She pursed her lips, her voice firm:
"Grandma, I will graduate well, and then I will earn lots and lots of money, and in the future, open a restaurant to share Grandma's delicious food with even more people!"
Keiko playfully pinched her nose, her eyes full of laughter:
"Then you'll have to learn a few more dishes so you can inherit my unique cooking recipes."
"Okay! I'll study hard!"
Chizhao happily agreed, and then, like a joyful little bird, she skipped into the kitchen, beginning to meticulously prepare the ingredients for what was to come.
Even without parents, the love her grandmother gave her was enough to soothe the pain deeply buried in her memories.
Wherever her grandmother was, there would always be a warm, unconditionally accepting embrace, her eternal safe harbor.
It was a place where she could always remain innocent.