Steve looked at Natasha, "You're not going with Fury?"
She smiled and shook her head, "No!"
Steve asked again, "Not staying either?"
Natasha replied with a grin, "I found a nice place, in New York."
"Kirigakure has recruited a bunch of people from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. They want me to help out."
Steve was surprised, "Wow! That sounds like a great place to be."
Natasha nodded, "At least there, no one's going to come after me anymore."
She handed Steve a file she had brought with her, "That thing you wanted, I got some friends in Kyiv to help out."
Steve accepted the file and said, "Thank you!"
Natasha looked at him and cautioned, "Be careful, Steve."
"What's in there… you'll need to be prepared."
With those words, Natasha turned and walked away. Her next stop was the Kirigakure base, where plenty of work awaited her.
As Natasha disappeared from view, Steve opened the file. The first page contained a photograph of Bucky Barnes, frozen in ice.
Sam came over, glanced at the file, and asked, "So, are you going to find him?"
Steve responded, "You don't have to come with me."
Sam smiled and said, "I know. So, when do we leave?"
Steve closed the file, looking down at the suitcase in his hand containing the serum. He shook his head, "First, there's something else I need to do."
Without hesitation, Sam said, "Man, I'm coming with you."
Steve didn't argue. Together, they went to a nursing home where Peggy Carter resided.
Standing by the bed of an elderly woman, Sam asked in confusion, "Is she…?"
Steve replied, "Peggy Carter, the love of my life."
Sam immediately recognized the name. Peggy Carter was a co-founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., and her image had been immortalized in the Captain America exhibit.
At that moment, Sam understood why Steve had asked Fury for the serum, and why Fury had trusted him with it in such dire times.
Steve opened the suitcase and took out the serum. He gazed at Peggy as her eyes slowly fluttered open and softly said, "Let's bring back your youth, my love."
Peggy, her eyes still hazy, looked at him and whispered, "Steve… are you here to take me home?"
Steve smiled and shook his head, "I'm here to take you, but not to that place."
With that, he injected the serum into Peggy Carter's body.
As the serum coursed through her veins, its energy began revitalizing her blood. Shrunken, dried-out blood vessels were restored, and murky blood regained its vibrant color.
When the serum reached her heart, it transformed from a weakened organ into a strong, youthful one, beating powerfully once more.
Her cells, rejuvenated with newfound energy, became active, dividing again. Even her mitochondria regrew, pushing her lifespan to human limits and restoring her youthful appearance.
Steve and Sam watched in amazement as Peggy's elderly features morphed into those of a radiant woman in her forties.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Steve embraced her tightly and called out, "Peggy! Peggy!"
Understanding the moment, Sam quietly exited the private room.
…
Kirigakure Base-
Mei Terumi stood before a team of three hundred people, all recruited with the help of Kirigakure ninjas.
The group included twenty serum-enhanced operatives, five individuals with Flame Curse Marks, a hundred logistical trainees, thirty top students from the three major academies, a hundred researchers, and forty field agents.
Turning to Natasha, Mei said, "Natasha, I'm leaving this group to you."
"My only request—make the best use of everyone and everything."
Natasha glanced over the agents, recognizing familiar faces. She responded, "We need a bigger base. This villa is spacious, but it's not enough for all three hundred people."
Mei waved her hand dismissively, "Buy it. Money's no object for Kirigakure."
"Ao," she added, "work with Natasha to find a good spot in New York for our headquarters."
Ao nodded, "Yes, Mizukage-sama."
Natasha suggested, "S.H.I.E.L.D. has an unused airbase nearby. It's large enough for research and training. I think it would be perfect. And with Kirigakure involved, acquiring it shouldn't cost much."
Believing this was a sound plan, Mei nodded in agreement, "Fine. Handle it with Ao. If you think it's the right choice, we'll take it over."
…
Elsewhere-
In the distance, Cloud Ninja operatives—Darui, Karui, Yugito Nii, and Mabui—were tracking Ward. The distance gap between them was significant, buying Garrett and Ward time to rally reinforcements.
At that moment, Ward broke into the prison holding Raina. He strode confidently into her cell.
Seeing him, Raina asked warily, "What are you doing here?"
Ward grinned, stepped closer, and pulled a gift box from his bag. Holding it out before the terrified Raina, he said, "The Clairvoyant wanted me to deliver a gift."