"Senpai… it's really you." Satomi looked slightly surprised. "Weren't you assigned to another mission?"
"It's a long story… I'll untie you first."
"Alright."
As he worked, Shimizu suddenly noticed something—
A faint flow of chakra was circulating within her body.
"You've recovered… at least a little?"
"…I couldn't just sit there and do nothing after falling into enemy hands."
But pushing herself like that…
…would only make recovery harder.
Under the dim, yellow light, her face looked especially worn and fragile.
Even Shimizu's arrival hadn't lifted the heaviness in her spirit.
This… was the look of a shinobi driven to the brink.
"Anyone else left?" he asked.
"No…"
Satomi gave a faint smile. "I never imagined you'd show up here, Senpai."
"…Thank you."
The gratitude in her voice was genuine.
"You're thanking me too early. We're not out of danger yet."
"I'm already satisfied."
Shimizu understood that despair—the helplessness of being captured.
He had experienced it himself.
That kind of fear and emptiness…
…was something she would have to overcome on her own.
So instead, he asked,
"…How did you end up in the bait unit?"
"We were intercepted by the Sand. Yoshimaru and Kosuke-senpai broke through to the north… I had no chakra left, so I couldn't escape." She paused. "So I chose to act as bait… buy time for the others."
So Yoshimaru and Kosuke had gone north…
At this point, all he could do was hope they would meet up with Orochimaru soon.
"Our bait squad was organized voluntarily by Captain Kaneda. Everyone in it… was like me. No real chance of breaking through."
"Yoshimaru and Kosuke-senpai tried to stop him at first…"
"But they couldn't change his mind."
"…In the end, everyone died."
"I'm the only one left."
Shimizu had seen the bodies along the way.
So those people…
…had willingly formed a sacrificial unit, just to give their comrades a chance.
"Where's Miki?" A voice echoed faintly from outside the tent.
So they'd already noticed someone was missing.
It wouldn't be long before they checked here—an unguarded tent would stand out immediately.
Shimizu crouched down, lowering his voice.
"Get on. We're leaving."
"…Okay."
Her soft, fragile voice brushed against his ears, making them burn slightly.
His hand supported her legs as he lifted her onto his back, his palm brushing against her smooth skin—
Soft. Warm.
Shimizu felt his face heat up.
Strange…
The last time he carried her, he hadn't noticed any of this.
Was it because he'd been in worse condition back then?
Or because he had deliberately kept his distance?
"Hold tight."
Chakra surged to his feet—and he leapt forward.
"Enemy attack!" Alarms erupted across the Sand camp, piercing the night.
"…Their response is fast," Satomi said, puzzled.
"Your tent was surrounded by multiple layers of seals… something like barrier jutsu."
The moment they broke free from the camp, Shimizu pushed his speed to the limit, plunging into the dark forest with Satomi on his back.
200 meters… 250… 300…
In her pale eyes, the Sand encampment—once a symbol of despair and death—grew smaller and smaller…
Until it vanished completely.
'…Did I really survive?'
The howling northern wind swept through her hair—
…and seemed to carry away the shadows in her heart.
She gently rested her head against his shoulder.
…
...
...
Within Shimizu's 410-meter sensory range…
Sand shinobi appeared once again.
That's the third time...
At last, Shimizu abandoned the idea of heading straight back to Konoha.
He veered sharply, changing direction—charging southwest, toward the Land of Rivers.
It was infuriating. He had been running at high speeds for nearly an hour, yet he couldn't shake the pursuit. They were as persistent as leeches.
"…This direction… Senpai, are we heading for the Land of Rivers?"
"…I can't shake them. It feels like the entire southern region of the Land of Fire is crawling with their people."
"…It's a war hawk."
Shimizu looked up, but under the vast night sky, he couldn't see anything.
Then he turned his head—and caught sight of Satomi's Byakugan flaring open. His expression tightened.
"Stop using your chakra."
"But—"
"No 'buts.'" Shimizu cut her off firmly. His tone turned serious. "If you lose the ability to be a shinobi… you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
"And as for that hawk… let it follow if it wants."
"The Sand may have deployed enough forces across the southern Land of Fire… but I don't believe they've got troops stationed in this direction too."
"I'll shake them off completely."
With that, Shimizu increased his chakra output. His speed surged again as he charged into the unknown southwest.
And just as he'd predicted—
By the time the first rays of morning sunlight fell on him, no enemies remained within his sensory range.
"That should do it…" The moment Shimizu stopped to rest, he noticed his legs trembling slightly.
Running alone at high speed…
…and running at the same pace while carrying someone—were worlds apart.
"Senpai… this is the second time you've saved me," Satomi said softly, her voice regaining some life.
Under the sunlight, the gloom on her face had finally lifted.
Like a sky clearing after rain.
"I hope there won't be a third," Shimizu muttered, rubbing his aching legs.
"…Am I heavy?"
"Well, you're still a person. It's not like you're light."
For a brief moment, Shimizu thought he heard distant thunder rumbling.
He looked up sharply—but saw nothing unusual.
Was it just his imagination? The sky was perfectly clear.
"We're near the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind," Shimizu explained. "I plan to follow this border north, bypass the Land of Rain, and detour into the Land of Grass. From there, we'll cross back into Konoha."
"Can't we just go straight through the Land of Rain?"
"No. It's under lockdown. If we're discovered, it could trigger a serious diplomatic incident." He paused, then added, "Besides… Hanzo of the Salamander isn't someone you want to provoke."
"Then… we might end up entering the Land of Earth's territory?"
"Just along the border," Shimizu replied. He had no intention of sightseeing in the Land of Earth.
"If the Stone ninja spot us, that'll be trouble too, right?"
"We'll be careful. We don't have a choice—we can't go back the way we came. This is the safest route."
Thinking of the Stone, Shimizu recalled that Iwagakure squad that had infiltrated Konoha for unknown intel. He wondered how that situation had been handled.
"Senpai, I'll follow your lead."
Shimizu clicked his tongue inwardly.
This was going to take several days.
If he had to carry her the whole way… his legs might actually give out.
But if she could walk on her own…
…then there would be no more of that soft warmth, no faint lingering scent of her presence.
The contradiction in his heart grew sharper—
until he couldn't ignore it anymore.
"…Can you walk?" he finally asked. Even he wasn't sure what answer he was hoping for.
"It's probably the aftereffects of forcing my chakra… I haven't been able to move since last night."
"…Then I'll carry you. Focus on recovering."