Chapter 247: Just You Wait
A voice echoed across the pier, breaking Kitahara Kaede’s train of thought.
He had originally planned to return to Konoha first to inform Minato before rushing to the Hidden Rain Village as quickly as possible. He still didn’t know whose hands Nagato’s Rinnegan had fallen into, and the longer this dragged on, the more uneasy he became.
Despite his urgency, he turned around when he heard the voice.
Terumi Mei was standing there at the end of the pier, her slightly reddened eyes fixed on him, refusing to look away.
Kaede glanced back at the passenger ship. It would be a little while longer before it was ready. He walked toward Terumi Mei and stopped in front of her.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The sea breeze blew past, sending strands of Mei’s long hair sweeping across her cheeks, but she didn’t bother to brush them aside.
"Why are you leaving in such a rush?" Mei finally spoke. "Even if you just left me a note, it wouldn’t have taken long, would it?"
Kaede remained silent for a moment before explaining patiently, "Something very serious happened. Once I got the news, I had to leave immediately."
"Yagura’s Genjutsu has been lifted. Kirigakure won’t be in chaos for the time being."
Mei took a step closer. "Then leave a day later, please?" She looked up at him, her expression bordering on a plea. "Just one day. I’ll personally escort you to the pier tomorrow."
Kaede hadn’t expected her to be this direct. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest, but he still shook his head. "I’m sorry, I have to leave tonight."
As soon as he spoke, the fragility on Mei’s face vanished. She remembered the letter she had intercepted, and a wave of bitterness surged within her.
"You *have* to leave?" she asked. "Because Pakura urged you to return, you can’t even wait a single night?"
Kaede frowned. "This has nothing to do with her."
"How could it not?!" Mei’s emotions boiled over. "Not long after she had people urge you to return, the urgent letter from Konoha arrived. The moment you saw that letter, you didn’t even pack your clothes—you just left me behind!"
Kaede looked at her but didn’t argue. Instead, he reached into his robes, pulled out the piece of stationery, and held it out to her.
"See for yourself."
Mei took the letter and scanned it quickly under the pier’s lights. There was only one line of text:
*Nagato’s eyes have been stolen; Fu has disappeared!*
Her anger faltered for a second. Mei knew that Nagato was a pivotal figure in Amegakure, but she didn’t truly understand what those eyes signified.
She handed the letter back, though her attitude remained cold. "If something happened in Amegakure, Yahiko can handle it. Why are you so anxious?"
Kaede took the letter and tucked it back into his robes. "Nagato’s eyes affect the entire Shinobi World. This matter concerns me as well."
"The entire Shinobi World?!" Mei let out a sharp, mocking laugh, though her eyes grew redder. "If you wanted to go back and see Pakura, you could have just told me. Why make up such an absurd lie to brush me off?"
Kaede’s expression darkened. He had wanted to be mindful of Mei’s feelings and avoid mentioning the things in her drawer, but if she continued to act like this, he would never be able to leave.
"And what about you?" Kaede asked bluntly. "Privately opening the letters I sent to Konoha and ordering an investigation into Pakura—does that count as a mission?"
Mei’s expression froze.
"You read the letter Minato wrote to me and kept it locked in your drawer," Kaede continued. "The defense maps Genji gave you? You didn’t give those to me either." He paused before adding the final blow. "My residence, my daily routine... everything about my life is under your surveillance."
Mei opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Looking at her pale face, Kaede’s anger eventually subsided.
"I haven’t mentioned this because I understand why you did it. I bear some responsibility for the impact those memories had on you. I can overlook those things; I can act as if they never happened."
He shifted his gaze toward the distant horizon.
"But if Nagato’s eyes are stolen, the entire Shinobi World will fall into chaos. So today, no matter how you try to stop me, I am leaving."
Mei was silent for a few breaths, then suddenly looked up.
"Yes, I opened your letters, and I investigated Pakura. I even thought about filling every second of your time so you would have no chance to leave Kirigakure."
Kaede looked back at her. Mei didn’t flinch; tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"Because I wanted you to stay. Is that a crime? Every day when I open my eyes, my greatest fear is that you’ve disappeared again. As long as you are by my side, I am willing to do anything."
Kaede found himself unable to respond. Behind him, the passenger ship had docked, and passengers were beginning to board. He looked away and let out a slow breath.
"I know how you feel. But I still have to go."
He turned and headed toward the ship. He had only taken one step when Mei caught up to him. She blocked his path, threw her arms around his neck, and pulled him down with force.
Her warm lips pressed heavily against his.
Kaede froze, his mind going blank for several seconds. The sea breeze whipped around them, and the sounds of the pier seemed to fade into the distance. Mei closed her eyes, her kiss clumsy and desperate, yet devoid of any hesitation.
Once he regained his senses, Kaede immediately gripped her shoulders and pushed her away. Mei stumbled back half a step before regaining her balance.
Kaede glanced at her. He didn’t scold her, nor did he offer further explanations. He started walking again.
Watching his retreating back, the panic in Mei’s heart finally took over. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist from behind.
"Don’t go!" Mei buried her face in his back, her tears quickly soaking through his clothes. "I know I look pathetic right now, but I can’t control it! In those memories... I killed you with my own hands!"
Her breathing was ragged, her voice thick with sobs. "And now you’re leaving alone again. Who knows if you’ll even come back? I’ve already lost you once; I can’t handle it a second time!"
Kaede stood still for a long time. He could feel her body trembling against his back—the fear was genuine. He closed his eyes and pushed down his softening heart.
The Rinnegan could not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. He didn’t want to end up wrapped in bandages, hanging from a tree waiting for someone to save him. Nor did he want the people he cared about to suffer such a fate.
He looked down and slowly pried Mei’s hands from his waist. She struggled to hold on, but she was no match for his strength.
"Once I handle this, we will see each other again."
Kaede released her hands and walked forward. Mei stood her ground and screamed after him through her tears.
"Kitahara Kaede! If you dare lie to me, I will never let you off!"
He didn’t look back, merely raising a hand in a wave.
The ship had already drifted a few feet from the pier. With a single leap, Kaede landed steadily on the deck. The ship’s horn blared, and the vessel slowly steamed toward the open sea.
Mei chased him to the very edge of the pier, but there was nowhere left to go. The sea breeze tossed her hair as the figure on the deck grew smaller and more blurred. She remained there long after the ship had vanished into the night.
Mei didn’t remember how she made her way back to that street. By the time she came to her senses, she was standing in front of the small building where Kaede had stayed.
She took out the spare key and pushed open the door. The lights in the living room were off; everything was exactly as he had left it. Mei slowly climbed to the second floor and pushed open the bedroom door.
By the bedside lay the clothes Kaede had changed out of yesterday, which he hadn’t had time to pack. She walked over, picked up the clothes, and sat on the edge of the bed.
As his familiar scent filled her nose, Mei could no longer hold it back. She buried her face in the fabric, and the sobs she had suppressed all the way home finally echoed through the empty room.
"Just you wait..." Mei whispered brokenly, clutching the clothes to her chest. "Once I have total control over Kirigakure, I will personally steal you back."