"Careful, if you keep smiling like that, your face might get stuck," Nagato said, gradually regaining his composure enough to tease her.
"Ah, don't you dare say that to me!" Nonō shot back, standing up and swinging her fist at him.
"I'm not going to fight you," Nagato said, dodging her punch and instead tickling her sides.
"Haha, hahaha… You're being naughty!" Nonō exclaimed, twisting her body as she tried to escape. When had I ever revealed my weak point?
"Okay, how about we call it a draw?" Nagato said, stopping first.
Nonō gave him one last playful punch to vent her frustration.
"Fine," she said, brushing the messy strands of hair from her face.
Her cheeks had turned bright red, though she wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or the heat of the moment.
"Are you going to the Anbu tomorrow?" Nagato asked, having already come to terms with her impending departure.
"If you want me to go, I'll go," Nonō said mischievously, leaving the choice to him.
"Then don't go—just rest at home," Nagato replied. He felt it would be better for her to recover in peace rather than endure more training at the Anbu.
"Okay, I'll do as you say," Nonō agreed easily. Then, as she twirled her eyes mischievously, an idea struck her.
"I just had surgery today, so don't you, as my doctor, need to come visit me more often?"
Seeing her playful side, Nagato couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"Yes, I'll come visit you tomorrow," Nagato said, already preparing to ask Sakumo for leave.
"That's more like it," Nonō said with a small smile. After a moment's thought, she picked up her glasses.
"Take these as a souvenir. I don't need them anymore," she said. These glasses had been with her for many years, and even if she no longer needed them, they still held significant meaning.
"I'll keep them safe," Nagato said solemnly, accepting them. He understood that this was likely her parting gift.
"Don't you have anything you want to say to me?" Nonō asked, a small glimmer of hope in her voice. She wished Nagato would take the initiative.
"Take care of yourself. I'll come back tomorrow," Nagato replied, scratching his head. With his personality, it was hard for him to meet Nonō's unspoken expectations.
"Idiot," Nonō murmured softly, taking the initiative to hug him.
"Don't forget me," she whispered, her voice gentle in his ear.
"Okay," Nagato said after a brief hesitation, wrapping his arms around her in return.
The two of them held each other tightly, feeling the warmth of the embrace.
After a while, Nonō let go and stepped back. "Then go back soon," she said, her emotions now under control. She walked to the door and opened it.
"Well, see you tomorrow," Nagato said as he stepped out, though he lingered for a moment, not leaving right away.
"I'll close the door after I can't see you anymore," Nonō said, leaning slightly out of the doorway.
"Okay then," Nagato replied. He had planned to wait for her to close the door first, but now set aside his own hesitation.
"I'm leaving," Nagato said, waving goodbye before turning and walking quickly away.
Nonō watched him until his figure disappeared from view. Only then did she slowly close the door.
Leaning against it, she stood there quietly for a long time. Finally, she took a couple of deep breaths and walked into the bathroom.
The next day, Nagato took leave to spend the entire day with Nonō.
Both of them deliberately avoided the topic of parting. Instead, they ate, drank, and enjoyed themselves, leaving their footprints all over Konoha.
It was late at night when they finally said their goodbyes.
There was no reluctance, no hesitation—only smiles. But after they parted, their faces were filled with quiet desolation.
After that day, there was one less girl named Nonō Yakushi in Nagato's world.
Life went on, and perhaps someday in the future, he would hear her voice again.
As the days passed, Nagato learned from Tsunade that everyone in the Intelligence Division had been dispatched.
"Nagato, have you been in a bad mood lately?" Tsunade asked suddenly one evening at the Hatake Clan restaurant.
Nagato thought he had been hiding his emotions well, but how could he fool the elders who saw him every day?
"Huh? I'm fine," Nagato replied, startled. His hand trembled as he picked up his food, but he tried to act as though he didn't understand why Tsunade was asking.
"You can pretend outside, but don't hold it in at home. Everyone can tell," Kawakaze said, giving Nagato a sideways glance. Who could you possibly fool Nagato?
As soon as Kawakaze spoke, Minato and the others nodded in agreement. While Nagato hadn't changed much outwardly, they could still sense something was different.
"I'm really fine, don't worry," Nagato insisted stubbornly, refusing to admit anything.
"Nonō has already left the village," Tsunade said casually, adding a piece of food to Kawakaze's plate while glancing at Nagato out of the corner of her eye. "She left last night."
"She left?" Nagato's face finally betrayed him. His expression shifted, though it was unclear whether he felt disappointment or relief.
It had all gone according to plan—no accidents, no delays. Nonō's departure was inevitable, and nothing could have changed that.
"Well, I thought it would be better to tell you," Tsunade said softly, her tone careful. She didn't want Nagato to be too troubled and was preparing to comfort him if needed.
"Where did she go?" Nagato asked, but after a moment, he gave a helpless wry smile. "Forget it, I won't ask."
With that, he put down his chopsticks, unsure if he was even full.
"I don't know much about this either. I've left it in Jiraiya's hands," Tsunade replied. She wasn't withholding information—she genuinely hadn't been involved, trusting Jiraiya fully to handle the matter.
"Will she be able to come back?" Nagato asked weakly. This was the question that weighed on him most. If he ever heard bad news about Nonō, he wasn't sure how he would handle it.
"Don't worry, she's not some weak girl," Kawakaze said reassuringly. "She'll definitely come back."
Nonō's reputation as the "Wandering Nun" wasn't earned without reason. Perhaps she was born for this kind of work, and if not for Danzo's schemes, she might not have met such an untimely end in the original story.
"I hope so," Nagato said softly. He knew how dangerous a mission as a spy behind enemy lines could be. If Nonō were discovered, escaping from a foreign country would be nearly impossible. All he could do now was silently pray for her safety.
"Everyday people who become ninja must be prepared to give up their lives," Sakumo said. "You're still young—you haven't experienced enough of these things. At least Nonō is safe for now. She's already very lucky."
Sakumo's words weren't comforting, but they came from his many years of experience. He had witnessed so much death and separation that he had long since lost count. As long as someone was still alive, there was always the hope that they might return.
"I understand," Nagato replied, nodding. He truly did understand. During his battle with the Third Mizukage, he had been prepared to die.
But understanding didn't mean indifference. As Sakumo had said, Nagato hadn't yet experienced enough to become numb to it.
"Okay, I won't say anymore," Sakumo said. "You're a smart boy—I believe you can adjust."
"Nonō would definitely want you to be fine in Konoha," Tsunade added, pointing out the obvious. She chose not to say more, leaving it at that.
If the opportunity arose, Tsunade would consider arranging for Nonō to return. But for now, everything had happened too suddenly, and there was nothing she could do.