“Farewell grandson…until we meet again.”

“Goodbye great grandpa.”

Meanwhile back in the real world Mikoto had just exhaled into Kazuo’s mouth filling his lungs with much needed air. She was now out of breath and hope as she had repeated the procedure several times. It’s useless, the thought started to cloud her mind. When she inhaled deeply to try again for the last time she felt it on her palms. A heartbeat! At that exact instant Kazuo rose up and gasped for so much air as if his life depended on it. The pale look on his face was like that of a person that had been resurrected from the dead. The young kunoichi jumped up and down and almost gave her patient a big hug before remembering he was the guy who’d peeped on them in the girls’ bath a day before. Takumi drew closer with a scroll to welcome the Inazuma lad to the real world.

“Welcome back Kazuo,” he said.

“We thought we’d lost you there,” Mikoto added.

“Never doubted our medic here for one second,” said Takumi.

“You didn’t even do anything to help,” she rolled her eyes and thought before saying out loud, “but you stood there Takumi…as if nothing was wrong.”

“Panicking wouldn’t have helped the situation,” Takumi paused for a bit. “I knew where my skill set lay and you’re the better medic after all. Whilst Kazuo was unconscious I deciphered the rest of this scroll.”

Her face lightened a bit at words ‘better medic.’ She realized that even though it was kind of sexist there was something else he viewed her in high regard other than just unarmed combat. Takumi then looked at the patient who’d awoken from the dead and the look on Kazuo’s face was that of someone who’d seen the Shinigami (Grim Reaper) himself.

“Hey Kazuo, I know who the Legendary Sage is.”

“Yeah my great grandpa,” were Kazuo’s first words after paying his oxygen debt.

“Indeed and this katana,” Takumi pointed to the blade that was the cause of their predicament. “Wait how did you arrive at that conclusion?”

“When I was gone I met with him and he told…well showed me everything about me and my clan.”

“So I am guessing he already told you about these legendary katana,” Takumi surmised. “His gift to you to defeat an evil that he couldn’t.”

“Yes he did.”

“So what course of action will you take…going forward that is?”

“My goal is simple really...”

“And that is?”

“Revenge!”

Kazuo’s face showed an ominous look the two of them had never seen before. Having fortified his will he was determined to avenge his family by doing to the perpetrators far worse than what they’d done to them. Mikoto could feel a dark aura about him too so she tried to lighten the mood.

“Hey Kazuo…so how’s the other side like?” she smiled.

“Dark as fuck!” he chuckled facing towards her. “I don’t wanna go back there.”

“That’s pretty scary!”

“Yeah it is,” he placed his hand behind his head and smiled. “Oh and thanks for kissing me back to life.”

The two boys could’ve sworn that they saw steam coming out from a flustered Mikoto’s ears and nostrils as her face went crimson.

“Oh no! K–Kazuo,” said Kazuo mockingly as he made an impression of her. “Don’t die!”

Takumi let out a chuckle noting the Kazuo they’d grown to know return to his usual self. Kazuo was still busy with his imitation when he felt a right fist introduce itself to his left cheek. It was lights out for him. He lay motionless on the ground with a smile from ear to ear and an exaggerated nose bleed.

“Darn you pervert!” Mikoto shouted in annoyance.

Back in the Lightning village Kazutaka was busy with some paperwork in his office when he abruptly received an audience from a familiar face dressed in a black ninja suit he hadn’t seen in several months.

“Just like you,” his raspy voice sounded. “To enter my office without using the door Asuka-chan.”

“Yo it’s been long hasn’t it,” the hooded kunoichi rose up. “Taka-sensei.”

“Yes indeed, it sure has.”

She had a well-built physique that had been honed through years of training. Under her hood she had deep scarlet hair that was neatly laid back and went up to her shoulder.

“There’s little time to catch up so I’ll get straight to the point,” said Asuka. “I gathered some intel on a recon mission in the Shadow village which suggests that their Kage intends to attack our village in three days’ time. That’s why I had to immediately rush here to notify you.”

“Thank you for the information Asuka,” replied Kazutaka. “We need to notify the Intel and Battalion Corps so they ready for battle. I shall also inform Hideo and Shin to make the necessary preparations. The trip from there to here on foot is roughly five days. Which gives us more than a week to prepare.”

“Noted,” she replied. “What of the graduate shinobi and undergrads?”

“The graduates will also be recruited and as for the undergrads they shall be responsible for ensuring that the rest of the village is under lockdown before the day comes.”

“Understood, I’ll notify their respective supervisors,” she responded. “I’ll be off then.”

After Asuka left Kazutaka rose from his seat and went towards a window that faced the village. He faced above the sill where on top of the curtain rail was a katana that was held in place in its saya with a fire design by two hooks that were hammered to the adjoining wall.

“It has been a long time since we last fought together has it not,” he spoke to it. “Kajin (Fire God).”