Logan pressed forward, finally sensing a familiar Chakra presence. What he saw was the scene unfolding in the clearing among the ancient trees.
With a quick glance, he had initially intended to bypass the area. He knew this was Obito intercepting the Konoha's Ninja, and no casualties would occur.
His mind was preoccupied with the Uchiha brothers… He didn't know how far things had progressed, what if Sasuke had already summoned lightning from the sky with a single gesture?
However, Obito boldly charged toward him. Seeing this, Logan didn't hold back. He was in Sage Mode, amplified by Lightning Chakra Mode, moving at full speed.
The opponent, caught off guard, had no chance to react. With a single strike, Logan took him down.
Energy scattered, visible ripples of air expanding outward in waves. He had resolved the obstacle in one move.
But this also forced Logan to halt his advance.
The residual wind howled past. Everyone was still frozen in shock. Naruto stammered, "Th-that was amazing..."
The shattered leaves slowly settled. The brilliance of lightning and flames dimmed slightly, the glow covering his body no longer as fierce and blinding as before.
Gradually, the others could make out the figure of the newcomer.
Yet once they saw clearly, their expressions froze again.
It was the very person they had just been discussing… the one the masked man claimed was dead.
One surprise after another left the crowd feeling like they couldn't keep up with the revelations.
Logan gazed at the scattered wreckage of broken trees in the distance, his expression shifting slightly, "He sure knows how to make a quick escape."
The dust cleared, but Obito's figure was nowhere to be seen. Without a doubt, the heavily injured Obito had used Kamui to flee into Kamui Dimension, this time without even leaving behind a parting threat.
Logan hesitated briefly but ultimately dismissed the idea of pursuing him with Flying Thunder God Technique, as stopping the fight between the brothers was more urgent.
As for what Obito was feeling after seeing someone he thought was surely dead alive and well, Logan had no interest in knowing.
He turned his attention to the Konoha's Ninja standing cautiously nearby.
"…"
They were all familiar faces, but the situation was awkward. For a moment, no one knew what to say. Logan's glowing eyes swept over them calmly, his pupils deep and unfathomable, like a Dojutsu Kekkei Genkai.
Now that he had stopped, the vast, overwhelming pressure of his presence slowly emanated, weighing heavily on everyone.
He prepared to leave.
"Ha… Hattori-nii…?"
Suddenly, a timid female voice called out to him.
Mai had somehow gotten to her feet and was cautiously inching closer. She stared at the face she had longed to see, one that now seemed faintly unfamiliar, her wide eyes filled with disbelief.
"Mai?" Logan was startled, only now realizing that the fragile little girl from his memories was here.
'No… she wasn't a little girl anymore, nor was she fragile.'
'She had grown up in Konoha, trained, and become a true Ninja.'
"What are you doing here?" Memories of moonlit campfires and silly sparring sessions by the stream flashed through Logan's mind.
Unconsciously, a smile formed on his face, breaking the imposing presence from Sage Mode and returning him to the warmth of those days.
Mai opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her throat felt clogged, as if something were stuck there. Just moments ago, she had been drowning in grief, feeling like the most important thing in her life had been ripped away.
And now, in the next instant, that very thing had been returned to her… brought back by lightning and flames.
For Mai, this was nothing short of a miracle. She watched as Logan appeared before her, emotions surging, but she could only tread carefully, afraid that the dreamlike bubble might burst at the slightest touch.
Tiny arcs of electricity crackled faintly, and the flickering flames licked at the air, the warmth undeniably real.
And then, seeing his smile… Mai could no longer hold back the flood of emotions. She remembered the last time she had seen Logan smile… under that tree, where the shade had blocked out the sun. Suddenly, it all came rushing back.
Seeing that the other party didn't speak, Logan realized that his question was wrong, 'Of course, the other party was here.'
He then said, "You are here too?"
Tears fell, drop by drop, like pearls.
Logan froze, momentarily panicked. He hadn't expected this.
"Y-yeah… I'm here too…" Mai managed between sobs, her tears unstoppable.
A girl suddenly crying left Logan at a loss, 'Was she really this emotional just from seeing me again?'
"Ah, you..."
Mai took a step forward, gripping Logan's arm tightly, her fingers turning white from the force, "Th-that masked man… s-said you were dead..."
"Who?"
Following the direction Mai pouted toward, Logan glanced at the wreckage of trees and realized, "Oh, him? Don't believe a word he says. That guy's an idiot. A bad guy."
"Mm." Mai nodded vigorously, her teary eyes looking up at him, "Right, he's a bad guy. I knew he was lying."
Logan chuckled awkwardly. He tried to pull his arm back, but she held on too tightly.
He glanced around and saw Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Yamato, Kiba, Hinata… Yeah, he looked carefully.
'I'm in Sage Mode right now, damn it! This was supposed to be serious and intense!'
But the intimidating aura meant to ward off strangers had no effect on the girl in front of him. Or perhaps, this power he had gained was meant to protect them in the first place.
"Wuuuu…"
Mai seemed to realize that everyone was watching, but she just couldn't help it… her tears were like unruly children, scrambling to spill out uncontrollably.
"I..." Mai met Logan's gaze, which looked at her like she was just a crying kid, and her face flushed red. She loosened her grip slightly and started wiping her tears, "I-I actually don't cry much anymore… today's an exception."
"After I came to Konoha… I-I never cried in front of others…" She sniffled, but the tears only seemed to flow harder the more she wiped. Mai really wanted to make one thing clear to Logan… that she had grown stronger.
"I know."
Her sobs wouldn't stop. Logan looked at her, then chuckled helplessly, wiping her face for her, "I know you've become a strong person."
Her clothes were torn, her hands and face dirty, and now with the tears streaking through, she looked even more like a pitiful little kitten.
Logan could tell she had fought with everything she had… she was strong, maybe even stronger than he had been at fourteen.
"I'm right here, safe and sound. The enemy's run off for now, so you can relax."
Under his reassurance, Mayuri finally calmed down a little. Seeing this, Logan paused, then spoke seriously, "But… there's still something I have to do."
"What is it…?"
"That masked guy earlier… where was he trying to stop people from going?"
After hearing this, Mai pointed with her damp fingers.
'There, huh? The Uchiha Hideout.' Logan gazed in that direction. Mai seemed like she wanted to ask something, but he reached out and patted her head, a move that always worked, as the girl immediately quieted down.
The gentle warmth in his expression gradually faded as his eyes sharpened, burning with unwavering determination.
Lightning and flames coiled around his body once more, the overwhelming aura forcing Mai to instinctively take a step back.
"Hattori-nii..."
"I have to go."
With one last smile, his presence returned to its earlier, imposing intensity.