A few more days had passed.
After confirming that all his patients had stabilized post-surgery, Nagato decided it was time to share the good news with Nonou.
At Anbu Training Field No. 3,
Nonou was currently sparring with her teammate, as she hadn't been given any missions recently.
The two exchanged blows in a fierce and thrilling spar.
From afar, Pain ran over.
Seeing the situation unfold, he chose not to interrupt and waited quietly at the sidelines.
"That's enough."
Her teammate nimbly sidestepped, evading her attack and swiftly retreating.
"I was just warming up."
Nonou halted mid-motion, still puzzled about what had just happened.
They were sparring so well—so why had they stopped so suddenly?
"Look over there."
Her teammate pointed behind her. Nonou turned around and saw Pain standing not far away.
She finally understood—he'd been behind her the whole time, which was why she hadn't noticed him.
"Pain, are you looking for me?"
Nonou jogged toward him, her voice filled with excitement.
"Yeah, I need to tell you something."
Pain, however, remained uncharacteristically calm, showing no visible reaction at all.
"Come on, let's go talk over there."
Nonou took Pain's hand and pulled him toward a quiet, secluded spot.
"It's good news. Want to guess first?"
Pain let himself be led along, playfully withholding the details.
"Hmm... let me think..."
"Did you bring me a gift?"
As she spoke, Nonou tightened her grip on Pain's hand.
What if Pain used this opportunity to confess his feelings while giving her a present? Would she say yes or play hard to get?
They always say the harder to obtain, the more precious it is—so should she act a bit more reserved?
Ugh! Boys are so impatient!
That's exactly what Nonou thought to herself, and before she realized it, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
Meanwhile, Pain had no idea that Nonou had already imagined an entire fantasy scene in her head. He was still trying to figure out how to phrase things more naturally.
"You could say that."
Pain considered for a moment, not denying it.
Calling it a gift wasn't inaccurate—it was truly significant, painstakingly crafted.
"Quickly! Show me!"
Nonou let go of Pain, eager to know what this gift was.
"This gift can't be taken out."
Suddenly, Pain burst into laughter—clearly, Nonou hadn't guessed anything related to her nearsightedness yet.
"Eh? Is it too large for you to carry around?"
Nonou looked puzzled. What kind of gift couldn't even be brought out?
If it really was too large, how would she carry it home without a storage scroll?
"Haha, you misunderstood."
"I've already solved your vision problem."
"As long as you're willing, I can give you a pair of eyes with perfect vision."
Pain finally decided to reveal the truth directly, instead of prolonging the guessing game.
Then he carefully watched Nonou's reaction.
"Really?"
"Was this Lord Tsunade's idea?"
Nonou's first reaction was disbelief.
Then she thought—if Tsunade had advised Pain on this matter, then maybe it made sense.
She couldn't imagine Pain alone having developed a treatment for nearsightedness in such a short time.
At this thought, her face broke into a surprised smile.
But with the mask on, Nagato couldn't see it.
He could only infer from her tone of voice.
"It feels more genuine than pure gold."
"It wasn't the Elder's wife who opened my eyes—it was my teacher."
Nagato's honest reply left Nonou stunned.
"I never imagined Lord Kawaki would be skilled in Medical Ninjutsu as well."
She'd heard that Lord Kawaki was immensely powerful, but never that he knew Medical Ninjutsu.
"No way. My teacher doesn't know any Medical Ninjutsu at all."
Nagato considered explaining further, but decided against it.
As for Kawaki—he really didn't know how to describe him properly.
Sure, he's powerful? That much is true.
Everyone in the Ninja World knows that!
Calling him knowledgeable in Medical Ninjutsu, though—that's giving him too much credit.
"Forget it—I wouldn't be able to explain it clearly anyway."
"Correcting nearsightedness requires a minor surgical procedure."
"I've already treated over a dozen patients successfully."
"When do you think you'll have time to come with me?"
Skipping over talk of Kawaki, Nagato went straight to making plans with Nonou.
He was available anytime—as long as she was.
"So, will you personally perform the surgery on me?"
Nonou lifted her head and gazed intently at Nagato's eyes through her mask.
"Of course!"
Without hesitation, Nagato blurted out.
"Alright then, tomorrow it is."
Her eyes beneath the mask were crinkled with such joy they nearly vanished into a thin line.
She didn't ask about any details or risks—she trusted Nagato completely.
"Then tomorrow morning, let's meet at the entrance of Konoha First People's Hospital."
After setting the time and place with Nonou, Nagato prepared to leave.
He still needed to make some other arrangements—like booking a luxury ward.
"Okay, don't break your promise."
Waving goodbye to Nagato, Nonou watched his retreating back before covering her mouth to hide a giggle.
Being remembered by someone feels amazing.
"Let's continue."
Returning to her original spot, Nonou resumed training with her teammates.
"That kid confessed to you, didn't he?"
"You're practically glowing."
Everyone's got a bit of a gossip streak. With just one question from her teammate, Nonou was caught off guard.
Because she had been thinking the same thing at first, too.
"Where did you get that idea? Don't make things up."
"We're just... normal friends."
Nonou's voice sounded somewhat unnatural.
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"Really?"
Her teammate's tone carried a mix of skepticism and teasing—clearly unconvinced.
"Believe whatever you want—eat this kick!"
Flustered, Nonou angrily lashed out with a kick.
"Backstabbing!!"
"You're breaking the rules of combat!!"
Her teammate shouted furiously, and the two clashed once again.
...
The next morning, Nagato arrived at the hospital entrance bright and early. For once, it was him doing the waiting.
He'd already taken care of all the arrangements—the operating room, the ward, everything.
Once Nonou arrived, the surgery could begin immediately without wasting a second.
About twenty minutes later, Nagato spotted a familiar figure approaching the hospital entrance.
"Over here!"
Nagato waved energetically at Nonou.
"Coming, coming!"
Still a bit far off, Nonou pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
After confirming it was him, she began jogging toward Nagato.
"How long have you been waiting?" Nonou asked as she arrived.
"Not long. Let's go inside."
Nagato turned and led Nonou into the hospital.
"So this is the hospital founded by Hokage-sama?"
Nonou was asking something she already knew.
A poster of Hokage Tsunade still hung on the hospital bulletin board.
"Yeah. I heard it was originally funded by our teacher."
It wasn't any big secret—most people in Konoha already knew.
"Then does that mean my surgery will be free?"
Nonou wasn't trying to take advantage—just making small talk.
"Don't worry, I've already made arrangements."
"Not only will you get your money back—you'll also get a pair of bright eyes."
Nagato thumped his chest confidently.
"Haha, then thank you so much."
"I'm just a helpless girl with no way to repay you... Should I offer myself instead?"
This kind of teasing always left Nagato scrambling for a reply.
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