Bab 308: **Chapter 308: Phantom in the Dream, Fragments of the Fairyland!**
"Reiki!"
Hatake Sakumo and Maitreya stared in disbelief at the boy who had walked in from outside. Just moments ago, they had witnessed his body disintegrate and vanish into thin air. If it had been a shadow clone, it would have dispersed as soon as the invasion began. No, this had been Reiki's actual body, and yet here he was.
"Don't look at me like that," Reiki said, a tired smile on his face. "I told you I'd survive. Though, I admit, the way I came back is a bit... unusual."
He walked over to Murasame and carefully picked it up. The cursed blade still posed a threat, and in his current weakened state, treating any injuries it might cause would be impossible.
"I don't have time to explain everything now. I'm only managing to stay up thanks to some potent potions," he added before collapsing where he stood.
"Lady Maitreya, could we have a quiet space for Reiki to rest?" Hatake Sakumo asked as he scooped Reiki up.
"Yes, this way," Maitreya said, leading the way into the house.
Once Reiki was settled on a bed, Sakumo returned to the courtyard. "Shisui, do you know what just happened?"
"I'm not sure," Shisui admitted, shaking his head. "Reiki just told me to trust him and assured me he had a way to survive. How he did it? I have no idea."
Sakumo sighed, trying to process what he'd just witnessed. Reiki's sudden reappearance defied understanding, even for seasoned shinobi like him.
Meanwhile, Nozuki still sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face, but now they were tears of relief.
"You all should rest," Maitreya said as she emerged from the house. "Reiki's condition is stable. He just needs time to regain his strength."
"Thank you, Lady Maitreya," Sakumo said with a grateful nod.
Shisui gently helped Nozuki to her feet.
"Shisui, come with me," she said softly, turning toward the gate. "Let's not disturb Reiki."
Shisui's eyes twitched, sensing what was to come, but he followed her anyway. If taking a few hits would ease Nozuki's emotions, he was willing to endure it. At least Reiki was alive.
Before long, the sounds of commotion and Shisui's protests echoed from beyond the courtyard. But those sounds faded away as Reiki drifted into a deep, mysterious sleep.
In this slumber, he found himself in a strange space. Before him spun five magatama, glowing with an otherworldly light.
"Is this… Sleep?" Reiki wondered aloud, recognizing the magatama as the essence of consciousness he had confronted before. But why were they here now?
"Rooarrr!"
A massive silhouette loomed behind the magatama, its pressure making Reiki's vision swim.
"What is this?" Reiki's eyes widened. Was this a dream? The vividness of it, the magatama, and the beast's overwhelming presence felt too real to dismiss as just a vision.
"Come forth!"
A voice thundered through his mind, and everything went black.
"Ah!" Reiki bolted upright in bed, gasping for air.
"It was just a dream?" He glanced around and recognized Maitreya's room. He must have been brought here when he collapsed.
Something hard pressed against his palm. He opened his hand to find a fragment glistening with an unnatural sheen.
"Fragments… of the fairyland?" Reiki's shock deepened. He quickly summoned his system interface and checked his inventory.
"It is. A fragment of the mysterious fairyland," he whispered, eyes widening. But how had it ended up in his hand? Was the dream a test given to him by the fairyland itself?
Determined to find answers, Reiki stood, got dressed, and walked out into the courtyard. The morning sun made him squint.
"Reiki! You're awake!" Shisui's voice called out, relief palpable in his tone.
"Yeah," Reiki replied. "Where's Uncle Sakumo? And Nozuki?"
"Sakumo-sama has already returned to the village to report the mission. Lady Tsunade came to see you a month ago and stayed for a few days before leaving to search for medicinal herbs to aid your recovery. She came back five days ago but left again yesterday," Shisui explained.
"A month?" Reiki's eyes widened. "I've been out that long?"
The realization struck him: this was the minor side effect his system had mentioned. The *substitute scarecrow* had saved him, but it had left him comatose for weeks. Any longer, and he might have never woken up.
"Boom!"
The sound of something heavy falling made Reiki look up. Nozuki stood at the door, a bundle she had been carrying now lying forgotten at her feet.
"Reiki, you're finally awake!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mixture of relief and lingering frustration.
"Wait, Nozuki, listen—"
"Don't 'listen' me!" she interrupted, storming over, her expression torn between tears and anger.
---
The courtyard filled with shouts, laughter, and long-awaited explanations. The storm that had threatened to drown them all now seemed like a distant memory, swept away by the return of their friend.
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