Concern

Inside Konoha Village.

The sun shone brilliantly in the sky, and emerald branches swayed gently in the balmy breeze. In this warm light, a concealed door was pushed open.

Sunlight bathed the figure, revealing Sosuke.

His left arm hung across his chest in a sling, wrapped in gauze, giving him the appearance of a wounded man as he slowly stepped out of the Root intelligence room.

Though he was bathed in the warm sun, a smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

"Rock Ninja, huh... To think that guy Danzo actually has ties to the Land of Earth."

Sosuke mused to himself, a sharp glint hidden deep beneath his thick-rimmed glasses, a look entirely inconsistent with that of a wounded man.

Several days had passed since that battle.

Because the mission involved the death of Pupil, their primary objective had been to escort Shijimi Tamako safely back to the Daimyo Mansion, followed by the task of bringing Pupil's body back to Konoha.

For every ninja village, the recovery of a fallen ninja's body was mandatory!

This was not only for the sake of the deceased's family to pay their respects, but also because a ninja's remains often contained a wealth of subtle intelligence!

A ninja's body could reveal their identity, bloodline limits, ninjutsu, and potentially even secret information regarding their village!

Every ninja village treated this matter with the utmost importance; there was no room for error.

That day, after the battle concluded, Sosuke and Shackle had accompanied Shijimi Tamako back to the Daimyo Mansion.

When Shijimi Nobuo heard Sosuke's detailed account of the ambush they had encountered on the road, Sosuke carefully observed that Shijimi Nobuo was furious; that angry, somber expression was entirely genuine.

This left Sosuke with a slight doubt.

Could it be... that the Daimyo was completely unaware of this ambush? Was it merely a unilateral scheme by Danzo!?

Because he needed to return the bodies of Pupil and the attacking Rock Ninja to the village in a timely manner, Sosuke did not linger and expressed his intent to depart to Shijimi Nobuo.

Shijimi Nobuo was deeply grateful to Sosuke and the others for saving his daughter.

He personally saw Sosuke and Shackle off with great respect.

At the moment of parting, Shijimi Tamako's bright black eyes stared fixedly at Sosuke. Her face was no longer cold; despite her reluctance to see him go, she managed to squeeze out a faint smile.

"Aizen, thank you for saving my life. I believe it now: as long as one does not bow to fate and bravely steps toward hope, one will surely create miracles!"

Shijimi Tamako's eyes held a trace of determination as she spoke softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear.

To this, Sosuke responded with a faint smile. His black pupils shimmered with an unusual light as he looked at Shijimi Tamako and replied softly.

"Tamako, I firmly believe that your talent is not something that can be shackled by worldly constraints. If you wish to seize your own destiny, then try to reach the position where you can control it. I look forward to the moment you bloom."

In an unguarded moment, he lightly slipped a scroll to her.

Shijimi Tamako felt the anomaly at her waist and glanced at the scroll. She was slightly startled, but then she hid the change in her expression very naturally.

On the road back to Konoha, Sosuke smiled beneath his glasses, a gleam flickering in his eyes.

"Tamako, let me see just how far you can go with this opportunity. The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, is it..."

It was a training scroll recording the Slash Path and the basics of Flash Step.

Deep beneath Konoha Village.

In a cramped room, the burning wax had already pooled at the base of the candle.

The flame flickered slightly but remained standing, illuminating the figure seated in the main chair.

Danzo narrowed his eyes, quietly reviewing the intelligence report submitted by Sosuke and Shackle after their return.

When he read the statement from the Princess of the Land of Fire and Shackle's report, his expressionless face finally furrowed slightly.

In the dim room, Danzo muttered to himself.

"Uchiha Pupil died at the hands of the Rock Ninja...? It seems the Rock Ninja did not act according to the intelligence this time, and even that child Sosuke was injured. With the testimony of Hyuga Minato and the Princess, the Uchiha Clan likely won't be foolish enough to accept that explanation..."

"However, regardless, the rift between the Uchiha and the Hyuga is now impossible to conceal. I must win over the Hyuga before Sarutobi does."

"And the Rock Ninja... did their probing cause this issue?"

"Although Sosuke's injury is a pity, fortunately, the Hyuga Clan shouldn't cause any trouble. With the help of the Daimyo, it will be enough to slowly infiltrate Sarutobi's influence."

"Hokage..."

At this thought, a burning desire welled up in Danzo's eyes.

As Sosuke walked on his way home.

Looking at the familiar streets of Konoha, it felt as if they had become somewhat strange after only a month away.

But his eyes flickered!

The golden ponytail from his memory made him pause for a moment!

However, when he noticed the boy with light blue hair beside the young girl, his eyes turned gloomy in an instant.

Yet, Sosuke was adept at hiding his expressions. He concealed his displeasure without a trace, put on a gentle smile, and greeted them softly.

"Tsunade, long time no see!"

His magnetic voice was incredibly pleasant to the ear, and paired with Sosuke's refined appearance, it was utterly charming.

Hearing Sosuke's greeting, Tsunade quickly looked up, instantly spotting him at the entrance of the street!

Her eyes were suddenly filled with joy!

She shouted, sounding somewhat angry.

"Sosuke!! Where have you been this past month!?"

Although she was complaining on the surface, her tone was laced with deep longing!

But when she saw the bandages wrapped around Sosuke's arm, her eyes were instantly filled with panic, and she hurried to his side.

Her pretty face was full of worry, and her voice trembled as she asked.

"So... Sosuke! What happened to your... your left hand!? Are you hurt!? Is it serious!?"

The barrage of questions left Sosuke feeling a bit helpless, unsure of how to answer her, yet this intense display of concern made him feel very happy inside.

He kept a faint smile on his face, looked at Tsunade with a touch of tenderness in his eyes, and said softly.

"It's nothing, just a minor injury I picked up while on a mission."

Seeing the smile on Sosuke's face, Tsunade felt a bit angry that he was so careless about protecting himself. For the first time, she disliked how he met everything with a smile, and she puffed out her cheeks in a pout!

"You guy! You're in this state and you're still grinning like an idiot! Don't you know that people worry when you get hurt!!? Why! Why don't you take better care of yourself!"

Seeing that Tsunade seemed genuinely angry, Sosuke finally stopped smiling.

Hearing her call his smile idiotic left him feeling even more helpless, but he looked at her with a very serious expression.

"Thank you for your concern, Tsunade. I really appreciate it."

Watching Tsunade blush, Sosuke smiled gently once more.

That's right... the feeling of being cared for... is wonderful...