Shinji's expression froze, and he frowned slightly.
So that was what she meant...
Of course. A teacher was still a teacher, no matter how much she seemed to resent him.
Then again...
If Tsunade had been in the village when Hiruzen Sarutobi died in the original timeline, she would have grieved too.
But...
Shinji had nothing to say about it.
He wasn't going to let that old bastard live just to spare Tsunade's feelings.
It was done. The verdict was final.
If the person standing before him hadn't been Tsunade,
but anyone else,
Shinji wouldn't have bothered answering.
You care about him that much?
It's cool in the Underworld. Go join him and escape the heat.
Still, Shinji sensed something else beneath Tsunade's words.
Whatever it was, it might have been stronger than her grief over Hiruzen Sarutobi's impending death.
But Shinji couldn't make sense of it.
And so the room
fell silent.
Tsunade stood there, staring at Shinji for a long time.
But...
Shinji said nothing.
She shook her head slightly, disappointment flashing in her eyes.
Then she turned and left without looking back.
Bang!
The door closed with a firm thud.
Shinji was silent for a moment. Then he shook his head and scoffed. "What a foolish, naive old woman. At her age, she still spends every day living in a fantasy!"
He picked up his teacup with an easy smile and took a sip.
Bzz—
Just then, inside his Ninja Tool Pouch,
the mark on a Flying Thunder God Kunai suddenly lit up.
"Hm?"
Shinji took out the kunai and sensed it for a moment. He set his teacup lightly on the table, where it crumbled into a pile of white powder.
He let out a long, heavy breath.
His eyes narrowed, and a smile spread across