The air in the Hokage Office abruptly fell still.
The future Tsunade's gaze burned, scrutiny shining in her amber eyes as she stared fixedly at Shinichi, unable to conceal her doubt and confusion.
"Why... do I have no memory of you ever existing?"
Her voice was steady and low, yet carried an almost imperceptible pressure.
Tsunade froze for a moment as well, then turned to Shinichi with a slight frown.
A question suddenly struck her—her future self did not recognize Shinichi at all?
It was as though Shinichi's existence had been erased from history entirely.
Yet Shinichi remained calm, his arms still folded casually across his chest. A faint smile curved his lips, his eyes as deep as the night.
"Lord Hokage, that really is a tricky question." His tone was mild, with a trace of teasing.
"Tricky?" The future Tsunade narrowed her eyes. Her smile remained unchanged, but her gaze grew sharper. "You're not trying to brush me off, are you?"
"Of course not." Shinichi shook his head lightly and smiled. "It's just... the fact that you have no memory of me doesn't mean I don't exist."
At his words, the future Tsunade frowned slightly, a thoughtful glint passing through her eyes.
"Oh? Are you saying you once existed in this world, but... at some point, you were erased?" she asked playfully, taking a small sip of sake.
Shinichi smiled faintly, his tone laden with meaning. "Perhaps... that's exactly what happened."
Tsunade's heart jolted. She looked at Shinichi, a vague unease stirring within her.
She knew very well that Shinichi was not someone who would casually invent a lie.
He had always been calm and meticulous, sometimes even infuriatingly cunning, but he never lied about things like this. If her future self truly had no memory of him whatsoever—