Tsunade froze when she heard Shizune's words.
What Shizune did not know was that Tsunade's feelings for Shin Uchiha were far more complicated.
Shin had not only given her hope in life and lifted her into her current position, but had also paid an untold price to bring her younger brother back to life.
Those feelings simply could not be put into words.
Naturally, Shin Uchiha knew nothing of what happened later at the old house. After leaving, he patted his chest, still feeling a little shaken. Then, as though something had occurred to him, he reconsidered, carefully sensed his surroundings, and vanished from the spot.
"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
Just as Shin Uchiha teleported into a grove, following what he had sensed, he heard those sharp, feminine cries.
"Eight Trigrams-Sixty-Four Palms!"
With that cry, a delicate figure in the grove left a trail of afterimages as she struck the thick tree trunk before her sixty-four times, each blow landing with a dull thud.
Standing a short distance behind her, Shin Uchiha gave a soft round of applause after she finished and praised her:
"Hinata, your Gentle Fist is already very good. You're more or less on par with your cousin Neji Hyuga now."
Startled by the voice that suddenly rang out, Hinata spun around. When she saw that it was Shin, a blush immediately rose to her cheeks. She waved her hands and said:
"I'm still not as talented as Neji.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have lost to him in the match."
During the earlier competition in the Forest of Death, Hinata Hyuga had eventually faced Neji Hyuga. She had performed exceptionally well, however, and had only lost to him by a single move.
At Hinata's words, Shin Uchiha's lips curled into a meaningful smile, and he asked:
"Hinata, I watched