At Sasuke's words, Shikamaru froze and stared at her in disbelief. "Why?"
Sasuke truly felt guilty toward Shikamaru.
Back then, she really hadn't known that Naruto planned to defect from the village with her.
But by the time the two of them reunited and Naruto learned about this, it was already too late.
First Haku, now Shikamaru...
How familiar this scene was.
"Because the person you spent time with in Konoha was a clone of his."
Sasuke held Shikamaru's arm.
"He may have been a clone, but once he's dispelled, Naruto will receive everything he experienced over these past three years."
"Everything you gave won't come to nothing. I planted the seed in you back then, and when it bears fruit in the future, I won't stand in its way."
Sasuke had to show some generosity now.
After all, she had personally sought Shikamaru out and told him that Uchiha Sagen was Naruto in disguise.
Everyone present at the time knew that Shikamaru was infatuated with an Uchiha cousin named Uchiha Zuoxuan.
In the final days before her defection, Sasuke had sought Shikamaru out again.
She had told him outright that if she left or died, she would have to trouble him to stay by Naruto's side and help him through his pain.
But even Sasuke hadn't expected this outcome.
"Kakashi-sensei, Guy-sensei, everyone... come upstairs with me. I have something to tell you."
"It concerns the details of how I killed Danzo myself."
With that, Sasuke walked toward the Villa's stairs.
Kakashi knew Shikamaru had a great deal he wanted to say to Naruto.
He couldn't stand this sort of scene, and everyone else found being caught up in such a complicated relationship a headache too.
By comparison...
Sasuke saying she had killed Danzo herself was the real issue.
Perhaps