The moment Kakashi entered, Tsunade had already looked him over from head to toe.
"Kakashi."
Tsunade's gaze settled on his bandages. "How are your injuries?"
"Sakura treated them." Kakashi walked in and stopped in front of the desk.
"Are you sure? If you're not up to it, go to the hospital first. Or I can treat you."
"No need." Kakashi shook his head, a trace of his usual languor in his voice. "I'm really fine."
Tsunade did not press him further.
She knew Kakashi. When he said he was fine, he usually really was.
On the occasional occasions when he put on a brave face, she could pick up signs of it beneath his nonchalant demeanor.
Right now, Kakashi looked composed and breathed evenly. He really did not seem to be forcing himself.
"Then tell us. What happened on the mission?"
"Sit down first, sit down." Jiraiya gestured.
Kakashi sat in the chair.
His account was concise, without unnecessary adjectives. He simply laid out what had happened in chronological order.
The mission objective, where they had encountered the enemies, the enemies' number and appearance, the course of the battle, and how the final enemy had overpowered him, then voluntarily withdrawn despite having an overwhelming advantage.
The office fell silent for several seconds.
Shikaku frowned at Kakashi and asked, "The enemy withdrew voluntarily?"
"Yes." Kakashi nodded with certainty.
Given his condition at the time, although he still had the strength to fight back, he was certainly no match for an enemy who was still in perfect condition.
But the other man had simply withdrawn.
So even now, he had not figured out what had happened.
Shikaku murmured to himself, "He had an overwhelming advantage, yet he still withdrew..."
"Could he have been afraid of something, and that was why he didn't