Holding Your Hand and Never Letting Go

The day's training finally came to an end.

Hatake Sakumo was exhausted like a dog. Chishima Chiba and Tsunade were not quite that worn out, but they were only a little better off than Hatake Sakumo.

Chishima Chiba and Tsunade had also tested their respective limits. With a single Shadow Clone assisting his training, Chishima Chiba could keep it up for three hours. Tsunade was slightly behind him, but she could still maintain it for two hours and forty minutes.

Chishima Chiba attributed the difference to himself, figuring that his natural physical talent had stacked a little with the rewards granted by the system.

But then again, without the system's rewards, Chishima Chiba's original Physical Constitution would not even have measured up to Hatake Sakumo's.

The thought passed in a flash. Looking at Tsunade, who had kept her head lowered in silence, Chishima Chiba could not help asking again.

"Tsunade, what exactly is wrong?"

"None of your business." Tsunade's tone was soft, but her words were sharp. Just as Chishima Chiba considered probing indirectly, Hatake Sakumo beside them stopped walking.

"Chiba, Tsunade, let's call it a day. See you tomorrow." With that, he raised a hand and waved to them.

"See you tomorrow." Chishima Chiba and Tsunade waved goodbye to Hatake Sakumo together.

But the moment Hatake Sakumo left, Tsunade lowered her head again, her eyes cast down as she seemed lost in thought.

"Tired?"

"Sleepy?"

"Thirsty or hungry?"

Chishima Chiba fired off questions one after another. When Tsunade remained silent, though, he had already guessed the answer.

"You're the one who's thirsty and hungry!" Tsunade suddenly looked up, shot Chishima Chiba a fierce glare, then lowered her eyes again.

She was angry. Chishima Chiba did not understand what she was thinking, yet he kept asking random questions. It was annoying!

"It's because of the Shadow Clones, isn't it?" Chishima Chiba got straight to the point.

At those words, Tsunade's lowered lashes trembled. She felt a flicker of delight, but also embarrassment and irritation. Her pride could not quite take it.

If he knew, then he knew. Why did he have to say it out loud?

Tsunade felt conflicted. She wanted to admit it, yet wanted to deny it. In the end, she could only helplessly lift her head. "Hmph, I don't know!"

Looking at Tsunade's tsundere expression, Chishima Chiba understood.

Right. That had to be it.

But... how was he supposed to talk about something like this?

After considering his words, Chishima Chiba finally tried to comfort her. "Shadow Clones have their own independent personalities and thoughts. Though they are closely connected to us, they are still only Shadow Clones."

Tsunade fell silent. She knew it was true, but after absorbing the memories sent back by her Shadow Clone, she felt more fear than confusion.

She suddenly realized that being around Chishima Chiba herself was no big deal, but her Shadow Clone and Chishima Chiba's Shadow Clone...

She shook her head, but she still could not stop the tangled thoughts in her mind.

If she were like her Shadow Clone, and she could not be sure whether the person she met when she appeared again—or gained consciousness—was the real Chishima Chiba, then what would she do?

And what would Chishima Chiba do?

Suddenly, Tsunade nervously glanced at Chishima Chiba beside her. Her voice was somewhat weak. "Chiba, you won't leave me, right?"

"Of course not."

Chishima Chiba's answer was firm and convincing. "I still have to wake you up every day and keep pushing you to train. I'm not going anywhere."

"Mhm." Tsunade nodded hard twice, then suddenly asked as inspiration struck, "Should we come up with a code phrase too?"

"We're not Shadow Clones..." But when he saw the dangerous look in Tsunade's eyes, Chishima Chiba promptly changed his tune. "But we do need a code phrase, especially when I wake you up in the morning."

"Then hurry up and think of one. I want it to sound nice!"

After thinking for a moment, Chishima Chiba smiled warmly. "The moon is beautiful tonight. What do you think of that as our code phrase?"

"Do I say it, or do you?" Tsunade asked eagerly.

Chishima Chiba did not care whether Tsunade understood it. He simply pointed at himself without a word before speaking again. "Then you answer, 'Yes, the moon is beautiful tonight.'"

"Okay! It's settled!"

Tsunade nodded in agreement, but as she lowered her head, she suddenly noticed that her hand was resting in Chishima Chiba's palm.

She did not resist. Instead, she naturally ignored it, though her heart was pounding wildly.

After steadying her breathing, Tsunade changed the subject. "By the way, Chiba, the Shadow Clones we create should all have our memories. So wouldn't they know our code phrase too...?"

"I understand what you mean, but as long as our Shadow Clones use this code phrase, any Shadow Clones with independent consciousness will not use it again."

"Why?" Tsunade's eyes widened, filled with confusion and curiosity.

"Because you and your Shadow Clones are all unique. To me and to my Shadow Clones, that is true." Chishima Chiba spoke very seriously. "That uniqueness is not just in appearance. It is also in the heart."

"So... once an independent mind appears, even if a Shadow Clone looks exactly like the original, as long as their thoughts do not match, they will not feel anything for each other, much less betray one another."

"Besides, because of our personalities, the other Shadow Clones with independent personalities and thoughts will also retain that pride. They will not just meddle in something like this."

"Oh."

Tsunade nodded like a pecking chick. She said nothing more, simply savoring the warmth of Chishima Chiba's fingertips.

Likewise, Chishima Chiba calmed down. Holding Tsunade's soft hand, he gently swung it back and forth, unwilling to stop.

They walked in silence. As they neared home, Tsunade slowed down, and Chishima Chiba wanted to hold her hand for a little longer too.

"Ahem, Tsunade, I left something at the training ground..."

"Mhm, I believe you left something at the training ground." Tsunade spoke with a straight face, though her breathing was slightly uneven. "Should we go back and look for it?"

"We should go back and look."

Chishima Chiba looked as steady as ever, but his heart had rippled. Tsunade was different today.

Holding Tsunade's soft hand, Chishima Chiba led her back the way they had come, slowly swinging their joined hands as they wandered back.

"Did you find it?" Tsunade's face burned with embarrassment, but she still pretended to be calm. Her palm had begun to sweat.

"Not here. It must have fallen by the roadside. Let's walk back and look carefully."

"Okay."

Tsunade nodded lightly and let Chishima Chiba pull her along the road at an unhurried pace. Though neither spoke, both of them felt especially at ease.

But every road had an end, every excuse eventually ran out, and night arrived with unfailing punctuality.

Their little hands still had to part, leaving them both with a sense of loss.

But... they could see each other again tomorrow, and every day after that, couldn't they?

With smiles on their faces, they both stepped forward at once. Their movements were perfectly synchronized as they climbed the steps and entered the courtyard of the Senju Compound together.

Yet the moment they entered, they sensed an atmosphere unlike usual.

Tense, grim, heavy.

And upon closer inspection, it was not hard to notice that many familiar faces from the past half year had vanished today.

Chishima Chiba's heart clenched, and he suddenly let out a long sigh.

The First Great Ninja War had begun.