Naruto: We Agreed on a Simulation, But They Actually Came to Life? Chapter 43 43: The Journey Home · Reunion

The journey ho was twice as fast as the trip there.

Every evening, Tsunade would stop to perform a round of acupuncture on Kitahara Kaede, repairing the ridians in his right arm inch by inch beneath her fingertips.

By the third day, Kaede clenched his fist; his strength had returned to ninety percent.

"That should do it." Tsunade withdrew the silver needles. "Let the rest heal on its own. Don't try to push it anymore."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade shot him a glare and huffed as she stuffed the needle kit back into her dical chest.

On the evening of the fourth day, the silhouette of the Hidden Leaf's walls erged on the horizon.

The two of them headed straight for the Hokage Tower.

At the end of the third-floor corridor, the door to the conference room was half-open.

Kaede heard the voice first.

"Teacher—I'm telling you, the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku has this set of Taijutsu techniques—"

The voice was even deeper than it had been two months ago, with enough lung capacity to practically lift the roof.

Tsunade paused in her tracks.

"That idiot actually beat us back?"

She pushed the door open.

Jiraiya was standing before Hiruzen Sarutobi, gesturing wildly with his arms. His hair had grown longer since he left, and his shinobi attire was flecked with mud, suggesting he had only just arrived.

Hearing the door, Jiraiya turned around.

He saw Kitahara Kaede first, then Tsunade.

He froze for a second.

"Yo."

A wide grin split his face as he opened his arms, striking a pose for an enthusiastic hug.

Tsunade simply walked around him and took a seat in a chair.

Jiraiya's arms remained frozen in mid-air.

"...Fine then."

He lowered his hands and gave Kaede a playful wink.

"How did things go on the Western Front?"

"We won."

"No kidding. Who could lose with Tsunade there?" Jiraiya chuckled. "I wasn't idling on the Northern Front either. I wiped out an entire company—"

"Sit down."

Hiruzen's voice wasn't loud, but the room fell silent instantly.

The three of them took their seats.

Hiruzen stood before the map, his pipe resting on the table.

Kaede had seen this gesture before. When the teacher wasn't smoking, it ant the matter at hand was more urgent than his nicotine craving.

"The Eastern Front fell completely three days ago."

Hiruzen's finger pointed to the red line on the map marking the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. The red line had been pierced by a black arrow.

"The leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain, Hanzo of the Salamander, took the field personally. He crushed the defenses of two of our battalions single-handedly."

The smile vanished from Jiraiya's face.

"Hanzo's Poison Release has too wide a range; our frontline shinobi couldn't get anywhere near him. His taijutsu and chain-sickle techniques are also Kage-level—he has no openings, whether at close or long range."

Hiruzen paused.

"The Eastern Front commander's report stated literally: 'This man is not human.'"

Tsunade frowned.

"Hanzo's poison is different from Chiyo's. Chiyo uses contact toxins coated on hidden weapons; Hanzo releases an inhaled, lethal poison directly from poison sacs in his body."

She looked at Hiruzen.

"I want the dical records of the poisoned casualties from the front."

"They are already being prepared." Hiruzen nodded, then looked at the three of them. "The three of you will depart tomorrow for the Land of Rain."

His gaze lingered on each of their faces.

"The situation there is far more complex than the Western Front. It rains year-round in the Land of Rain, and the terrain is unfavorable to us. Hanzo has fought on that land his entire life; he knows every river and every contour by heart. Moreover, his Poison Release's power doubles in the rain."

Jiraiya leaned back in his chair and let out a whistle.

"So, we're going there to die?"

"No, you're going there to win." Hiruzen stared him down.

Kitahara Kaede remained silent.

Hanzo.

The man known as the "Demi-God," a man who stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.

He was also the man who had bestowed the title of "Sannin" upon Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru on this very battlefield.

"Assemble at the South Gate tomorrow at dawn," Hiruzen announced.

The eting adjourned.

By the ti the three of them stepped out of the Hokage Tower, the sky had already darkened.

There were few pedestrians on the street, and the distant sound of barking dogs echoed through the air.

Jiraiya stretched, his joints popping.

"I'm exhausted. I didn't even get a hot al before coming back."

He glanced at the two beside him, his eyes full of expectation.

Tsunade answered, "I'll cook. Co eat."

Jiraiya's eyes lit up. "Your place?"

"Kaede's place."

The words slipped out of Tsunade's mouth, and she imdiately began walking toward Kitahara Kaede's ho.

The air went silent for a second.

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade's retreating back, then looked at Kitahara Kaede.

The corners of his mouth, which had just curled up, slumped back down.

Before he could say a word, she was already far away.

***

Once they arrived ho, Tsunade skillfully found an apron and tied it on, washing vegetables and tossing them into the pan.

Kitahara Kaede stood beside her, chopping vegetables and handing over ingredients.

They moved around each other, switching positions and passing plates in a seamless dance.

There wasn't a single wasted word; they didn't even need to exchange glances.

Jiraiya leaned against the kitchen doorfra watching them, feeling a growing bitterness in his mouth.

He sighed, turned back to the living room, and flopped down on the sofa.

*Click.*

Nawaki's bedroom door swung open.

"Uncle Jiraiya!"

Nawaki bolted out, nearly slipping in the hallway and sending one of his shoes flying.

"You're back!"

He rushed into the living room, looking left and right.

"Where's my sister?"

"Kitchen."

Nawaki poked his head into the kitchen and saw Tsunade and Kitahara Kaede standing side-by-side at the stove. His lip twitched.

'Right, there's no room for here.'

He obediently returned to sit opposite Jiraiya, eyeing him up and down.

"Uncle Jiraiya, did you have any... stories... while you were out?"

"Stories?" Jiraiya perked up. "Plenty! Your uncle here wiped out an enemy company's stronghold on the Northern Front all by myself. Over thirty people were—"

"Not those kinds of stories," Nawaki waved his hand. "I an, did you et any pretty older sisters out there?"

Jiraiya froze.

His expression beca subtle.

His eyes darted back and forth before he sneakily pulled a crumpled little notebook from his robes. The cover featured a suggestive silhouette.

"You've got a good eye, kid," Jiraiya lowered his voice. "I wrote this while marching on the Northern Front. It's adapted from real-life materials—"

Nawaki's eyes sparkled.

Just as he reached out his hand, a hand descended from the heavens, slapping both of their heads simultaneously.

*Bam! Bam!*

Perfectly synchronized.

Nawaki crouched down, clutching his head. Jiraiya collapsed sideways on the floor, also clutching his skull.

Tsunade stood behind them, still wearing her apron, her expression positively terrifying.

"One teaching, one learning. You've both gone too far."

Jiraiya wailed, rubbing the back of his head, "Tsunade, you're hitting harder and harder! You're going to knock the brains out of !"

"You weren't using them anyway."

Taking advantage of the mont Tsunade was berating Jiraiya, Nawaki quietly hooked the fallen notebook with his foot and flicked it behind his back, sliding it into his waistband.

The movent was fluid and seamless.

Kitahara Kaede walked out of the kitchen carrying the dishes and caught the entire scene.

Nawaki gave him a "shush" gesture.

Kaede set the food down with a blank expression.

The four of them gathered around the table.

Pacific saury, miso soup, grilled rice balls, and a plate of Tsunade's specialty vinegar-dressed cucumbers.

It wasn't a feast, but Nawaki ate until his face was greasy, and Jiraiya tried to snatch food so aggressively that Tsunade nearly poked the back of his hand with her chopsticks.

"Sensei."

Nawaki looked up while chewing a rice ball.

"Are you going to war again?"

Kaede picked up a piece of saury.

"Yes."

"The Land of Rain?"

"You're well-inford."

Nawaki put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth haphazardly with his sleeve.

He stopped fighting for food and looked steadily at Kitahara Kaede, then glanced at Tsunade, who was pouring tea.

"Sensei, you have to protect my sister well this ti, too."

*Thud.*

Tsunade slamd the teapot onto the table, splashing a few drops of tea.

"What is that supposed to an?" she glared at him. "You think your sister is incapable?"

Nawaki shrank back, his voice dropping an octave. "That's not it... I just feel better knowing Sensei is by your side, Sis..."

Tsunade opened her mouth to retort, but for once, she found herself speechless.

Kitahara Kaede set down his utensils and looked Nawaki straight in the eye. "I'll bring her back. Neither of us will be missing."

Nawaki stared at him for a mont, then broke into a wide grin. "Then I'll be waiting for you guys to co back for the saury!"

Night fell.

Jiraiya left, letting out a loud, satisfied burp.

Tsunade untied her apron and hung it on the iron hook behind the door. She cast a glance at Kitahara Kaede. "Get so sleep."

The door closed as Tsunade led Nawaki away.

Kitahara Kaede cleared the table and sat back down. He reached into the deepest compartnt of his ninja tool pouch, where the blue charm, with its uneven, crooked stitching, lay quietly.

He took one look at it before tucking it back away.

He turned off the light.