CHAPTER 207: CHAPTER 207 : TSUNADE: DON’T YOU WANT TO KEEP ME?

Tsunade sighed deeply and said, "Anyway, this time it’s really thanks to you."

"I should be the one thanking you."

Uchiha Haru smiled but remained silent for a moment.

"What will you do next?" he finally asked.

Tsunade had been willing to stay in the Hidden Mist Village before only because Haru promised to help her find evidence. Now that everything was settled—Haru had helped her fulfill her wish—she had already stayed in the Hidden Mist Village for three years as agreed.

Both of them had completed their respective tasks. From now on, Tsunade no longer had to return to the Hidden Mist Village as before.

Hearing Haru’s question, Tsunade turned and looked at him thoughtfully.

She paused for a moment, then said, "I haven’t really thought about it yet. Maybe I’ll just gamble in the casino all day like before."

"But now I’m completely different. This time, I’m not trying to run away from something. I just want to relax for a while."

"Maybe one day, I’ll return to Konoha to see if there’s anything I can do to help. Konoha seems to be in desperate need of support right now."

"To make Konoha a better place was the shared wish of my younger brother Nawaki Senju and Dan Katō. This is also the village founded by my grandfather, Senju Hashirama. I feel obligated to help them realize that dream."

"...Yes," Haru nodded.

He would support whatever Tsunade decided.

Though Tsunade was indeed of extraordinary importance to the Hidden Mist Village, everyone had their own ambitions, and he didn’t want to force anything for selfish reasons.

Especially for Tsunade.

She had truly carried too much on her shoulders for so many years.

Now that Haru had seen everything clearly, he hoped Tsunade could finally escape the shadows of the past.

"You..." Tsunade suddenly turned around and smiled at Haru.

"Don’t you want to keep me here in the Hidden Mist Village?"

"Although I’m not as skilled as you, as one of the Sannin from Konoha, I’m still quite capable—especially in medical ninjutsu."

"At the very least, you won’t find a medical ninja like me anywhere else in today’s ninja world."

Haru looked at her and said, "Would it really be useful for me to keep you?"

"How would you know if you don’t try?" Tsunade smiled back.

Haru hesitated a moment before replying, "No. I respect your decision. Maybe you should relax and do what you want."

"Besides, if I need you, won’t you come to help me?"

Tsunade didn’t answer directly but said vaguely, "Who knows what the future holds?"

Her smile remained, but a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes—just like her mood.

There was the relief of releasing years of hatred, the joy that Haru would let her choose her own path, and some indescribable sadness.

Maybe it really was time to leave.

Haru escorted Tsunade back to the Hidden Mist Village.

Not long after, Tsunade packed her bags and left with Shizune. The villagers were reluctant to see her go.

Their feelings weren’t just because of Tsunade’s strength or what she had contributed to the village.

It was also because of the bonds formed over those few short years.

On the surface, Tsunade seemed irritable and impulsive, but no one could deny she was a good person.

She was upright and kind-hearted, treating everyone sincerely.

Her students and patients were unwilling to say goodbye.

On the day Tsunade left, countless villagers abandoned their tasks to rush to the village gates to bid her farewell.

Even the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, came.

For the sake of the Hidden Mist Village, Mei didn’t want Tsunade to leave. But she also respected Tsunade’s choice and welcomed her back anytime.

Tsunade glanced back at the crowd seeing her off, feeling a pang of reluctance.

Inevitable ties had formed during her years in the Hidden Mist Village.

These ties were different from those she had left in Konoha.

Though the time was short, the feelings were different.

At first, she only came because Haru helped her.

Now, at the moment of departure, she found herself reluctant to leave.

It turned out that in the past three years, she had come to regard this place as home.

But since she had made her decision, she had to go—even if her heart ached.

At the last moment, she turned around to look for one person in the crowd.

But he wasn’t there.

He didn’t come?

Tsunade felt a little disappointed.

But at the same time, relief washed over her.

Maybe it was for the best that he didn’t come.

She wasn’t sure if she could leave if he had been there.

Tsunade gave a bitter smile and turned away with Shizune.

What she didn’t know was that on a high hill overlooking the Hidden Mist Village...

Haru stood watching her departing figure from afar.

Beside him were his three students: Kimimaro, Chōjūrō, and Uzumaki Karin.

"Teacher Haru," Kimimaro said, "Since you’re so reluctant to let Lady Tsunade go, why don’t you go and keep her?"

Kimimaro was a little confused.

Uchiha Haru did not answer.

Chōjūrō also said, "Since you want to see her off, why don’t you go to the village gate, but watch from afar here?"

Uchiha Haru remained silent.

Uzumaki Karin tilted her head and asked, "Teacher Haru, do you like Lady Tsunade?"

As soon as she said this, she realized she might have said too much and quickly covered her mouth.

Chōjūrō and Kimimaro both turned their heads sharply toward Uzumaki Karin, their expressions as if they had just discovered a new continent.

Yes.

It was possible.

Very possible.

Then, the three of them simultaneously looked at Uchiha Haru with mischievous smirks.

They seemed to have uncovered something extraordinary.

Feeling the malicious grins of the three young ninjas beside him, Uchiha Haru turned his head and gave each of them a sharp glare right on their foreheads.

"Children should not meddle in adult matters!"

With that, he vanished in a flash using Flying Thunder God Technique.

Kimimaro, Chōjūrō, and Uzumaki Karin were left rubbing their foreheads, wincing in pain.

"I wouldn’t have said anything if I had known..."

...

Elsewhere, after the failure of Konoha’s Chūnin Exams plan, the masked man and Konan swiftly gathered the remaining members of the Akatsuki organization.

This naturally included Uchiha Itachi.

Uchiha Itachi was still in the Hidden Cloud Village alongside Kisame Hoshigaki, tasked with capturing the tailed beasts.

They had endured a brutal battle.

The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Killer Bee, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki Yukito, and the current Raikage were formidable opponents.

Even Uchiha Itachi and Kisame, considered to be on par with Kage-level shinobi, could not gain much advantage in the Hidden Cloud Village.

Aside from the initial unexpected capture of the Two-Tails Jinchūriki Yukito, they made little progress and were even hunted by the Hidden Cloud’s forces.

They went through countless hardships.

But just as they were desperately trying to capture the tailed beasts for the Akatsuki, they suddenly received a message.

The leader of the Akatsuki organization, Tendo Pain, had launched a raid on Konoha during the village’s mass Chūnin Exams, intending to seize all the tailed beasts inside in one fell swoop.

Upon hearing this news, Uchiha Itachi couldn’t remain calm.

Though he was now a member of Akatsuki, his loyalty was always with Konoha.

He could slaughter his entire clan for the sake of Konoha—how could he betray the village just because he had joined Akatsuki?

This was a simple, unshakable truth.

Uchiha Itachi and the leader of Akatsuki had long understood that they were merely using each other.

So, shortly after Itachi joined Akatsuki, they reached an agreement.

The Nine-Tails must be captured by Uchiha Itachi alone, and no one else was allowed to interfere.

This was, in effect, assigning responsibilities for the tailed beasts.

In truth, it was a way to help Uchiha Itachi safeguard Konoha.

Both parties tacitly understood this.

For years, they had cooperated smoothly.

Itachi worked for Akatsuki, and in return, Akatsuki refrained from attacking Konoha, honoring the original agreement.

Unexpectedly, this time, the pact was broken.

Akatsuki tasked Itachi with capturing the tailed beasts outside, but instead, they took advantage of the situation to attack Konoha on July 10th to seize the Nine-Tails.

They nearly devastated the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

When Uchiha Itachi heard this, he immediately wanted to confront the masked man for an explanation.

Though Tendo Pain was the official Akatsuki leader,

Itachi knew that Pain was only a figurehead.

Behind the scenes, the masked man was the true power controlling Akatsuki.

He didn’t believe this decision had been made by Tendo Pain alone.

It was impossible.

The masked man had agreed to and even orchestrated it.

Although Tendo Pain had died now, the masked man remained.

Akatsuki still existed.

And Itachi’s deal had been made with the masked man.

Now, he just wanted to ask the masked man in person what his real intentions were.

Akatsuki convened once again.

Compared to the last gathering, fewer members were present.

Hidan, Kakuzu, and Jūzō Biwa had been killed by Uchiha Haru.

And their leader, Tendo Pain, had died during the Konoha Chūnin Exams.

Their power had been greatly diminished.

All these losses were tied to one person: Uchiha Haru.

Every member of Akatsuki was a top-tier powerhouse.

Their strength was essentially above Kage-level.

It was no small feat to keep such formidable individuals under control.

Previously, all of them had joined Akatsuki because of Tendo Pain.

Because Tendo had the strength to command them.

But now that Tendo Pain was gone, who else could rally all of them?

They gathered after receiving a message from White Zetsu.

On one hand, they wanted to see what Akatsuki’s future would look like and whether they could continue to stay united.

Though their reasons for coming differed,

there were few organizations like Akatsuki.

Over the years, they had grown rapidly.

They had amassed wealth, captured tailed beasts, and accomplished countless missions.

If they broke apart now, everyone would feel a deep sense of regret.

So they came...

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