Chapter 262: Who Was Hurting More?
Two months passed just like that.
Tsunade sat behind her desk with a pen in hand, yet she hadn’t written a single word.
Her gaze left the documents and settled on the old tree outside the window, where fresh buds had begun to sprout.
Sixty entire days.
Kitahara Kaede hadn’t visited once. He hadn’t even passed by the entrance of the hospital.
The image of his back as he left two months ago surfaced uncontrollably in her mind.
Back then, she had inexplicably told him to "get some rest." He had clearly paused at the door.
She had assumed he would understand the opening she had given him.
She had thought he would find some excuse to return after a few days and casually ask, "Have you been well lately?"
And what happened?
She hadn’t seen so much as his shadow.
Tsunade subconsciously bit her lower lip. Her chest felt stuffed with cotton, heavy and swollen at the same time.
She had considered methods of her own.
For example, she could ask Kushina to invite him over for dinner, then happen to arrive there "by coincidence."
But every time the thought arose, she strangled it immediately.
What would she say when they met?
If he seriously asked, "Have you reached a decision?"
How would she answer?
She still didn’t have one.
Then what if... he didn’t ask?
What if he merely addressed her politely as "Tsunade-sama," sat there laughing and talking with Minato and Kushina, but never once looked at her or mentioned the matter from beginning to end?
The mere thought made it difficult for Tsunade to breathe.
It would mean he no longer cared about her answer at all.
No matter how she considered it, every path was a dead end.
She wanted to see him, yet she was afraid to.
The contradiction was driving her insane, so she could only pour all her energy into work.
Whenever she truly couldn’t bear it anymore, she went to Kushina’s house and listened to her enthusiastically plan her child’s future, or heard her loudly complain that Minato was working late again.
At least during those moments, Tsunade’s mind could empty for a little while.
"Sigh..."
She released a long breath and was about to force her attention back to the medical chart.
Pop.
A small cloud of white smoke burst into existence atop the desk.
A slug no larger than a thumb crawled out of it, her voice carrying unprecedented urgency.
"Tsunade-sama! The girl named Nohara Rin—she’s awake!"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"What’s her condition?"
"She’s conscious, but her emotions are extremely unstable! She keeps asking where she is and whether this is the world after death!"
Tsunade’s hands rapidly formed seals.
"Reverse Summon her here!"
Bang!
A cloud of white smoke several times denser than before exploded in the center of the office.
A petite figure in an oversized hospital gown staggered out and collapsed onto the floor, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
She drew ragged breaths. Her beautiful brown eyes were filled with the terror and confusion of someone who had only just escaped a nightmare.
Rin’s first reaction was to reach for the left side of her chest.
She still remembered the lightning that had pierced through her body. She remembered Kitahara Kaede’s expressionless face at point-blank range. She remembered the heart-rending agony when Chidori tore through her chest.
Then came endless darkness.
But when she touched it now...
Rin pressed through the thin hospital gown. Her hand stopped. Still unable to believe it, she shakily pulled the collar aside and looked down.
Her skin was smooth and unbroken.
There wasn’t a wound, or even the faintest scar.
How could this be?
She suddenly raised her head and looked around, finally seeing the woman behind the desk.
"Tsunade... sama?"
Rin’s lips trembled as she asked a question that sounded absurd even to herself.
"Is this... the world after death?"
Tsunade walked around the desk, stopped before her, and lightly flicked her forehead with a finger.
"If it were, you wouldn’t be seeing me there."
She crouched and placed both hands on Rin’s shoulders. Gentle green chakra glowed from her palms.
Warm energy immediately enveloped Rin.
"Enough wild thoughts. Relax first. I’m going to give you a full examination."
Calmed by the warmth, Rin obediently stopped moving.
Tsunade guided her chakra through Rin’s body and nodded inwardly as she examined her.
Her vital signs were absurdly stable.
Despite lying unconscious for so long, her physical functions hadn’t deteriorated at all.
Tsunade withdrew her chakra.
When the warmth faded, Rin carefully caught the edge of Tsunade’s sleeve.
"Tsunade-sama, why am I... still alive?"
Her voice still trembled with lingering fear.
"And Kakashi? How is he? Was he hurt?"
The rapid succession of questions left Tsunade momentarily speechless.
How would she know why?
All she knew was that the bastard Kitahara Kaede had gone to enormous lengths to arrange this "false death," and his purpose was certainly not simple.
She still remembered what he had said two months ago.
’If Rin can wake up, then what comes afterward... may become much easier to handle.’
Tsunade turned her hand and clasped Rin’s.
"All right, all right. Don’t panic. One question at a time."
Her voice was steady and strong, gradually calming Rin’s frantic heartbeat.
"To be honest, I don’t know all the details of how you were saved either. That fellow... I can’t figure out exactly what he’s planning."
Rin froze.
That fellow?
Who did she mean?
Seeing Rin’s bewildered face, Tsunade sighed inwardly.
This girl knew nothing, and Tsunade’s own knowledge was limited. There was only one person who could explain the entire chain of events.
Since only he could answer Rin’s questions, then Tsunade going to find him was perfectly legitimate business.
She instantly discovered the perfect excuse. Her awkwardness and hesitation disappeared at once.
Tsunade pulled Rin to her feet.
"How about this? Rest here for a while. I’ll bring him over and make him explain everything to you from beginning to end."
Rin nodded blankly.
After settling her down, Tsunade stepped out of the office and closed the door behind her.
The moment she entered the corridor, she drew a deep breath and began rapidly rehearsing what she would say and how she would look when she saw Kaede.
First, she absolutely could not appear too enthusiastic!
That bastard had ignored her for two full months. If she looked too excited now, he would assume he had her completely wrapped around his finger!
She had to look cold and display her authority.
Tsunade adjusted her expression. Using the reflective glass at the end of the corridor, she tried lowering the corners of her mouth.
The more she forced them down, however, the stiffer and less natural she looked.
No.
A moment later, she discarded that plan too.
She couldn’t appear overly distant either.
She was looking for him to discuss serious business.
What if she acted completely unapproachable, and he misunderstood, deciding she didn’t want to see him? What if he stopped coming to her forever?
Tsunade repeatedly weighed the options before finally settling on a strategy.
Right. She would keep everything strictly professional, without the slightest private emotion.
Once the decision was made, she stopped hesitating. She strode out of the hospital and headed directly toward the Hokage Building.
When she visited Minato’s home a few days earlier, Kushina had casually mentioned that Kaede had recently been helping Minato with administrative work and spent most of his time there.
Tsunade entered the building and climbed the familiar floors.
When she reached the level containing the Hokage’s Office and prepared to turn the corner, her steps stopped.
That familiar figure stood halfway down the corridor, holding a stack of documents and discussing something with the person beside him.
His back was turned to her. He wore a dark Jonin vest, his posture straight and tall.
"Kitahara Kaede."