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IUTT: Ch. 13
🕑 Added 2025-05-06 20:05:22 +0000 UTC"Forget it, there's no point in talking about this anymore!" Shin said with a bitter smile.
"Sakumo must have already informed the Hokage about our secret meeting, just adding more fuel to the fire of my death. From today on, there's nothing left between us. And one more thing, let me say this again: you're not allowed to attend my funeral. If you do, even as a ghost, I won't let you off."
"Farewell forever!"
With that, he turned around and walked away without hesitation. The atmosphere had been built up to this point, staying any longer was meaningless.
Originally, he had planned to slowly reveal everything to Tsunade through the matter with the Pharmaceuticals Department. But she had suddenly pulled the rug out from under him, forcing him to change his plan at the last moment.
In terms of impact, this was better. She was now overwhelmed with guilt. But at the same time, the risk was much greater.
If she once again acted on her own and messed things up, his death would be all but certain. If he'd known it would come to this, he wouldn't have offended Koharu. He had even prepared a whole script to explain things to Tsunade, but she just wouldn't play by the rules.
Now he had no choice but to gamble. He was betting that, considering all he had done for the village over the years, Hiruzen would delay making a decision.
He was betting that Tsunade would react quickly enough to ask Mito for help before Hiruzen decided to eliminate him.
If he could survive this crisis, he would make everyone pay. After so many years of careful planning around her, there should at least be some return.
Shin gave a bitter smile. Staying alive had been far too difficult. Aside from a few exaggerated accusations to provoke Tsunade's guilt, almost everything he said earlier was true.
Now came the critical moment. Life or death would be decided in the final stretch. But after walking only a few hundred meters, Sakumo suddenly appeared in front of Shin.
"Haha, are you here to kill me?" Shin was in despair.
This was Sakumo, not that useless Koharu. What could he possibly do against him? He had no actual combat experience, there was no way he could be a match.
"Kill you?" Sakumo looked puzzled. "Why would I kill you?"
"Didn't the Hokage send you to kill me?" Shin asked again.
"What Hokage? I haven't even gone to see him!" Sakumo's reply reignited a spark of hope in Shin's heart.
"Then why didn't you report what just happened to the Hokage?" he asked in confusion.
"Why should I tell you?" Sakumo clearly didn't want to explain too much. "Get moving, I'm still under orders to monitor you."
Shin laughed, truly and joyfully.
Suddenly, he understood why Hiruzen had never liked Sakumo. As a samurai by heritage, he was different from other ANBU. He had clear thoughts of his own.
While other ANBU would follow Hiruzen's orders without question, he only did what he believed was right. He was, in fact, very loyal, but his loyalty was to Konoha, not to any individual.
If something benefited Konoha, he would do it. If it harmed the village, he wouldn't, no matter who ordered it.
How could Hiruzen tolerate someone like that?
That was why he was eventually transferred out of the ANBU, Hiruzen simply didn't want to see him anymore.
A few hundred meters later, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from behind Shin.
Finally figured it out?
He was speechless. What kind of person would be so stunned by a few words they couldn't even move?
Because of that, he was nearly scared to death by Sakumo just now.
Although Tsunade wasn't a match for Sakumo either at this point, as long as she was present, even if he had received orders, he wouldn't act in front of her.
Actually, in all of Shin's years of planning, he'd concluded that Hiruzen was highly unlikely to give a direct order to ANBU to kill him. That talk earlier about feeling the killing intent in ANBU chakra? He had completely made that up to deceive Tsunade.
He wasn't a Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, how could he possibly sense the nature of someone's chakra?
Since the founding of Konoha, no Hokage had ever given a direct order to attack an innocent civilian. That would shake the very foundation of the village. If that kind of thing became habitual, Konoha's stability could collapse entirely.
That sort of work was something Root would do, but Root hadn't even been established yet. Root only came into being on the eve of the Second Great Ninja War.
At the time, to counter enemy spies and due to the urgent need for wartime intelligence, Hiruzen had reluctantly approved Danzō's proposal to form Root.
Even then, Root's actions were hidden in the shadows, they couldn't be exposed and had to operate in complete secrecy. But despite knowing all this, Shin didn't take even the slightest chance when it came to his life.
As the footsteps drew closer and closer, he instinctively dodged to the side.
Tsunade ran straight through the spot where he'd just been, arms outstretched. Missing her target completely, she immediately looked deeply hurt, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
She had made up her mind, she was going to beg Shin for forgiveness, even if it meant revealing the little secret feelings she had hidden for years.
But he had anticipated her move and dodged out of the way. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have minded letting Tsunade get a little closer.
But this was a matter of life and death!
The more guilty she felt right now, the more likely she was to go all out to help him. If her guilt faded and sweetness took its place, she'd start overthinking things again, that could ruin everything.
"I'm sorry!" Tsunade apologized earnestly.
"Apologies are the most useless thing at a time like this," Shin replied coldly. "Will I live just because you said sorry?"
"Go back." Seeing her on the verge of tears again, his tone softened. "There's no need to waste your emotions and tears on someone who's about to die."
"No! That's not true!" Tsunade shook her head quickly. "You don't have to die. There has to be a way."
"If the Hokage really wants to kill me, you can't stop him," Shin reminded her.
"There's always a way! Come with me!" Tsunade grabbed Shin's hand and started running toward the Senju clan compound.
"Let go! I want to go home! I want to see my parents and my brother one last time!" Shin struggled to pull free.
"I won't let go!" Tsunade was determined to take Shin to see Mito.
In her heart, her grandmother had always been wise, surely she would have a solution.
So the two of them ran hand in hand through half of Konoha.
Countless people were stunned by the sight.
Weren't there always rumors that they were like oil and water? Do young people really change their minds this quickly?
"Obaachan! Obaachan!" As soon as they entered the Senju clan compound, Tsunade couldn't wait to shout out.
"Nee-san, you're ba—uh…" Nawaki, who had been playing in the yard, was about to greet her, but when he saw Tsunade dragging Shin behind her, he turned and ran toward the backyard, yelling, "Obaachan! Obaachan! Nee-san brought her boyfriend home!"
