Aoba was surprised to hear that near Konoha, there appeared an enemy that even Lady Tsunade couldn't detain, and what's more shocking, this enemy kidnapped Lady Tsunade's disciple right in front of her?!
It was truly unbelievable!
Moreover, to think that this person was deemed a formidable enemy by Lady Tsunade herself, how powerful they must be?
However, thinking back to the enormous commotion that had occurred before and the terrifying sight seen upon their arrival, everyone felt somewhat relieved.
Indeed, only Lady Tsunade and an enemy of equal strength could cause such a devastating scene.
Look at everything before us; how intense the battle must have been to cause such unimaginable destruction!
Indeed, Lady Tsunade!
Aoba's admiration for Lady Tsunade deepened even more, and then he left a few people to protect the scene while he headed toward Konoha with Lady Tsunade.
Although Lady Tsunade was extremely worried about the safety of Shizune, there was nothing to be done at this point but to remain calm, as raging helplessly wouldn't solve anything.
That's why she wanted to hurry back to Konoha, inform Jiraiya about the situation, and then quickly organize a search party for Shizune's whereabouts.
I hope it's not too late!
......
Meanwhile, Aoba, who had decisively made a move and escaped with people and goods right after using his big move, stayed close.
Initially, after finding the Reaper Mask, he planned to return to the Land of Waves to continue hiding.
But because of this deadly mission suddenly issued by the dog system, he had no choice but to find a place to wait out these few days.
After all, he couldn't possibly kill Shizune to silence her!
He wasn't like that mosquito that often kills sisters to prove a point; he generally couldn't do such 'beastly' (neatly done) things.
Of course, if it came to a point where he had to kill, he wouldn't hesitate.
Therefore, he avoided the more populated routes and headed into the deep mountains and forests, eventually finding a hidden cave next to a waterfall.
He might have missed it if it hadn't been for noticing a few geckos suddenly disappearing.
So, such a good hiding spot, he happily took for himself.
And naturally, those original 'tenants' were all driven away by him, this 'unwelcome guest'!
To collect the full mission reward, he had to detain Shizune for at least 96 hours, four days.
It seemed not too hard...
But thinking about it carefully, with Lady Tsunade's position, once she returned to Konoha, Jiraiya, that guy would mobilize so many people to help her search for Shizune!
Even though he used many counter-tracking methods along the way, setting up many decoys to confuse the pursuers, he was still determining if he could last these nearly a hundred hours.
But even if they found him, it wasn't too big of a deal. At worst, he could use Shizune as a hostage while looking for a chance to escape, but it would be no big deal!
Then, for Shizune to cooperate reasonably after waking up and not cause him trouble, he had no choice but to examine her several times with a severe and diligent attitude.
The findings are as follows:
A ninja tool bag, kunai concealed on the body, unidentified pills, several silver needles...
Hmm, and a small mirror, too.
Who would have thought? Who would have thought that even Shizune, who has never been interested in beauty, has fallen for vanity, occasionally stealing glances at herself in the mirror?
It's astonishing!
After ensuring that Shizune wasn't hiding anything else messy on her person, Aoba took a rope from his ninja tool bag and began to tie up the hostage, using techniques he learned from movies.
Don't ask why he has a rope in his ninja tool bag.
As a competent and excellent ninja, it makes sense always to carry some essentials for survival.
He can even take a hammer and a wrench inside the bag if you don't believe it.
So, it's clear that Aoba does not know how to be gentle with women. After putting in a great deal of effort and sweating profusely to finally secure Shizune, Shizune, who had been tossed and turned for so long, was still unconscious.
God knows how hard he had hit Shizune when he knocked her out!
Judging by the size of the lump on her head, a minor concussion is probably inescapable.
As for whether she can wake up, become a vegetable, or suffer from amnesia after waking up... that's all up to her luck and fate now.
Regarding this, the person who brutally stuffed a pair of socks into Shizune's mouth won't take any responsibility.
Indeed, a strong single man by sheer competence!
Worthy of being studied by countless harem protagonists!
If they all had his skills, why worry about dealing with those women who constantly squabble and create harem battles?
Why is fear being approached?
Beat them all until they cry!
See who dares to approach shamelessly!
Aoba, holding a brick, showed a menacing warning look.
It wasn't until the night, after being unconscious all day, that Shizune gasped for air... and socks and woke up.
However, everything was pitch black, leaving her clueless about her whereabouts.
"Ooh, ooh..."
After grunting a few times, Shizune remembered what had happened to her right before everything went dark.
Thank heaven she didn't become a vegetable or lose her memories.
Otherwise, the story might have developed like a melodramatic soap opera...
After struggling, Shizune finally calmed down and recognized her current situation.
Her mouth was stuffed with 'foreign objects,' and her body seemed to be tied up with some sort of rope.
So, it means she was still in the hands of the enemy.
Was Tsunade-sama unable to stop them?
Shizune was surprised but didn't feel discouraged or despair because she knew that Tsunade-sama would come to save her. She firmly believed this!
So, for now, she needed to try to escape alone.
If self-rescue wasn't possible, she had to figure out how to withstand 'the enemy's interrogation until Tsunade-sama came to save her.
Perhaps she could even try to gain their trust by pretending to cooperate with them, pulling off an "Infernal Affairs."
But... it hurts so much.
Why does my head hurt so much?
Oh, I remember now. After the adversary broke into the poison mist, he suddenly had a red object in his hand and, at a speed that she couldn't react to, slapped it onto her head.
That was way too harsh!
How long have I been unconscious?
Where is this place?
Why is it so dark? I can't see anything.
Even if it was night, there should still be moonlight.
Could it be a basement?
Now, should I pretend to remain unconscious, or should I make some noise to draw out that bastard?
Shizune inevitably fell into wild speculation.
However, until she fell asleep again, none of the countermeasures she thought of came to be valid.
Because no one paid any attention to her...
This is truly a sad story!