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At this moment, even though the battlefields of Konoha and the Sand Shinobi were still intense within the borders of the Land of Rain, the war between Konoha and the Village Hidden in the Rain had come to a complete halt. Both sides were now waiting for negotiations to be finalized. Konoha believed that the hesitation of the new leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain was due to concerns about Hanzo's return, so they immediately sent representatives for negotiations. On the other hand, the newly appointed leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain, Jinna, hoped to end the war with Konoha as soon as possible, even if it meant making concessions in the treaty. After all, with the assurance of Captain Aizen's plan involving the Daimyo of the Fire Country, Jinna had no worries. Due to the temporary withdrawal of the Rain Shinobi, the anxious manpower scattered across various battlefields from Konoha finally got a chance to catch their breath.
Inside the base where Tsunade was stationed in the Land of Rain, preparations for the upcoming battle were underway. Tsunade, seemingly having forgotten about Nawaki 'death,' had regained her resolute demeanor. She was orchestrating the forces within the base with great vigor, planning extensively for the imminent showdown with the Sand Shinobi. As if having abundant energy, she, in front of the battlefield map, did not show the slightest sign of fatigue.
This reassured the Konoha ninjas who were concerned about her.
"Here, and here, also here! We must take necessary precautions!"
"When the major battle begins, we absolutely cannot allow the Sand Shinobi to break through from this point!"
"You! Inform the medical department to prepare enough antidotes based on the known Sand Shinobi poison configurations!"
Inside the tent, Tsunade's beautiful face was slightly tense as she stared at the map on the table, speaking in a stern voice.
"Yes, Captain Tsunade!"
Hearing her words, a younger Konoha ninja quickly responded and rushed out of the tent.
In recent days, although Tsunade hadn't continued to be sorrowful, her temper had become much more irritable. Including now, the personnel inside the tent were all watching Tsunade, who had a frosty expression, in silence.
Just then, the young ninja returned, his face wearing a strange expression as he softly spoke to Tsunade.
"Cap... Captain... Captain, Sosuke has arrived."
Originally, watching him return, Tsunade, who had slightly furrowed her brows, was stunned at hearing these words. The people inside the tent exchanged glances, each revealing a slightly strange expression before swiftly disappearing.
While Tsunade was momentarily in a daze, a figure walked in slowly.
"Tsunade, long time no see."
The magnetic voice sounded in her ears. Tsunade's face suddenly turned pale, revealing a panicked expression, uncertain of what expression to show.
"Sos... Sosuke..."
Seeing Tsunade in a state of confusion, Sosuke, however, wore a smile on his face and spoke gently.
"What's wrong, Tsunade? Your complexion... doesn't seem too good..."
Hearing Sosuke's words, memories of that day suddenly flashed in Tsunade's mind. Thinking of that forever-vanished bright smile...
Her expression suddenly dimmed, and she stammered, "N... nothing..."
Seeing her like this, Sosuke's expression gradually became serious as he asked in a deep voice, "How can you be okay with such a look? What happened? Tell me."
Hearing Aizen's words, Tsunade's face turned increasingly pale, and she murmured in a desolate tone.
"Nawaki... he sacrificed himself on a mission..."
As her words fell, as if all the strength within her body had been drained, she weakly leaned against the table.
A flash of sharpness crossed Sosuke eyes at this, but on the surface, he revealed a surprised expression.
Sorry... Tsunade...
However, his face showed genuine shock.
Expression grave.
"It's all my fault... all my fault... all my fault for sending him on that mission..."
Tsunade's complexion grew paler, and she stammered in a rush.
At this moment, a warm embrace gently enveloped her.
"Don't blame yourself anymore... this has nothing to do with you."
With the gentle voice echoing in her ears and feeling the warmth of the embrace, Tsunade, at first startled, was followed by an uncontrollable sob.
She suddenly buried her head in Aizen's embrace, and the emotions she had suppressed for days burst forth completely.
"Sob, sob, sob... Nawaki... Nawaki is gone... Sosuke, Nawaki is gone... I, as his older sister, arranged the mission that led to his death... He's gone..."
She nestled in Sosuke's embrace, crying like a saddened child, evoking deep sympathy. Tears quickly soaked Sosuke's chest, but he paid no attention. He stood there straight, gently stroking Tsunade's soft, golden hair.
The lenses of his glasses gleamed with a bright light, concealing the complexity in his eyes.
I'm truly sorry, Tsunade...
As if releasing all the accumulated sorrow from the past few days, Tsunade cried in Sosuke embrace for a long time until she fell asleep from exhaustion.
Carefully, Sosuke gently moved her to a nearby resting area.
Leaving behind a note, he slowly left the place.
Outside the tent, the tall figure of Himiki was waiting, casting a disapproving glance at Sosuke and coldly saying, "Although I don't know what happened, negotiating with the Village Hidden in the Rain is the top priority now."
Hearing her words, Sosuke nodded without speaking.
Apparently, he wasn't particularly pleased at the moment either.
Tsunade's deep grief made him doubt whether his actions were correct.
But thinking about certain things, a firm determination flashed in his eyes beneath the lenses.
Only by standing at the true summit...
Could he look back on this moment with qualification...
Seeing Sosuke's expressionless face, Himiko thought it might be because of her overly cold tone. For some unknown reason, her heart tightened slightly. Unconsciously, she softened her tone and said again, "But... if you have something to attend to... you should finish it before hitting the road..."
Her voice sounded gentler, completely unlike something the cold and aloof Himiko would say.
Even she was surprised by her words after speaking, and she couldn't help but think, 'What am I doing?'
Hearing Himiko words, Sosuke turned to look at her, suddenly smiling slightly, and said softly, "No problem. Let's go; it's time to embark on the journey."
Hearing Sosuke's words, Himiko hesitated, and in the end, she didn't say what she originally intended.
The two of them quickly disappeared from the scene.
The next day, Tsunade woke up from a deep sleep.
Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she quickly got up and looked around.
Sosuke's figure had already disappeared from the place.
Her expression dimmed slightly.
Is So... Sosuke... blaming me...
At this moment, she glanced to the side and saw a note placed on the table. Her eyes lit up.
Quickly picking up the note, she saw beautifully written words on it.
"Forget the sadness, smile. If the sun is covered, everyone will be sad. You just need to smile and wait for a little while. Wait until I step onto that high place..."
Reading the content on the note, Tsunade's face showed a hint of a faint smile after the initial melancholy.
Carefully preserving the note, she placed it in her bosom.
In her heart, she sweetly thought about what Sosuke wrote on the note.
Smile... I will smile, Sosuke...
However, what puzzled her was what Sosuke meant by stepping onto a high place in the note...