"Alright, then you can wait here for a moment until Tsunade arrives," Hiruzen said in a friendly tone, trying to appear like a kind-hearted grandfather.
'What a sly old man! Your smile won't fool me, Hiruzen,' Aoki grumbled to himself, hating the forced friendly demeanor of the Hokage.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Aoki replied with a flat expression. Shizune, who had been silent until then, looked at Aoki with admiration and gratitude.
Not long after, the door to the room swung open loudly, revealing a woman with captivating blonde hair and an impressive figure. The woman was Tsunade Senju—granddaughter of the First Hokage, pupil of the Third Hokage, and one of the Legendary Three Sannin.
Tsunade shifted her gaze from Hiruzen to Aoki and Shizune. She walked towards them with firm steps and stopped in front of both of them, her face showing a melancholic expression.
"Are you the niece of Dan Kato?" Tsunade asked, her voice soft yet filled with sympathy.
"Hm... yes? Are you Miss Tsunade Senju, the lover of Uncle Dan Kato?" Shizune asked with a confused expression, staring at Tsunade.
Tsunade paused for a moment, her eyes gazing deeply at Shizune before she slowly nodded her head.
"That's right, I am Tsunade Senju, the lover of your uncle, Dan Kato. Do you want to know the location of Dan Kato's grave?" Tsunade asked, her voice filled with hidden sorrow.
"That... is correct. Can I see it?" Shizune asked with a slightly trembling tone, nervousness enveloping her.
"Of course, follow me." Tsunade gently took Shizune's hand and began to guide her.
Shizune was a bit surprised by the sudden warmth, but before she followed Tsunade, she turned to Aoki and looked at him.
"Aoki-kun, thank you so much for helping me. I really appreciate it. The next time we meet, I will repay your kindness," Shizune said, bowing sincerely. Hiruzen and Tsunade, who were watching this, looked a bit confused.
"Not a problem. The next time we meet, I will definitely have become someone great! So until then, you should also train hard and become a great medical-nin. This is a promise between friends!" Aoki said with a wide smile.
Shizune paused for a moment, touched by Aoki's words, then she smiled. Aoki's smile made Shizune's cheeks flush, and she quickly nodded.
Seeing Shizune's reaction, Aoki smiled even wider. He then walked towards Shizune and gently tapped her forehead with two fingers, reminiscent of a gesture Itachi often did to Sasuke.
"Well then, I have to go now. See you again, Shizune!" Aoki said before hurrying away.
Shizune remained standing in her place, silent, while her face turned bright red, and it felt like smoke was rising from her head.
On the other hand, Hiruzen smiled amusedly at the interaction, while Tsunade showed an expression mixed with inner conflict and sadness.
...
...
...
'Perhaps many are wondering why I did that,' Aoki thought, smiling to himself. 'I did it because I wanted to, not because I liked Shizune in that way. Shizune is just my first female friend since I came to this world.'
After arriving at Kuzan's weapon shop, Aoki immediately greeted Kuzan and got to work making weapons. Many might wonder why Aoki looked so calm after Nansa's death. No, Aoki was still feeling angry, still feeling very sad. However, Aoki knew that Nansa wouldn't want to see him in a sorrowful state.
That's why Aoki decided to continue his routine—forging various weapons in the Forge Workshop. Not just to dispel the sadness he felt, but also to keep moving forward and not remain stagnant.
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