Hiruzen, perplexed, narrowed his eyes.
"Huh?"
Tsunade turned to him again, but this time, her face was radiant, almost joyful.
"Sensei!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I understand now! Let me take him with me. I'll teach him all my techniques during our travels around the world!"
"Huh?!" Hiruzen exclaimed, taken aback.
"Sensei, you can't take him away from me. Shikai is all I have left." She paused for a moment, her expression turning darker and her voice breaking. "Since Dan and Nawaki's deaths, I'm no longer of any use in healing. But I can still train Shikai. I'll train him to become more talented than me, I promise."
Hiruzen opened his mouth to protest, but Tsunade placed her hands on his shoulders as if to interrupt him.
"Plus, I want to protect him from Danzo," she continued. "That man must already be plotting in the shadows to manipulate Shikai for his own ends. If I take him with me, he'll be safe. He's all I have left, sensei, so... please."
Her voice broke slightly, and Hiruzen saw tears threatening to spill from her eyes. It wasn't the anger or arrogance of Tsunade that he was used to. It was a raw sadness mixed with a deep protective sentiment, a pain she had carried for years, and it resurfaced at that very moment.
Faced with this emotion, Hiruzen knew he couldn't do anything to convince her otherwise.
"Ok... alright," he said finally, raising his hands in surrender.
Tsunade seemed almost surprised by his response, but a sincere smile quickly lit up her face.
"Thank you, sensei. You won't regret it," she said with renewed determination.
Hiruzen, although resigned, couldn't help but think of his own plan for Shikai. He would delay it for now. If Tsunade wanted to take him, he couldn't oppose her without causing an unnecessary conflict.
"Take care of him, Tsunade," he said before turning away, slowly walking down the corridor.
Tsunade watched him leave, then turned towards Shikai's room, her heart still pounding with emotion.
"My Shikai... I haven't always understood you well. But this time, I'll protect you. No matter what it costs."
With renewed energy, she entered Shikai's room.
...
Shikaku Nara was sitting calmly in the hospital room, his usual expression of weariness concealing his thoughts. On his lap, little Shikamaru, aged two, curiously looked around, his chubby face betraying a mix of boredom and childish interest.
"Shikaku-san and little Shikamaru, I presume."
"I wanted to visit and have a chat. There are some interesting things being said about you these past few months."
Shikai raised an eyebrow, quickly guessing what it was about.
"I imagine it has something to do with the Kyûbi attack."
"Exactly," Shikaku confirmed as he sat down. He scrutinized Shikai with his nonchalant air, but his eyes held a certain admiration. "I know you don't like people talking about you, but you have to admit that what you did that day was not ordinary. Few people would have had the courage or the intelligence to act as you did."
Shikai slightly averted his eyes, feigning discomfort at such compliments.
Shikamaru, on the other hand, tilted his head to the side as he observed Shikai, and then let out a single word:
"How troublesome, "
Shikaku turned his head towards his son, surprised, while Shikai, after a moment of surprise, burst into a hearty laugh.
"That's a word I could use too, little Shikamaru," Shikai said with amusement.
Shikaku shook his head gently, a discreet smile on his lips.
"He already understands life, that one."
Shikai couldn't help but smile. The moment of lightness was welcome, but Shikaku became serious again.
"Shikai, I also came to talk to you about the situation within the clan. My father... he didn't survive the attack."
Shikai slowly nodded. He had heard about the losses suffered by the clans, but he pretended that learning that the Nara patriarch was among the victims filled him with sadness, even though he couldn't care less.
"I'm sorry to hear that," he murmured.
Shikaku shrugged, as if to lighten the gravity of his words, although the pain of the loss was visible in his eyes.
"It's a loss for all of us, but we'll get through it. However, I'll need your help once you're recovered. The clan's affairs... all the paperwork. Frankly, it's a real pain."
Shikamaru vigorously nodded, even though he probably didn't understand everything. But when it came to a real pain he knew it meant trouble.
"How troublesome, " he repeated, which made Shikai laugh again.
As the atmosphere became slightly more relaxed, the door to the room suddenly opened, revealing Tsunade.
Shikaku felt a shiver run down his spine as their eyes met. He didn't need to be a genius to guess that she didn't appreciate his recent words.
Shikamaru, upon seeing Tsunade's imposing figure, turned his head towards his father and whispered in an alarmed tone:
"Wow! She's scary! Father, I suggest we leave."
Shikaku swallowed, sharing his son's opinion to some extent. Tsunade had that piercing gaze and intimidating aura that didn't bode well.
"Shikai will be following me out of the village for a while," she said in a sharp tone. "I'll be teaching him some techniques, so the paperwork will have to wait."
Shikaku hesitated for a moment, but his instinct told him not to oppose her.
"Umm, yeah... Of course."
He quickly stood up, taking Shikamaru into his arms.
"Let's go, Shikamaru," he said, waving at Shikai.
Shikamaru gave Tsunade one last look and whispered to his father:
"Good idea."
Shikaku quickened his pace, leaving the room before Tsunade decided to keep them there.
Once alone, Tsunade turned to Shikai with an enthusiastic smile.
"So, what do you want? Something sweet or savory?" she asked as she placed a bag overflowing with food on a table nearby.
Shikai silently observed all that she had brought: bentos, fruits, pastries, and even a bottle of sake that she seemed to have "forgotten" there. He sighed internally.
"This might be a bit overwhelming..."
Tsunade sat on a chair next to him, her enthusiasm visible, but Shikai could feel the intensity of her presence. She stared at him with almost excessive attention, as if she wanted to make sure he was safe at all times.
"Why such a feast?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Because you need to regain your strength," she simply replied, as if it were obvious. "And also because I want you to be ready for our journey."
Shikai raised an eyebrow.
"Journey?"
"Yes!"
"Okay..." Shikai said as he tried to take a bite of an apple, which proved difficult.
"Ah, I forgot. With all these bandages, I'll be responsible for feeding you!"