Tanzaku Town — Mimori Hotel
The room was quiet.
Soft sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting faint golden lines across the wooden floor. The scent of medicine still lingered faintly in the air.
On the bed—
Kakashi Hatake slowly opened his eyes.
His vision was blurry at first.
Then—
Pain surged through his mind.
A dull, throbbing ache.
He instinctively raised a hand and clutched his head, his brows furrowing tightly.
"…Ugh…"
Fragments of memory flashed through his mind—
The battlefield.
The Mangekyō.
The illusion.
The endless torment.
"Yo, you're finally awake."
A lazy, slightly mocking voice sounded from beside the bed.
Kakashi turned his head with some difficulty.
Standing there with her arms crossed—
Was Tsunade.
Her golden eyes looked down at him with clear amusement.
"You look pretty miserable, Kakashi Hatake," she said casually. "Getting taken down by a single glance from Itachi Uchiha… that's quite embarrassing."
Kakashi gave a weak, wry smile.
"…Lady Tsunade."
Surprise flickered in his visible eye.
"How did I end up here…?"
Click—
The door opened.
Aoki Yoru walked in, followed by Kenta and Yui.
The moment they saw Kakashi awake—
Relief flooded their faces.
"He's awake!" Yui said, unable to hide her joy.
Aoki Yoru nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing.
As expected of Tsunade—
Her medical skills were unparalleled.
Tsunade turned slightly, her tone becoming more serious.
"In your current condition," she said, "you'll need at least a week of rest. And even then, full recovery will take about a month."
Kakashi sighed inwardly but didn't argue.
He knew his condition well.
Then—
Tsunade's gaze shifted.
It landed squarely on Aoki Yoru.
Her lips curled into a half-smile.
"Kid," she said slowly, "you made quite a bit of money off me earlier, didn't you?"
Aoki Yoru's heart skipped a beat.
'…This is bad.'
He had been so focused on earning quick money that he had completely forgotten one crucial detail—
Tsunade's terrible gambling luck.
And her personality.
He forced a stiff smile.
Slowly—
He took out a scroll.
And handed it over.
"Lady Tsunade," he said carefully, "I only did that because I saw you losing continuously… and Shizune couldn't stop you."
"I was just… helping you hold onto your money."
"Now… I'm returning it to its rightful owner."
Inside—
His heart was bleeding.
'That was all my money…'
Tsunade looked at him for a moment.
Then—
She nodded approvingly.
"Good kid. You've got sense."
Without hesitation, she took the scroll.
Her mood improved instantly.
"Shizune!" she called out excitedly.
"Let's go! I'm feeling lucky today!"
Before anyone could stop her—
She was already heading toward the door.
Aoki Yoru watched her leave.
Then sighed softly.
"…I suddenly feel sorry for her."
Following Tsunade really wasn't easy.
Even Tonton looked thinner these days.
Training Begins
That night—
Outside Tanzaku Town.
The once-flat training ground had been completely destroyed.
The earth was cracked.
Massive craters littered the area.
Dust filled the air.
It looked more like a battlefield than a training field.
Aoki Yoru lay flat on the ground.
Gasping.
Every breath sent sharp pain through his chest.
"…That hurts…"
He winced.
Several ribs were likely fractured.
Nearby—
Tsunade stood silently.
Her earlier excitement was gone.
Instead—
She looked… irritated.
Earlier that day—
She had gone out to gamble again.
And lost.
Completely.
So when she saw Aoki Yoru practicing—
She decided to "guide" him.
As a senior.
Aoki Yoru, however, was certain—
This was just her way of venting frustration.
At first—
She had been casual.
Almost playful.
But as the fight continued—
Her expression changed.
Surprise.
Then seriousness.
Aoki Yoru's strength…
Exceeded her expectations.
Even now—
As she looked at him lying on the ground—
There was a hint of shock in her eyes.
"Shizune," she said calmly, "heal him."
Without waiting for a response—
She turned and left.
Nearby—
Shizune hurried over, immediately beginning treatment.
Kenta and Yui stood at a distance.
Frozen.
Neither dared to speak.
Earlier—
They had been excited.
The legendary Sannin was going to guide them.
Now—
They didn't even dare breathe loudly.
"…Too scary," Kenta whispered.
Yui nodded vigorously.
Seven Days Later
Time passed quickly.
Seven days flew by in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to Shizune's excellent medical skills—
Aoki Yoru was already fully recovered by the second day.
Over the next few days—
They trained.
Learned.
Improved.
Although Tsunade was often drunk—
Her occasional guidance was invaluable.
Each word she spoke—
Cut straight to the core.
Aoki Yoru felt it clearly.
He was improving rapidly.
His control over chakra became more refined.
His understanding of strength deepened.
At one point—
He even felt it—
The threshold.
The beginning of Tsunade's monstrous strength.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Among the three—
Yui benefited the most.
Although she was too intimidated to ask Tsunade questions directly—
Shizune was different.
Gentle.
Patient.
Kind.
She taught Yui everything she knew.
Without holding back.
Over just a few days—
Yui's medical knowledge underwent a complete transformation.
Techniques she had struggled with before—
Became clear.
Structured.
Logical.
With Tsunade's occasional guidance—
Her growth accelerated even further.
It wouldn't be long—
Before she became a fully independent medical ninja.
Departure
That day—
Kakashi stood up.
Fully recovered.
"I think it's time we head back," he said.
Tsunade—
Had already left.
She had gone to borrow money.
Again.
To gamble.
Again.
Kakashi sighed.
Then—
Aoki Yoru handed him a scroll.
Kakashi opened it.
And froze.
"…Where did this come from?"
Inside—
Was 100 million ryo.
Even for him—
This was an enormous amount.
Aoki Yoru explained everything.
The Land of Waves.
Gato.
The money.
Kakashi listened silently.
Then—
He spoke.
"Don't do this again."
His tone was serious.
"The ninja world has rules."
"If you break them…"
"You'll be hunted."
Aoki Yoru nodded.
He understood.
Even someone like Kakuzu—
Didn't target powerful elites recklessly.
Because the consequences—
Were too great.
Aoki Yoru wasn't afraid.
But—
He wasn't reckless either.
Return to Konoha
The sun dipped low in the sky.
Painting everything in warm gold.
They moved quickly through the forest.
By evening—
They reached the gates of Konoha.
Familiar.
Safe.
Aoki Yoru exhaled softly.
Home.
The team disbanded.
Kakashi headed to report to the Hokage.
Hokage Office
Inside—
Hiruzen Sarutobi listened quietly.
Smoke drifted from his pipe.
"…I see."
"So much has happened…"
He paused.
"I'll have Anbu investigate the organization Itachi joined."
Then—
His voice softened.
"And Tsunade…"
"Is she still unwilling to forgive me?"
Kakashi said nothing.
Some matters—
Were beyond him.
A Quiet Moment
Back home—
Aoki Yoru relaxed.
No missions.
No danger.
Just silence.
The next day—
He went out.
To finally try—
Ichiraku Ramen.
The taste—
Was worth it.
As he ate—
A familiar voice caught his attention.
Kenta.
Next door—
A new shop.
A sweet shop.
Kenta's family.
"This place… we bought it," Kenta said proudly.
Aoki Yoru blinked.
'…You're definitely the chosen one.'
Prime location.
Future value.
Incredible luck.
He smiled.
Watching the children laugh.
Seeing the parents smile.
A simple life.
A peaceful dream.
As he walked home—
The evening breeze brushed past him.
And a thought surfaced—
"No matter the world…"
"People only want one thing…"
"To live well."
"To be safe."
"To be together."
And for the first time—
Aoki Yoru felt—
That maybe—
Just maybe—
That was worth protecting.