Hearing those words, Shizune's anger flared up immediately. As a medical ninja, she couldn't bear to see a patient so casually disregard his injuries.
After all, some things can't be overcome by willpower alone. If willpower could beat anything, then no one would ever die.
"If you insist on treating your wounds with such carelessness, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for you. Final warning—keep this up and you'll die!"
After saying that, Shizune crouched down; Tonton had already been ready and leaped straight into her arms.
She glared at Shiki angrily, as if scolding him for not appreciating the help he'd just been offered.
"I am a medical ninja myself."
Shiki didn't try to persuade or stop her. He simply stated a fact.
Though his Medical Ninjutsu wasn't particularly refined, it had more than sufficed for treating the team thus far.
Shizune suddenly froze mid-motion. She turned around to face this thirteen-year-old boy.
"If you really are a medical ninja, then you should know how ridiculous your actions are right now!"
"But there are things I must accomplish. In this world, there are matters worth dying for. If my only purpose was survival, that purpose would never be fulfilled. Everyone dies eventually. And besides, I have goals I must achieve even at the cost of my life."
Shiki Uzumaki spoke and took two steps forward, approaching Shizune once again.
He bowed deeply. "Shizune-nee, please… give me this chance."
What kind of experiences must a child barely twelve or thirteen years old have endured?
To sustain such wounds...
To utter such words…
No matter how stubborn Shizune was about this, it couldn't override her true nature.
A softness stirred within her heart, and with resignation, she said,
"It's not that I don't want to help you—it's because I really can't."
"I see… Then I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Shiki raised his head again, wearing that same calm smile. For some reason, seeing this expression on his face made Shizune feel a pang of sorrow.
"So is that it?"
Yuuma looked from Hayate to Seiji, but their expressions were equally serious.
Only Shiki Uzumaki wore that calm smile, yet it touched Yuuma's heart in a way that made her ache.
Suddenly, she realized she might be the only one among them holding back tears.
Even though her older brother kept telling everyone never to give up hope, never to believe in fate—
That chain known as fate seemed to bind him tightly instead.
"Let's go. We still have the Chunin Exams ahead. Cheer up, it's not like anything too serious happened."
Shiki gently wiped away the tears from Yuuma's eyes as he spoke.
Hayate Gekko sighed deeply. "Looks like we'll need to find another way."
"Wait!"
A firm voice abruptly shattered the silence of the twilight hour.
Startled, several sparrows took flight, flying off into the distance.
Creak...
The door to the room at the very end of the corridor slowly creaked open, revealing a figure standing before everyone.
A long green robe draped over her voluptuous frame, framing light brown hair and a delicate pale face. A diamond-shaped mark adorned her forehead.
"Tsunade-sama?"
Shizune couldn't help but exclaim in surprise upon seeing Tsunade appear here.
She understood that none of the shinobi present could possibly hide from Tsunade's perception.
But for Tsunade herself, there was truly no need to come out in person like this.
All of it—just because of a stubborn boy.
Though gentle by nature, she still wished this headstrong child might find a better path.
Even so, this just wasn't like Tsunade at all.
"Tsunade-sama, please—" Hayate Gekko started to explain when he saw her.
"No need," Tsunade cut him off seriously. "I've already heard everything you were saying."
Then, she strode directly toward Shiki Uzumaki. Her geta clacked sharply against the polished wooden floor.
At that moment, it seemed like nothing else could be heard but that sound.
Even though Tsunade had stepped forward, judging from her expression, she didn't bring any good news.
"You're the patient?"
"Yes. Forgive my intrusion. My name is Shiki Uzumaki."
Tsunade frowned slightly. "Arrogant brats like you, I don't know how many I've seen. As Shizune just said, you should go back and think about living an ordinary life."
"I already told you earlier, even if you refuse to treat me, I can never live an ordinary life. Because there are things I must shoulder."
Shiki spoke solemnly. There truly were far too many things weighing on him.
The whereabouts of his mother remained unknown; many people he cared about might fall into danger in the future; Danzo hadn't yet received the punishment he deserved—
And what about the entire Uzumaki clan? When would the people of Konoha finally remember their existence—the clan that once stood as their closest allies?
Didn't the very flak jackets worn by Konoha shinobi bear the Uzumaki clan's emblem?
Tsunade paid no attention to Shiki's words. She seized him by the collar and hauled him off the ground.
"Do you think acting like this can intimidate me? You're nothing to me personally! The only reason I'm standing here trying to talk you out of being a ninja is purely based on my principles as a medical ninja!"
Tsunade's face hovered less than twenty centimeters from his, close enough for Shiki to feel her warm breath.
Before him stood someone clearly consumed by rage—no one would dare provoke her, nor doubt the strength of one of the legendary Sannin.
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