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"Pack up your things. We're leaving soon. Tsunade, stay alert on the battlefield," Shin said, turning to Tsunade.
"If you run into any troublesome situation you can't solve, remember to send word," he added.
Tsunade nodded, a hint of worry flickering in her eyes.
"I know. You guys be careful too, wandering around the Shinobi world. I'm not worried you'll be in danger—but I am worried you might get swindled," she teased with a half-smile.
"Do we really look that gullible?" Kushina muttered, unable to hold her tongue.
"I'm not worried about Shin or Mikoto, not even Konan. I'm worried about you," Tsunade said, throwing Kushina a side glance.
It was obvious she was implying Kushina was a bit...naive.
"Curse you, Tsunade! I'll remember that! Next time we meet, I'm so gonna get you back!" Kushina snapped.
At the moment, Kushina still wasn't strong enough to take on Tsunade. But she believed that one day she would surpass her—then she'd have her moment of triumph.
"That day will never come," Tsunade answered bluntly.
With a chuckle, Shin took out a large scroll and handed it to Tsunade.
"What's this?" she asked, eyeing the scroll curiously.
"It's a copy I made of the Scroll of Seals. It contains nearly all the jutsu recorded in Konoha's version," Shin explained.
Aside from the secret clan techniques of the major Konoha families, almost everything else was documented in the Scroll of Seals.
Tsunade nodded in understanding, tucking the scroll away.
"Alright, Tsunade, guess this is goodbye," Shin said, giving her a casual wave.
"Don't you dare forget me," Tsunade warned, arching an eyebrow. "If you do, Shin, you'll be in serious trouble."
"Relax, Tsunade. You know I've got my Space-Time Ninjutsu. Dropping by to see you is easy enough." Shin grinned.
He then activated Yomotsu Hirasaka, creating a swirling, pitch-black portal. With a parting wave to Tsunade, he stepped inside, Kushina, Mikoto, and Konan following closely.
"Huh? Back in Konoha again?"
Kushina looked around the familiar courtyard, stunned to find herself at the home they'd been staying in. It was indeed the same place they'd lived all this time.
"Obviously, we came back to pick up a few things," Shin answered with a small shrug.
"Makes sense," Kushina agreed, nodding. "We do have stuff we can't leave behind."
So, while Kushina, Mikoto, and Konan gathered up their belongings, Shin headed off to see Nawaki.
Since they were about to leave for good, he figured he should at least say farewell to an old friend.
He found Nawaki in the Senju Clan grounds. Ever since that brush with mortal danger, Nawaki had been recovering there.
"Shin, you're back?" Nawaki said, surprised to see him.
"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something," Shin replied, nodding.
"I'm leaving Konoha. I came to say goodbye."
"Leaving Konoha?" Nawaki repeated, stunned. He couldn't wrap his head around Shin's words.
"I won't be a Konoha Shinobi anymore," Shin said simply, keeping it straightforward.
"What? You're not…a shinobi of Konoha anymore? Why? What happened?" Nawaki pressed, growing anxious.
As expected, Shin had guessed he'd react . He just shook his head.
"It's complicated. There's no time to go into detail now. I mainly wanted to let you know I'm leaving, so please be careful while you stay in Konoha."
"No way, you have to tell me why you're going! This makes no sense—why would you—"
"I'm leaving right now, so there's no time," Shin interrupted gently. "Maybe I'll explain next time we meet."
"Does my sister know?" Nawaki asked finally, voice taut with emotion.
"Tsunade does, yes. Also, please watch out for yourself in Konoha. If you ever feel things aren't safe for you…you can leave, too," Shin advised.
"You're better off not knowing. Just keep a low profile if you don't want to leave."
Just as Shin finished warning Nawaki, Kushina and the others arrived, luggage in hand. They called him over, ready to depart.
"We're leaving now, Nawaki. We'll talk again next time... whenever that is." Shin said.
"I'll walk with you to the gates," Nawaki offered, his tone subdued. He still couldn't figure out why Shin would leave, and it weighed heavily on him.
He felt uneasy, unsure what Shin's reasons were, but his friend was gone.
"Where are we going?" Kushina asked once they were on the road.
"We don't really have a destination yet," Shin answered. "Might as well wander around, see the world. How about we start by touring the Land of Fire?"
"I'm good with that," Mikoto chimed in, offering no specific preference.
"Sure. Honestly, I don't know much about the Land of Fire beyond Konoha," Kushina admitted.
They'd arrived from the Land of Whirlpools as children, then basically stayed in Konoha. When they did go out on missions, they focused strictly on the assignment. They'd never had the chance to truly explore.
Shin started his journey across the Shinobi world, exploring the land and its people.
News travels fast—word soon reached Ōnoki and the other Kage that Uzumaki Shin had left Konoha.
Upon confirming its authenticity, they were overjoyed.
Up until then, they'd held little hope in this ongoing war, but now Uzumaki Shin was gone.
Without Shin, perhaps they had a real shot against Konoha—or so they thought.
Reality, however, proved them wrong. After confirming Shin's departure, the four villages launched a combined offensive against Konoha, only to be thoroughly routed.
Their morale remained shaky after the devastation Shin inflicted, and many of their strongest fighters were still nursing injuries or unable to battle at all.
Ōnoki had suffered a broken back and wouldn't be able to fight for months.
The Third Raikage's heart had almost been pierced, and he also needed time to heal.
Hanzō and the Third Kazekage were less injured, but they still needed to recover.
Konoha, on the other hand, still had Hiruzen, Sakumo, Danzō, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. Jiraiya was injured and couldn't fight.
But even so, Konoha was able to defeat the four villages.
This defeat sobered Ōnoki and the others. They realized their greatest weakness was the lack of strong leaders.
Without anyone to restrain them, Hiruzen and the others could wreak havoc on the battlefield.
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