Naruto: We Agreed on a Simulation, But They Actually Came to Life?

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Real or Fake

The moment the Blue Fluorite slipped from Tsunade’s collar, Kitahara Kaede froze for a split second.

It was brief.

So brief that the hand Tsunade used to offer the cloth remained suspended in mid-air, and the steam from the pot continued to rise.

Kaede forced his gaze downward.

He reached out to take the cloth, his voice remaining steady. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade watched him. "Be careful."

"I will."

As their hands brushed, Tsunade’s gaze lingered on his palm.

Kaede noticed.

However, he simply used the heat-resistant cloth to pick up the platter and turned to leave the kitchen. When he placed the dish on the table, his hand was steady, but the thoughts in his mind were becoming impossible to suppress.

That necklace.

It had to be.

The silver chain, the blue stone, the faint, natural vein along the edge. He couldn’t have mistaken it.

That was the piece he had personally placed around Tsunade’s neck during the simulation.

But why was it appearing in reality?

Standing by the table, he felt a sudden sense of absurdity. Was he still in a simulation? Or... had Tsunade simply happened to buy the same necklace?

Impossible. The world wasn’t that coincidental.

The image from a moment ago flashed through Kaede’s mind again. Tsunade had been looking at his hand—specifically, his palm and the old scars.

In the simulation, he had once blocked a kunai for Tsunade, leaving a scar on his palm. In reality, that scar didn’t exist.

Was she confirming it? Was she checking to see if he was Hagoromo Kaede?

Kaede’s thoughts spiraled. If Tsunade had the necklace, did she also have the memories of the simulation? If so, how much did she remember?

When she had sent him upstairs to sign papers at the hospital, was that a test? Was the momentary pause at the dinner table her waiting for him to slip up?

Kaede’s eyes darkened. He couldn’t let himself panic. At least, not now.

Footsteps sounded from the entryway. Minato and Kushina walked in; seeing him, Minato greeted him with a smile.

"Kaede."

Kaede composed himself and turned to bow. "Lord Minato."

Minato waved it off, his eyes falling on the food on the table before glancing toward the kitchen. "Who’s cooking today?"

Kushina, standing beside him, answered with a grin. "Lady Tsunade."

Minato looked surprised. "I didn’t know Lady Tsunade knew how to cook."

Kushina added casually, "Of course she does; she’s just usually too lazy to do it."

Tsunade happened to emerge just then, carrying the final dish. She shot Kushina a look. "I can hear you badmouthing me the moment I step out."

Kushina immediately looked away. "I wasn’t! I was praising you."

Minato stepped in with a laugh. "It’s our lucky day to have a meal personally prepared by Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade set the platter down. "Stop with the flattery and just eat."

The atmosphere lightened. Remembering something, Minato looked at Kaede and smiled. "Next time, Kaede should try my cooking too."

Kushina glanced at him. "Are you giving the dishes names again?"

Minato nodded earnestly. "The Ultimate Improved Whirlpool-flavored Super High-Temperature Char-grilled Fish."

Kushina facepalmed. "The name is too long."

As Tsunade sat down, she added, "It sounds inedible."

Kaede looked at Minato and nodded in agreement. "I’ll make sure to mentally prepare myself."

Minato laughed helplessly. "You three really give me no respect."

The four of them took their seats. Kushina and Minato sat on one side, while Tsunade and Kaede sat on the other. Though they weren’t close, Kaede could still smell that familiar scent. It was faint.

Kushina pushed a plate toward Kaede. "Kaede, try some." She then glanced at Tsunade, clearly enjoying the drama. "Opportunities to eat Lady Tsunade’s cooking are rare."

Tsunade didn’t stop picking up food. "Why are you talking so much?"

Kushina smiled and took a piece of fish. "I’m just being a good host."

Kaede picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. The moment the food hit his tongue, he paused.

The taste was almost identical. It was the home-cooked flavor he had experienced countless times.

Kaede swallowed the food, suppressing the sudden tightening in his chest. "It’s delicious."

Tsunade had been looking down at her plate. Upon hearing those words, her fingers paused slightly. It was a tiny movement, one that no one else noticed. She couldn’t explain why, but just hearing Kaede say the food was delicious made something in her heart relax.

Kaede instinctively turned to look at her. Tsunade happened to be looking back.

Their eyes met. This time, Kaede was the first to look away.

Kushina saw the entire exchange clearly, and a slow smile spread across her lips. She asked pointedly, "Well? Isn’t Lady Tsunade’s cooking great?"

Kaede took another bite. "It’s very delicious."

Tsunade looked up at Kushina. "Satisfied?"

Kushina lowered her head to eat, her tone light. "Very satisfied."

Sitting beside them, Minato simply shook his head with a smile, offering no comment.

After the meal, as Kushina started to get up to clear the bowls, Minato beat her to it. "I’ll do it."

Kushina looked at him. "Then I’ll leave it to you."

Minato stacked the plates. "It’s nothing. You stay and keep Lady Tsunade company for a while."

Kaede felt a spark of opportunity. He set down his teacup and stood up. "Lord Minato, let me help you."

Minato didn’t refuse. "Alright, thank you."

Kushina pulled Tsunade into the living room. As soon as they sat down, she lowered her voice. "I knew there was a reason you suddenly felt like cooking today." She glanced toward the kitchen, her meaning obvious.

Tsunade picked up her teacup. "You’re overthinking it. It was just a whim."

Kushina’s smile grew wider. "You two sound exactly the same when you lie."

Tsunade didn’t respond. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the kitchen. Kaede was drying plates while Minato washed them. The sound of running water was soft.

Minato began chatting casually about the front lines. "The Cloud has retreated significantly recently. A and Killer Bee probably won’t make another aggressive push for a while."

Kaede set a dried plate aside. "And Iwa?"

"Still observing from the north." Minato placed a bowl in the sink. "Their movements are significant, but they haven’t truly committed yet. Kirigakure is far away and hasn’t shown any clear movement."

Kaede nodded. "Sunagakure has been quiet lately."

"Mm," Minato responded. "Since Rasa took power, they’ve certainly toned things down."

Kaede picked up the next plate, his tone casual. "A new Kage?"

"He’s been in power for a while now." Minato glanced at him. "Why the sudden interest?"

"I spent some time on the western front, so I still have some impressions of the Sunagakure shinobi." Kaede continued drying the plate. "They don’t seem like the type to enjoy staying quiet for long."

Minato’s movements slowed slightly. Kaede didn’t look at him, keeping his voice flat. "Of course, it’s also possible that since Rasa just took the position, he needs to stabilize the village first."

Minato didn’t reply. Kaede put the plate away and added one last thing.

"Then again, for a new Kage to secure his seat, stability isn’t always achieved by staying still."

The sound of the water stopped.

In the living room, Kushina and Tsunade were deep in conversation, oblivious to what was happening in the kitchen.

Minato turned down the faucet.

"What do you mean by that?"

Kitahara Kaede looked up, his expression perfectly neutral.

"Nothing much. It’s just that during a recent mission, I noticed several trade routes along the Sunagakure border taking some rather extreme detours."

"When caravans detour, it’s not always because they fear conflict," she continued. "It could also mean someone is clearing the area in advance."

Minato’s gaze sharpened.

Kitahara Kaede wrung out the dishcloth.

Minato recalled the border briefings that had been set aside during the morning meeting: Sunagakure was stockpiling food and medical supplies, border patrols in the Land of Wind had been scaled back, and several merchant caravans had abruptly changed their routes.

Individually, none of these seemed like a major issue. But taken together, something wasn’t right.

Minato rinsed the last bowl and placed it on the drying rack.

"Perhaps."

Kitahara Kaede nodded.

Minato dried his hands and turned to head back to the living room. Kaede followed behind him, his eyes momentarily glancing toward Tsunade.