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

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: The Game

Minato still had a smile on his face as he stepped out of the kitchen, with Kitahara Kaede following close behind.

In the living room, Kushina was leaning in close to Tsunade, chatting away. Seeing the two of them emerge, she looked up and asked, "Done already?"

Minato smiled. "Kaede was a big help."

Kaede sat down on the sofa and gave a small smile of his own. He looked composed, but his gaze instinctively drifted toward Tsunade’s chest. The Blue Fluorite was hidden along the edge of her collar, with only a small sliver showing.

That touch of blue was faint, yet in Kitahara Kaede’s eyes, it felt impossibly heavy.

After the four of them exchanged a few casual words, Minato set down his teacup and stood up. "I just remembered I have a few mission briefings I haven’t finished reading. I’m going to head upstairs for a bit."

Kushina waved him off. "Go on, go on. I’ll just keep Lady Tsunade and Kaede company."

Minato nodded and headed upstairs, his footsteps quickly fading.

Kitahara Kaede didn’t look back. The information regarding Mount Kikyo had been delivered. As long as Minato reported the anomalies, Konoha would at least avoid being caught off guard by Sunagakure. That step was enough.

He should have been able to relax. But when he looked up, he saw Tsunade tilting her head as she spoke to Kushina, her blonde hair draped loosely over her shoulder.

’If she really does have her memories...’

"Kaede!"

Kushina called out to him. When he looked over, he saw that she had already fished a deck of cards from under the coffee table, her eyes sparkling.

"Minato’s busy, so let’s play that game from last time." She slapped the deck onto the table. "President!"

Kaede had originally intended to find an excuse to leave. He needed to be alone to cool down and process everything he had seen tonight. However, leaving immediately after dinner would be too rude.

He nodded. "Sure."

Satisfied, Kushina tore a few strips of paper from a nearby notepad. "We’re adding a rule this time: the loser has to wear a white strip."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Is that really necessary?"

"Of course it is!" Kushina arranged the strips of paper. "I lost too badly last time. I’m winning it all back this time."

Kitahara Kaede looked at Tsunade. Tsunade was looking at him, too. Their eyes met for a moment before they both looked away simultaneously.

Kushina saw the whole exchange, and a smirk grew on her lips.

The cards were dealt. Kaede looked down at his hand. It was a great hand—if played normally, he had a very high chance of winning. But every time it was his turn to play, he couldn’t stop glancing at Tsunade.

The more he looked, the more scattered his thoughts became. A piercing question surfaced in his mind.

’If Tsunade really has her memories, what about Dan Kato?’

Sources from the western sector had mentioned that Dan had been married for years. They had even called them a "model couple." Although she had clearly been living alone when he dropped her home last time, it was possible she lived in different places for the sake of her work.

For a moment, he couldn’t determine if Dan’s wife was indeed Tsunade. He couldn’t ask her directly; it would be too abrupt and would reveal how much he cared. He decided he would find an opportunity to visit Dan Kato later. At the very least, he needed to confirm if the situation had devolved into something irreparable.

"Kaede."

Kushina’s voice sounded closer. Kaede snapped back to reality. She was staring at him with a strange expression.

"Why do you keep staring at Lady Tsunade? It’s your turn to play."

Kaede lowered his eyes to his cards. The turn had already cycled back to him. Tsunade also looked up at him. She didn’t speak, but her gaze was clearly waiting for his reaction.

Kaede pulled a card. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

Kushina pressed him. "What could you possibly be thinking about that makes you zone out like that?"

"Something about training."

He placed the card on the table. The moment he played it, he realized he had made a mistake. That single card had broken his entire sequence. A guaranteed win had been dismantled by his own hand.

He looked at the cards on the table but didn’t try to salvage the play. It was already too late.

Tsunade watched him, lowering her cards slightly. She had noticed. The first time he came to Minato’s house for dinner, even when they made eye contact, he had simply looked away politely. But tonight was different. During dinner, whenever their eyes met, she could clearly feel him panic.

Tsunade looked down at her hand and remained silent.

The first round ended; Kitahara Kaede lost.

Kushina slammed the table. "I win!"

Excited, she reached out to high-five Tsunade. Tsunade gave her a look but still raised her hand to meet her.

Kushina beamed, tore off two white strips, and slapped one onto Kaede’s forehead.

"This one is mine." Then, she handed the other strip to Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade, your turn."

Tsunade took the slip of paper and paused. "Why don’t you just put it on him?"

"No way," Kushina said, her face turning serious. "The winner places the strip. Those are the rules."

Tsunade looked at her. Kushina pushed the paper further into her hand. "Don’t tell me you can’t handle winning."

Sitting opposite them with a strip of paper on his forehead, Kitahara Kaede remained relatively composed. Tsunade had no choice but to take the paper and lean in.

As she pressed the strip onto his left cheek, her fingertips brushed against his skin. It was a light touch. Tsunade smoothed the paper down and quickly withdrew her hand.

The sensation felt so familiar.

After finishing, she placed her hand back on her knee. Kitahara Kaede didn’t move. The lingering sensation remained on his cheek. While he appeared calm on the surface, his heart was thrown into further turmoil by that single touch.

His defenses against Tsunade were not as strong as he had imagined. He wasn’t even as composed as he was when facing Danzo.

Over the next few rounds, he continued to play poorly.

"Kaede, you’re really off your game today." Kushina tore another piece of paper and stuck it on his chin.

Kaede didn’t resist. "Just bad luck."

Kushina glanced at his cards, then at Tsunade’s, and couldn’t help but laugh. "You call this bad luck? Lady Tsunade’s hand is the one that’s actually ridiculous."

Tsunade also had several white strips on her face. She shot Kushina a glance. "You’re getting this arrogant just because you won a few rounds?"

"Of course!" Kushina replied righteously. "I usually lose so much; it’s finally my turn to win."

Tsunade gave a soft huff. "Pathetic."

Kushina only laughed harder.

Meanwhile, in the upstairs study, Minato sat at his desk with three border reports from different dates spread before him. He used a pen to circle a location on the map.

Mount Kikyo.

The pen lingered for two seconds.

’I’ll report this to the Third Hokage tomorrow. I’ll suggest increasing reconnaissance and focusing on monitoring Sunagakure’s troop movements in the southwest.’

Having decided, he put down the pen and leaned back in his chair. His gaze lingered on the circled location, his brow furrowing slightly.

Kushina’s laughter drifted up from downstairs. Hearing it, Minato’s expression softened.

As the night deepened, the card game in the living room finally ended. Kushina had won the most and was in high spirits, even cleaning up the cards more diligently than usual.

Tsunade glanced at the clock on the wall and stood up. "It’s late. I have a surgery tomorrow morning."

Kitahara Kaede stood up as well. "I should head back, too."

Kushina looked up at him. "Try staying away this long next time and see what happens."

Kaede peeled the white strips off his face and placed them on the table. "It won’t happen again."

Standing beside him, Tsunade’s gaze paused at those words. He spoke so naturally. When he was with Minato and Kushina, the aura he projected was faint, yet intimate.

It reminded Tsunade of the home in her dreams.

Back then, he had spoken to Nawaki in that same tone.

Tsunade looked away.

Together, they stepped outside.

A night breeze swept through the alley, carrying away the lingering heat of the day. Kitahara Kaede walked to Tsunade’s left, keeping his pace slow. This silence felt heavier, more suffocating than the last.

Kitahara Kaede was the first to break it.

"The food was delicious today." After a pause, he added, "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade didn’t look at him. "It was just a whim."

They continued walking down the road. While Kitahara Kaede looked straight ahead, he could see Tsunade’s profile in his peripheral vision. When they reached a fork in the road, Tsunade stopped.

"I’m going to the hospital to pick something up."

Kitahara Kaede stopped as well. "Be careful."

Tsunade glanced at him, then turned and headed toward the hospital. Kitahara Kaede stood at the intersection, watching her figure vanish around the corner. Only once she was completely out of sight did he turn and head back to his apartment.

Once the door closed, the room fell silent. Kitahara Kaede didn’t turn on the lights. He sat on the edge of his bed, replaying everything that had happened tonight in his mind.

The matter regarding Mount Kikyo had already been handed over to Minato. He didn’t need to worry about that part anymore.

That left Tsunade.

If she truly remembered, then all his previous excuses—that the simulations were just simulations—would no longer hold weight. But if she didn’t remember, how could he explain that necklace?

He wished things were simpler. Unfortunately, they weren’t.

Kitahara Kaede lay back and stared up at the ceiling in the dark. He didn’t sleep a wink that night.