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

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: It Wasn’t Her

Kitahara Kaede looked toward the door.

In that instant, even his breathing stopped.

Dan stepped aside, smiling as he spoke.

"Your big sister is back."

The woman who walked in wore the light-colored outer coat commonly seen in hospitals. Her hair was pinned up behind her head, and her brows and eyes were gentle.

It wasn’t Tsunade.

Nor was it any familiar face in Kitahara Kaede’s memory.

Kitahara Kaede’s stiff shoulders and back slowly relaxed.

For that one second just now, he had truly been terrified.

Before coming here, he had imagined many ways to handle this.

But when the moment came to face the truth, he suddenly wasn’t sure if he could still speak the way he had originally planned.

Now, there was no need.

The thing that had pressed against his chest for an entire night finally loosened by half.

When the woman saw the unfamiliar boy sitting in the living room, she froze slightly.

Dan introduced him with a smile.

"This is Kitahara Kaede. A junior I met on the western front. He’s very outstanding."

Kitahara Kaede immediately stood up and observed proper etiquette.

"Hello, Big Sister."

A smile appeared on the woman’s face.

"Hello."

Dan added, "He was promoted to Chūnin not long ago. Some time ago, he even went to the Kumogakure front and made another contribution there."

The woman looked at Kitahara Kaede, and a bit of elder-like concern appeared in her eyes.

"You’re already a Chūnin at such a young age. How promising."

Kitahara Kaede’s tone was steady.

"Not at all. Senior Dan is praising me too much."

Dan glanced at the time.

"Let’s prepare lunch first. Let him try your cooking."

The woman nodded.

"All right. You two chat for now."

She turned and went into the kitchen.

Kitahara Kaede sat down again and picked up his cup to take a sip of water.

Only when the water entered his mouth did he realize his throat was somewhat dry.

Dan didn’t notice the change in him and continued chatting casually with him.

Lunch was ready soon.

The three of them sat around the table. The atmosphere was not lively, but it was natural.

Dan’s wife was quite good at cooking.

Kitahara Kaede ate very slowly.

It was not until the meal ended that the last bit of tension in his heart completely scattered.

After lunch, he did not stay long.

Dan walked him to the door.

Kitahara Kaede stood at the entrance and bowed slightly.

"Senior Dan, sorry for disturbing you today. I’ll be leaving now."

Dan nodded.

"All right. Come again next time."

Dan’s wife spoke from behind him.

"Come over for a meal whenever you’re free. Don’t be shy."

Kitahara Kaede looked at her.

"Thank you, Big Sister."

The door closed.

Kitahara Kaede walked out onto the street.

The afternoon street was very quiet, and a little light fell beneath Konoha’s eaves.

His steps were lighter than when he had come.

The stuffy feeling in his chest had indeed scattered for the most part.

This reaction was irrational.

It was also unlike him.

But he could not lie to himself.

After personally confirming that Katō Dan’s wife was not Tsunade, he was happy.

Very happy.

Kitahara Kaede walked back along the street.

That happiness did not last for long.

Katō Dan not being together with Tsunade meant that the two of their lines of fate had already deviated from the original course.

But what was the reason for that deviation?

If the first simulation had affected reality, then Dan and Tsunade not ending up together could barely be explained.

But what about Nawaki?

Nawaki should not have become missing.

And he had even less reason to attribute these changes to himself.

When he transmigrated here, who knew how long it had already been since those events had passed?

The butterfly effect, no matter how much it "effected," could not possibly change those things.

Kitahara Kaede’s pace slowed slightly.

He thought for a long time, but still could not come up with an answer.

There were too few clues.

If he continued thinking about it, he would only trap himself inside it.

Kitahara Kaede stopped by the roadside.

A moment later, he suppressed that thought.

Since reality had already become like this, chasing after the reason through empty speculation was meaningless.

The most important thing right now was still Tsunade.

That blue fluorite necklace.

The deliberate signature at the hospital.

And the pause when Tsunade looked at his palm.

Put together, these things almost pointed to only one conclusion.

Tsunade most likely possessed the memories from the simulation.

But she probably had not fully confirmed it yet.

Because the him in reality did not match in age, nor did his identity match.

His hand also did not have that old scar.

Kitahara Kaede lowered his head and glanced at his own palm.

She was waiting for proof.

Proof that would allow her to cast aside all rational doubt.

Kitahara Kaede raised a hand and rubbed his brow.

Things were far more troublesome than he had imagined.

He suddenly thought of Mei Terumi and Pakura.

Since Tsunade could have memories, after the second simulation ended, would they be the same?

Kitahara Kaede’s steps slowed.

He cursed the system in his heart.

Why hadn’t it warned him back then that the target characters would receive memory feedback?

If he had known earlier that the simulation would become like this, he would never have challenged a dual route in the second round.

Never.

The system gave no response.

It was so quiet it was as if it had never existed.

Kitahara Kaede stood by the roadside, his hand slowly clenching.

He had relied on their true feelings to obtain rewards.

And because of that, he had changed their lives and memories.

This result could no longer be pushed away with a simple "that was only a simulation."

Kitahara Kaede remained silent for a long time.

He could continue pretending that nothing had happened.

But doing that would be meaningless.

The problem was now laid before him.

Tsunade.

Mei Terumi.

Pakura.

How was he supposed to take responsibility for the feelings of all three of them?

The moment that thought appeared, Kitahara Kaede felt his temples start to ache.

For now, the only one he could confirm was Tsunade.

Mei Terumi and Pakura were temporarily out of reach, and there was no way to verify the extent of their memories.

Then he would deal with Tsunade first.

But he also could not possibly rush straight up to Tsunade and say that he was Hagoromo Kaede.

Especially when he thought about how, in the simulation, he had tricked her into believing in the future, only to turn around and accept a mission that sent him to his death.

If Tsunade truly remembered everything...

He did not know whether he could withstand a punch backed by that monstrous strength.

Kitahara Kaede raised his eyes and looked ahead.

Let things take their course.

He would find a suitable opportunity.

First, he would slowly make contact.

Then he would give Tsunade a little information that could confirm things and see how she reacted.

When he reached the bottom of his apartment building, Kitahara Kaede suddenly felt somewhat tired.

These few days had been even more exhausting than living two lives inside the simulation.

...

Hokage’s Office.

Knock, knock, knock.

Minato knocked on the door and entered, his movements as polite as ever.

"Lord Hokage."

Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his head from the documents, feeling a rare bit of comfort in his heart.

These juniors were still the ones who understood manners.

They did not kick doors open, nor did they slam them.

His tone was gentle as he asked, "Minato, what is it?"

Minato walked up to the desk and handed over a scroll.

"Lord Hokage, please look at this."

Hiruzen took the scroll and quickly scanned it after opening it.

The pipe stopped beside his mouth.

After a few lines, his brows pressed down.

"Mount Kikyo?"

Minato nodded.

"Yes."

Hiruzen continued reading.

The evidence in the scroll was written very clearly.

A while later, Hiruzen placed the scroll on the desk.

Mount Kikyo was too close to Konoha.

If Sunagakure truly opened a breach from there, the flames of war would soon be forced right up to the village gates.

This matter could not be taken lightly.

Hiruzen fell silent for a moment, then spoke.

"How did you suddenly notice this?"

Minato paused.

"It wasn’t me."

Hiruzen looked up.

Minato did not hide it.

"It was Kitahara Kaede. He mentioned it during a casual conversation last night."

"He said Sunagakure’s silence was a little too abnormal. Sometimes, if a new Kazekage wants to secure his position, he might not necessarily rely on stability."

"I rechecked the briefings after that and finally locked onto Mount Kikyo."

The hand Hiruzen was using to hold his pipe paused.

"Kitahara Kaede?"

Minato nodded.

"Yes."

Hiruzen looked at him for a while.

He had not expected that, in such a short period of time, Kitahara Kaede and Minato’s relationship had already reached this point.

But that was not necessarily a bad thing.

If Minato was willing to guide him, then for Konoha, it was better than letting that child keep being watched by people in the shadows.

Hiruzen looked back at the scroll.

"Since you already suspect it, and since this matter is important, you will go and investigate it."

Minato did not immediately accept the order.

"Lord Hokage, I would like to act in the form of a small team."

Hiruzen looked up.

"Oh?"

Minato’s tone was very steady.

"Kaede was the first one to notice this abnormality."

"If I take him with me, perhaps he’ll see something I overlook."

Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well."

"Take him with you."

"But this mission is mainly reconnaissance. Do not advance recklessly."

Minato lowered his head.

"Yes."

Hiruzen closed the scroll.

"Go notify him now."

"Set out as soon as possible."

Minato nodded, then turned and left.