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

Chapter 148: Chapter 148: How to Explain

Early morning.

Kitahara Kaede sat on his bed, leaning forward with his hands on his knees, staring blankly ahead.

He hadn’t slept well.

Every detail from yesterday had been playing on a loop in his mind, repeating over and over.

It was essentially clear now.

Tsunade didn’t just have fragments of memory; she had complete memories—twenty years’ worth.

Based on her actions yesterday, he was certain that Tsunade had figured out the general truth.

The pressing issue now was: if she came to him and demanded the truth, how was he supposed to explain those memories?

Claim it was a past life? Was that plausible? Would she even believe him?

Mention the system? That was completely out of the question.

Kitahara Kaede rubbed his temples.

The memory mechanism of this system had truly put him in a difficult position.

The more miserable the death in a simulation, the higher the evaluation and the better the rewards—but the price was that the target of the simulation would inherit every single memory from it.

Tsunade remembered everything.

And sooner or later, Terumi Mei and Pakura likely would too.

Kaede let out a deep sigh.

Since Tsunade hadn’t said anything directly yesterday, it meant she hadn’t figured out how to bring it up either.

Even if she did decide to lay all her cards on the table, his only option would be to claim that he shared those memories, but he had no idea where they came from.

It wasn’t a perfect explanation, but it was better than exposing the system.

Besides, he truly hadn’t known they would retain their memories.

He just didn’t know how Tsunade would react to that answer.

Kaede turned to look out the window. The sky had finally brightened.

*Knock, knock.*

Kaede stiffened.

He looked toward the door, a thought instinctively flashing through his mind.

’Don’t tell me Tsunade stayed up all night and decided to storm in here?’

*Knock, knock.*

Two more taps.

Kaede took a deep breath and stood up, adjusting his expression to look neutral. He walked over and opened the door.

Short blonde hair, a deep blue bodysuit, and a green tactical vest.

It was Minato. Not Tsunade.

Kaede felt a wave of relief, but he quickly noticed Minato’s expression. The usual gentle smile was gone, replaced by a furrowed brow.

"Kaede, get your gear ready," Minato said, skipping the pleasantries. "Sunagakure has made their move. Firefights have already broken out on the front lines."

Kaede blinked in surprise.

No wonder Minato had been called away abruptly yesterday morning; he must have gone to Mount Kikyo.

It seemed that even though their intelligence had leaked during reconnaissance, the die was cast. Sunagakure was moving forward regardless. The silence of the past few months had likely been a shift from a surprise raid to a full-scale frontal assault.

Fortunately, Konoha had already established its defenses.

Minato continued, "The Hokage values your intuition for intelligence and tactical analysis. He has given special approval for you to be attached to my elite mobile unit. We leave immediately."

Kaede nodded. "Give me two minutes."

He turned back into the room, changed into his shinobi attire, and strapped on his gear. A moment later, he stepped back out.

Minato was waiting at the end of the hallway. The two of them walked side-by-side toward the village gates. It was just after dawn, and the streets were mostly empty.

After a while, Minato glanced at him.

"Kaede, thank you for what you did for Kushina yesterday."

Kaede looked at him. Minato was referring to when the Nine-Tails had become restless; Kaede had helped clean up the house and suggested that Kushina try communicating with the beast.

"It was nothing. Kushina-nee has always been very kind to me."

Minato smiled, but there was something different about that smile—something subtle and unreadable.

As they turned onto the main street and reached the intersection, a voice called out from the side.

"Minato, Kitahara Kaede."

Both men stopped and turned.

Tsunade was standing by the roadside a short distance away, wearing a deep green coat with her hair tied loosely behind her. As she walked toward them, Kaede immediately noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes.

She looked as though she hadn’t slept a wink.

Tsunade’s gaze flickered to Minato first, then shifted to Kaede’s face, lingering for a heartbeat.

"So early. Where are you two heading?"

Minato answered truthfully, "Sunagakure has attacked in the direction of Mount Kikyo. Kaede and I are heading to the front to provide support."

Tsunade’s expression remained neutral, but her hand, hanging at her side, clenched slightly.

She had intended to find him today. She had spent the entire night tossing and turning, wondering how to start the conversation, what to ask, and how to handle the answer he would give.

But before dawn, the ANBU had delivered news that the war had begun.

Tsunade looked at Kitahara Kaede’s face.

It was the exact same expression Hagoromo Kaede had worn the last time she saw him in her dreams. Calm, steady, and showing no sign of nervousness.

The last time, she had watched him leave just like this. And she had never seen him return.

Tsunade swallowed the words rising in her throat.

Now was not the time.

A large-scale conflict was about to erupt on the front lines; she couldn’t stop him at this critical moment to ask, "Are you the person from my dreams?"

She would ask when he returned.

This time, she would wait for him.

"I’ve received notification as well. I’m heading to the hospital to prepare for the casualties," Tsunade said, her eyes locked onto Kaede’s. "The front lines are dangerous. Stay safe."

Kaede met her gaze.

Those amber eyes were holding back a storm of emotion. There was anxiety, unspoken words, and something he had never seen in Tsunade’s eyes before.

Fear.

Kaede felt a tightness in his chest. He didn’t look away.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," he replied, his tone more solemn than usual. "I will."

Tsunade looked at him, her lips parting as if to speak, but in the end, she said nothing. She stepped aside to let them pass.

Minato nodded. "Lady Tsunade, we’ll be going now."

Tsunade gave a small hum of acknowledgment.

As Kaede walked past her, he caught a glimpse of her hand—it was still clenched. He didn’t look back.

Tsunade stood there, watching their backs recede until they turned a street corner and vanished from sight. After a few moments, she relaxed her hand and turned toward the hospital.

***

At the gates of Konoha, Minato and Kaede accelerated simultaneously, blurring into the dense forest leading toward Mount Kikyo. The wind roared in their ears as the silhouettes of trees whipped past.

Kaede cleared his mind and shifted his focus to the task at hand.

Mount Kikyo.

Given the Sunagakure lineup, Pakura would definitely be there. He had stolen a personal scroll from her in that small town; he wondered how she had reacted once she realized it was gone.

If they met on the battlefield and she recognized him...

Kaede paused. ’Forget it. The battle line is huge. Hopefully, we won’t cross paths.’

Then there was Danzo.

He remembered that look from the high-level meeting clearly. By now, he was firmly aligned with the Hokage’s faction. Danzo wouldn’t just let that slide; he just didn’t know what methods the man would use.

Kaede narrowed his eyes and pushed the thought aside.

Ahead, the silhouette of Mount Kikyo began to emerge against the horizon.

Hello guys! We cought up to the author on Patreon! 50 More Chapter available on Patreon! Support me and Read MORE! https://www.patreon.com/cw/MirnOuch