Chapter 248: Shizune’s Thoughts

Natsuro watched Shizune's retreating figure and suddenly thought of something. He turned to Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sensei, I heard you're trying to set Shizune up with potential suitors?"

At his words, Tsunade instantly sobered up. Her expression turned complicated as she nodded and said, "Shizune has been with me since she was young, always taking care of me. Because of that, she hasn't had time to meet anyone. She's already at an age where people are starting to call her a spinster. If this continues, she might never get married."

A trace of worry appeared on Tsunade's face. She didn't want Shizune's life to stay stagnant like this forever.

Natsuro fell silent for a moment, then gave Tsunade a suspicious look, as if to say, "And you think you're one to talk about age?"

"You brat! Are you looking for a fight?!" Tsunade noticed his expression and immediately clenched her fist, a vein bulging on her forehead. "I've been in love before, but my partner died early—that's the only reason!"

Natsuro coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. "Tsunade-sensei, what do you think of Kakashi?"

"Kakashi? Hmm, he's not a bad choice. He's the same age as Shizune," Tsunade nodded, but didn't elaborate further.

"So, why not give it a try?" Natsuro asked, a bit puzzled.

"I've thought about Kakashi, but you know his history, don't you? Getting him to open up to someone isn't easy," Tsunade said, giving Natsuro a suspicious look.

"Why do you seem so eager to help Kakashi find a partner?"

Natsuro shrugged and said, "He might not admit it, but he's technically my junior. And precisely because of his past, I think if no one helps him, he might end up single for the rest of his life."

Tsunade glanced at Natsuro and thought, If Kakashi actually admitted that, it'd be a miracle.

Thinking about Kakashi's personality, Tsunade nodded. "You might be right."

"That's the problem. Being single isn't bad, but Kakashi isn't single by choice. It's his past that keeps him from opening up emotionally," Natsuro said, sounding exasperated.

"You sound like you have a lot of experience in this, but you're younger than Kakashi, aren't you?" Tsunade smiled, amused by Natsuro's tone.

"Age has nothing to do with this. Even though I'm younger than Kakashi, I'm already engaged," Natsuro replied with a raised eyebrow.

"That's true," Tsunade admitted with a nod.

"So, Tsunade-sensei, how about this? You focus on Shizune, and I'll handle Kakashi," Natsuro suggested.

"Think about it. Kakashi isn't just strong, he's also good-looking, wealthy, and he can cook. Plus, because of his past, if he does fall for someone, he'll be completely devoted and do everything he can to protect them."

"In short, if you miss out on Kakashi, you won't find another like him."

Tsunade couldn't help but feel a little tempted. Everyone in Konoha knew that Kakashi was a prime catch, Natsuro's description wasn't exaggerated in the slightest.

"We can try, but in the end, it's up to them," Tsunade said after some thought.

"Of course. Forcing them would be a bad idea. If we push too hard and Kakashi turns rogue, it'd be a disaster," Natsuro joked with a smile. With Tsunade on board, Shizune's side wouldn't be a problem.

As expected, the real challenge would be convincing Kakashi.

"Shizune! Where's the food?!" Tsunade called out, realizing it had been a while since Shizune went to the kitchen.

"It's coming!"

In the kitchen, Shizune's face was flushed red. The house had good soundproofing, but unfortunately, there was no partition between the kitchen and the dining room...

So, she had heard every word of Natsuro and Tsunade's conversation loud and clear. She had been too embarrassed to bring the food out right away.

Beside her, Shinai chuckled and said, "Natsuro isn't wrong. You're at the age where it's time to think about settling down. And Kakashi does seem like a good choice."

Hearing this, Shizune's face turned even redder.

Truth be told, Shizune had never thought much about these things before. Her focus had always been on taking care of Tsunade. She had assumed she would continue to stay by her side.

But now, it seemed Tsunade had found her own match—none other than Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin.

Though Jiraiya might not seem particularly reliable, Tsunade wasn't exactly the picture of responsibility either. Maybe the two of them balanced each other out.

If they truly ended up together, Shizune realized it might no longer be appropriate for her to remain by Tsunade's side.

A sense of melancholy washed over her. Shizune's standards for a partner were quite high—she had met too many exceptional people as Tsunade's assistant. If her suitors were ordinary, Shizune likely wouldn't even consider them.

And then there was Natsuro, who frequently showcased what it meant to be strong, handsome, and capable. Shizune couldn't help but fantasize sometimes: what if it were her instead of Ino?

Of course, those were just fleeting thoughts. She would never act on them. In fact, most single women in Konoha probably shared similar daydreams—it wasn't just her.

But if it were Kakashi... Natsuro's points weren't wrong. Shizune had seen Kakashi's face under the mask. He was undeniably handsome.

While his strength wasn't on Natsuro's level, he was still one of Konoha's best.

Even Shizune couldn't find any faults with him after thinking it over.

"Alright, they must be getting impatient. Let's bring the food out," Shinai said with a smile.

"Okay," Shizune nodded, finally mustering the courage to move.

Outside, Tsunade and Natsuro noticed Shizune's red face as she brought the food, but neither commented on it.

Tsunade glanced at Natsuro, her meaning clear: Shizune's fine. Now it's up to you to convince Kakashi.

Natsuro nodded silently. Everything was understood without words.

.....

On the other side, Neji observed everything from above, his heart filled with caution.

As expected, Natsuro's warning about Shinnō proved to be on point.

On their way to the village of the cross-dressing girl named Amaru, Naruto and his group encountered yet another attack by the Sky Ninja.

The timing was far too coincidental. When they finally arrived at the village, they discovered it had already been attacked. The group split up to search for villagers.

Naturally, the strongest among them, Naruto, was tasked with protecting Shinnō and Amaru, the mission's primary objectives.

At this point, Neji had no choice but to assign Jūgo to accompany Sakura and Hinata, while he stayed behind to keep a close watch on Shinnō.

However, it was at this time that their group was once again attacked by the Sky Ninja. During the skirmish, Shinnō was "killed," his body pierced by the ammunition of the enemy's weapons as he protected Amaru.

Neji saw it all clearly. Naruto could have protected Amaru, but Shinnō deliberately intercepted him, stepping in front of Amaru to shield her from the bullets.

If that were all, Neji might have dismissed it as an act of overprotectiveness. However, his Byakugan revealed the truth, Shinnō wasn't dead.

He was merely pretending.

What was Shinnō's real intention? Neji's mind raced as he continued to observe.

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