chapter 52 Mission

Chapter 52 Mission

While Konoha was undergoing a tense entrance exam, Tsunade woke up in the Land of Rivers Hotel.

Princess Konoha turned over and looked at the clean table blankly -

There were no empty wine bottles, there was no sweet and bitter smell in her mouth, and there was no sound that seemed to be deafeningly bombarding in her head. It had been too long since Tsunade had experienced this feeling, which was not the feeling of waking up after a hangover.

She stood up in silence and gently opened the door inside with her fingers. There was no one in the room, except for a table that was different from a few days ago in the center of the room, with breakfast prepared for her on it.

"Whose subordinate are you, Shizune?"

Tsunade guessed and knew that she was taking care of the "patient" for the firecracker-headed brat again. She held her forehead and was quite speechless.

But since she didn't drink, it seemed like she didn't need Shizune to take care of her. Tsunade sat down unhappily and stared at the breakfast in front of her in a daze -

The last time she ate the first meal of the day during breakfast time, I don't know when it was.

The night before yesterday, Tsunade, who was drunk, was woken up again by Rengoku Kyojuro who had returned from making money and said he wanted to have dinner with her.

Tsunade was so angry that even though she didn't eat much dinner, she made a bet with the other party inexplicably.

The two agreed to an arm-wrestle. If the firecracker-headed kid could hold on for half a minute, she would stop drinking before leaving the country. If Kyojuro could hold on for less than half a minute, the cost of diagnosis and treatment would be doubled.

Both of these bets were proposed by Kyojuro, but no matter whether he lost or won, they seemed to bring him no practical benefits, so Tsunade agreed based on the principle of "if there is an advantage, why not take advantage of it" .

But who would have thought that without the use of chakra, Tsunade would be no match for Kyojuro. That brat's strength was really terrifying.

After a brief contact, Tsunade felt the majestic physical energy and extremely strong vitality from Kyojuro's body, which meant her previous guess that Kyojuro might be a member of her grandmother Uzumaki Mito's clan. ——It was confirmed.

Tsunade's heart panicked at that moment.

But when she remembered to use chakra, the fragile wooden table immediately collapsed in half, and Shizune happily announced that the thirty seconds had expired.

As expected, Tsunade lost the bet again.

When she came to her senses, she wanted to regret it, but looking at those eyes that looked like the rising sun and full of caring like a family member, she couldn't say the shameless words, so she could only admit defeat.

By now, she had not drank for nearly thirty-six hours, but the ghosts of her imaginary past did not break into her dreams to haunt her.

At the dinner table, Tsunade squeezed her fingers nervously.

Even if you didn't come yesterday, what about today and tomorrow?

As long as that kid is still here, the memories buried deep in her heart will sooner or later be brought out and exposed to the sun.

Thinking of this, she didn't care about eating anymore. She quickly opened the door of the living room and wanted to take a breath in the courtyard of the hotel. But when she opened the door, she was surprised to find that Shizune was holding Tonton and sitting quietly on the outdoor terrace.

In the middle of the courtyard, the children who had been detoxified were sitting on the landscape stones, and Rengoku Kyojuro was sitting opposite them with the sun behind him.

"Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade had not seen a smile like Shizune's for a long time. The pride and satisfaction contained in it were completely different from the fake smile and bitter smile she usually used to apologize when facing her creditors.

However, this expression is quite common on the face of that firecracker-headed brat.

[Is this infected...]

"What the hell, didn't that kid go make money today?"

Tsunade looked over with sharp eyes, her tone still very impatient, "Why is he here during the day now! "

For Tsunade just seeing that brat for those one or two hours every night was uncomfortable enough.

They were clearly not relatives, but the way the kid looked at her was like a child looking at a seriously ill parent. In addition, those overly positive and irrelevant words were constantly pushing the limits of Tsunade's tolerance.

What a good thing now, he is actually here during the day!!

She didn't know that the color of her hair, her drunken and careless speech pattern, the way she lay in her room passing the time, and even her open-minded dressing style were all related to Kyojuro's father, Rengoku Shinjuro.

"That's it, Tsunade-sama! Kyojuro exchanged the remaining explosive tags for money last night, and helped the town guards catch a fugitive on the way, and was rewarded by the mayor." Shizune happily recounted, Touching the pocket where she kept the banknotes, "Now, all the medical fees have been collected!"

When she said this, she was not happy that she had received the money, but because Kyojuro's harsh conditions are finally over.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and said: "Then we can leave today?"

The smile on Shizune's face faded, and the reluctance in her eyes strengthened Tsunade's determination to leave as soon as possible.

If Shizune is allowed to get along with that kid any longer, I'm afraid she will soon be brainwashed by that inexplicable positivity and optimism.

"Only the child with the most unstable poison sac is left, and his operation has not been performed yet."

Shizune replied, "He is the last one."

"Then why don't you prepare?"

Tsunade looked at the person sitting in the courtyard. The impatient tone in the voices of the six children together could be clearly detected.

"The problem now is that the child doesn't want to undergo surgery."

Shizune shook her head, "Kyojuro called them over, probably to persuade him."

"You are really nosy... can't you just knock him out?"

On the one hand, Tsunade really complained about Kyojuro, but on the other hand, she regretted giving the antidote formula.

Detoxifying these children is certainly convenient for silent surgery, but when they wake up and have their own ideas, the trouble will increase.

She sat next to Shizune, picked up the dolphin and coiled it up for herself, but her energy was focused on where Kyojuro was, listening quietly.

...

"You don't have to do anything for me anymore, because I already don't want to live anymore."

The conversation taking place in the courtyard sounds too common in the Land of Rain, but in this prosperous country that has not had a war for a long time In the small town, there is something shocking.

"Why did you say that?!"

Rengoku Kyojuro's eyes were bright, and even though he had fire-like hair, he did not show any violent emotions.

"I don't know why you saved us. But I have nothing left, and this life is not worth a hundred thousand ryō."

The child who refused the operation was the oldest among the six, and he also knew this world. The longest one is really pessimistic and a bit scary.

At this time, there was no joy of surviving the disaster in his eyes at all, instead they were lifeless and gray.

"People like us will not die because of what is in their bodies, but will also be killed for various other reasons without any reason."

"In this world where ninjas are rampant, the lives of ordinary people have no value. This is especially true for helpless orphans like us. You saved us today, but you just delayed something that was bound to catch up. It has no meaning at all..." His words obviously stirred up the restless hearts of other children. Their expressions gradually showed fear.

Shizune, who was watching, also clenched her fists nervously. She had worked so hard to treat them but heard such words, and it was inevitable that she would be touched.

But Rengoku Kyojuro still had no intention of stopping him from talking.

"In short, I don't want to owe you anything, and I don't want to do anything for you. I'm just a kid that no one cares about, and no one will care if I die. If you really want to do something, just let me fend for myself."

The boy lowered his eyelids, "At least dying under the anesthesia of poison sounds less painful."

The whirlpool of despair spread out from him, and even the grass and trees in the courtyard seemed to droop a little. The other younger children, who had no firm ideas to begin with, all looked downcast at this time, full of fear and wariness about the unknown future. .

"How do you know no one cares about you?! "

Rengoku Kyojuro's voice was loud, but his tone was as steady as the smoke rising up into the clear sky from the roof of the hotel, making people wonder if he was alive or not. The boy's exhausted expression clearly reminded him of some extremely painful things.

Before the child spoke again, Kyojuro said first: "This is just your idea, not the truth!

"Not only do I care about your life and death, the person who helped us escape from the fortress is also very concerned about your safety! Besides, the cost of your treatment also contains the thoughts of the 'angels' of the Kingdom of Rain! "

Kyojuro's answer surprised them. The existence of "angels" has always been an important consensus among the children of the Land of Rain. Hearing that such a person also contributed to their treatment, the eyes of several children finally emerged.

"So, don't be immersed in the desert-like world of your imagination and belittle yourself! "

"The fact that you are still alive means a lot to me! I feel honored to be able to play some role in saving your lives. Based on this alone, you are important to me. There is no debt to speak of! I don't need any other repayment!"

His voice was full of sincerity, deafening, and his unwavering smile was like sunshine, dispelling the surrounding haze.

But because Kyojuro's speech was so contrary to common sense, the children felt dizzy. Even Tsunade on the terrace narrowed her eyes in confusion, with an expression like "I drank too much in a dream."

On the contrary, Shizune, who has gradually synchronized with Kyojuro these days, seems to be able to fully understand what he means.

"Did you get something wrong..."

The young man looked around, "We are not the children of a noble family. How can you be so honored to save us?"

Kyojuro was silent for a while, with memories in his eyes. The look on his face narrated.

"Before she passed away, my mother once told me that the reason why I was born with a strong body was to protect those who were weaker and unable to protect themselves, but I must not rely on this power given by God to satisfy my own selfish desires.! You must not allow this power to be abandoned and idle because you fall into the quagmire of sorrow!"

When tsunade heard the last sentence, her eyebrows twitched for no reason, and her lips pursed tighter.

"From then on, I understood that I, who was born stronger than others, must regard saving the fragile lives of others as my survival goal and mission! As far as possible, let everyone live until the day they find their mission, so that Their lives can also be perfected! Isn't this worthy of my honor?!"

"..."

The young man was slightly shocked, and seemed to understand the reason why Kyojuro wanted to save them, but he still retorted: "You are very strong, but we are weak. It is very difficult for the weak to survive, so why talk about such high-sounding words as mission..."

"The word strong is not just used to refer to the body, young man!" Rengoku Kyojuro stood up, golden-red eyes swept across the faces of all the children one by one.

"Among more than a hundred people, only a few of you have survived! At such a young age, you have escaped the pursuit of death. Do you really think that this is just luck?"

"Maybe for the time being, you just think that you are a victim who will sooner or later die in other disasters, meaninglessly!"

"But if you can regard the pain you have encountered as food for growth instead of an excuse to stay still, then you will understand that you are still a survivor, and the disasters you have endured will give birth to a new self. You are stronger than others, you know better how to struggle to get up from the quagmire of despair, and you know how to deal with difficulties. This is your strength, and it is not fundamentally different from my strength!"

Kyojuro walked among the children and knelt down, half squatting and half kneeling. Those children seemed to feel something, and their faces turned red with excitement.

"I know that you are all in pain now because you have lost your parents and suffered cruel treatment."

"You will imagine this, what will happen if the reality is not like this? I also think, what should I do if this happens again in the future? To be honest, I can't teach you to withdraw from this fantasy world and accept the cruel reality!"

"But I know that when a person is more vulnerable, how he chooses to use his time is particularly important!"

"The longer you stay in this state, the harder it is to get rid of it. Even a man as strong as my father was still dragged into it and couldn't extricate himself. But you still have a chance, at least, while you can still recall their appearance... think about your parents and family members who have lost their parents. If they know that after their death, you will fall into this kind of situation where life is worse than death and you are lost. Will they be able to find peace if they extricate themselves? "

All the children raised their eyes, and Tsunade clenched her fists as if she had been hit hard.

"Don't hide in a pond just to avoid a heavy rain. It's okay to be sad, but don't be sad for too long."

"As long as you don't lose yourselves, your dead relatives will understand that they have not really lost you! Even in hell, they will smile with relief." Rengoku put his hand on the shoulder of the oldest boy.

"So, accept the surgery, remove that dangerous thing, and prolong your life as much as possible until the day you find your mission, okay? At that time, if you are willing to sacrifice your life for your mission, I will never Stop you."

"The only way to die without doing anything is to be truly meaningless, what do you think?! "

A strange warmth flowed along the shoulders, gradually filling the young man's body. He did not answer, but nodded heavily, and then tears poured out in a steady stream, and then he burst into tears.

The other children looked similar, obviously recalling their family members, which made them feel emotional.

However, Kyojuro just looked at them gently and did not stop them. The release of emotions at this time had profound meaning for them.

Shizune watched everything quietly, her heart racing. The next moment, she noticed Lady Tsunade beside her suddenly stood up, took out a handful of money from her and left. "Lady. Tsunade——"

"He is ready for surgery. I'll wait for you at the inn at the outermost edge of town."

Tsunade said without looking back: "Don't keep me waiting too long, got it?" "

As she said that, she opened the curtain of the courtyard and strode out. But when facing the sun, Shizune saw a reflection in the corner of her eyes.