Chapter 30: Shizune Kato

"Eh?" Aoki fell silent, confusion crossing his face as he looked at the little girl with a questioning gaze.

"Ah, if you don't want to, that's okay. I'm... sorry, I'll look for it myself!" Shizune hurriedly apologized, looking increasingly panicked, and began to step away, afraid she had disturbed him.

"Wait a minute! I'll help you. What's your uncle's name?" Aoki quickly stopped the girl, still confused by the situation.

"Um... my uncle's name is Dan Kato," Shizune replied, her cheeks flushing as Aoki gently held her right hand, providing a bit of comfort amidst her fear.

'This is really Shizune, right? Oh my gosh, am I lucky or what?' Aoki thought, strange feelings swirling within him.

"Alright, I'll help you find your uncle's grave," Aoki said in a calmer voice, trying to reassure Shizune.

"Thank you so much!" Shizune bowed deeply, her eyes glistening with gratitude.

"Not a problem," Aoki replied, waving his hand casually, as if Shizune's politeness was no big deal to him.

The two of them then began searching around the cemetery, stepping between the rows of silent tombstones. However, despite searching for almost a whole day, they still could not find Dan Kato's grave. Despair began to gnaw at their spirits.

"I can't find Uncle Dan Kato's grave," Shizune said softly, her eyes sweeping the surroundings with a deep look of disappointment.

Aoki, noticing the change in Shizune's expression, paused for a moment before asking something that had been bothering him since the beginning.

"Hey, why are you looking for your uncle's grave?" Aoki asked gently, curious about the strong desire behind Shizune's quest.

"A few months ago, my parents passed away," Shizune began to recount, her voice trembling as she reminisced. "I then lived in an orphanage, but one day ago, I reached the age to inherit my parents' estate." Shizune continued, her words revealing deep feelings and a loss that was still fresh in her heart.

"I only found out the truth yesterday," Shizune's voice grew softer, as if hiding a profound sadness. "The reason Uncle Dan Kato never came back all this time is because... Uncle Dan Kato died years ago." Shizune lowered her head, trying to hold back her mixed emotions, but her voice remained clear in the silence of the cemetery.

"That's why I'm here, to find Uncle Dan Kato's grave. But until now, I still haven't been able to find it," Shizune continued, her face filled with gloom reflecting frustration and despair.

Aoki paused for a moment, contemplating the situation the little girl was facing before finally formulating a plan in his mind. "I know where we need to go to find your uncle's grave," Aoki said firmly. "We need to look for your uncle's lover. But that person is hard to find, so we'll need someone's help—a teacher of your uncle's lover."

"Your uncle's lover is named Tsunade Senju," Aoki continued, now with a charismatic tone, like a storyteller captivating his audience. "That woman is one of the Legendary Three Sannin, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, and a student of the Third Hokage. She is also an expert in Medical-Nin."

Shizune, upon hearing this story, couldn't hide her surprise, but suddenly a small laugh escaped her lips as she saw Aoki's serious expression, which looked amusing.

"Hey, why are you laughing?" Aoki asked, pretending to be annoyed, raising an eyebrow dramatically.

"Your face is funny when you talk like that," Shizune replied with a smile, the sadness that had haunted her now slightly lifted. "Can we go to the Hokage's place to look for Miss Tsunade?"

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