After giving a few more instructions, Mito let her gaze sweep over every face, as if trying to engrave them into her soul.
When her eyes passed over Shin, she paused for a moment. Seeing Shin give her a solemn nod, Mito suddenly smiled, a truly happy smile.
In this life, she had no regrets, and nothing left to worry about.
The passing of Mito was a wound in the hearts of everyone in Konoha.
On the day of her burial, the entire village came to see her off. The procession was grand, yet incredibly quiet.
No one wished to disturb her eternal rest.
During the burial, Nawaki, Kushina, and Minato cried until they were hoarse.
Even Konan and Yahiko secretly wiped away tears in the crowd.
Mito had always kept her greatest kindness for those around her, caring for them to the utmost of her ability. Every one of those young people had felt her unconditional warmth.
Having cried for several days already, Tsunade now stood before everyone, holding back the tears that threatened to fall at any moment. Her body trembled slightly as emotion overwhelmed her.
Her bond with her parents was brief, and both her grandfather and granduncle had passed away early. For a long time, Mito had been the closest person to her in this world. The sorrow she felt at Mito's sudden passing could easily be imagined.
Beside her, Shin could only sigh silently, his expression deeply conflicted.
He was not someone who trusted others easily. Even now, the only ones truly close to his heart were Tsunade and his brother's family. Toward everyone else, he always kept his guard up.
And yet, Mito, with her vast heart and great wisdom, had become one of the few people he trusted in this world. He had indeed received many kindnesses from the old woman.
Whether or not Mito had any ulterior motives in the beginning, her care had been genuine. And with time, it had grown ever more pure.
Still, he understood her better than anyone. He knew she had passed away truly happy and at peace, and that knowledge eased the grief in his heart.
But the matter was far from over.
The sky began to drizzle. After Mito's burial, the rain grew heavier and heavier, as if the Sage of Six Paths themselves were seeing her off.
At last, Tsunade no longer held back. Her tears mingled with the rain, releasing the emotions she had been suppressing.
---
In the Hokage's office, Tsunade, Shin, the newly made Nine-Tails jinchūriki Kushina, and Minato were all present.
Their discussion had only one topic: to surround and hunt down Hanma. Even if they had to search the entire shinobi world, they would tear him to pieces.
Though his presence was somehow perfectly concealed, one glance was all it took for Shin to recognize him. He silently marveled at how Madara had truly gone downhill, to choose such a man.
He had originally planned to go alone, but the moment he spoke, everyone opposed the idea.
They knew that if Shin took action, there was no chance of failure. But for something as important as avenging their grandmother, none of them were willing to leave it to someone else. They had to settle this personally.
Without much further discussion, the hunt was decided.
Shin would team up with Tsunade and Kushina, while Minato would bring his own squad.
Both Shin and Minato knew the Flying Thunder God Technique, allowing them to transport others through space, a necessity for dealing with an elusive foe like Hanma.
---
In the Land of Grass, a panicked figure rushed through the forest.
The man wore a tattered black robe and a half-shattered mask that revealed a pale, deeply wrinkled half-face. He kept glancing over his shoulder in fear, as if fleeing from some great terror.
This man was none other than Hanma.
For three days, he had been relentlessly hunted.
He had always been absolutely confident in his ability to escape. But in these three days, no matter where he ran, his pursuers would appear immediately, as if a tracking device had been planted on him.
"It must have been back then..."
Recalling the scene in Konoha, even the slow-witted Hanma had come to his own conclusion.
At the time, he had been trembling, ready to flee, when a golden giant had suddenly soared into the sky. As it rose higher and higher, that golden giant had lowered its head and glanced at him, the way one might glance at a dog.
With just that single look, he had felt his whole body turn cold, as though some terrifying beast had fixed its gaze upon him and seen straight through him.
Without hesitation, hehad fled Konoha in utter panic.
Though suspicious, he still found it hard to believe.
What exactly was Shin?
Why could a single glance be enough to do something to him, something he still hadn't been able to detect at all?
What made him even more fearful was that, upon returning to the underground cavern where he had lived with Black Zetsu for a year, Black Zetsu was gone, and many of the items in the cavern had been taken away.
He had speculated about this for some time, but now, with Black Zetsu still absent, there was only one possible answer: Black Zetsu had abandoned him.
Abandoned so suddenly, so unexpectedly, it left him in deep despair.
At this moment, he wished more than anything for Black Zetsu to return. If only hewould come back, Hanma would obey him completely from now on, never again complaining, never again putting on airs, never again acting on impulse.
"Found you again~"
Suddenly, his hair stood on end, his back going cold, as a voice like a devil's whispered right in his ear.
Again... and again...
He was on the verge of going insane.
He glanced around in terror but saw no one. Still, he knew, that Shin was nearby, watching him, toying with him, unwilling to stop until he was driven mad.
And he couldn't let his guard down, because the moment he truly relaxed, someone would appear immediately, to stab him, slash him with a kunai, slap him, kick him...
Always striking the places that hurt most, or inflicting the deepest shame, all just to torment him.
Physically and mentally exhausted, he gritted his teeth, sank into the ground, and vanished.
The next moment, six figures flashed into view, Shin and his companions.
After glancing at the ground, Shin gave a cold smile and looked in the direction Hanma had fled.
"Let him keep scaring himself for a while. We'll rest here for now."
No one objected. In fact, the energetic Fugaku and Hizashi even began sparring with Minato, training hard.
Shin paid them no mind. Instead, he pulled a specially prepared, delicious bento from a storage scroll and handed it to Tsunade and Kushina.
"Kushina, how's it going?" he asked as he sat down to eat. Naturally, he was referring to her condition after becoming the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
"The Nine-Tails and I have reached a basic understanding. We've talked quite a lot these past few days," Kushina replied truthfully.
"A basic understanding, huh..." Shin chuckled.
Kurama really wasn't the type to give without taking. Clearly, until Shin fulfilled his promise to it, the fox wouldn't truly accept Kushina.