“Alright, since Lady Tsunade agreed so readily, let’s not waste any time and begin now,” Hawking said, nodding as he sat cross-legged on the office floor.
“Lady Tsunade, please protect me during this process.”
“Is it really that straightforward?” Tsunade was taken aback by Hawking’s sudden start, but she quickly got up from her seat and moved to stand beside him.
“It truly does harm the soul!”
Tsunade soon noticed that Hawking’s head drooped, and he seemed lifeless as if his soul had been extracted.
“It seems I was overthinking it.”
Initially skeptical about Hawking’s claim of soul damage, Tsunade was now convinced as she watched his spiritual energy dissipate after he activated his ability. She felt a pang of guilt and resolved that if Hawking’s prediction matched the future, she would ensure the best sealing jutsu experts in Konoha taught him.
While Tsunade guarded Hawking, his soul was actually standing right in front of her. As soon as he sat down, he entered his Shinigami mode, separating from his body in a Death God’s outfit.
In this state, his soul was invisible to the naked eye, better than any invisibility technique. Of course, keen senses would detect him if he were to attack. But since he was just observing without hostile intent, Tsunade couldn’t perceive his presence.
He planned to let a few minutes pass before rejoining his body, continuing the charade to convince Tsunade.
“I do appreciate a well-endowed figure. If I ever look for a wife in the future, she should at least meet these standards,” Hawking thought as he admired Tsunade from an aesthetic perspective.
He wasn’t a eunuch; naturally, he had thought about marriage and children in this life. However, he had specific criteria for his future partner.
Hawking wasn’t focused on looks; he believed a pleasing appearance was enough. Of course, he preferred a well-proportioned figure over a flat one. More importantly, he didn’t believe in love at first sight, favoring a bond developed over time.
Love at first sight seemed superficial to him, driven by physical attraction. In contrast, a relationship that grew over time felt more genuine, based on mutual understanding and admiration. However, such connections were rare, as he hadn’t found a suitable partner in his previous life due to this belief.
Developing feelings over time was harder, especially after entering the working world, where social circles were limited and meeting a compatible single woman was rare.
In this life, he hadn’t encountered anyone yet, mainly because he was too busy training to spend time building a connection with any woman.
But he wasn’t in a hurry. He was still young, and he would meet more female superheroes as his company grew. While fighting crime together, he might find the right one.
“That should be enough time.”
Coming back to his senses, he realized almost a quarter of an hour had passed. Quickly, he rejoined his body and opened his eyes.
Seeing Hawking awaken, Tsunade sighed in relief. “Hawking, are you alright?”
“My soul is a bit weak, but it won’t affect my combat abilities,” Hawking reassured, then solemnly added, “I saw some scenes of Asuma’s future death. I saw you, Lady Tsunade, gathering dozens of Konoha ninja for a mission, during which Asuma was killed by two very powerful ninja. To prevent his death, we need to ensure Asuma doesn’t leave the village for any missions during this period.”
“I gathered many ninjas for a mission?” Tsunade mused, puzzled. Normally, missions were assigned to small teams. Even during the rescue mission for Gaara, they didn’t send so many ninjas.
“What could be so important to require such a large team?” she wondered.
“Yes, I saw Asuma, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Aoba Yamashiro, Kotetsu Hagane…,” Hawking listed nearly thirty Konoha ninjas.
With his daily visits to Konoha, he had familiarized himself with almost all the known ninjas, enough to recognize and name them.
“That many… Almost everyone available in the village who isn’t on other missions or needed for defense,” Tsunade’s brows furrowed deeply.
“Do you know who those enemies are? Any distinguishing features?” Tsunade asked.
“They’re not Konoha ninjas, so I don’t recognize them. But they were wearing black cloaks with red clouds and had headbands with slashes through the symbols, indicating they were rogue ninjas from different villages,” Hawking described.
“It’s the Akatsuki!” Tsunade’s eyes widened in realization. With the information from Jiraiya and their encounter during the rescue mission for Gaara, she identified the Akatsuki easily.
“The Akatsuki… The same group that attacked Suna,” she thought.
“Hawking, thank you for your help. I’ll arrange for the best sealing jutsu experts to teach you everything we know,” Tsunade promised, her belief in Hawking’s words solidifying.
Given the secrecy around the Akatsuki, which Naruto wouldn’t have shared, Hawking’s knowledge likely came from genuine visions. Suspecting his prediction was true, Tsunade resolved to test and verify his claims.
“Good, my time is almost up. I need to return to my world,” Hawking said, sensing his time was nearly over. He waved to Tsunade before disappearing.
After he left, Tsunade immediately summoned Shizune. “Shizune, have there been any reports of Akatsuki movements or disturbances lately?”
“No, based on the latest reports, there’s been no activity or sightings of the Akatsuki,” Shizune replied.
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