Tsunade Can Hear My Inner Voice

Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Kakashi and Shizune

Pulled along by Shizune, Kakashi felt as though his entire body had stiffened to the point of rusting.

He had no idea how he ended up following her into another private room.

"Kakashi-senpai, please, have a seat!"

Shizune sat down gracefully, watching the dazed Kakashi across from her before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Pfft!"

"Kakashi-senpai, you don’t have to be so tense!"

Kakashi awkwardly scratched his head. Normally, he could handle situations like this with ease, but sitting alone with Shizune in a room—especially for something like a matchmaking meeting—made him feel completely out of sorts.

"Uh, I think we’re the same age. You don’t need to call me senpai."

"Then what should I call you? Kakashi-kun? Or Kakashi-san?" Hearing him dismiss formalities, Shizune grinned playfully.

She didn’t mention that she called him senpai based on the age they became shinobi after graduating.

Back then, aside from Rin and Obito, his relationships with others were rather distant. Even people like Asuma and Kurenai only grew closer to him later.

"...Never mind. Just call me senpai." After a moment of consideration, Kakashi decided that the title felt more familiar. noveldrama

"So, Kakashi-senpai, what do you think about today’s arrangement?" Shizune poured him a cup of water before posing her question.

"I..." Seeing her gentle smile, the words caught in his throat.

Did he truly want to get married?

Could he really bring happiness to the woman in front of him for the rest of her life?

"Let’s just treat today as two old friends catching up. There’s no need to be so nervous, senpai." Judging by his expression, Shizune had already drawn her own conclusions.

"The Kakashi-senpai I remember was always confident, never one to be defeated by hardship. Yet now, meeting me seems to be more daunting than all the trials you’ve faced combined."

"Honestly, if I had been assigned to your team after graduation, things might have been different."

"Maybe if I had asked Tsunade-sama back then, it could’ve happened."

Kakashi’s gaze drifted upward to the ceiling.

Such a distant memory...

So distant that even now, Shizune’s words barely stirred any emotion in him.

What had his feelings for Rin truly been?

Comradeship? Or love?

If both Rin and Obito had survived, maybe he wouldn’t be struggling like this now. Perhaps Rin herself would have made the choice—whether it was Obito or him, he would have accepted it.

But...

In the end, he had lost them both.

And in this world, there were no what-ifs.

Lowering his head, Kakashi met Shizune’s eyes and smiled.

"Sorry for making you see me like this."

"Not at all. The fact that Kakashi-senpai acts differently around me means I must hold some place in your heart, right?"

As Kakashi regained his composure, a faint trace of sorrow flickered deep within Shizune’s eyes.

’Just as I thought... In Kakashi-senpai’s heart, I still can’t compare to Rin.’

Still, she wasn’t too surprised by the outcome.

Even before Tsunade had called her here, Shizune hadn’t held much hope for this meeting.

After all, Kakashi was one of Konoha’s most eligible bachelors—a man countless kunoichi admired. The fact that he remained unattached could only mean one thing: someone still occupied his thoughts, someone he couldn’t forget.

(Maito Gai swaggers by!)

(Uchiha Obito struts past with unrivaled confidence!)

(Nohara Rin tiptoes away, leaving not a single cloud behind!)

"Kakashi-senpai, how have you been adjusting to your recent duties?" Shizune tactfully shifted the topic to work.

Kakashi leaned back, his posture becoming noticeably more relaxed.

"Too much hassle. Leading a team was way easier. Now I’m constantly dragged into meetings by Shikaku or buried under paperwork. Being the Hokage’s advisor is not what I signed up for."

"If Tsunade-sama heard you say that, she’d probably pile even more work on you!" Shizune chuckled. "Someone as capable as you shouldn’t be wasted."

"I’d rather be talentless and laze around all day."

"That attitude sounds a lot like Hikari!" Seeing Kakashi drop his guard and return to their usual dynamic, Shizune felt a flicker of relief.

If this meeting had pushed them apart, ruining even their friendship, she would have been heartbroken.

Not just because of her feelings for Kakashi, but also because there were so few of their old classmates left.

"That guy... I have to admit, I envy him sometimes." After all these years, Kakashi had finally learned the joys of slacking off.

Just think—Hikari had spent years guarding the village gates, casually dropping by the hospital whenever he pleased.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had toiled away in ANBU, doing the dirtiest, most dangerous jobs for a basic salary—no side income, no perks. After over a decade of hard work, his savings still couldn’t compare to Kamizuki Hikari, the esteemed author of certain literature.

Where was the justice in this world?

If he had Hikari’s artistic skills and imagination, he’d fill his entire house with waifu posters and drown in a sea of 2D happiness.

"Hikari has been assigned to mentor the Ino-Shika-Chō team. If you’re free, Kakashi-senpai, perhaps you could go help him out. His abilities might not be quite enough to provide proper guidance."

Kakashi’s hand twitched slightly around his cup as he gave Shizune a puzzled look.

From what he’d observed, Hikari’s strength was at least jōnin-level, possibly even elite jōnin. The Ino-Shika-Chō team was undoubtedly one of Konoha’s finest, but until they matured, any jōnin—or even a special jōnin skilled at teaching—could guide their training.

For Shizune to say this could only mean one thing.

Hikari was hiding his true strength.

"Hmm, if I have time, I’ll drop by."

(And maybe pester him about his next book while I’m at it...)

If Kakashi knew Hikari’s next book had a protagonist modeled after him, he might cry tears of joy.

The immersion while reading would be off the charts.

(Kakashi: Holy Light-sensei, if you want me dead, just say it outright—no need to be so subtle about it.)

"Seeing Kakashi-senpai take things so seriously makes me think Tsunade-sama can relax a bit. A lot of the tasks lately were specifically assigned to you by Shikaku-senpai under her orders."

Kakashi: ’Wait, what? No wonder my workload is been piling up lately. So it’s the Hokage’s doing! But why? It’s not like she’s trying to push me and Shizune together—wait, no, I haven’t even seen Shizune much lately. So what’s the real reason here?!’

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