Naruto: If I ask you to kill Sasuke, you will become a succubus?

As for the matter of the Sharingan, we have to find Sasuke first before we can get any clues. It’s a little too early to talk about it now.

Bai whispered, "I told them before that if Konoha rescues you, I will return the Togen to them."

I nodded to indicate that I understood.

At that time, my life or death was unknown, and it was indeed very dangerous to keep Tōgen in the Hidden Mist Village. Returning it to Konoha could earn a favor, and I could understand Zabuza and Haku's decision. However, now that I'm back, I don't want to hand Tōgen back.

If he was Hokage's man, no matter how terrifying his abilities were, I could return him with confidence, but he is Danzo's man.

Even if he can't use his full strength for my benefit when he's by my side, it's still better than him being by Danzo's side and potentially becoming my enemy.

And... although I trust Tsunade-sama's character, I don't understand the current situation in Konoha, and I can't hope that she can completely control Danzo.

"Thank you very much for your support. The Hidden Mist Village will always remember Konoha's help... But I'm really sorry. Togen is very important to me. I can't return him to Konoha for the time being."

My tone was slightly apologetic, but also firm.

Shikamaru sighed. He must have heard that I was negotiating with them instead of reminiscing about the past. "It's not good to go back on your words, Asaro."

"Don't you want to hear the conditions of the replacement first?"

"tell me the story?"

"A service voucher."

Shikamaru was slightly stunned.

I said, "A Morning Dew Ticket. Konoha can use this ticket to ask me to do one thing. It can be anything - except asking me to commit suicide or kill my friends. Shikamaru, you should be familiar with how to use it."

Because when I was a kid, it was Shikamaru who suggested that I use the service voucher as his birthday present.

...Now that I think about it, it seems that I still had some of the service coupons I gave him before I defected...and in the few years I was in the Hidden Mist Village, I never gave him service coupons again - I never prepared a birthday present for him again.

Shikamaru: "...I will report everything to Hokage-sama. But..."

"But," Shino continued, walking up to him, "Torine is from the Aburame family, so doesn't my opinion matter?"

Shikamaru looked at me helplessly, indicating that at this point, he had no way of saying anything.

"Shino..." I knew I couldn't keep silent with Shino forever, but when he spoke to me, I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. "Long time no see."

"Long time no see." Shino's tone was very calm. I hadn't observed him for several years. Now looking at his face with sunglasses on, I couldn't tell what he was thinking. "The people in Kirigakure said that it was because of you that you didn't kill Tone and spared his life. Is that true?"

"...If I say this myself, won't it sound like I'm trying to please you with ulterior motives? Will you believe it?"

"The ability of the root is very dangerous. It is safer and easier to kill him than to keep him." Shino said, "But you took such a big risk to keep him. Before Gaara was captured by the Akatsuki organization, he actually protected him... This can only mean two things. One, you don't plan to use his ability to work for you. Two, you value him very much, so Gaara values ​​him."

"..."

"And I want to know, the reason why you value him so much...is it because of me?"

"If I had killed him, would you still be able to say to me so calmly just now, 'Long time no see'?"

"Probably not."

I smiled and said, "So that when we meet again, we can still say "long time no see" calmly, I think it's worth saving his life."

"You seem to have misunderstood something."

I was slightly stunned: "What?"

"I was not calm at all when I said that just now."

I don't know how Shino felt when Shikamaru brought back the bell he gave me and told him that our "romantic partner" relationship was over, but at the moment it seems that he hasn't let it go.

I was silent for a moment: "But at least, you don't have to hate me, you don't have to kill me, and avenge your brother."

"If you kept him for me, what's your reason for not wanting to give him back?"

I sighed, "Because I'm worried he'll come and kill me again."

"Have you suffered many assassination attempts...from Konoha?"

"Assassinations are unbearable after one or two times, without having to endure them many times. Especially with the ability of the Root, once he lurks in the dark and waits for an opportunity to strike - I can't always sleep with Susanoo on. I'm not targeting the Hokage, nor am I targeting Konoha, and I'm not greedy for the ability of the Root, but after the Root returns to Konoha, will he obey the orders of the Hokage or Danzo? If he returns to the Root in the end, I'm sorry, I can't return him with peace of mind."

"Are you trying to turn Tone into a Kirigakure ninja?"

"As long as Danzo is here... I will not hand him over. Do you understand me, Shino?"

"……I see."

"Thank you." I looked at him and hesitated, "Shino..."

He responded to me in a low voice: "What's wrong?"

"If I want to talk to you alone later, are you available?"

Shino was stunned, and without thinking, "Any time."

Shikamaru asked, "What do you want to talk to him about?"

I smiled and changed the subject, "I want to talk to you first, Shikamaru."

"What to talk about?"

"Apologize." I handed him the still with the message on it: "This is an apology gift."

"What? Stills of Fuuka Koyuki?" Shikamaru was a little confused. "Ah, is it because her look is very similar to the movie we watched? But if you want to apologize, it would be better to give me a service voucher..."

As he spoke, he turned to the back and stopped when he saw those words.

I hope he still remembers...or can remember, what we experienced the first time we watched a movie together.

After a while, Shikamaru looked up at me and said with a smile: "You talked to Naruto for so long, but this is all you have to say to me?"

He seemed to be joking, "Is it because I haven't breathed that I can't show any pain? Naruto's pain seems to be greater than mine?"

I thought he didn't like this gift, and I felt a little helpless: "Shikamaru..."

"But," he interrupted me, lowered his eyes, and looked at the sentence again, "this sentence is enough."

I stared at him blankly, completely unable to understand his changing emotions.

Shikamaru smiled at me and said, "I mean, I really like your apology gift. I forgive you... although I never blame you."

I looked at him, Shino, Naruto, Sakura, Tenten, Lee, Gai-sensei, and…Kakashi-sensei, bowed, and thanked them again, "Thank you very much, everyone."

Shikamaru put away the still photo and turned to look at Kakashi, who had been silent the whole time and was the farthest away from me in the crowd: "Kakashi, do you have anything to say?"

I was also confused before, why there are two jonins, Kakashi and Gai, but Shikamaru is always the one who represents Konoha. I think Gai may not be good at dealing with outsiders, and Kakashi...

I guess he didn't want to say a word to me.

In that case, why should Shikamaru force him?

"If you have anything to say, tell Bai or ask Shikamaru to tell me." I said to Shikamaru, "Can I borrow Shino for a while?"