Chapter 197
A heavy deafening silence fell over everyone witnessing this dire scene.
Desperation coursed through their hearts as they struggled to comprehend the sudden turn of events.
The weight of the unfolding catastrophe is too much to bear for them.
The situation, once so promising, had spiraled into chaos, leaving them bewildered.
Tsunade's emotions became too overwhelming, and she felt a compelling urge to charge directly into the battlefield.
She couldn't bear to watch Naruto falling into Pain's clutches, watching Naruto's life hang in the balance was hard for her.
Let alone allow Pain to snatch away the Nine Tails, the very lifeline of the village itself that provided some beacon of hope.
But, in that moment, Kakashi's hand extended to restrain her.
Tsunade's reaction was evident, as she was taken aback, her surprise followed by a swift redirection of her gaze to what had captured Kakashi's attention.
Her eyes followed Kakashi's gaze to a seemingly inconspicuous figure.
A rocking chair, on which sat a man with a calm expression- Carnes.
Whispers rippled through everyone.
"Carnes..."
"Yeah, it's Carnes!"
"As long as Carnes intervenes and chooses to help us, there might be a way out of this!"
"Yes, hope is still alive."
"But, you know, Carnes-san is..."
The Konoha ninjas exchanged uneasy glances, well aware of the complexity of the situation.
A hushed uncertainty hung in the air among them.
In their head, Carnes was the father of the mysterious figure Pain who was behind all this destruction, the mastermind orchestrating this chaos that had befallen on their village.
Now, with the prospect of Pain capturing the Nine Tails on the horizon, the potential involvement of Carnes introduced a daunting dilemma.
If Carnes were to disrupt the plan at this point, it would be tantamount to sour a father-son relationship, potentially igniting a conflict between them.
There was a very real prospect of them turning against one another.
Would he truly betray and turn against his own son, his own flesh and blood for the sake of Konoha Village?
In truth, these Konoha ninjas had gravely misunderstood the situation.
They were way off the mark, profoundly misjudging the circumstances.
Tsunade took a deep breath, her gaze resolute as she declared.
"I believe Carnes is not that kind of person.
Jiraiya placed immense trust in him, even trusting him wholeheartedly.
So, I think he'll never be swayed by these concerns, he won't be entangled in these mundane matters."
One of the ninjas inquired, "But Hokage-sama now what should we do?"
"Let's go," Tsunade replied firmly.
"We need to talk to him."
With the decision made, Tsunade, accompanied by Kakashi and the ninjas of Konoha Village, ascended to the rooftop of the Hokage building.
Their intent was clear, but as they arrived, their eyes, however, were drawn to a man seated in a rocking chair ahead of them.
A hushed silence gripped the ninjas, it left them in a state of speechlessness.
In their minds, questions swirled like a storm, and the request at hand seemed more than unusual.
Their minds were inundated with the overwhelming reality before them.
So for them this request... was simply too much to ask for!
After a prolonged silence, Tsunade finally gathered the courage to step forward and approach Carnes.
Her lips quivered, and her voice emerged weak and cautious as she spoke
"Carnes..."
Carnes had been well aware of the ninja's approaching him, but he chose to remain undisturbed.
He hadn't paid them much mind until Tsunade reached and stood before him.
"Tsunade? What brings you here...?"
Carnes began, but his words tapered off and his mouth went dry.
This was beyond his expectations.
Unbelievable.
He hadn't anticipated the scenic view of Konoha Village pride to be replicated so vividly right before his very eyes.
He hadn't expected Tsunade to be so open, but he didn't try to think about it either.
But still Tsunade being so generous, and showing her rich assets made it difficult for him.
Her typical dressing attire barely contained the sight of her two prominent assets.
It was impossible for them to block the view of two big mountains, the true beauty of Konoha village.
Tsunade halted mid-sentence when she noticed Carnes' gaze, her brow furrowed in response.
However, when she followed Carnes' eyes, a red blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Asshole!"
"At a time like this, you're still preoccupied with such things!"
"Idiot! You are no better than Jiraiya focusing on this in the midst of this battle for life and death."
Carnes sighed, "Well..."
The ninjas quickly averted their eyes, showing admirable discretion by not observing their Hokage's discomfort and sparing her of the embarrassment.
Carnes was at a loss for words. He was equally taken aback.
How could someone blame him for this?
Inwardly, he mused, 'What are you blaming me for?
Don't you understand the size of your... well, assets?
Well how could anyone avoid the sheer magnitude of Tsunade's presence?'
Even if she used this as a test for her subordinates.
Which one of them could withstand this kind of test?
He believed that his self-control was pretty robust and commendable, after all.
If it were Jiraiya, he was convinced that Jiraiya's nosebleed would've reached three feet height by now!
It would have been inevitable.
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