This…
Everyone wore expressions of astonishment—Shimizu included, who looked completely dumbfounded.
What exactly is going on inside sensei's head…?
When had he ever suggested—even remotely—that he had feelings for Hyūga Satomi?
Last time, he had made himself perfectly clear, swearing up and down that there was nothing between them. And yet… his teacher still didn't believe him?
But since this whole misunderstanding had originated from his teacher…
…Shimizu could only let it go.
Meanwhile, a different line of thought was forming in everyone else's minds:
If even Maruboshi Kosuke-senpai said so…
Then maybe there really is something going on between Shimizu and Satomi.
Perhaps they were just too shy to admit it outright.
The group exchanged glances, then nodded subtly to one another, a silent understanding passing between them.
The wisdom of our senior shall be remembered.
"So stop looking at me like I'm some kind of criminal," Sara protested, completely unapologetic.
"Ahem… we understand now," Arai said, waving a hand dismissively.
Understand what, exactly?!
"Good, as long as you do."
I'm even more confused now… What are you people even talking about?
"Well then, I'll leave you all to it," Sara said, opening the door. "Don't talk for too long—the patient is still recovering."
Click.
The door closed once more.
Finally… peace and quiet.
"Shimizu, you were out for quite a while," Arai said, flipping open the calendar on the wall and counting the days.
How long?
"Seven days," he clicked his tongue.
…That means it's almost March already?!
"Honestly, it's a miracle you survived," Arai continued. "We asked Lady Tsunade about your condition—she said you've got a body of iron."
"When we found you, your entire body was charred black… it looked like you were about to fall apart."
Shimizu's thoughts drifted back to that final moment—his desperate struggle against Shukaku.
Life or death… he hadn't even had the luxury of thinking about it.
All he had known was a single-minded resolve: to stop the Tailed Beast Bomb at all costs.
After unleashing Chidori, everything had been swallowed by endless light and searing heat… and then, nothing.
From the looks of things now—these four standing before him, all in good condition—
He must have succeeded.
Arai went on to explain their current situation. "We were all pretty badly injured at the time, but after more than a week of recovery, we're mostly fine now."
"Shisui's Sharingan has recovered, and Hayakumo's Byakugan—though it was badly burned—has also healed quite well."
"All of that… is thanks to you. That's why the rest of us made it out okay."
"You saved our lives, Shimizu."
"Thank you. Truly."
Arai bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Shimizu-senpai!"
"Thank you, sensei!"
The others followed suit, bowing just as sincerely.
Shimizu managed a faint smile.
To him, it wasn't a big deal.
What truly mattered… was that everyone had made it back alive.
Still, one question lingered in his mind—
How had they managed to return?
Even if they had somehow survived the Tailed Beast Bomb, wouldn't the Sunagakure ninja have pursued them?
As if reading his thoughts, Arai continued:
"We were all severely injured at the time… but it was Orochimaru-senpai who led a group of elite ninja to come and rescue us."
"Orochimaru?"
That truly caught Shimizu off guard. He hadn't expected that man to turn back and help them at all.
"But the reason we were able to retreat so smoothly wasn't just because Orochimaru-senpai came back to support us…"
Then what else was there?
Arai hesitated slightly before answering. "The One-Tail… seemed to go berserk. It started fighting with the Sand Village itself…"
He frowned, recalling the scene carefully before continuing, word by word. "When we withdrew, we didn't encounter any resistance at all. When I looked back… I saw the One-Tail rampaging through the Sand shinobi's formation."
Something like that… actually happened?
That was certainly rare.
But then again, the fact that they had survived the Tailed Beast Bomb seemed even more unbelievable.
The more he thought about it, the less it made sense.
A Tailed Beast Bomb—an attack powerful enough to vaporize half of Mount Kikyo—
And yet here he was, not reduced to ashes, not even missing any limbs.
Maybe… Shukaku didn't fully charge it this time?
But even then… it was still a Tailed Beast Bomb.
No matter how he tried to rationalize it, it just didn't add up.
Forget it… no point overthinking it.
From Arai and the others' perspective, however, the explanation was simple: Shimizu's attack had worked. He had disrupted Shukaku's Tailed Beast Bomb.
That was why, the moment they heard he had regained consciousness, they had rushed to the hospital—to thank him in person.
After all, that had been an attack made with his life on the line.
How could anyone not respect that?
"By the way, a delegation from the Sand Village arrived in Konoha yesterday," Arai added. "They're seeking peace talks. Looks like the war might finally come to an end."
He let out a small chuckle. "You should've seen them—completely dejected."
"The Hokage said our mission was a huge success. We've basically scared the Sand Village into submission."
There was unmistakable pride on their faces. After all, they had taken part in that long-range assault on Sunagakure—
A battle worthy of being recorded in the history of the shinobi world.
"On another front, Jiraiya-senpai and Minato launched a surprise attack on a major Iwagakure camp deep within the Land of Grass. They achieved significant results as well."
"Iwagakure, after taking heavy losses, has already pulled their front line back into the Land of Earth. It looks like they might withdraw entirely."
"And before all that, the Hokage had already successfully negotiated with Kumogakure. A ceasefire agreement has been signed."
Arai's voice grew more animated as he spoke.
"Shimizu… it looks like the war is finally ending!"
The others nodded, equally excited.
Only Shimizu remained frozen, disbelief written all over his face.
The Third Great Ninja War… ending?
That's impossible.
Kirigakure hadn't even entered the war yet.
His expression made his doubts unmistakably clear, and by now, the others trusted his judgment deeply.
Amane tilted his head. "Shimizu-senpai… do you think the war won't end so easily?"
Shimizu blinked once.
"Why?" Arai asked instinctively, then immediately remembered that Shimizu couldn't speak. "Ah… never mind. You can tell us later."
"For now, just focus on recovering. Things are quiet in the village anyway, and with the war winding down, there's nothing to worry about."
"Oh, right—the nurse said you'll need to stay in bed for a few months…"
…A few months?!
"Better prepare yourself mentally," Arai said, patting his shoulder lightly.
"Well then… we won't disturb your rest any longer. We'll head out first."
Shisui stepped forward and bowed once more. "Sensei, I'll be waiting for your return."
Shimizu blinked in response, offering a faint smile.
"Rest well, Shimizu-senpai."
One by one, they took their leave.
And interestingly enough—not a single one of them brought up the "girlfriend" matter again.
It was as if that entire incident had quietly been… forgotten.