Hearing his wife say this, the old man also felt relieved, then, arm in arm with Mamiko, went into the house.
Back at the Kumotsuru Clan compound, the crystals in the courtyard had all disappeared, and it had returned to its original appearance.
Torifu also set out many chairs for everyone to sit and chat.
Nearly all the clan members had come out; even Aokumo and Ryūfū were standing on the eaves, listening to them talk.
After all, the recent battle had been too loud, keeping them awake.
Tsunade coughed twice, cleared her throat, then asked, "Are you telling the truth? Are you really not leaving this time?"
At this point, Nawaki no longer dared to play coy; whatever Tsunade said, he answered truthfully and in detail.
"Yes, Big Sister, I won't be leaving again after returning this time. I'll stay in the village to help Master with his work."
Tsunade was somewhat satisfied after hearing this.
Torifu, however, began to ponder. Half a minute later, he spoke, "If you simply carry out missions for the assembly hall, it would truly be a waste of your talents. Why don't you follow your brother-in-law and work in the Anbu for now?"
Nawaki had now clarified his position; he was merely a brick for Konoha, to be moved wherever he was needed.
Moreover, the Anbu wasn't bad, and working under his brother-in-law was quite good.
"Alright, then I'll follow my brother-in-law."
Dan gave Nawaki an OK gesture, meaning he would definitely take good care of him.
Nawaki also smiled, understanding implicitly.
Naori, Amado, and the others had already chatted extensively with Nawaki during dinner, so now they were just sitting and listening, filling out the numbers, with nothing more to say.
The main focus was still Tsunade and Nawaki; after not seeing each other for so long, they likely had a lot to say.
"After searching for so long, why did you suddenly give up?" Tsunade asked.
When this topic came up, Nawaki fell silent for a moment, then finally spoke, "Perhaps Father and Mother simply don't need us, which is why they could keep us from finding them."
Hearing this answer come from her brother's mouth, Tsunade also sighed.
It had taken Nawaki nearly ten years to understand this answer.
Tsunade, however, had already understood it the first time she saw Nawaki.
Father and Mother simply didn't need them; both she and Nawaki were just burdens.
As Nawaki had searched for Father and Mother for so many years without ever seeing them, Tsunade also vaguely knew some of the reasons in her heart.
However, it was better not to tell Nawaki. After all, Nawaki had a very idealized view of his parents, and Tsunade didn't want to break it.
Seeing Tsunade's hesitant expression, Torifu also understood what she was grappling with.
It was simply about why Asa had ignored them for so many years.
In Torifu's view, there was only one reason.
The pressure was too immense.
Above him were his father and mother: one was the God of Shinobi, the strongest man in the entire ninja world, the founder of Konohagakure, and also the creator of the Hidden Village system, respected and feared by ninjas across the globe.
His mother, the Grand Princess of the Land of Whirlpools, wielded the strongest sealing jutsu in the world, and her strength was equally outstanding.
Yet, the child born from the union of these two powerhouses was utterly ordinary, to the point of being unable to be any more common.
He possessed no talent whatsoever, was only a dabbler in ninja arts, and was pointed at and whispered about since childhood.
When he grew up and gained the ability to choose his own life, he naturally wouldn't continue to grow in such a disapproving environment.
The couple had grown accustomed to a free life outside; after having children, they instead didn't know how to raise them.
After entrusting them to their parents for upbringing, they discovered that both children were geniuses, each stronger than the last.
This was as laughable as his own life: two powerhouses uniting to produce an ordinary person.
Yet, two ordinary people uniting produced two geniuses, as if he merely existed as a transition.
How could he accept this? Naturally, he wouldn't go to see Nawaki.
If all of this were told to Nawaki, his impression of his father might become very poor.
Moreover, these were all Torifu's own conjectures. What if the couple were simply pursuing freedom, and one day, tired, they returned home only to find their son looking at them with a different kind of gaze?
Then Torifu would become a sinner.
Therefore, all those words ultimately condensed into one sentence: "Your parents likely have their own difficulties."
This perfectly resolved the topic. There were many kinds of difficulties, and it was up to Nawaki himself to interpret which difficulty applied.
With the heavy topic concluded, the conversation gradually began to lighten.
Besides searching for his parents, Nawaki had also experienced many interesting things along the way. He spent half the day telling everyone about them, and they were all new stories that Torifu and the others hadn't heard.
At times, they worried for him, and at others, they burst into laughter.
Hearing these stories, Tsunade also felt great sympathy for her brother and decided to treat him better in the future.
"Tsunade, when Nawaki goes back this afternoon, your grandfather's attitude might be uncertain, so you should protect him a bit then."
Torifu said with a chuckle.
Tsunade nodded after hearing this. "I understand, Big Brother Torifu. Grandfather definitely won't hit him like I do, and Grandmother will be there to protect him too; she spoils Nawaki the most."
Nawaki, at this moment, awkwardly scratched his head. Despite being in his twenties, he felt like a child, always being lectured by his Big Sister.
"Oh, Big Brother, the matter you had someone send word about, I've already started compiling the numbers. It seems many Anbu ninjas want to go to the Land of Rain province," Dan said.
"Good. If we can gather enough people for a unit, then they can depart directly without approval. If you wish to go, you can as well; Konohagakure doesn't have much going on right now."
Dan thought for a moment but ultimately shook his head. "For now, I'll pass. I wouldn't be much help over there. I'll definitely go when the final battle comes."
Torifu nodded. Dan's thoughts were similar to his; only small fries had appeared so far, and there was no need to deploy high-end combat power.
Torifu sent so many Jonin to the Land of Rain province merely as a safeguard, to prevent losses among the Chunin.
The true high-end combat power was currently recuperating in Konohagakure.
The clan heads and others had also recently begun training at home, warming up in advance so their bodies wouldn't fail them during battle.
"Alright, then you can come with me when the time comes. The clan heads should also join us. The village will be left to Master; this time, his elder self won't need to make a move."
The large family sat in the courtyard, chatting for a long time. Tsunade and Nawaki also exchanged many heartfelt words.
It brought Nawaki to the verge of tears several times.
In the end, only home could provide a sense of security.