TSSITWON Chapter 71: Announcing the Farewell

Upon hearing this, Shizune was taken aback. Her eyes widened slightly, but only for a moment. Soon, a strong determination appeared on Shizune's face. Aoki noticed the change, but he decided not to respond, allowing the feeling to sink in. "Women are indeed complicated creatures," Aoki thought.

"I see..." Shizune nodded slowly, trying to hide her worries behind a smile. "Alright, Aoki. I have to go now. Suddenly, I remembered something urgent, so I need to leave right away." Without waiting for a reply, Shizune turned and quickly left the park, leaving Aoki alone in the darkness that was beginning to envelop him.

Aoki stood in place, slightly stunned by Shizune's sudden departure. However, he merely sighed and continued to stroll, letting the feelings he had experienced slowly fade away.

"Women... such difficult beings to understand," Aoki muttered, shaking his head as if trying to unravel the puzzle that had just occurred.

As the night deepened, Aoki walked through the streets of Konoha, witnessing the nightlife that was still bustling. Some vendors were still selling their goods, while people walked by with various expressions on their faces—some cheerful, some indifferent, some angry, and even a few who looked gloomy.

However, Aoki didn't care much about all that. What truly captured his attention that night was the tranquility of the evening and how he would be leaving the village the next day, embarking on a new journey toward greater strength and experience.

Under the dark night sky, Aoki continued walking, his mind filled with mixed feelings—about Shizune, the future, and his departure the next day.

"Oh, Aoki!" Obito called from a distance, followed by Rin, Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai, Asuma, and Anko, who were with Kurenai. They all seemed to be gathered, chatting under the night sky of Konoha.

Aoki was a bit surprised to see them all together. "Oh, what are you all doing here?" Aoki asked.

"We're going out to eat together. Tomorrow is the graduation exam, so we decided to celebrate by having a meal together," Asuma explained with a light smile.

Aoki nodded with a wide grin. "Then let me treat you all!"

"Wow, really?" Obito and Gai exclaimed excitedly.

"Of course," Aoki replied. "This is to celebrate your graduation, and also... as a farewell."

Everyone suddenly fell silent, looking shocked at the mention of "farewell."

"What do you mean?" they asked in unison, appearing confused by Aoki's words.

Without much further ado, Aoki walked toward the nearest barbecue restaurant and chose a seat. The others quickly followed him, especially Obito, who still looked annoyed at being ignored.

"Hey, answer! What do you mean by farewell?" Obito pressed, trying to seek clarification.

Aoki, finally arriving at a barbecue restaurant, immediately entered, ordered some meat, and then began grilling it on the grill, calmly responding, "Tomorrow I will be leaving the village of Konoha. I will venture out to seek more experiences. Maybe we won't meet for a long time. That's why I said this is a farewell."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing Aoki's response. They hadn't expected to hear such news at a moment like this.

"You... are leaving the village?" Kakashi asked, his tone filled with curiosity, though Aoki's face remained calm as usual.

"Yes," Aoki nodded. "You graduated early, Kakashi, because you wanted to gain more experience, right? I feel the same way. I want to learn more and become stronger by fighting against various ninjas out there." Aoki then put a piece of cooked meat into his mouth, enjoying the delicious barbecue flavor.

Rin, hearing Aoki's explanation, then looked at him thoughtfully. "So, you mean... you feel strong enough but don't know your limits yet, and you feel you lack experience in battle..."