A brief yet happy half-month flew by in the blink of an eye. Before Yuka even realized it, the next day she would have to part ways with Shikamaru and embark on her journey to Tenchi Bridge.
As for Shikamaru, he had finally pinpointed the current location of the Akatsuki duo causing trouble, making their departure even more urgent—they were leaving tonight.
Before setting off, a deeply reluctant Yuka stood at the village gates, waving a tiny handkerchief at Shikamaru and crying her eyes out. While assigning tactics to his squad members, Shikamaru was simultaneously wiping away Yuka's tears, performing two tasks at once with absolute perfection. This left the surrounding ninjas, who were going on a mission with him for the first time, marveling in amazement.
Chapter 288