Tsunade had no idea how to face Haruto Saito. She had already decided to avoid him altogether—if he didn't come looking for her, she wouldn't go looking for him.
However, fate had other plans. Less than a day after the tragic incident, she received an assignment—to go on a mission alongside Haruto Saito.
"Is there a problem?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, raising an eyebrow at Tsunade's hesitation. He scrutinized her closely before adding, "You don't look well. Did something happen?"
Tsunade looked a little worn out; she had been like this ever since she walked in.
"No… nothing!" She quickly snapped back to attention and shook her head. "It's just… after working together yesterday, I feel a little uncomfortable."
"Hm." Sarutobi tapped his fingers on the desk. "As long as it's nothing serious. Then it's settled—go back and prepare. You leave tomorrow."
"Yes, Sensei," Tsunade replied, accepting the mission.
Haruto Saito carried a meal box as he entered the dimly lit dungeon. Once the heavy iron door clanged shut behind him, he set the box down and smirked at the man before him.
"Lord Terado, it's only been two days, but I heard you've been missing me," Haruto said with amusement.
"Hmph." Terado snorted, his expression indifferent. "Brat, you look rather pleased with yourself."
"Of course, I am!" Haruto grinned. "Because I won! I've successfully mastered the Art of Breaking Barriers. I proved it the other day, didn't I? So… according to our agreement, isn't it time for you to share something with me?"
Terado's lips curled slightly—almost imperceptibly. He then glanced at the meal box beside them.
"Eat first," Terado said calmly. "We'll talk after you've finished."
Haruto didn't argue. He had spent more than twenty days coming here daily to break Terado's defenses, so he wasn't in a rush.
Dinner was quiet. Neither spoke much, but Haruto sensed something off about Terado's mood.
Once they finished eating, an ANBU operative came in, took the empty trays, and shut the door behind them.
"Now, Lord Terado, can we talk?" Haruto asked, a blade of grass between his teeth as he leaned back, watching the older man.
"I've changed my mind," Terado said bluntly, without an ounce of shame.
Haruto remained unfazed. He chewed on the grass for a moment before spitting it out and smirking.
"I knew it. A man like you would never break just because of a simple bet. Hah."
"You expected this?" Terado chuckled.
"It wasn't hard to guess."
"I must say, I'm impressed with how calm you are," Terado admitted.
"You flatter me," Haruto replied before his expression turned cold. "But tell me… do you really think I won't kill you right here and now?"
"Oh, I believe you will." Terado smiled faintly. "But do you think I fear death?"
"You don't seem to understand why I would want to kill you," Haruto said, tilting his head. "It's not about your worth to Konoha. I want your techniques—your power."
"We don't need to discuss this," Terado dismissed him. "If you want to kill me, just do it. No need for all this conversation."
Then, his tone suddenly shifted. "But I have something much more interesting to talk about."
"Oh?" Haruto narrowed his eyes. "And what would that be?"
"Whether or not you have the potential… to become truly terrifying," Terado said, his gaze piercing.
"Of course, I do," Haruto answered confidently. "I will become powerful. Powerful enough to strike fear into the entire shinobi world."
"I believe you," Terado nodded. "Your talent is undeniable. You're the most gifted shinobi I've ever seen. But there's something I don't understand… Back when you were in the Village Hidden in the Rain, why didn't you show any of this potential? You were only a Genin when Konoha captured you, weren't you?"
"You could say it was all part of a bigger plan," Haruto said casually. "But that's irrelevant now."
"Yes, there's no point discussing it," Terado agreed with a shrug. Then he leaned forward, his expression turning serious.
"Let's talk about your future instead."
"What do you mean?"
"What kind of shinobi do you think you'll become?" Terado mused. "A brilliant strategist? A master of espionage? Or perhaps… a shadowy assassin, slipping through the darkness, unseen and unstoppable?"
"I will be an all-rounder," Haruto declared shamelessly.
"No," Terado shook his head. "No one can be truly all-powerful."
"What are you getting at?" Haruto's gaze sharpened. "Whatever I become is none of your concern."
"It doesn't have to be, but… it could be," Terado said, his voice lowering as he locked eyes with Haruto. "I think… you have the potential to be an assassin. The greatest assassin. The deadliest shinobi the world has ever known."
Haruto's pupils contracted slightly—not because Terado's words had shaken him, but because something strange happened.
A system alert flashed in his mind.
Terado's status had changed.
Hostile.
Neutral.
Hostile.
Neutral.
His relationship status with Haruto kept shifting—rapidly, back and forth.
What the hell was going on?
"Spirit! Why is it flickering like that?" Haruto mentally called out to his system's AI. This was critical—if he killed Terado now, would he still get rewards? He could only obtain rewards if his enemy's status was at Hostile or Extremely Hostile. If Terado was in a Neutral state at the moment of death, killing him would be pointless.
"Terado's thought process is highly active," the system explained. "His attitude toward you is constantly shifting, which causes the status to fluctuate."
"So if I kill him now… will I get a reward or not?"
"That depends," the system answered. "At the moment you deliver the fatal blow, whatever his status is will determine the outcome."
Haruto processed this new information while keeping his eyes locked on Terado, his face subtly shifting through multiple expressions.
"What? Surprised?" Terado misinterpreted his reaction. "Do you not believe in your own potential?"
"What are you playing at?" Haruto frowned deeply.
What the hell was going on with this guy?
"I can help you," Terado suddenly said, leaning in closer, his eyes gleaming. "I can make you the ultimate assassin. If you let me teach you, your assassination skills will skyrocket. I will pass on the most powerful techniques to you. I will shape you into a being that stands at the very pinnacle of the shinobi world, looking down on all beneath you!"
Haruto froze.
What the actual hell?
Why was Terado suddenly saying something like this?
"Well?" Terado asked, his voice low and serious. "Do you accept?"
The flickering status in Haruto's system accelerated to an almost impossible speed—switching between Hostile and Neutral so fast it blurred.
Silence filled the dungeon.
The two men locked eyes.
Haruto's mind raced, and suddenly… it clicked.
"I see," he murmured. "You're dying… aren't you?"