Even though the mission was now complete, and Carl had already arrived in Tsunade's world, he felt he should at least say a few words to her before leaving.
After all, she was the one who posted the request.
Just as he was about to leave, Tsunade stepped away from the wounded shinobi she had been tending and ran over to Carl.
She bowed deeply.
"Carl-kun, thank you for saving Nawaki!"
"Huh?"
Carl froze, staring at her in mild confusion.
That shouldn't be possible.
At this point in time, Tsunade shouldn't even know who he was.
In fact, she might not have joined the chat group yet at all, at least, not in this version of the timeline.
They had joined the group around the same time, after all.
So why… did she recognize him?
He eyed her carefully. "Wait, you recognize me?"
Tsunade looked at him earnestly, eyes full of gratitude. "Of course. You're Carl, from the chat group, the one who saved my little brother."
"How do you remember all that?"
"Huh?"
This time, it was Tsunade who blinked in confusion.
"Didn't I post the mission in the chat group, and then you came to help me?"
Carl gazed at her for a moment, then smiled.
"Yeah. That's right."
Normally, when someone travels back in time and alters the past, only the one who made the jump retains their memory of what changed.
But Tsunade remembered too.
Carl wasn't entirely sure why, but the only explanation he could think of was, the chat group.
That mysterious system had to be the cause.
Tsunade was practically glowing with excitement.
"I still can't believe it, Carl, you really brought Nawaki back!"
"And you didn't use any talismans or rituals. You used time travel! That's incredible!"
The whole thing was beyond her imagination.
Time travel? Who could believe something like that?
Not Tsunade, at least not until now.
To her, it had happened like this:
Carl appeared out of nowhere in her world, knocked Jiraiya flying, and then vanished into the sky.
Moments later, she found herself in a familiar place, and recognized it as the same location she'd been in just hours ago.
Checking the time confirmed it: she was in the past.
Then, just as the realization struck, the chat group notified her that Carl had completed the mission.
Which meant, not only had Carl saved Nawaki… he'd traveled through time to do it.
And even more absurd, he had apparently brought her along with him during the time jump.
Tsunade didn't know that hadn't actually happened.
Carl had made the trip alone. But still, what mattered was that he saved her brother.
Carl, meanwhile, smiled at her enthusiasm. "Calm down."
It had been his first time jumping through time as well, so he understood the awe.
Still, her reaction was a bit much.
Around them, more and more Konoha shinobi began to gather.
The injured ninja Tsunade had treated earlier had clearly gone and told the others.
Now, a crowd of wary eyes stared at Carl.
His outfit was strange, clearly not standard-issue for any shinobi in the village.
And given that the world was currently at war, everyone was naturally on high alert.
"Tsunade… who is this guy?" Jiraiya asked as he approached cautiously.
Tsunade looked at him, then at Carl.
She gave a serene, confident smile.
"This is Carl-kun. He's my friend," she said clearly. "Someone very trustworthy. He's not an enemy, don't worry."
"Mhm. That's right." Carl nodded, returning her smile.
This trip to the world of shinobi hadn't been a waste.
He'd met a lovely and capable woman, and finished his mission in the chat group on top of that.
Off to the side, Jiraiya watched the exchange, feeling deeply unsettled.
He could clearly see the mutual understanding between them.
His heart soured with jealousy… but Tsunade was so resolute, he could do nothing.
Carl turned to her. "My job here is done. I'll be heading off."
But before he could move, Tsunade grabbed his arm.
"Wait, don't go just yet."
"You saved Nawaki. I haven't even had the chance to properly thank you."
"At least stay for dinner?"
Carl shook his head with a polite smile. "Thanks, but I already ate not long ago."
"Ah…"
Tsunade looked visibly disappointed.
He was leaving so soon?
"Well then…"
"Take good care of your brother," Carl said softly.
Then, in a blink, he was gone.
Only his fading voice lingered in the air.
"Until we meet again."
"…Until we meet again."
Tsunade stared at the spot where he had stood.
She murmured the words with a bittersweet smile.
Carl had saved Nawaki.
And in her heart, Tsunade felt an immense wave of gratitude.
But more than that, she was fond of him.
This powerful, handsome man… had come and gone like the wind.
Of course she didn't want him to leave so soon.
But there was nothing she could do.
All she could do was wait for the day they would meet again.
Meanwhile, in the Marvel Universe…
Carl's figure shimmered into existence, suspended in the void of space.
"Well, that was a nice little stretch."
He gazed at the distant sun, then vanished again, reappearing in his home.
After a refreshing shower, he felt a sudden intuition and opened the chat group.
Instantly, 99+ unread messages.
He skimmed them.
Most were expressions of shock, over the speed at which he completed the mission.
The latest message was from Tsunade.
Senju Princess: Carl-kun, did you make it back to your world?
Senju Princess: I'll never forget what you did for me. If you ever need anything, anything at all, just say the word (/w*) @GodAmongMen*
Chunibyo-chan: Anything at all? Whoa… that's kinda wild...
Heavenblade King: Shocked.jpg
Commander of the Wall Guard: Okay… are you all thinking what I'm thinking? Am I the only one curious how GodAmongMen pulled this off?
Commander of the Wall Guard: Also… Carl? That's your real name? @GodAmongMen
Heavenblade King: Curious +1
Chunibyo-chan: Curious +2! I also wanna know how Carl-senpai managed to pull off a resurrection! @Senju Princess @GodAmongMen
Senju Princess: Carl-kun seems to be away right now, so I'll explain. Here's what happened…
Tsunade recounted the whole story.
The part about Jiraiya being KO'd startled a few members, but since they didn't know who he was, they didn't think much of it.
What really blew everyone's minds was when she got to the part about time travel, how Carl traveled into the past and brought her along.
That made the chat group erupt.
People started spamming 666 (internet slang for "awesome" or "epic").
Commander of the Wall Guard: No way! Are you serious?!
Commander of the Wall Guard: Resurrection is one thing… but TIME TRAVEL? Are you pulling my leg?
Heavenblade King: That's… beyond belief. Even angels can't do something like that.
Senju Princess: I was surprised too, but I saw it with my own eyes. It's real.
Chunibyo-chan: Well, I guess this is what you get when a chat group spans multiple worlds. Big shots like him are bound to show up eventually.
Commander of the Wall Guard: Yeah… I guess so. The mission was completed, after all. Still hard to believe.
Commander of the Wall Guard: But finally, our chat group's got a real powerhouse.