Even though the mission was complete and Carl had returned from Tsunade's world, he felt he should at least say a few words to her before leaving.
After all, she was the one who had posted the request.
Just as he was about to depart, Tsunade stepped away from the wounded shinobi she had been tending to and hurried over to him.
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 the timeline, Tsunade shouldn't even know who he was.
In fact, she might not have even joined the [Chat Group] yet, or at least not in this version of the timeline.
They had joined around the same time, after all.
So why… did she recognize him?
He eyed her closely. "Wait… you remember me?"
Tsunade looked at him earnestly, eyes brimming with 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's turn to blink in confusion.
"Didn't I post the mission in the chat group, and you came to help me?"
Carl looked at her for a long moment, then smiled faintly.
"…Yeah. That's right."
Normally, when someone travels back in time and alters the past, only the one who makes the jump retains the 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 reason.
Tsunade's face lit up with joy.
"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 comprehension.
Time travel? A myth, a fantasy, until now.
From her perspective, here's what happened:
Carl appeared from nowhere in her world, sent Jiraiya flying with one blow, then shot into the sky.
Moments later, she found herself standing in a strangely familiar place… and realized it was the very same spot she had stood in just hours ago.
When she checked the time, she was in the past.
And just as that realization hit, the [System Notification] came through: Carl had completed the mission.
Which meant… not only had Carl saved Nawaki, he'd traveled through time to do it.
Even more absurdly, it seemed he had brought her with him during the time jump.
Tsunade didn't know that part never actually happened.
Carl had traveled alone.
But that didn't matter.
What mattered was: Nawaki was alive.
Carl simply smiled at her enthusiasm. "Calm down."
It was his first time performing a temporal jump, so he understood the awe.
Still, her reaction was a bit over the top.
Around them, more and more Konoha shinobi began to gather.
The wounded ninja Tsunade had treated earlier had clearly spread word of Carl's appearance.
Now, a crowd of cautious eyes focused on him.
His attire was foreign, not that of any known shinobi. He didn't wear a forehead protector, nor a flak jacket.
And this was wartime. Everyone was on edge.
"Tsunade… who is this guy?" Jiraiya asked, approaching warily.
Tsunade looked at him, then at Carl.
Then, with a serene and confident smile, she said:
"This is Carl-kun. He's my friend, and someone I trust deeply. He's not an enemy."
"Mhm. That's right," Carl said with a nod.
This journey into the shinobi world hadn't been a waste.
He'd met a remarkable woman, and completed his [Chat Group] mission.
Off to the side, Jiraiya watched the exchange silently, feeling a deep sense of unease.
He could clearly see the mutual understanding between them.
His heart soured with jealousy… but Tsunade's tone was so resolute, there was nothing he could do.
Carl turned to her. "My work here is done. I'll be heading out."
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 thank you properly."
"At least stay for dinner?"
Carl gave her a gentle smile and shook his head. "Thanks… but I already ate not long ago."
"Ah…"
Tsunade's face fell.
He was leaving so soon?
"Well then…"
"Take good care of your brother," Carl said softly.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
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 not just immense gratitude, but something more.
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 reappeared in the void of space, floating silently.
"Well, that was a nice little stretch."
He gazed at the distant sun, then teleported again, arriving home in an instant.
After a refreshing shower, he suddenly felt an intuitive nudge and opened the [Chat Group] interface.
Immediately, [99+ unread messages].
He skimmed through them.
Most were expressions of shock at how fast he'd completed the mission.
The latest message was from Tsunade.
[Senju Princess]: Carl-kun, did you make it back to your world safely?
[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… am I the only one wondering how @GodAmongMen actually pulled this off?
[Commander of the Wall Guard]: Also… Carl? That's your real name?
[Heavenblade King]: Curious +1
[Chunibyo-chan]: Curious +2! I also wanna know how Carl-senpai pulled off a resurrection! @SenjuPrincess @GodAmongMen
[Senju Princess]: Carl-kun seems to be offline right now, so I'll explain what happened…
Tsunade began recounting the events.
When she got to the part about Jiraiya getting KO'd, some members were shocked, but since they didn't know who he was, it didn't hit too hard.
What really shook the group was when she mentioned time travel, how Carl had gone into the past, and even brought her with him.
That made the entire chat explode.
[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 that.
[Senju Princess]: I was surprised too, but I saw it with my own eyes. It's real.
[Chunibyo-chan]: Well, I guess that's what happens when a group spans multiple worlds. Big shots like him were bound to show up eventually.
[Commander of the Wall Guard]: Yeah… I guess so. The mission was completed, after all. Still feels surreal.
[Commander of the Wall Guard]: But finally… our chat group has a real powerhouse.