However, Tsunade seemed indifferent to such considerations. She tightly pursed her lips, looking determined.
"I care not about losing to you or preserving my pride, it is inconsequential."
"For me what truly matters is our chance to rescue Hinata."
"If we can't rescue Hinata, she stands next to no chance against Pain, her chances of survival are perilously slim... "
"She's going to die, if we don't go, that's what truly matters right now."
Tsunade emphasized, her demeanor reflecting a deep sense of determination.
Carnes, unfazed by the gravity of the situation, casually shrugged at this revelation.
"If that's the case, let her perish. What's the fuss?"
Though he vaguely recalled the original anime, so even if Hinata met her demise right now.
She could still be resurrected by Nagato at last after he sacrifices his life, making it a seemingly trivial matter.
However, Carnes' indifferent attitude struck a chord with Tsunade, his callous words struck her harshly.
"You bastard, what are you talking about?
This is a matter of life and death. How can you take it so lightly?"
"Have you never experienced the loss of a family member or a friend?
Do you comprehend the anguish that accompanies such pain?"
"Painful? Huh"
Carnes scoffed, seemingly detached from the emotional weight of her words.
He maintained a calm, serene smile, refraining from uttering a word.
It was a facade that concealed the weight of his unspoken agony.
Decades of pain had etched lines of resilience on his face, a testament to the trials he had weathered.
His willpower, forged in the crucible of that prolonged suffering, remained unyielding.
"Hinata's life hangs in the balance..." Tsunade muttered, the words a soft echo in the tense air.
Her contemplative gaze fixed on Naruto, who seemed ill-equipped to face the formidable Deva Path as she spoke.
"Naruto doesn't seem to possess the power to defeat the Deva Path."
"It's spiraling into the abyss..." she sighed, a heavy acknowledgment of the impending doom.
A specter of doubt lingered, casting a shadow over the hope that once burned bright.
"Why am I so incompetent as a Hokage?" Tsunade lamented; her voice tinged with regret.
Tsunade bit her lower lip, as tears once again welled up once more, her face etched with remorse.
It was a visible display of the internal turmoil she grappled with.
Observing this scene, the ninjas of Konoha stepped forward, seeking to offer her solace.
They recognized the undeserved burden shouldered by Tsunade.
They understood that Tsunade bore no responsibility for these dire circumstances.
Tsunade had accepted the position of Hokage in what seemed like a situation predestined for adversity.
Her ascension to the position of Hokage had been a desperate attempt to fill a void, an act now hauntingly mirrored in the village's desperate circumstances.
Even if the Third Hokage were present here, it wouldn't have made much of a difference.
Only if the First or Second Hokage are revived the situation might change.
Otherwise, it won't make much difference to whoever is the Hokage right now.
Currently, the village needed more than a leader, it needed a powerful figure who could defeat Pain.
Carnes gazed at Tsunade, who was now shrugging and weeping, her shoulders slumped in grief, and he sighed deeply.
He sighed once again, a wearied exhale that conveyed both resignation and frustration.
"Why do you always have to be so pessimistic? Can you set aside this pessimism for a while?"
He asked gently, his words carrying a subtle calmness reflecting some optimism.
"Naruto can solve all these problems. Why can't you place your trust in him?"
"He is more than capable of handling this."
"So, just have faith in him, Tsunade."
The lingering doubt hung in the air, but Carnes's voice sought to dispel the prevailing despair.
The fate of the village rested on Naruto's shoulders, a gamble that demanded trust in the untested potential of their young hero.
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