"Sensei, how do you plan to respond?"
Hanekawa closed the mission scroll and asked.
"Where's my breakfast?"
Tsunade stretched out her fair right hand and asked.
She didn't feel any sense of urgency regarding this so-called suppression from Shimura Danzo.
If it were Orochimaru, she might take it a bit more seriously.
"What do you want to eat?"
Hanekawa held her hand and gently stroked her palm.
"Just some rice balls."
Tsunade glared at him and said, "Watch yourself! Let go!"
"I'll heat them up for you."
Hanekawa released her hand and took out a storage scroll.
Using the Summoning Jutsu, he materialized a pre-prepared bento box.
Holding the box in both hands, he channeled Fire Release chakra into his palms.
Moments later, a faint aroma of rice filled the air.
"Let's finish this mission first."
Tsunade took a bite of a rice ball, squinting slightly as she spoke.
"What if he keeps assigning us logistics missions?"
Hanekawa looked at her and asked.
"I'm the deputy commander. Shimura Danzo is nothing."
Tsunade chewed and swallowed the rice ball, casually adding, "If he really does that, he'll learn what it means to be a commander."
"As expected of you, Sensei."
Hanekawa reached out to wipe the corner of her mouth and said, "There was a grain of rice."
Tsunade glanced at him briefly before quickly shifting her gaze, picking up a second rice ball.
After eating half of it, she said, "From what I know of him, he'll definitely make another move."
"Do you think he'll collude with the Hidden Cloud Village?"
A thought crossed Hanekawa's mind, and he asked.
For anyone else, he wouldn't have suspected such a thing.
But Shimura Danzo? That was a different story.
He was the kind of person who would do anything to become Hokage.
"Danzo can't afford the consequences of losing a war—at least not yet."
Tsunade thought for a moment and said, "Besides, he doesn't need to collude. He can put us in danger just through mission assignments."
"That's troublesome."
Hanekawa stroked his chin and asked, "How about we have Rin use her Spirit Transformation Jutsu to monitor him?"
"No rush."
Tsunade spoke leisurely, "We'll use it at the critical moment. First, I'll spend a few days understanding the current situation in the camp."
"Keep an eye on the former Root members in the Anbu. Danzo can only use them."
Hanekawa suddenly recalled something and said thoughtfully.
Ninjas who had joined Root had already been brainwashed.
Even though Root had been disbanded, they were still under Danzo's control.
Aside from Root, Danzo had no other trustworthy subordinates—not even Orochimaru.
Their alliance was extremely fragile.
Hanekawa even had an idea to stir up trouble.
He could reveal Yamato's existence to Orochimaru.
But for now, it wasn't worth it.
Because Shimura Danzo wasn't worth it.
"Don't worry, I have plenty of ninja supporting me."
Tsunade smiled confidently.
As the most outstanding medical ninja, her network was vast beyond imagination.
Not to mention, she was the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, the student of Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the deputy commander of this operation.
No matter how you looked at it, she far outmatched Danzo.
"That's true."
Hanekawa blinked and chuckled. "Maybe if you just raise your arm, you could become Hokage tomorrow."
"What nonsense are you spouting now?"
Tsunade raised her hand and flicked his forehead hard.
"If you don't believe me, Sensei, you could try it."
Hanekawa caught her wrist and said, "I bet many ninja would support you."
"Annoying!"
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
Listening to Hanekawa's words, she felt like she was about to start a coup any second.
"Go do the mission!"
Tsunade stood up and ruffled his hair roughly.
"…"
Hanekawa twitched the corner of his mouth.
Another head pat!
Noted.
"I'll go get Rin and Kurenai."
Hanekawa put away the bento box and said.
"Go ahead."
Tsunade left the tent and waited at the entrance.
"Sensei."
A moment later, Hanekawa, Kurenai Yuhi, and Nohara Rin appeared before her.
Tsunade nodded and headed toward the area designated for treating the wounded.
Before they even got close, Hanekawa could already smell the strong scent of medicine.
Aside from that, the atmosphere felt heavy.
"It's Lady Tsunade!"
Someone suddenly shouted.
The mood in the area instantly shifted, followed by waves of excited cheers.
Tsunade's skill in medical ninjutsu was undeniable. If she personally took action, there would be no problem at all.
Some ninjas who had thought they wouldn't survive now had hope shining on their faces.
"Tsunade-sensei is truly amazing."
Nohara Rin couldn't help but show admiration.
This was the kind of medical ninja she aspired to become.
"Of course!"
Kurenai Yuhi clenched her fist and said.
"In terms of pure medical ninjutsu, Hanekawa is already on par with me."
Tsunade glanced at Hanekawa and remarked with a sigh.
Nohara Rin's eyes widened in shock.
This was the first time she had heard Tsunade evaluate Hanekawa like that.
"Really?"
Kurenai found it hard to believe.
She knew Hanekawa was strong in medical ninjutsu, but in her mind, the best medical ninja was still Tsunade.
"Are you trying to get out of work by suddenly praising me, Sensei?"
Hanekawa ruffled Kurenai's hair and asked with a smile.
"You brat!"
Tsunade stomped on his foot in annoyance and asked, "Is that how you see me?"
"I'm off to do my task, Sensei."
Hanekawa swiftly changed the subject and ran over to a severely injured ninja.
"Rin, go treat the lightly injured ones."
Tsunade snorted and instructed, "Kurenai, you'll help with tools and medicine application."
"Yes!"
Rin and Kurenai immediately responded.
___
The day passed in a blur.
Hanekawa received plenty of gratitude from the ninjas he treated.
While combat missions could earn prestige, medical missions could do the same—just at a slower pace.
After all, making a major impact on the battlefield was far more eye-catching.
Besides reputation, Hanekawa also made slight progress on his A-rank medical jounin trait.
At this rate, he might unlock "Medical Jounin" faster than his "Earth Release Jounin" or "Wind Release Jounin" traits.
Nightfall
After dinner, Kurenai and Rin returned to their tents early.
They had been busy all day and were completely drained—especially Rin.
Unlike Tsunade and Hanekawa, she had much less chakra, and prolonged use of medical ninjutsu was a heavy burden on her.
"Finally done. Feels more exhausting than fighting."
Hanekawa lay on the carpet without hesitation.
Tsunade glanced at him from the corner of her eye before heading to the tent entrance.
A moment later, a figure appeared—Hyūga Hizashi.
"You personally came?"
Tsunade was surprised.
"I wouldn't trust anyone else with this task."
Hizashi pulled out a scroll and said, "Lady Tsunade, this is the information you requested."
"Thanks, Hizashi."
Tsunade nodded slightly, took the scroll, and returned inside.
"What is it?"
Hanekawa turned his head toward her.
But since he was lying down, the only thing in view was her fair, delicate feet.
"The battlefield situation in the Land of Frost."
Tsunade explained, "The Hyūga clan, with their Byakugan, has the clearest grasp of it."
"Sensei, aren't you worried about owing the Hyūga clan a favor?"
Hanekawa's gaze traveled up her legs—only to be blocked by an imposing sight.
"You've got it wrong. It's the Hyūga clan that owes us a favor."
Tsunade smirked and reminded him, "Don't forget whose student you're mentoring now."
Hanekawa thought for a moment and understood.
Since he had taken Hyūga Hinata as his student, the Hyūga clan was the one benefiting.
After all, given his current status and strength, it was a win for them.
Tsunade plopped down on the carpet and unrolled the scroll Hizashi had given her.
Hanekawa's eyelid twitched.
From his angle, he could see how the pressure of sitting down had created a soft, curvaceous contour.
"The Fourth Raikage arrived in the Land of Frost today with 3,000 Hidden Cloud ninjas."
Tsunade read aloud casually.
"As expected."
Hanekawa's eyes stayed fixed on her.
"The overall situation is in Konoha and the Hidden Sand's favor."
Tsunade continued reading.
Hanekawa sat up, shifted closer, and leaned against her.
The faint scent of her fragrance filled his senses as he glanced at the scroll in her hands.
Currently, the Land of Frost was engulfed in war, divided into three main battlefields:
1. Pakura and Rasa were leading forces against the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii.
2. Orochimaru and Danzo were facing off against Fourth Raikage A and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee.
3. Sakumo Hatake was handling stealth and harassment operations, rather than direct engagement.
"Danzo will most likely assign us a deep-infiltration mission."
Tsunade slightly turned her head, her gaze locking onto Hanekawa's face.
At this close distance, she could see him clearly.
This kid was getting more and more handsome.
"And he'll probably try to steal credit from Uncle Sakumo."
Hanekawa was also looking at Tsunade.
Her flawless features were as smooth as white jade.
"But on the other hand, we could carry out the mission alongside Sakumo's squad."
Tsunade smiled.
"Not a bad idea!"
Hanekawa's eyes lit up. "With the combined strength of our two squads, we could even capture the Eight-Tails alive."
"Where does your confidence come from?"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned. "Do you even understand what a Perfect Jinchūriki is?"
"I have some idea."
Hanekawa replied, "It refers to a Jinchūriki who has achieved complete mutual understanding with their Tailed Beast, allowing them to fully control its chakra."
"Killer Bee is a Perfect Jinchūriki, and the Eight-Tails is second in power only to the Nine-Tails."
Tsunade said in a serious tone, "Forget capturing him—just defeating him would be incredibly difficult."
Hanekawa thought to himself, That's only because you don't know that Sakumo's squad includes Uchiha Shisui, whose abilities are a natural counter to Tailed Beasts.
If he could master Wood Release, the plan would be even more foolproof.
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time.
Or maybe there was.
They weren't going to run into Killer Bee and the Eight-Tails immediately. It could take months before they encountered him.
After all, a war involving tens of thousands of ninjas wouldn't end so quickly.
In the meantime, Hanekawa could improve his proficiency with Earth Release and Water Release.
Aside from Wood Release, he could also reveal his Lightning Chakra Mode, which would be effective against the Eight-Tails.
In the original timeline, both the Third and Fourth Raikage used their Lightning Chakra Mode to suppress the Eight-Tails, even managing to sever one of its horns.
"But Danzo won't let us work with Sakumo's squad."
Hanekawa quickly realized another problem.
"And if he says no, do we have to listen to him?"
Tsunade scoffed.
"You're right, Sensei."
Hanekawa grinned. "In the Land of Frost, your status and authority outweigh Danzo's. All you have to do is make it clear."
"The only tricky part is Orochimaru."
Tsunade sighed, closing the scroll. "I have no idea what that guy is thinking."
His alliance with Danzo was obviously to gain the Hokage position.
But Tsunade also felt that Orochimaru wasn't all that enthusiastic about becoming Hokage.
Hanekawa shifted his gaze downward, watching the subtle rise and fall of her fair skin with her breathing.
After a moment of thought, he said, "Maybe he allied with Danzo for the sake of his Wood Release experiments."
Tsunade frowned.
That explanation made a lot of sense.
If that was the case, Orochimaru was likely to support Danzo, making him a less reliable deputy commander.
"We'll see at the next meeting."
Tsunade snorted. "I'd like to see what tricks they try to pull on me."
"I have a plan."
Hanekawa looked at her face and said, "Why don't we unite the major ninja clans to sideline Orochimaru?"
"…?"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned.
"Is that not possible?"
Hanekawa scratched his head.
"Why is your mind always full of rebellion?"
Tsunade couldn't help but complain. "Who the hell taught you this?"
"I'm your student."
Hanekawa coughed lightly.
"I definitely didn't teach you that!"
Tsunade immediately denied it.
"But I learned it from you."
Hanekawa clenched his fist. "Against absolute power, any scheme is meaningless."
"That's actually a pretty good mindset—I like it."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly.
"So, are we going with it?"
Hanekawa squinted at her.
The plan was actually highly feasible.
Tsunade's reputation was already strong enough.
And since the Uchiha clan had suffered heavy losses in the Land of Frost, they likely bore resentment toward both Orochimaru and Danzo.
"What are you thinking?"
Tsunade shot him a look. "It's late. Time to rest."
"Can I sleep here, Sensei?"
Hanekawa's eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Get out!"
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat, but she kept a straight face. "Don't disturb my sleep!"
"Yes, Sensei."
Hanekawa didn't press further. He simply smiled and said, "Good night. See you tomorrow."
---
The Jōnin meeting came quickly.
On the third morning, Konoha and Sunagakure's Jōnin gathered in the main command tent.
Hanekawa scanned the room and spotted several familiar faces.
Uchiha Fugaku, Hyūga Hizashi, Nara Shikaku, Pakura, Rasa, and more.
"We've just received new intelligence."
Orochimaru spoke slowly.
"A 1,000-man unit from Kumogakure has vanished."
"What do you mean by 'vanished'?"
Tsunade asked.
"They disappeared."
Orochimaru replied, "We don't know where they are or what their objective is."
_
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