Chapter 222: Tsunade's Countermeasure
"Master, how do you plan to handle this?" Hoshikawa asked, closing the mission scroll.
"Where's my breakfast?" Tsunade asked, extending her fair right hand.
She showed no sense of urgency regarding this supposed suppression from Danzō Shimura. If it were Orochimaru, she might take it seriously.
"What would you like to eat?" Hoshikawa took her hand, lightly stroking her palm.
"Just some rice balls." Tsunade glared at him. "You brat, have some respect! Let go!"
"I'll heat it up for you." Hoshikawa released her hand and pulled out a storage scroll. He used the Summoning Jutsu to call forth a bento box he had prepared earlier. Hoshikawa held the bento box in his hands, channeling Fire Release chakra into his palms. Moments later, a faint, savory aroma of food filled the air.
"Let's finish this mission first." Tsunade took a bite of a rice ball, her eyes narrowed in pleasure, and said.
"What if he keeps giving us logistical missions?" Hoshikawa asked, looking at her.
"I am the Deputy Commander; Danzō Shimura is nothing." Tsunade chewed and swallowed the rice ball, saying casually, "If he truly tries that, he'll find out what a Commander is capable of."
"That's my Master." Hoshikawa reached out and wiped her mouth. "You had a grain of rice there."
Tsunade glanced at him, then quickly looked away, picking up a second rice ball. After eating half of it, she said, "Knowing him, he definitely has more planned."
"Could he be colluding with Kumogakure?" Hoshikawa asked, a thought striking him. He wouldn't suspect anyone else, but Danzō Shimura was indeed capable of it. He was the type of person who would do anything to become Hokage.
"Danzō Shimura can't afford the consequence of losing the war, at least not right now," Tsunade mused. "Besides, he doesn't need to collude; he can simply use missions to put us in danger."
"That is troublesome." Hoshikawa rubbed his chin. "How about we have Rin use the Spirit Transformation Jutsu to monitor him?"
"No rush," Tsunade said unhurriedly. "Save that for a critical moment. I'll spend a few days first to get a feel for the camp's current situation."
"We can pay attention to former Root members who are now in the Anbu," Hoshikawa suddenly remembered. "Danzō Shimura can only rely on them."
The ninja who joined Root were all brainwashed. Even with Root disbanded, it would be difficult for them to escape Danzō Shimura's control. Furthermore, Danzō Shimura had no other trustworthy ninja besides Root, not even Orochimaru. Their alliance was extremely fragile.
Hoshikawa even had a way to sow discord: tell Orochimaru about Yamato's existence. But there was no need for that yet. Danzō Shimura simply wasn't worth the trouble.
"Don't worry. I have plenty of ninja who will help me," Tsunade said with a confident, faint smile.
As the greatest Medical Ninja, her network was unimaginably vast. Plus, she was the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, the student of Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the current Deputy Commander. By any metric, she far surpassed Danzō Shimura.
"True." Hoshikawa blinked and said with a laugh, "Maybe if Master just raises her arm, she could become Hokage the next day."
"What nonsense are you spouting now, you little brat?" Tsunade raised her hand and delivered a hard flick to his forehead.
"If you don't believe me, Master, you should try it." Hoshikawa grabbed her wrist. "I think many ninja would be willing to help."
"Annoying!" Tsunade rolled her eyes at his words.
Listening to Hoshikawa, she felt as if she were about to raise an army and start a rebellion any second.
"Go do the mission!" Tsunade stood up and gave his head a vigorous ruffle.
"..." Hoshikawa twitched his lips. Another head rub! He mentally made a note of it.
"I'll go get Rin and Kurenai." Hoshikawa put the bento box away.
"Go ahead." Tsunade left the tent and waited by the entrance.
"Master." Moments later, Hoshikawa, Kurenai Yūhi, and Rin Nohara appeared before her.
Tsunade nodded and walked toward the area designated for the wounded. Before they even got close, Hoshikawa smelled the heavy scent of medicine. Beyond that, the atmosphere was thick with suppression.
"It's Tsunade-sama!" Someone suddenly shouted. The surrounding atmosphere immediately changed, and murmurs of delighted cheers erupted. Tsunade's skill in Medical Ninjutsu was well-known; if she personally intervened, nothing could go wrong. Hope instantly bloomed on the faces of some ninja who had thought they wouldn't survive.
"Master Tsunade is truly amazing." Rin Nohara couldn't help but show a look of admiration. That kind of Medical Ninja was her ultimate goal.
"Of course she is!" Kurenai Yūhi pumped her fist.
"When it comes to Medical Ninjutsu, Hoshikawa is no longer inferior to me," Tsunade said with a hint of melancholy, glancing at Hoshikawa. Rin Nohara's eyes widened. This was the first time she had ever heard Tsunade evaluate Hoshikawa so highly.
"Is that really true?" Kurenai Yūhi was somewhat skeptical. Although she knew Hoshikawa's Medical Ninjutsu was powerful, in her mind, Tsunade was still the supreme Medical Ninja.
"Praising me all of a sudden—is Master trying to slack off?" Hoshikawa asked with a smile, patting Kurenai Yūhi's head.
"You little brat!" Tsunade glared and stomped on his foot. "Is that really how you see me?"
"I'll get to the mission, Master." Hoshikawa switched the subject at light speed, then went to a severely wounded ninja.
"Rin, you treat the lightly wounded ninja," Tsunade instructed with a huff. "Kurenai, you help by passing tools and applying medicine."
"Yes, ma'am!" Rin Nohara and Kurenai Yūhi immediately responded.
A day passed in a flash. Hoshikawa received many ninja's gratitude. While combat missions earned prestige, healing missions naturally could too, though not as quickly. After all, achieving major results on the front lines garnered more attention.
Besides prestige, Hoshikawa also gained a slight increase in progress for the A-rank title Medical Jōnin. He felt that at this rate, he might acquire the Medical Jōnin title faster than Earth Release Jōnin or Wind Release Jōnin.
Night fell. After dinner, Kurenai Yūhi and Rin Nohara returned to their own tents early. They were both physically and mentally exhausted after a full day of work, especially Rin Nohara. Her chakra reserves were not comparable to Tsunade's or Hoshikawa's, and continuous use of Medical Ninjutsu placed a heavy burden on her.
"Finally finished. I feel even more tired than after a battle," Hoshikawa said, sprawling unceremoniously onto the mat.
Tsunade tilted her head, glanced at him, then walked to the tent entrance. Moments later, a figure appeared: Hizashi Hyūga.
"Why did you come yourself?" Tsunade asked, surprised.
"I didn't trust anyone else with this," Hizashi Hyūga replied, producing a scroll. "Tsunade-sama, this is the information you requested."
"Thank you, Hizashi," Tsunade nodded slightly.
She took the scroll and returned to the tent.
"What is it?" Hoshikawa turned to look at her, but since he was lying down, he could only see her fair, delicate feet.
"The situation on the Land of Frost battlefield," Tsunade explained. "The Hyūga Clan has the Byakugan, so they have the clearest picture."
"Master, aren't you worried about owing the Hyūga Clan a favor?" Hoshikawa's gaze traveled up her legs, only to be quickly blocked by the impressive vista above.
"You're mistaken. The Hyūga Clan owes you a favor," Tsunade said, her lips curving slightly as she reminded him. "Don't forget who your student is now."
Hoshikawa thought for a moment and understood. Him taking Hinata Hyūga as his student was indeed an advantage for the Hyūga Clan. After all, his current status and strength were highly beneficial to their clan.
Tsunade sat down on the mat and unrolled the scroll Hizashi Hyūga had given her. Hoshikawa's eyelid twitched. In his line of sight, her hip was compressed and distorted, creating a full, voluptuous curve.
"The Fourth Raikage arrived in the Land of Frost today, bringing three thousand Kumogakure ninja with him," Tsunade mentioned casually.
"To be expected," Hoshikawa replied, his eyes fixed on her.
"Overall, Konoha and Sunagakure hold the advantage," Tsunade said slowly, reading the scroll.
Hoshikawa sat up, shuffled closer, and sat right beside her. Catching the faint scent of her perfume, he looked at the scroll in her hands.
The Land of Frost was now engulfed in battle, primarily split into three fronts.
One front was managed by Pakura and Rasa, dealing with the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii.
Another was overseen by Orochimaru and Danzō Shimura, countering the Fourth Raikage, Ay, and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer B.
The final front was not a direct battleground, but rather focused on stealth attacks and harassment, led by Sakumo Hatake.
"Danzō Shimura will likely assign us missions that involve deep penetration behind enemy lines." Tsunade turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on Hoshikawa's face.
Because they were so close, she could see him clearly. This brat really is getting better-looking.
"And he'll be competing with Sakumo-ossan for achievements," Hoshikawa replied, looking at Tsunade. Her delicate face was flawless, appearing as smooth as fine white jade.
"But looking at it another way, we can coordinate our missions with Sakumo's squad," Tsunade said, a smile gracing her face.
"Brilliant!" Hoshikawa's eyes lit up. "With the strength of our two squads combined, we could even capture the Eight-Tails alive."
"Where do you get that confidence?" Tsunade was momentarily stunned. "Do you even know what a Perfect Jinchūriki is?"
"I know a bit," Hoshikawa replied. "It refers to a Jinchūriki who has mutual understanding and recognition with their Tailed Beast, allowing them to perfectly control the Tailed Beast's chakra."
"Killer B is a Perfect Jinchūriki, and the Eight-Tails is a powerful Tailed Beast second only to the Nine-Tails," Tsunade said gravely. "Forget capturing him alive, just defeating him would be extremely difficult."
She doesn't know that Sakumo Hatake's squad includes Shisui Uchiha, who is naturally suited to countering Tailed Beasts, Hoshikawa thought privately. If he could master Wood Release, he'd be even more certain. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time.
No, that's not necessarily true. They wouldn't encounter Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, right away. It might be several months before they cross paths. A ninja war involving tens of thousands of people wouldn't end quickly. Moreover, in the midst of battle, Hoshikawa could increase his proficiency in Earth and Water Release even faster.
Aside from Wood Release, revealing the Lightning Release Chakra Mode could also counter the Eight-Tails. In the original story, the Third and Fourth Raikage managed to suppress the Eight-Tails using the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, even breaking its horn.
"Danzō Shimura definitely won't let us take missions with Sakumo-ossan's team," Hoshikawa quickly realized another problem.
"If he forbids it, does that mean we have to listen to him?" Tsunade asked with a tone of disdain.
"You're right, Master." Hoshikawa smiled. "In the Land of Frost, your status and position completely overshadow Danzō Shimura's. You just need to make that clear."
"The only trouble is Orochimaru." Tsunade closed the documents and sighed. "I don't know what that guy is thinking."
His cooperation with Danzō Shimura was clearly aimed at becoming Hokage. Yet, Tsunade felt that Orochimaru wasn't being aggressive enough about the position.
Hoshikawa's gaze dropped, noticing the fair skin rising and falling with her breath. After carefully thinking for a moment, he said, "Perhaps his alliance with Danzō Shimura is motivated by the Wood Release experiments."
Tsunade frowned. That reason sounded highly plausible. If so, Orochimaru would most likely side with Danzō Shimura, making her role as Deputy Commander less effective.
"We'll wait until the next meeting," Tsunade scoffed. "I want to see how they plan to deal with me!"
"I have a plan," Hoshikawa said, shifting his gaze back to her face. "Why don't we unite the major ninja clans and sideline Orochimaru?"
"...?" Tsunade was stunned.
"Is that not feasible?" Hoshikawa scratched his head.
"Why are you constantly thinking about rebellion?" Tsunade couldn't help but complain. "Who taught you these things?"
"I'm your student," Hoshikawa replied with a light cough.
"I certainly didn't teach you that!" Tsunade quickly denied.
"But I learned from you, Master," Hoshikawa said, clenching his fist. "Against absolute power, all schemes and tricks are futile."
"That line actually makes a lot of sense. I like it." Tsunade raised an eyebrow, a slight smile appearing on her face.
"So, shall we execute the plan?" Hoshikawa asked, narrowing his eyes.
The feasibility of his plan was actually quite high. After all, Tsunade's prestige was more than sufficient. Furthermore, the Uchiha Clan had suffered heavy losses in the Land of Frost and was likely already harboring resentment toward Orochimaru and Danzō Shimura.
"What are you thinking?" Tsunade gave him a glare. "It's getting late. Time for bed."
"Can I sleep here with you, Master?" Hoshikawa asked, his eyes darting mischievously.
"Get out!" Tsunade's heart fluttered slightly, and she immediately put on a stern face. "Don't disturb my sleep!"
"Yes, Master." Hoshikawa didn't press further, smiling as he said, "Good night. See you tomorrow."
The Jōnin meeting arrived quickly. On the morning of the third day, the Jōnin from both Konoha and Sunagakure gathered in the main tent.
Hoshikawa looked around, spotting many familiar faces: Fugaku Uchiha, Hizashi Hyūga, Shikaku Nara, Pakura, and Rasa, among others.
"We've just received intelligence," Orochimaru began slowly. "A thousand-man unit from Kumogakure has disappeared."
"What do you mean, disappeared?" Tsunade spoke up.
"They have lost all trace," Orochimaru replied. "We don't know their location or their objective."
(End of Chapter)