The next day.
Inside the conference room of the Hokage Building.
A considerable number of shinobi had already gathered here.
Jonin and tokubetsu jonin stood in small groups, speaking in low voices, the atmosphere heavy and tense.
News of the urgent report from the border had already spread within a limited circle, and every face carried a different degree of seriousness.
By the time Tsunade and Kiyohara arrived, the meeting was about to begin.
Today, Tsunade was dressed in formal shinobi attire, a green flak jacket layered over a dark, tight-fitting combat suit, her long golden hair tied neatly into a high ponytail.
Kiyohara was dressed similarly, also wearing a green flak jacket.
The two walked through the crowd toward the main entrance of the building.
Along the way, shinobi greeted Tsunade with respectful nods, and when their eyes swept over Kiyohara, there was, to varying degrees, curiosity and scrutiny.
The name Kiyohara was no longer unfamiliar within Konoha's upper ranks and elite shinobi circles. Tsunade's disciple, a rising star of the Anbu, and a ruthless figure who had single-handedly destroyed an enemy's secret base.
However, among those gazes, two stood out as particularly different.
One came from Orochimaru.
He stood in the shadow of a pillar, his golden vertical pupils like those of a snake fixed on Kiyohara.
That gaze carried curiosity, amusement, and an indescribable kind of interest.
As Kiyohara passed by, the corner of Orochimaru's mouth curved slightly, as if he had discovered an intriguing experimental subject.
The other gaze came from Danzo.
The leader of Root stood inside the entrance, his right eye wrapped in bandages, his only visible left eye as cold as a blade.
His gaze lingered on Kiyohara for a full three seconds. Thinking of what had happened last time, the hand gripping his cane tightened slightly, veins faintly bulging on the back of his hand.
Homura stood beside Danzo. Noticing his old friend's unusual reaction, he asked in a low voice, "Danzo, what is it?"
Danzo withdrew his gaze, his face returning to its usual indifference, and slowly shook his head. "Nothing."
If there had not been so many people present, his expression would likely have already darkened with gloom.
Kiyohara also sensed Danzo's gaze, but he showed little reaction.
Danzo's current strength was inferior to that of his future self.
Even though he was more than ten years younger now, it was still difficult to make up for the overwhelming advantage brought by using multiple Sharingan to cast Izanagi.
A single use of Izanagi could grant a full minute of invincibility.
To be honest, Danzo was strong, but his combat awareness was not particularly impressive.
With that kind of setup, he could still be viable even in the Boruto era.
For example, Uchiha Shin, whose body was covered in Sharingan, but unfortunately he did not know the Uchiha clan's forbidden jutsu Izanagi, making all those Sharingan little more than decoration.
Hiruzen sat in the main seat, taking in the entire scene.
He took a puff from his pipe. Amid the drifting smoke, his eyes narrowed slightly, yet he said nothing.
Once Tsunade and Kiyohara had taken their seats, the meeting officially began.
"Everyone."
Hiruzen's voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the entire conference room.
All conversations quickly ceased, and every gaze turned toward the Third Hokage.
"Late last night, urgent military intelligence arrived from the Kikyo Mountain front."
Hiruzen picked up a document from the table.
"Suna has assembled more than two thousand shinobi and, under the personal command of the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, launched a full-scale assault on the Kikyo Pass defensive line. The ferocity of the attack is the greatest since the outbreak of this war between us and Sunagakure."
A wave of suppressed gasps rippled through the conference room.
Two thousand shinobi was nearly half of the forces Sunagakure could currently deploy along the border of the Land of Fire.
The remaining forces still had to guard against other shinobi villages.
And with the Fourth Kazekage personally commanding, it showed Suna's determination.
They wanted to break through Kikyo Pass in one decisive push and directly threaten the heartland of the Land of Fire.
"The situation is quite severe."
Tsunade spoke softly.
"On the other hand, this could also be a sign that the war is nearing its end."
Kiyohara said.
"Oh?"
Kiyohara's statement drew Tsunade's attention, and she could not help but ask, "Why do you say that?"
"Suna is likely making a desperate gamble now. Their geographical environment is barren, and their number of shinobi is relatively small. Launching such an attack at this point shows they want to achieve a major result in one go. If the war drags on, they have no advantage whatsoever."
Kiyohara replied calmly.
These were fairly obvious conclusions.
The fact that Sunagakure had been willing to betray Pakura, the so-called hero of their village, to Kirigakure in exchange for peace was enough to show how dire their situation was.
Otherwise, if such a matter were exposed, it would be a devastating blow to Rasa and the upper echelons of Sunagakure.
Every shinobi village valued comradeship.
Even Kiri strictly forbade the killing of comrades or selling them out to enemy nations.
Their system was merely darker, allowing killing during examinations.
Under normal circumstances, anyone who dared to do such a thing would have long been arrested.
"That makes sense."
Tsunade thought for a moment and nodded slightly.
One of her hands rested on her waist, the full curve shifting slightly in Kiyohara's field of vision.
"But if that is the case, then a lot of people are going to die this time."
Tsunade lowered her head slightly.
During the Third Great Shinobi War, she had been stationed behind the front lines rather than personally charging into battle as she had during the Second Great Shinobi War.
Even so, from the frantic pace of the medical shinobi every day, it was clear how intense this war had become.
"What is the current situation at the front?"
A jonin urgently asked the Konoha leadership.
"Not optimistic."
Hiruzen set the document down, his expression grave.
"Jiraiya is already stationed at Kikyo Mountain, but Sunagakure's offensive is too fierce. Multiple points along our defensive line are in critical condition."
"I believe this may be a probing attack by Sunagakure."
Tsunade suddenly spoke.
All eyes turned toward her.
After hearing some of Kiyohara's analysis, she found his reasoning quite convincing.
Based on that theory, Sunagakure's actions now had a logical explanation.
"Suna is applying pressure to both Konoha and Kiri at the same time, but their forces are insufficient to sustain full-scale operations on two fronts."
Tsunade analyzed.
"So the most reasonable strategy is to concentrate their strength on attacking one side, probing to see which defensive line is weaker. Once they find a breakthrough point, they will commit all their forces to it in an attempt to break through in one decisive strike."
She looked at Hiruzen. "I suggest we immediately reinforce Kikyo Pass, but we must also guard against the possibility that Sunagakure might suddenly shift their focus and attack the Kirigakure front. If they find that side easier to break, they may change their main direction of attack."
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "That aligns with my judgment. Therefore, we need to strengthen the defensive forces on both fronts simultaneously."
He looked around the room and began issuing orders. "Nara Enchu, you will lead one thousand shinobi to Kikyo Mountain immediately to reinforce Jiraiya. Tsunade, you will lead the medical corps and accompany the troops. Your task is not only to treat the wounded, but also to assist in analyzing Sunagakure's new tactics and find ways to counter them."
"Yes."
Nara Enchu nodded.
As a member of the Nara clan, he often took on command responsibilities.
Many shinobi of the Nara clan were known not only for their shadow techniques, but also for their sharp intellect.
Within Konoha's upper ranks, many Nara clan members served as key strategists.
"Understood."
Tsunade responded seriously.
"Orochimaru."
Hiruzen turned to him.
"You will head toward the Kumo and Kiri fronts to monitor the movements of the other villages. Suna's large-scale operation may trigger a chain reaction. We must ensure that nothing goes wrong on the other fronts."
Orochimaru bowed slightly, his voice hoarse. "Understood."
"All other departments will enter a state of combat readiness according to the established plan."
Hiruzen stood up, his voice suddenly rising.
"Everyone, Konoha is once again facing a trial. This battle will determine the direction of this war. We must hold the line."
"Yes!"
The unified response echoed throughout the conference room.
After the meeting ended, the shinobi hurried off, each preparing for what was to come.
Tsunade and Kiyohara walked out of the Hokage Building side by side, heading along the streets of Konoha toward the Senju clan's district.
Tsunade walked slowly, her brows tightly furrowed, clearly weighed down by her thoughts.
Kiyohara stayed at her side and could feel the heaviness radiating from his teacher.
It was not fear of battle, but rather a deep weariness toward war itself.
From the original story, it was already clear that Tsunade was a woman who had grown tired of war.
"Remember to go inform Kurenai later."
Tsunade said.
Kurenai was now under her responsibility.
"I will go in a bit, Sensei."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Oh right, Sensei, in that case, I should have time to go to the former site of Uzushiogakure."
Kiyohara added.
Tsunade was momentarily stunned and turned to look at him. "The ruins of Uzushiogakure? What are you going there for?"
"To look for a gravestone."
Kiyohara continued.
"It is part of the agreement we had before. I want to go there and take a look at the gravestone."
Tsunade's body trembled slightly.
She looked at Kiyohara, suppressing the strange surge of emotion within her.
Keeping her expression unchanged, she asked, "You still remember that?"
"Of course. I would not dare forget an agreement with my teacher."
Kiyohara nodded.
The ruins of Uzushiogakure were the place where Dan had died.
His gravestone was also buried there.
Back on the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire, Kiyohara and Tsunade had made a deal.
Tsunade had given Kiyohara the techniques Pain Suppression Technique and Regeneration Technique, asking him to check the situation there after the Kiri shinobi withdrew.
Looking at it now, this was probably the best opportunity.
Once Konoha withstood this wave, Sunagakure would likely end up clashing fiercely with Kirigakure.
Only after both sides realized they could not hold out would they consider a temporary ceasefire.
But during that chaotic period when they would be fighting intensely, it would be Kiyohara's chance.
The ruins of Uzushiogakure would have very few Kiri shinobi guarding them, allowing Kiyohara to go and see Kato Dan's gravestone.
Hearing Kiyohara's words, Tsunade pressed her lips together slightly.
At that moment, her well-proportioned figure appeared especially clear in the morning light.
Her full chest rose and fell with a deep breath, her slender waist and rounded hips forming an almost S-shaped curve.
Her long legs, even beneath her shinobi pants, still showed their smooth and toned lines.
Yet at this moment, all of that outward allure was overshadowed by another kind of emotion.
She suddenly stepped closer to Kiyohara and reached out her hand.
Kiyohara saw the pale curve of her chest drawing near.
Thinking that Tsunade was about to flick his forehead again, he instinctively mobilized a trace of Steel Release chakra, preparing to harden the skin of his forehead.
But Tsunade's hand did not flick down.
Instead, that soft, fair hand gently rested on Kiyohara's head and ruffled his hair.
"Kiyohara."
Tsunade spoke softly.
"There is no need anymore. That place is too dangerous."
She shook her head, withdrew her hand, and turned to continue walking forward.
"A gravestone is only a memorial for the living. What truly matters are the living themselves."
Her voice drifted back with the wind.
Kiyohara caught up and walked beside her.
He was a little surprised.
It seemed that Tsunade had truly acknowledged him as her disciple.
After that, Kiyohara returned home with Tsunade, then went to find Kurenai.
Kurenai was still only a chunin, so she was not qualified to attend the jonin meeting.
"Ah, something like this actually happened?"
After hearing the news, Kurenai also became worried.
At the same time, she wondered whether she should apply for promotion to jonin.
She realized that after taking the Power of the White Snake that Kiyohara had given her, both her chakra reserves and recovery speed had increased.
Combined with the wind release techniques she had learned to diversify her abilities, she felt that she might now be able to apply directly for promotion to jonin.
"What about Rin and the others?"
Kurenai asked curiously.
"They will probably go as well."
Kiyohara nodded.
Rin had not yet fully brought out the power of the Three Tails, and it was likely that Konoha's higher-ups intended for her to try using that power.
Even borrowing the tailed beast chakra mode could bring significant enhancements to a jinchuriki.
Greatly increased chakra reserves, faster recovery, improved neural response speed, and more.
Of course, it required constant caution to prevent losing control. Once a rampage occurred, it would cause indiscriminate destruction.
"I see."
Kurenai raised her small fist, paused for a moment, then said, "This time, I will definitely play my part and accomplish something great."
Seeing Kurenai's confident expression, Kiyohara could not help but smile.
After chatting a bit more with her, Kiyohara said his farewell.
Before heading to the battlefield, he still needed to prepare some supplies.
After finishing everything, Kiyohara returned to Tsunade's house.
Early the next morning, in front of Konoha's gates.
More than a thousand shinobi had gathered, forming a dense, dark mass.
They wore uniform combat gear, carried shinobi tools, and had solemn expressions.
Sunlight reflected off the metal of their equipment, giving off a cold gleam.
This was the force about to head to the Kikyo Mountain front.
Nara Enchu stood at the very front of the formation, already fully equipped for battle. Beside him were several members of the Nara clan, along with shinobi from the Yamanaka clan, the Akimichi clan, and others.
They seemed to be discussing something.
On the other side, Kiyohara stood next to Tsunade.
The medical corps made up only a small portion of the entire force.
Kurenai was also among the ranks.
She carried a specially designed field pack on her back. Upon seeing Kiyohara, she nodded from afar and jogged over.
Hiruzen personally came to see them off.
The Third Hokage wore his Hokage robes and held his pipe as he stood at the front, looking at the shinobi behind him.
His gaze swept across every face, young and old, before finally resting on Tsunade.
"Tsunade."
Hiruzen spoke in a deep voice.
"I will leave Kikyo Mountain to you."
"Do not worry, old man."
Tsunade grinned.
"I believe in you."
Hiruzen nodded, then looked at Kiyohara.
"Kiyohara, you understand the situation of the medical corps, so you will play a significant role. Do not slack off."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Kiyohara responded.
The situation now was that among those who could fight, none could heal as well as him.
Among those who could heal, none could fight as well as him.
At present, Kiyohara was practically a smaller version of Tsunade.
"Move out!"
After exchanging a few words with Hiruzen, Nara Enchu gave the order. Over a thousand shinobi surged out of Konoha's gates like a black torrent, racing toward the direction of Kikyo Mountain.
The unit moved swiftly through the forest.
Tsunade and Kiyohara were positioned in the middle section of the medical corps, responsible for coordination and vigilance.
Kurenai was not far from him, and although they occasionally exchanged words, most of the time they focused on moving forward.
A long-distance march was a severe test of stamina.
Fortunately, these were all elite shinobi, with even the weakest being at least chunin level. The formation maintained a steady high speed as they advanced toward the front line.
They passed several supply points along the way, taking brief rests before continuing onward.
By the evening of the second day, the frontline camp at Kikyo Mountain finally came into view.
It was a temporary camp built along the mountainside, with rows of tents and bright lights illuminating the area.
From afar, faint sounds of explosions and battle cries could be heard. The fighting was still ongoing.
At the entrance of the camp, Jiraiya was already waiting.
His tall figure looked somewhat weary.
His face was marked with dust and traces of blood, his long white hair slightly disheveled, yet his eyes remained bright and full of spirit.
Upon seeing Tsunade, Jiraiya's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward to greet her.
"Tsunade, you finally made it!"
"If you had come a few days later, I might not have been able to hold this line anymore."
Tsunade ignored Jiraiya's exaggerated tone and asked directly, "What is the situation now?"
Jiraiya's smile faded, his expression turning serious. "It is not good. Our defensive line has already been pushed back by three kilometers."
As he led Tsunade toward the command tent, he quickly briefed her. "Rasa is personally commanding, Pakura is also on the front line, and nearly all of Sunagakure's elite puppet masters have been deployed. Our casualties have already exceeded three hundred, with more than eighty severely injured and forty seven dead."
Tsunade's expression darkened further.
Three hundred casualties, and that was only after a few days of fighting.
If this continued, the number would multiply rapidly.
"Take me to the medical tents. I will hold a meeting with the medical shinobi and tell them what needs to be done."
Tsunade made the decision immediately.
"Kiyohara, Shizune, come with me. The rest of you, follow the camp commander's arrangements, rest for now, and be ready to rotate onto the front line at any time."
"Yes!"
Kiyohara and Shizune followed Tsunade toward the largest cluster of tents in the center of the camp.
Tsunade lifted the flap of the main tent and stepped inside.
Several medical shinobi, upon seeing her, looked as if they were about to cry.
"Lady Tsunade! You have finally arrived!"
"The patient in bed three needs immediate surgery, but we are almost out of chakra!"
"Bed five has lost too much blood, and we have run out of blood packs!"
Tsunade did not hesitate at all. She rolled up her sleeves.
She directly summoned Katsuyu.
Although she could not bear to see blood and could not personally treat every wounded shinobi directly, she could have Katsuyu handle the treatment.
Through the slug technique, Katsuyu could split into many parts and channel Tsunade's chakra to every injured shinobi, treating them simultaneously.
In this way, Tsunade did not need to witness the blood nor be physically present at every bedside, yet healing could still be carried out.
Moreover, Katsuyu's power could enhance the effectiveness of the treatment and help Tsunade recover her chakra.
"Kiyohara, Shizune, prepare for surgery. Everyone else, report the conditions of all critically injured patients and rank them by urgency."
Tsunade issued orders inside the medical tent.
As for the patients, they were gathered in a larger tent not far away.
"Yes."
Kiyohara and Shizune immediately got to work, heading over to assist the critically injured.
With the support of his Sharingan, Kiyohara's medical ninjutsu had become increasingly refined. His chakra scalpel precisely cut open wounds, removed fragments, and sutured blood vessels.
Yang Release chakra was injected into the patients' bodies, stimulating their own vitality.
Rin also came to help, assisting with stopping bleeding, cleaning wounds, and maintaining vital signs.
Shizune coordinated medical supplies and equipment while also treating less severe patients.
The surgeries continued until deep into the night.
When they stepped out of the medical tent, the cool night wind blew across them, washing away some of the smell of blood lingering in their noses.
The camp remained busy. Patrol units moved through the firelight, and in the distance, faint sounds of exploding ninjutsu could still be heard.
The night assaults had not stopped.
Following instructions, Kiyohara found the rest area assigned to the medical corps.
"Today was really exhausting, Kiyohara."
Rin let out a sigh.
On their very first day here, they had already been worked to the brink.
"Yeah."
Kiyohara also felt the workload had been quite heavy.
Rin nodded her small head.
Seeing this, Kiyohara took out a piece of candy from his shinobi pouch.
"Here, this will help replenish your energy."
He handed her the candy.
Rin's eyes widened slightly.
She remembered that Kiyohara had always carried candy before, but she had not expected him to still have that habit.
"Thank you."
Rin accepted it and unwrapped the candy.
After lightly licking it with her pink tongue, the sweetness spread through her mouth, and she instantly felt less tired.
"See you tomorrow, Rin."
Kiyohara waved.
"Okay, see you tomorrow, Kiyohara."
Rin waved back while eating the candy.
After leaving Rin, Kiyohara continued walking forward.
Along the way, he ran into Kurenai.
Kurenai was organizing her shinobi tools. Hearing the sound, she looked up and smiled when she saw him. "Kiyohara, are you done for the day?"
"Yeah, for now I do not have to work like a beast anymore."
Kiyohara walked into the tent and sat down beside her.
"Why are you not resting yet?"
"I cannot sleep."
Kurenai answered honestly.
"I just heard the sounds of battle in the distance, and also the commotion from the medical tents."
She paused, then asked softly, "Is it really bad?"
Kiyohara was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. "There are a lot of wounded. Suna's offensive is even fiercer than we expected."
Kurenai bit her lip, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes.
"It will not last too long. Sunagakure is just pushing themselves with one last effort."
Kiyohara said.
If Suna had truly been that powerful, they would have taken down Konoha long ago.
It was only because they had concentrated so much of their forces at once that they had caught Konoha off guard.
As the two were talking, a familiar figure walked in.
It was Asuma.
He wore standard Konoha combat gear, an unlit cigarette held between his lips. His face showed fatigue, but when he saw Kurenai, his eyes still brightened.
"Kurenai, Kiyohara."
Asuma greeted them.
"Asuma."
Kurenai nodded politely.
"Did you just come off the front line?"
"Yeah, rotating for rest."
Asuma sat down across from them and took out a small box from his pocket.
"Oh right, Kurenai. Your birthday was some time ago, and I missed it because I was on a mission. This is a belated gift."
He handed the box over.
It was an exquisite wooden box, its surface carved with simple patterns.
Kurenai was momentarily stunned but accepted it. "Thank you, but Asuma, bringing a gift at a time like this must have been troublesome for you."
"It was no trouble."
Asuma smiled.
"Why not open it and take a look?"
"There is no need, Asuma. It feels too valuable."
From the packaging, Kurenai could already tell that it was a necklace.
Since Konoha now had movie theaters, she had seen all kinds of brands.
But she already had the anklet that Kiyohara had given her, so she did not really want to accept it.
"Huh?"
Asuma had not expected her to refuse.
"Well, are you sure you do not want it?"
"It really is too valuable, and I am still a shinobi."
Kurenai waved her hand again.
Seeing this, Asuma realized he might have chosen the wrong gift.
He should not have picked something branded like that, especially not a necklace.
He should have chosen something more ordinary.
"Alright."
Asuma tried to persuade her a few more times, but Kurenai still would not accept it.
With no other option, Asuma could only leave behind a simple birthday greeting.
Kiyohara watched Asuma's departing figure and felt an inexplicable sense of desolation.
Sarutobi Asuma?
No, this was Rejected Asuma.
After walking some distance away, the smile on Asuma's face completely disappeared.
He took a deep breath, pulled out his cigarette, lit it, and inhaled deeply.
Why did he feel that Kurenai's attitude toward him was always different from how she treated Kiyohara?
Just what was the reason?
The smoke drifted away into the night.
(End of Chapter)