Kakashi's group was the only option.
After all, Kakashi was an elite Chunin, and Obito and Guy were no slouches either.
Though Rin was a Medical Ninja, she had recently learned some poison techniques from Tsunade, making her a formidable fighter as well.
Their overall strength rivaled that of an average squad.
Of course, Tsunade would never have sent them out if it weren't absolutely necessary.
Raj raced back to camp.
If he hadn't been conserving Chakra, he would have used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport back instantly.
But the fact that even Kakashi's team had been deployed showed how stretched the camp's manpower had become due to the recent prolonged battles.
This was no time for complacency.
As soon as he returned to camp...
"Meow~ Where's Lady Tsunade?"
"The main camp," a guard ninja replied, pointing.
Raj darted off, seemingly carrying a person on its tail.
Before Tsunade lay a bowl of blood.
Her entire body trembled slightly as she forced herself to look at it, reliving the painful memories it evoked.
'I can't keep slacking off anymore. I'm Tsunade!'
Hemophobia, at its core, was a psychological condition.
Tsunade knew that overcoming it wasn't impossible, but in the current situation, continuing to slack off would only harm Konoha and its children.
She understood the logic perfectly well.
Yet, truly overcoming it in an instant proved more difficult than she'd imagined.
Though she could now face blood and even maintain some combat effectiveness, blood on the battlefield was a different beast entirely.
'It's not that simple!'
Boom! A loud crash echoed as a figure darted into the tent.
Startled, Tsunade instinctively flung the plate, which struck Yugito squarely as she entered, sending blood splattering across her.
Yugito remained expressionless.
'Just as I thought. Even Konoha doesn't treat prisoners well. I was beaten the moment I arrived at the camp. Third Raikage, please hurry and save me... The people of Konoha are terrifying!'
She didn't know that the Third Raikage was also crippled and currently agonizing over what to do.
The Medical Ninja had been blunt: "Kumogakure's medical standards are insufficient to treat such severe injuries. Only Princess Tsunade of Konoha can do it, but she is our enemy's leader."
Asking the enemy for help?
What's the difference between that and surrendering?
"Meow~" Raj immediately dropped Yugito to the ground, avoiding getting blood on its fur.
It had no desire to take another bath.
"Raj? Who is she?" Tsunade was stunned, momentarily forgetting about the blood.
She examined the girl closely, recognizing her as a ninja from Kumogakure.
The girl appeared to be only eleven or twelve years old and didn't seem particularly strong at first glance.
But upon closer inspection...
'A Sealing Technique?'
"The Two-Tails!"
"The Two-Tailed Jinchuriki?"
Tsunade instantly stood up, leaning forward in shock.
At that moment, she completely forgot about her fear of blood.
The Jinchuriki had actually been brought here by Raj and Minato!
'Damn, you guys are amazing!'
Everything suddenly clicked into place.
'Why did Minato fire the signal flare?'
The Kumo Ninja would naturally be frantic after losing their Jinchuriki.
If Konoha had
If Konoha lost the Nine-Tailed Beast, the entire village would have mobilized to retrieve it, and anyone who dared to obstruct them would be considered an enemy of Konoha itself.
Under normal circumstances, no one would dare to act so boldly.
But now that Konoha and the Kumo Ninja were already at war, what was there to fear?
"A great victory, a great victory! We'll negotiate with the Kumo Ninja... Wait, there's more, isn't there? Did you also injure the Third Raikage?"
Tsunade immediately realized the truth.
Without injuring the Third Raikage, Raj and Minato would never have had the opportunity to capture the Two-Tails together.
Given the Third Raikage's explosive temper, he would have punched Minato and Raj into oblivion the moment they dared to cause trouble in his presence.
After days of being tricked and humiliated by the duo, the Third Raikage must have been itching for a fight.
"Meow! The injury to his right hand is severe enough that only someone like you could heal it."
Raj nodded.
The Raikage's Lightning Release Armor had been shattered during the battle, proving he was indeed injured.
However, given his resilience, his body should recover quickly.
Only his right hand...
The Raikage family were all ruthless individuals.
It wouldn't be surprising if he simply chose to amputate his right hand.
"Excellent! Excellent!"
"Waaah!"
One of them spun around in joy, while the other wanted to protest but couldn't speak, instead howling in frustration on the ground.
'The Third Raikage had been injured too? Impossible! He's invincible!'
Yugito refused to believe it.
In her mind, the Third Raikage was the embodiment of invincibility.
'How could he possibly be defeated by a mere black cat?'
"Meow! Behave yourself."
A cat paw struck out.
Yugito glared furiously at Raj.
A second later, she was trapped in an illusion.
Normally, the presence of the Tailed Beast would have made her immune to such techniques, but with the Two-Tails sealed and unable to move, she was helpless.
"...So ruthless."
To lay a hand on such a cute girl? But then again, she was a Jinchuriki.
If the seal were broken, no ordinary restraints could hold her.
Tsunade studied Yugito for a few moments, her earlier agitation subsiding.
But the sight of blood stirred her old impulses again.
She quickly averted her gaze and grabbed a Soldier Pill from the side, handing it to Raj.
"This is my specially formulated Soldier Pill, enhanced for rapid recovery."
"Meow!"
Raj took the pill and swallowed it immediately.
'Ugh~ As always, it tasted awful.'
But the effects were far superior to Kabuto's pills.
The sense of fullness was minimal, almost comparable to the System's special cat food.
No wonder it was Tsunade's work - her personal touch made all the difference.
'Saved a hundred System Points.'
As Raj swallowed the pill, he felt his strength gradually returning.
"There might be a battle brewing in the north. I'll go check it out, meow."
"Alright, I'll handle the Jinchuriki," Tsunade nodded.
She was now grateful that Danzo was dead.
If he were still alive and learned they had captured the Jinchuriki, he would have immediately sent people to demand custody.
But now... it was so much better without that incessant blabbermouth.
Still, the village had two other old geezers, including that decrepit old man.