Tatsuma had chosen [Divine Intellect]. The immediate effect was more than just learning how to roll with a fall—in fact, that didn't even require conscious thought; his body reacted instinctively the moment he hit the ground.
What [Divine Intellect] provided was the ability to process several different options in that infinitesimal fraction of a second, weighing the pros and cons of each instantly.
He had actively chosen to roll to dissipate the force. The exact point where his shoulder touched the earth and the angle at which his neck tilted were all calculated. By the time he rolled back onto his feet, his unhealed left shoulder hadn't taken a single ounce of direct pressure, preventing any re-opening of the wound.
This was something he couldn't have achieved through pure instinct alone. Instinct might have led to a similar roll, but it couldn't have guaranteed that his left shoulder remained untouched or that his head and neck wouldn't be jarred. He probably would have ended up with a lot more mud on his face, too.
Optimizing instinctive actions through rapid calculation—this level of processing speed, far surpassing mere reflex, was something Tatsuma had never experienced before.
It was, quite frankly, exhilarating.
"Why do you have to try and look cool even when you're eating dirt?"
While Tatsuma was basking in the mental clarity, a disgruntled Jiraiya spoke up from where he was being supported by other ninja. As a bystander, Jiraiya found it annoying that Tatsuma managed to make even a faceplant look aesthetically pleasing.
That effortless grace made Jiraiya feel a twinge of... jealousy. Hearing the comment, Tatsuma turned his head and replied with a deadpan, serious expression, "Jiraiya-sensei, is it possible that it's because I'm just naturally handsome?"
The sight of Tatsuma's profile as he looked back caused several of the veteran ninja in the rear of the unit to daze for a moment. That hair color, those eyes, and that "everything is under control" aura...
"He really does look like the Second Lord," a middle-aged Inuzuka whispered in awe. "No wonder the Sand gave him that nickname."
Even when the kid was spouting nonsense, he carried himself with the same poise the Second Hokage had when delivering high-level strategic orders.
Tsunade and Orochimaru's expressions darkened. They knew that the "Second Lord" comparison in Tatsuma's nicknames wasn't exactly a compliment. In fact, none of the nicknames this kid had earned were particularly flattering.
Though Jiraiya didn't know the full details of the previous battle, he couldn't stand Tatsuma's showboating. He hobbled over to the boy, raised a heavy, leaden arm, and proceeded to vigorously mess up Tatsuma's hair until it looked like a bird's nest.
By now, the group had moved beyond the immediate perimeter of the Rain ninja. Though Rain scouts were still monitoring them from a distance, the tension among the Leaf shinobi had finally begun to ebb.
Orochimaru scanned the crowd and addressed the rescue unit. "Everyone, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you all for coming to our aid."
The surrounding ninja waved it off, murmuring about village orders and comrades helping one another. Orochimaru nodded before continuing in a more serious tone.
"However, this matter is far from over. We must cross the border as quickly as possible and report these events to the village. To those in charge of communications: ensure your reports are comprehensive."
As the conversation shifted to business, the relaxed atmosphere vanished. Faces turned grim once more. There were no more pleasantries; the communications ninja immediately began conferring on how to transmit the most accurate and efficient briefing to Konoha.
Seeing that they understood the gravity of the situation, Orochimaru turned his attention back to Tatsuma, who was currently trying to finger-comb his hair back into some semblance of order.
"Tatsuma, you are an exceptional shinobi," Orochimaru began. "But your combat style is far too aggressive. I've rarely seen you finish a fight without being covered in blood. This is a habit you must address."
"Furthermore... I understand the pride that comes with your talent, but showing a 'eager-to-fight' expression in front of a ninja like Hanzo is unacceptable. Never let it happen again."
Orochimaru then looked toward Minato Namikaze, his mouth twitching slightly. "As for you... keep your battlefield callouts concise. Other than that... just don't make Tatsuma's mistakes."
Both Tatsuma and Minato nodded obediently, though whether they would actually change was another story—especially Tatsuma.
He didn't want to get hurt, but in every fight, his left shoulder seemed to have a magnetic attraction to danger. Even a hair's breadth of difference would result in an injury... he wondered if the [Divine Intellect] buff could eventually help him calculate his way out of that "magnetic" misfortune.
As for being "eager to fight" Hanzo? That wasn't quite right. He hadn't been looking at Hanzo with arrogance; he had simply been staring at the "landscape" of potential attribute drops only he could see.
Seeing their pensive looks, Orochimaru felt a bit more at ease. He wasn't their teacher, but he couldn't stop himself from speaking up. If their actual sensei were a bit more reliable, he wouldn't have to play the part of the stern uncle. He looked pointedly at Tsunade—Orochimaru truly didn't want to see a talent like Tatsuma go to waste or go "crooked" because of Tsunade's lax attitude.
"Are we heading straight back to the village? Or are we going to find Danzo and assist with the withdrawal?" Tsunade asked.
Orochimaru's internal sigh deepened. His teammates weren't just unreliable teachers; they were barely functional as shinobi right now.
There was only one choice: return to the village. They were under the constant surveillance of the Rain. If several hundred ninja marched straight back to the Land of Fire, Hanzo wouldn't interfere.
But if they tried to detour south to find Danzo, the Rain would see it as a provocation. From their perspective, who was to say these reinforcements weren't going to join Danzo's army to further violate their territory?
"...Back to the village. We leave Danzo's situation to Sensei's arrangements."
Despite his exasperation, Orochimaru's command was final. Tsunade looked relieved. She had no desire to deal with Danzo, but she had worried that spending three months in hiding only to return after one rescue mission would feel like a waste to the other ninja.
On the front lines, three months of work would equate to dozens of completed missions. Here, they had one. The effort-to-reward ratio was abysmal.
Tsunade nodded. "Going back is for the best. We have a lot of wounded, and I'm in no condition to treat them right now."
At that, Orochimaru asked casually, "That power you used... it's a secret technique, isn't it? Does it have a time limit?"
He was referring to the raw, explosive power Tsunade had displayed during the earlier stages of the fight with Iwa. He'd originally thought it was just the result of her training, but today, she had suddenly "run out of batteries." Her strength had plummeted, and her stamina and healing efficiency had reverted to what they were before her year of seclusion.
Tsunade nodded, not bothering to hide the truth despite Orochimaru's previous clinical pragmatism in the cave. "Yeah. I ran out of stored chakra. I can't maintain that state without it."
Orochimaru pondered that for a moment, grasping the general mechanics of the jutsu, but didn't press further.
The trek back was slow. They certainly wouldn't make the three-day deadline Hanzo had set. The unit was bogged down by casualties and the incapacitated Jiraiya.
This was why Orochimaru had insisted on the report being sent early. The village's reply was simple: Ensure your own safety and return to Konoha. Leave everything else to us.
Three days later, when they were only halfway home, word reached them that Danzo's army had not withdrawn from the Land of Rain. However, there had been no declaration of war from Hanzo. Instead, high-level negotiations were underway.
Tatsuma could easily imagine the scene. Konoha didn't want to give up their advantage over the Sand; they didn't want to retreat and lose their momentum. Their solution was likely a three-way summit between the Leaf, the Sand, and the Rain (pointedly excluding the Stone).
Konoha's demand would be for the Sand to stop fighting first, allowing the Leaf to withdraw without losing their strategic gains. As for where or if the fight would continue later—that was a problem for another day.
Naturally, the Sand would never agree. It was like a gambling table: the winner (Konoha) wants to cash out and leave, but the loser (Suna) is desperate to keep playing because they still have a chance to win it back. If they walk away now, their losses are permanent.
The Sand's counter-demand was predictable: Konoha must surrender and pay reparations. The Sand was already in a "gambler's ruin" scenario; they didn't mind adding the Rain as a third opponent if it meant a chance to win big against both and recoup all their losses.
This left Hanzo, the "house," in a difficult position. The Land of Rain was a small nation with limited chips. No matter how the game played out, the Rain was going to lose.
The fastest way to end it would be for Hanzo to help Konoha kick the Sand out of his territory, but that would make him a permanent enemy of the Sand. Assist the Sand? The Sand was already weak; even with Rain's help, they couldn't decisively crush Konoha, and that would make an enemy of the Leaf.
Whatever Hanzo chose, a Great Power would end up resenting him. This was the tragedy of a small nation.
Tatsuma knew what Hanzo would eventually do: he was going to flip the table. If he had to offend a Great Power anyway, he might as well offend all of them. He would fight the Sand, and he would fight the Leaf.
But Hanzo's ambitions went beyond that. He wanted the Land of Rain to become a Great Power. Why else would he eventually go to war with the Land of Iron, which didn't even share a border with him? Tatsuma believed Hanzo wasn't after a single enclave; he wanted to annex the five or six small countries between the Rain and the Iron.
If Hanzo could unify those smaller nations, he would truly have the leverage to stand toe-to-toe with the Five Great Nations. Unfortunately, the Land of Rain didn't have the manpower for a three-front war. No matter how strong Hanzo was individually, he couldn't carry an entire nation to that height alone.
But those events hadn't happened yet. For now, the three nations were still talking. Hanzo hadn't flipped the table, and the Land of Iron had no idea it was about to be dragged into the mud.
Tatsuma knew he couldn't stop Hanzo from eventually losing his patience, but he hoped Konoha could keep the man talking as long as possible. Tatsuma needed time.
The battlefield was his best classroom, but he had to stay alive to learn. To that end, he turned his focus toward his stats. His STR (Power), PHY (Physique), and ENG (Energy) were all nearing the 10,000-point threshold.
If he could unlock Extra Augmentations for those three as well, his combat effectiveness would take a massive leap forward.
Tatsuma looked over at Minato, who was diligently reading a scroll even while walking. "As expected of you, Minato. Studying hard on the road. But you know what they say: 'What you learn from books is always shallow.' How about a real sparring match?"
Minato's body stiffened, his instincts screaming. "Sure!" he blurted out.
The rest of the weary shinobi nearby looked at the two boys with utter exhaustion. Do these kids not know the meaning of the word "anxiety"?