Inside the tent, the atmosphere was subtly tense.
Wrapped in a quilt, Tsunade's blush had yet to fade, but her eyes were once again clear and focused. After all, she was one of the legendary Sannin—her mental resilience was unshakable. Even after nearly dying and losing her first kiss, she had already regained her composure.
"Tobirama."
Tsunade spoke suddenly, her voice serious.
"About what happened today—and the fact that you know Medical Ninjutsu—I'll help you keep it hidden."
"As for the Mangekyō… if you don't want to attract the attention of that rat lurking in the gutter, Danzō, you'd better keep a low profile."
She was teaching him how to conceal his brilliance.
And at the same time, she was protecting him.
But in the next instant, her tone shifted, and her gaze sharpened.
"However, let me make one thing clear."
"Even if… even if I do have feelings for you, and even if you saved my life—"
"If you ever use that power to harm Konoha in the future, or become a madman like your ancestor, Uchiha Madara…"
Tsunade took a deep breath, staring straight into Tobirama's eyes.
"I will kill you with my own hands."
"Even if it costs me my life, I'll drag you down to hell with me."
This was Tsunade.
Her loves and hates were absolute, and she never wavered when it came to principles.
Hearing this, Tobirama didn't get angry. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle.
He stood up, turned his back to her, and waved his hand casually—his posture confident and unrestrained.
"Sure."
"If that day ever comes, you're welcome to try."
"But you're too weak right now. If you want to kill me, Tsunade-sensei, then first master the Strength of a Hundred Technique."
With that, he lifted the tent flap and walked straight out.
The tent fell silent once more.
Tsunade watched the swaying curtain as her tense shoulders finally relaxed.
She reached up and touched her still-burning lips, her mind replaying that aggressive kiss from earlier.
From hell to heaven. From despair to a racing heartbeat.
The emotional whiplash of this single night was more intense than anything she had experienced in her twenty-odd years of life.
"Stupid brat…"
She muttered the words, but the corners of her lips lifted uncontrollably. In the end, she buried her face in the pillow, letting out a soft, foolish giggle—one that only a young girl in love would make.
…
At the camp's supply depot.
"Quick! Get all the medicine ready!"
At Tobirama's command, several logistics ninja rushed into action.
At this moment, Tobirama's words carried more authority than an official decree from the Hokage.
He stood before the worktable, his hands moving so fast they left only afterimages.
Grinding. Extraction. Fusion.
In less than ten minutes, a large vat of green antidote concentrate was completed.
"Dilute it tenfold and distribute it. Make sure everyone drinks it!"
"Yes, Lord Tobirama!"
…
Half an hour later.
The camp, once filled with despair, was completely revitalized.
"I'm not dizzy anymore! I can move!"
"A divine medicine—this is a divine medicine!"
"Waaah… I lived… I really thought I was done for this time…"
The joy of surviving catastrophe spread like wildfire.
All the recovered Konoha ninja—regardless of how severe their injuries had been—gathered spontaneously at the center of the camp.
There, Uchiha Tobirama had just finished giving medicine to the last critically wounded soldier.
"Long live Lord Tobirama!"
No one knew who shouted first.
But in the next moment, the cry erupted like thunder.
"Long live Lord Tobirama!"
"Hero! Lord Tobirama is our hero!"
In a world where strength was revered and human life was worth less than grass, anyone who saved lives was a savior.
Clan prejudice? Noble arrogance?
In the face of a life-saving恩情, all of it was meaningless nonsense.
Tsunade had already steadied herself and changed into clean clothes. Stepping out, she was greeted by this very scene.
The twelve-year-old boy stood surrounded by hundreds of ninja, like a star embraced by the moon.
The look in their eyes was pure fanaticism—they looked as though they wanted to enshrine him on the spot.
"Quiet."
Tobirama raised his hand and pressed it downward.
Instantly, hundreds of people fell into complete silence.
This was prestige.
He swept his gaze across the crowd, a warm, radiant smile on his face—an indispensable trait for anyone aspiring to become Hokage.
"There's no need to thank me."
"We are comrades."
"Entrusting our backs to each other on the battlefield—that's a ninja's duty."
"The Uchiha Clan may not always be the most popular in the Village."
A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd, instantly lightening the mood.
"But we have always been a part of Konoha!"
"Where leaves dance, the fire burns!"
"Follow me—end the war, and go home alive!"
"End the war! Go home alive!"
"End the war! Go home alive!"
At that moment, the name Uchiha Tobirama was carved deeply into the hearts of these frontline elites.
At the edge of the crowd, Tsunade leaned against a broken wall, watching the spirited young man with tenderness in her eyes.
"This kid… is a natural-born leader."
Beside her, Jiraiya—who had just woken up with two dark circles under his eyes—leaned over sourly.
"Tch, just showing off."
"But still… Tsunade, you really struck gold this time."
"This kid's charisma might already be stronger than the Old Man's."
Tsunade shot him a sideways glance, pride evident in her expression.
"Of course. Look whose apprentice he is."
…
Two days later.
Konoha Village, Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the urgent battlefield report in his hands, his fingers trembling.
[Frontline Urgent Report: Uchiha Tobirama has defeated Hanzō head-on at the Land of Rain encampment!]
[Hanzō fled after losing an arm! The Rain ninja forces were annihilated!]
[Suspected awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan! Repelled the Rain offensive! Hundreds of Rain ninja killed!]
[Frontline morale has skyrocketed; all ninja follow Tobirama's lead!]
Every line made Hiruzen's heart tremble.
"Mangekyō… Susanoo…"
He murmured, his face pale.
As a disciple of the Second Hokage, he knew exactly what this meant.
That was the power of Uchiha Madara.
A power capable of destroying the world.
"Twelve years old… Kage-level strength… awakened the Mangekyō… forced back a demigod…"
"This isn't a genius anymore."
"It's a monster."
Hiruzen picked up his pipe again, but his hand refused to steady itself.
Fear.
Deep vigilance.
And beneath it all—a faint trace of greed.
If this power could be fully controlled…
But what if it went out of control?
Just as his thoughts spiraled, the sound of a cane striking the floor echoed from the shadows.
"Hiruzen, you saw it too, didn't you?"
Danzō stepped out, his expression dark, his single eye bloodshot—clearly, he had just read the intelligence as well.
"The Uchiha are all threats!"
"A second Uchiha Madara has appeared!"
"This must be dealt with immediately!"
He slammed his palm onto the desk.
"While he's still on the front lines and hasn't fully matured, recall him to the Village!"
"Hand him over to me—to Root!"
"I'll use a Cursed Seal to control him, brainwash him into Konoha's sharpest weapon!"
"And if he resists—kill him! Dig out those eyes!"
Danzō's greed was laid bare.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
If he could obtain those eyes, why would he ever fail to become Hokage?
"Enough, Danzō!"
Hiruzen shot to his feet, Kage-level pressure surging forth.
"That is a hero of Konoha!"
"He saved hundreds of comrades and drove off Hanzō, and you want to strike him now?"
"Do you want to shatter the hearts of the frontline ninja?"
"Do you want to force the Uchiha Clan into rebellion?!"
Danzō sneered, refusing to back down.
"A hero? He's a hidden disaster."
"The Uchiha are inherently dangerous. Once he fully masters that power, do you think he'll still listen to you?"
"Read the report again. They follow Tobirama's lead."
"Hiruzen—your position as Hokage is already unstable, and you're still talking to me about the Will of Fire?"
Those words struck Hiruzen's sore spot.
He fell silent.
His eyes flickered.
It was true.
Tobirama's achievements already overshadowed his own master.
An Uchiha with overwhelming power and unmatched prestige…
Was far too dangerous.
"…Not now."
After a long pause, Hiruzen sat back down and took a deep draw from his pipe, smoke obscuring his expression.
"It's wartime. We need that power."
"Besides, Tsunade is there—so are Jiraiya and Orochimaru."
"And right now, he's a hero of Konoha. His prestige is too great. Acting rashly would cause chaos."
"First… we win him over."
"He's Tsunade's apprentice. There's still a chance he'll inherit the Will of Fire."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, fully returning to the role of politician.
"Increase the rewards."
"Promote him as a successor of the Will of Fire."
"Raise him up. Put him on a pedestal—so high that he has no choice but to risk his life for the Village."
"As for later…"
He didn't finish, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Danzō understood immediately.
Praise-killing.
Stabilize him, use him as a spear, and settle accounts once the war was over.
"Hmph. You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
"Your indecision will doom Konoha one day."
With a cold snort, Danzō turned to leave.
At the doorway, he paused and added darkly:
"But I won't give up."
"Root will be watching him at all times."
As the door closed, Hiruzen slumped back into his chair, gazing at the Hokage Rock outside the window.
"Uchiha Tobirama…"
"I hope you're a smart child."
"I hope you make the right choice…"