From my actions, I could see that Tsunade was moved by what seemed to her a deep sacrifice.
Through me, she saw the future her brother could never achieve. To her, I was both reminder and redemption.
Moreover, with my absurd amount of chakra, I knew she likely suspected I was a descendant of the Senju clan integrated into Konoha.
She would definitely check the family records upon returning.
Ever since Tsunade had been moved to tears by me a few months ago, she insisted I call her "neesan."
Naturally, I was unwilling. Considering my actual age, I was certainly older than her.
Besides, from any angle, I clearly won that sparring match. Even if I were to die outside or jump off the Hokage Rock, I would never call her "neesan."
"Want to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique? Call me 'neesan,' and I'll teach you how to master it," Tsunade had said with a triumphant smirk, folding her arms across her chest.
Rationally speaking, I should have been tempted. After all, one must seize opportunities to achieve greatness.
But the price she asked for was just too much. Alas, those who achievde great things must not be constrained by minor matters. I considered myself someone capable of achieving great things.
And thus, the earlier scene unfolded.
It turned out I was still too naive. While she indeed promised to teach me the Flying Thunder God Technique, it was only after we returned to Konoha.
Because what Tsunade intended to give me wasn't the Scroll of Seals version but the internal version from the Senju clan.
In truth, there wasn't much difference between the two. Both versions were written by Tobirama.
But retrieving the Scroll of Seals required seeking the Third Hokage, memorizing its contents, and practicing independently. Tsunade found this cumbersome.
Tsunade's exact words were: "The Scroll of Seals? That's too much trouble. Once we're back in Konoha, come to my place, and I'll just give you the original copy. Then you can read it whenever you want, Ryouma."
She really suspected I was Senju-related. It was the only explanation for this level of generosity. My chakra reserves alone would raise eyebrows in a clan obsessed with bloodlines.
But one had to admit, sometimes the generosity of a wealthy woman was truly mesmerizing.
Currently, there weren't many options for the people at the camp.
We could either launch a proactive assault to force Suna to engage. Or we could wait for Suna to make the first move, allowing Konoha to play defensively and counterattack.
The first option carried higher risks, while the latter was more secure.
After much deliberation, Shikaku finally spoke. "Please listen to me..."
"Finally, the meeting's over," I muttered as I left the command tent, stretching lazily.
I returned to my quarters.
The moment I entered the tent, I sensed a familiar chakra attempting to disrupt the flow of chakra within my body.
Quickly using the power of my Rikugan, I easily stabilized the chakra in my brain, rendering it immune to interference, the genjutsu dissolving like morning mist under the hot sun.
"Too naive, Shiori. Genjutsu doesn't work on me."
I immediately guessed the culprit: the girl who constantly tried to one-up me.
She studied my reaction.
To most ninjas, that gaze would be paralyzing. To me, it was merely informative.
"One day I'll find a genjutsu that does," she emerged from the shadows with a hint of disappointment.
"Maybe. Where's Heiji?"
Shiori snorted and replied, "He didn't come. This time, the Hyūga clan assigned him to the Kiri battlefield."
I knew Shiori had hoped that her advanced Sharingan genjutsu, now at the three-tomoe level, would finally surpass me in at least one area.
But it turned out she was still overthinking it. Her genjutsu had been ineffective when she had two-tomoe, and now with three-tomoe, it was still useless.
This made sense. In the shinobi world, chakra was the foundation of genjutsu.
By manipulating their chakra, especially their mental energy, genjutsu users could influence the chakra flow of their targets and control their minds.
With my level of control over my chakra, only a genjutsu on the level of the Infinite Tsukuyomi could possibly affect me.
After answering my question, Shiori spun her long black hair tracing a beautiful arc in the air.
She walked to a chair, sat down, and crossed her legs.
I sat on my bed and couldn't help but feel impressed.
Shiori truly lived up to the Uchiha name. Leaving aside her personality, her appearance was flawless. The Uchiha genes had been kind to her. To be honest, her long, straight black hair really hit one of my weaknesses.
"It's your turn," she spoke up.
"What?" I looked confused.
"You went to the war council, right? What's the plan for our next move?" She leaned forward slightly.
"That's classified, and you'll probably find out tomorrow anyway." I was using my usual stalling tactics.
Based on what was discussed in the meeting, tomorrow would mark the start of pre-war mobilization within the camp.
"Since when do you follow rules? And with our relationship, do we still need to keep secrets?" Shiori suddenly fired a direct shot.
When someone uses a question mark like that, it either means they have a question, or they think you are the one with the problem.
"We're teammates… right?" I wasn't sure what she was trying to imply.
"Oh~? So we're more like roommates, aren't we?" Shiori tilted her head, twirling a strand of her long hair around her finger before letting it unravel.
It was a gesture that would usually be quite captivating.
But I wasn't in the mood to appreciate it.
"Shiori? We're living together because we're on the same team. Besides, Heiji was also here before."
For ninjas on the front lines, tents were just a place to sleep. To be prepared for emergencies, we often slept in our battle uniforms.
"But right now, it's just the two of us, isn't it?" I couldn't figure out why she was acting so assertive today.
"Alright, alright, I surrender."
I raised my hands in mock defeat.
"I can't tell you the detailed plan, but I can share the general direction."
"I'm listening," she said with a victorious smile, shifting her chair closer to me. "What is it?"
Seeing her leaning in again, I hesitated briefly before continuing.
"It's similar to the previous strategy. We'll stick to defensive counterattacks. Right now, we hold an absolute advantage in the Land of Rivers, so there's no need to take unnecessary risks."
"As expected, it's just like the village's usual style." Shiori wore a knowing expression.
I glanced at Shiori's calm face. "In your case, you'll probably be assigned to the combat units."
The strength of an Uchiha was generally proportional to the level of their Sharingan. As someone who had already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, her overall strength placed her on the stronger side of the jonin.
Shiori was a few months older than me, and the speed at which she had awakened her Sharingan put her among the top in the history of the Uchiha clan.
"That's only natural. What about you? You'll be on the front lines too, won't you?" Shiori turned her head away, pretending to ask casually.
"Yeah, but I don't really want to be on the front lines."
"Why not?" Shiori suddenly turned back, curious. "I thought you lived for combat."
From her understanding of me, I didn't seem like the kind of ninja who would be afraid of combat. Was I some kind of... battle maniac for her?
"It's not about the fighting," I admitted honestly. "Because Rin, Kakashi, and Obito have been reassigned to the rear to protect the medical corps. I'm a bit worried about them."
"You really care about those three, don't you? More than just teammates," Shiori observed, studying me with unusual intensity.
"They're important to me."
"Important enough that you'd rather babysit them than be where the action is?" she probed.
"Important enough that I'd risk everything to keep them safe," I replied seriously.
In fact, during the meeting, I had requested to be assigned to the rear to protect the medical corps but was rejected by Shikaku.
"Your wide-range Wind Release techniques would be more advantageous on the front lines."
Those were Shikaku's exact words.
Tsunade, however, seemed to notice something and assured me that she would personally look after my companions.
Although it didn't feel entirely reliable, I had no reasonable grounds to refuse orders. I simply lacked the status to push back. I planned to showcase some real skills in the upcoming decisive battle.
My aim was to rack up enough accomplishments during the battle to strengthen my influence in the village.
At the end of the day, this battlefield was just preparation. I needed to gain enough recognition and authority to make my own decisions when it really mattered.
After all, it was fine to follow orders on the Suna battlefield.
But when it came to the Iwa battlefield, it wouldn't work the same way. To save my teammates, Madara remained a dangerous obstacle that couldn't be ignored.
[email protected]/Malphegor