Hokage Office Building.
"You've finally returned!"
Seeing Tsunade back, covered in dust from travel, Hiruzen couldn't hide his joy. He knew that, given her current condition, it would be difficult for her to fight on the battlefield.
However, just her presence alone was enough to ease some of the tension and unease in the village caused by the war.
Not to mention, Tsunade possessed unparalleled medical ninjutsu. Even if she couldn't perform surgeries herself, she could still provide guidance.
"This is such a hassle. If it weren't for Kagetsu and the others needing to report their mission, I would have already gone to find Orochimaru," Tsunade said, her tone still somewhat sharp despite not seeing Hiruzen for so long.
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Hiruzen smiled as he responded. He was used to the way his three students spoke to him without much respect now.
However, he hesitated when Tsunade requested to go to the frontlines. Without any context, he asked her that one simple question.
Tsunade understood what Hiruzen meant. Her hemophobia was a serious issue.
She had wandered the shinobi world for years, even staying away during the Third Great Ninja War. Part of it was to keep her distance from everything, but her hemophobia was also a key reason.
Even if she returned to the village, she wouldn't be able to step onto the battlefield. As a medical ninja, not being able to treat patients with her own hands was unacceptable.
Her absence from the battlefield would eventually raise suspicions among the villagers and enemy spies.
If news of her hemophobia spread, the other five great ninja villages would undoubtedly send assassination squads to target her.
After all, everyone had witnessed how crucial her medical ninjutsu was to Konoha's victory in the Second Great Ninja War.
If they discovered such a glaring weakness, they wouldn't hesitate to exploit it and eliminate her.
In the end, if she couldn't overcome her fear, she would be nothing more than a symbolic figurehead. That's why she had chosen to stay away.
But now that she had agreed to return with Kagetsu, she had already made up her mind.
Hemophobia was something she had to overcome!
Whether it was for survival on the battlefield or for the experiments she conducted in collaboration with Orochimaru, bloodshed was inevitable. At times like these, her hemophobia would only be a major obstacle.
"Don't force yourself. Even in the village, the role you play far surpasses that of many others."
The Third Hokage sighed as he looked at Tsunade, feeling even more guilty toward her.
"I know my condition very well! Hemophobia is just a psychological illness. The only reason I haven't cured it is because I've been running away from it."
As a master of medical ninjutsu, Tsunade understood her body's condition clearly, as well as the cause and cure for her hemophobia. But until now, she had lacked the emotional support to push herself forward.
Now, for the sake of reviving Nawaki and Dan Kato, she had begun to build a new pillar of support for herself.
"You've worked hard."
The Third Hokage assumed that Tsunade had decided to stop running away because the village was in crisis, and his tone softened even more.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
Tsunade waved her hand, turned around, and left the office with Shizune.
"You did well, Jiraiya! I didn't expect you to actually bring Tsunade back to the village."
The Third Hokage wasn't bothered by Tsunade's willful attitude. He turned to Jiraiya, his face showing a rare, relieved smile as he praised him.
"It wasn't me. It was Orochimaru and Kagetsu who convinced her." Jiraiya waved his hand, refusing to take credit.
"Don't worry. Soon, a group of Chunin will be promoted to Jonin. Before long, Kagetsu will be able to receive his Jonin vest and officially become a Jonin."
The Third Hokage glanced at Kagetsu and, keeping his word, made a direct promise. Then, he smiled and added, "Hatake Kakashi from Minato's squad has also made significant contributions on the battlefield. Initially, we planned to wait a little longer, but since Kagetsu is being promoted, we'll let Kakashi advance to Jonin as well."
Under Tsunade's urging, Kagetsu, who had just returned to the village and barely rested for a few days, accepted a mission. He led the reinforcements the village managed to gather and headed to the war front between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, was reassigned to the battlefield between Konoha and Kirigakure.
"Is the situation on the frontlines really that critical?"
On their way, Tsunade asked Kagetsu about the progress of the war. Although she had reviewed the intelligence beforehand, she knew that reports never painted the full picture.
"We're in a passive defensive state," Kagetsu replied tactfully.
Tsunade immediately understood. A so-called passive defense meant that Konoha lacked the strength to drive out the invaders.
This confirmed that the battle between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth was not in Konoha's favor. The advantage clearly belonged to Iwagakure.
At the same time, the situation was likely not as dire as the intelligence suggested, where the frontlines seemed on the verge of total collapse.
Of course, war was unpredictable. A single ambush or a failed decision could turn the tide in an instant. Caution was still necessary.
But regardless, the frontlines hadn't deteriorated to the extent Tsunade had feared. She was somewhat relieved.
At the very least, Orochimaru had led Konoha's forces in holding Ōnoki and Iwagakure's ten-thousand-strong army at the border for over a year.
"He should be resting in the village!"
Tsunade turned to glance at Shisui, who was walking beside Kagetsu. She had never intended to bring him to the battlefield, especially now that he had lost his sight.
It wasn't just her instincts as a medical ninja. She also didn't want Shisui to meet an unfortunate fate in the war. After all, even Kage-level ninjas weren't immune to death in conflicts of this scale.
"This was his own choice. Besides, the village itself isn't safe right now."
Kagetsu didn't explain further. Orochimaru would handle that discussion.
After all, with the experiments on the Sharingan and the forging of spirit weapons, having Shisui nearby would be much more convenient.
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