Konoha, Land of Fire
The windows of the Hokage's office were wide open, and a gentle breeze swirled documents across the large desk. Tsunade on one hand, while the index finger of her other hand rhythmically tapped the table, causing subtle ripples to appear on the teacup beside her.
"Shizune," she suddenly spoke, her gaze still fixed on the blood-red figure in the Heavenly Screen. "Once the Heavenly Screen finishes, have Kai come over."
Shizune, who was organizing medical reports while holding Tonton, nearly spilled her ink upon hearing this. "Does Lady Tsunade want to... give him a physical exam?"
"A physical exam?" Tsunade scoffed, her fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of golden hair. "That guy has 206 bones in his body, broken at least 300 times. Does he really need a physical exam?" Her gaze followed Guy's broken leg bone in the Heavenly Screen, her eyes twitching slightly. "I'm going to put him on my top protection list."
Shizune gasped. The list currently only included Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and the two young ladies from the Hyuga Main Family.
"You mean... Jonin might be targeted by the enemy?"
"Nonsense." Tsunade finally turned her head, her emerald eyes gleaming coldly in the setting sun. "Able to unleash Taijutsu stronger than a Kage, which village wouldn't be envious?" She scratched her head in frustration. "What's more troublesome is that this guy's intelligence is inversely proportional to his Taijutsu; he'd be sold out and still help count the money."
The Heavenly Screen outside the window was playing a close-up of Kakashi's shocked expression. Tsunade's expression softened slightly. "Luckily, there's a white fox watching him... These two are a perfect match."
Her thoughts drifted further afield. Jiraiya had left the village with Naruto and the red-haired girl some time ago, and according to their agreement, the escort team should have relayed intelligence weekly via the Aburame Clan's Kikaichū. But the last two reports were late...
"Shizune, when was the last time the escort team made contact?"
"Four days ago, the Moonlight Jonin's secret message." Shizune quickly pulled out her notebook, "It only says, 'Training went smoothly, the target has mastered the advanced form of the Rasengan,' everything else is normal."
Tsunade's fingers drew meaningless circles on the table. Although Gekko Hayate looked sickly, his Transparent Release was unparalleled in reconnaissance; coupled with Uzuki Yugao's Genjutsu and Aburame Muta's insect swarm, they could escape unscathed even if they encountered the Akatsuki.
(No news is good news... I guess)
A sudden burst of crimson steam from the Heavenly Screen illuminated the entire office. Tsunade squinted, watching Guy's attack, which came at the cost of burning his life force. This power reminded her of her grandfather Hashirama Senju's Wood Release —pure, violent, and unreasonable.
"Damn future..." she muttered, her fists clenching involuntarily. The mountain of documents on her desk trembled, and the top document, "Emergency Plan for Dealing with the Threat of the Akatsuki," slipped to the floor.
Shizune bent down to pick it up, but then heard Tsunade suddenly roar in fury, "I must have been out of my mind to take this position!"
The Tonton was so frightened that it burrowed into the collar of a Shizune garment. A member of the Anbu passing by outside the window almost fell off a tree.
"Documents! Meetings! Budgets!" Tsunade grabbed a stack of papers and slammed them down. "Now I have to worry about Six Paths Madara, the Akatsuki, the Heavenly Screen Curtain Prophecy... I'm medical-nin, not a babysitter!"
Having vented her anger, Tsunade suddenly fell silent, her gaze landing on the portraits of the past Hokage on the wall. The First Hokage was grinning like a fool, the Second had a serious expression, and the Third had a kind look... She turned her face away.
"I need a laborer," she murmured to herself, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "No, an advisor."
Shikaku Nara is currently stationed on the border of the Land of Rain and is of little use, but his son... that brat who always complains "What a nuisance!" does resemble his father in his youth.
"Shizune," Tsunade suddenly smiled slyly. "Don't look for Guy yet, go and call the Nara Clan boy."
"Shikamaru?" Shizune pushed up her glasses. "He's still Genin..."
"That's why we need to nurture them!" Tsunade on the table, "As Hokage, isn't it only natural to care about the next generation's growth?"
Shizune's lips twitched, but she still turned and left with Ton- Tonton in her arms. As she closed the door, she heard Tsunade add, "Tell him, this is an S-rank mission—helping the Hokage approve documents comes with extra pay!"
The office fell silent again. Tsunade leaned back in her chair, gazing at the battle in the Heavenly Screen. Guy's figure was reflected in her eyes, and the radiant glow of his burning life was imprinted on them.
"Really..." she muttered to herself, reaching for the wine bottle in the drawer. "They're all so reckless."
Outside the window, the sounds of Konoha's rustling echoed. The sunlight from the Heavenly Screen mingled with the lights of the city, casting dappled shadows on the floor of the Hokage's office. Tsunade suddenly recalled the days many years ago when she fought alongside Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Back then, they, like Kai now, believed that burning their youth could illuminate the whole world.
At the edge of the village's Training Ground, seven or eight empty potato chip bags lay scattered on Choji Akimichi's personal picnic mat. Ino disdainfully picked up an oil-stained bag with two fingers and tossed it onto Choji's round belly.
"Hey! Can't you be a little more mindful of your image while eating?!" Her golden ponytail swung in an arc as she turned her head. "Look at Teacher Kai in the Heavenly Screen, how handsome he is!"
In the Heavenly Screen, Gate of Death Might Guy's red steam was as brilliant as the sunset, and the scene of kicking Six Paths Madara Rokudo away was full of violent aesthetics. Choji paused in his chewing, and potato chip crumbs fell from the corner of his mouth.
"That... it's really strong..." He touched his nose guiltily, "But if I open that... Gate of Death..." Suddenly remembering something terrible, Choji frantically stuffed potato chips into his mouth, "I'd better eat more to store up energy! Just in case I sacrifice myself in the future..."
"Idiot! Don't say such unlucky things!" Ino flicked Choji on the Choji, but her eyes secretly welled up with tears. Ever since the Heavenly Screen started playing, she had been having nightmares for three days straight, dreaming of her companions lying in pools of blood.
Shikamaru, crouching under the shade of a tree, suddenly sneezed. He scratched his signature pineapple-shaped haircut, his deadpan eyes gazing at the Heavenly Screen: "This is so troublesome..."
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face, but it couldn't conceal the gleam in his eyes. As a genius of the Nara Clan, his brain was analyzing the details of the battle scene five times per second:
Guy's explosive Taijutsu, Madara's Six Paths Madara defensive techniques, and his utilization of battlefield terrain... these data automatically transformed into contingency plans for potential future battles. But what concerned him even more was—
"A future shortage of combat power..." Shikamaru muttered to himself.
Ino turned her head sharply. "What did you say?"
"It's nothing." Shikamaru waved his hand, his gaze unconsciously sweeping across the village.
Lady Tsunade is probably worrying about the mountain of documents; Guy and Kakashi-sensei are chatting on the rooftop; Asuma is likely shopping with Kurenai; and there's Lord Jiraiya taking Naruto out for training...
(There are many strong people in the village, but the core strength...)
His gaze returned to his two companions beside him. Ino's mental techniques, though progressing rapidly, would likely be ineffective against the monstrous chakra within the Heavenly Screen; Choji's Multi-Size Technique Chakra immense potential, but his tendency to always want "the last potato chip"...
"Hey! What kind of look is that?!" Ino glared at me, hands on her hips. "Are you talking bad about us behind our backs?"
Shikamaru sighed, "I was thinking, if war really breaks out in the future, we Genin probably won't even be qualified to be cannon fodder."
Those words made the air on the picnic mat freeze instantly. Choji crushed the potato chip can in his hand, scattering creamy crumbs all over the ground.
"No, no way!" Ino tried to sound brave, "We're the Ino-Shika-Cho trio! And..." Her voice trailed off, "But we weren't shown on the Heavenly Screen..."
Just as Shikamaru was about to say something, he suddenly shivered, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He was all too familiar with this premonition—every time before his mother grabbed his ear and started scolding him, every time Asuma- sensei was about to give him extra training, every time...
"This is bad..." He jumped up, patting his pants, which were covered in grass clippings. "I have a very bad feeling."
Ino and Choji exchanged bewildered glances. As childhood friends, they knew all too well how accurate Shikamaru's intuition was.
"Could it be...?" Choji out in alarm, clutching his last remaining potato chips. "Snack prices are going up?"
"It's a million times more terrifying than that." Shikamaru looked up at the sky and happened to see Guy staggering in the Heavenly Screen because of his broken leg bone. "I suspect someone wants to harm me..."
As if to confirm his premonition, a figure flashed past the window of the Hokage's office in the distance. Even from this distance, Shikamaru could feel Lady Tsunade's burning gaze, as if she had discovered free labor.
"It's over." Shikamaru slumped back into the shade of a tree. "This is really serious trouble."
Ino suddenly laughed gleefully, "Serves you right! Who told you to always look so lazy?" She mimicked Tsunade's tone, "Nara Clan boy, it's time to do your part for the village!"
"No!" Shikamaru cried out in despair, "I just want to live a simple life as an ordinary Genin, playing shogi and watching the clouds every day..."
Choji sympathetically handed him a potato chip. "Want some? To calm your nerves."
Shikamaru mechanically took the potato chips and stuffed them into his mouth, but couldn't taste anything. His brain had already automatically started simulating the worst-case scenario: endless documents to approve, endless meetings to attend, and an endless stream of cunning old foxes to deal with...
"My life..." he murmured to himself, "Will it burn out like Teacher Kai's...?"
Ino and Choji patted him on the shoulder, one trembling as he tried to suppress a laugh, the other chewing loudly. At the other end of the Tonton Training Ground, Shizune was walking towards them, carrying Ton-Ton and holding a scroll marked "S-Class Secret".
Shikamaru closed his eyes in despair. At that moment, he suddenly understood why Guy had opened the Gate of Death —some despair truly required facing it by burning one's life force.