Ninja War Tactical Level Investigation (IV)

"You're quite lucky, Kushina," Tsunade said to Kushina. For a capable ninja, finding a suitable disciple was indeed something worth celebrating.

That sort of fortune was like the Third Hokage to the First Hokage and the Second Hokage, the Three Ninja to the Third Hokage, Minato Namikaze to Jiraiya...

Then Tsunade said to Hagoromo, "Kid, don't die on the battlefield."

Hagoromo was immediately depressed. The way she said it made it sound as though he was hoping to die on the battlefield.

But he still had no choice but to agree.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"You were injured yesterday?"

"Uh, yes."

"Where? Hold it out."

Following Tsunade's instructions, Hagoromo held out his injured hand. Without any obvious movement from Tsunade, a layer of emerald-green chakra formed around her palm, and she reached out to grasp his hand.

Hagoromo immediately felt his wound itch and tingle. It was a sign that the injury was recovering further.

"The initial recovery is quite good," Tsunade said as she released his hand.

After pulling his hand back, Hagoromo curiously used his other hand to undo the bandage. The wound that had been deep enough to expose bone had already healed to the point where only a faint line of blood remained.

This Medical Ninjutsu was practically miraculous, wasn't it? It wasn't scientific at all. It didn't fit this book's theme!

Tsunade ignored Hagoromo after that and said to Kushina, "Kushina, since you're here, stay and help me handle some routine matters for the time being. There are countless messy matters on the front lines, and I'm sick of dealing with them. You can at least take some of the burden off me. Besides, going back to Konoha is no different from returning to a cage."

"Really? I can stay here, Tsunade-sensei?" After Tsunade nodded, Kushina nearly jumped with joy.

"That's wonderful!"

It was like someone bringing her a pillow just as she was getting sleepy. Kushina had been racking her brains for an excuse to remain on the front lines, yet Tsunade had brought it up herself. How could she possibly refuse?

"Tsunade-sama, that's impossible. By the Hokage's order, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki must return to Konoha immediately. That is our mission!"

The two Anbu who had been waiting outside Tsunade's tent heard her words and immediately rushed inside. They could not allow Kushina to remain here. Otherwise, the harshest punishment would be waiting for them when they returned to Konoha!

Tsunade's expression instantly darkened. She crossed a distance of more than ten meters in a flash and appeared before the Anbu ninja. Just as she was about to teach him a lesson, someone moved even faster than she did!

Faster than Tsunade was Hagoromo, his entire body wreathed in Lightning Glow. With his fingers held together like a blade, he drove the Lightning Blade into a tent support pillar behind the speaking Anbu, grazing past his face!

This was probably Hagoromo's first time acting at full strength without holding anything back. Thus, it was the fastest he had ever been in this life—faster than when he had attacked the Sand Ninja last night, and faster than when he had dodged Tsunade's attack just now.

The Lightning Glow sliced off part of the Anbu's mask and left a bloody mark across his face!

If Hagoromo's hand had gone another two inches down, he could have severed the Anbu's neck. If it had gone another inch to the left, he could have pierced his skull even more cruelly...

The miserable Anbu ninja had never imagined he would be attacked by one of his own. He had not even had time to react.

Hagoromo's response startled everyone. If his strike had been even slightly off, the Anbu ninja hit by that Lightning Release technique would certainly have died.

Kushina's disciple wasn't the sort to kill at the slightest provocation, was he?

However, Tsunade and Kushina quickly saw through Hagoromo's action and immediately relaxed. He was merely intimidating the man. He had only cut the Anbu ninja's mask and scratched his face.

"I'll remember you, Anbu Squad Leader. Codename: San Xiao."

Hagoromo's voice was ice-cold. Though he had not harmed the ninja, the threat in his tone was far more severe than any physical injury.

The Anbu were not merely cruel to enemies. Once they accepted an order, they showed no mercy even to ninja from their own village. That was why they concealed their identities. Once their true identities were exposed, they might face not only pursuit from enemy ninja, but even attacks from some ninja of their own country.

After all, they did the dirty and exhausting work. Once their identities were exposed, Konoha ninja who bore grudges against the Anbu would naturally take action as well.

The Anbu were not only Anbu. When they were not carrying out missions, they needed public identities to move about. Once exposed, they could either live in darkness forever or be killed.

So why were Hagoromo and Tsunade so furious?

It was certainly not because the two Anbu had ignored authority and barged into the tent.

It was because that idiot had called Kushina the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Never mind whether that title carried contempt or not—where were they? This was the Konoha front line!

Perhaps Tsunade's tent was under surveillance by enemy ninja. Perhaps there had happened to be an enemy spy outside the tent when that Anbu spoke. Perhaps, in just these one or two minutes, news that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was on the Konoha front line had already been transmitted.

What did that mean? Anyone with a brain could understand immediately.

Once the enemy learned such news, they would immediately come at them at any cost. No matter how many ninja died, as long as they could eliminate the Jinchuriki, it would be worth it.

Because Tailed Beasts were a major factor in the mutual deterrence and balance of power between ninja villages. No ninja village could bear the loss of a Tailed Beast, especially at this stage of the Ninja World War. Losing both the Tailed Beast and the Jinchuriki could trigger a chain of collapses and affect the entire course of the war.

By then, Hagoromo had already withdrawn his arm, but the Anbu ninja was drenched in cold sweat beneath his mask. It was not because Hagoromo had frightened him, but because he understood what he had just said and the consequences it could cause.

Such a low-level mistake—disaster came from the mouth. No matter what, after this mission was completed, his Anbu career would be over.

Tsunade's face remained utterly black. She walked to the Anbu's side and gritted out each word into his ear, "Are Anbu mouths so loose these days? If enemy spies were around my tent and Kushina's information leaked, do you know what consequences would follow? If that really happens, not one of the Anbu on this mission will be allowed to live!"