The Army Marches to the Front Lines

"Kid, get down here."

Tsunade was getting a little flustered.

Yūske grinned smugly. Stupid, aren't you? I can fly.

Then he shouted, "If you don't hit me, I'll come down."

Tsunade had not expected him to be so shameless. As a ninja, he was actually afraid of getting beaten up. She clenched her fists, then smiled and asked, "Do you admit defeat?"

Yūske had no backbone at all. He used String Style to form a white flag and waved it in the air. After Tsunade nodded, he lengthened the strings tied to the white cloud and slowly descended.

Bang!

Tsunade landed a heavy blow on Yūske's head.

Tsunade, you have no martial virtue! Yūske clutched his aching head.

"You still have a long way to go before you become strong." Tsunade withdrew her fist and began lecturing Yūske.

And so, the fight ended in an anticlimactic fashion.

There was no helping it. Yūske's abilities had not been strengthened enough to withstand Tsunade's fists. He thought that if he had unleashed the Bird Cage, she probably would have torn it apart on the spot.

Just imagining Tsunade prying the Bird Cage apart with her bare hands made cold sweat stream down Yūske's back. What a violent woman. Then he touched his uninjured face and recalled how Tsunade had used the Mystical Palm Technique to heal him. Well, she was... not too bad.

The sky was gradually darkening.

Having ended their training early, Yūske and Tsunade wandered aimlessly through Konoha's streets. Faced with the villagers' gazes and greetings, Yūske was no longer as uncomfortable as he had been last time.

As night was about to fall, the two found a restaurant and casually ordered some food and drinks.

It was late.

On the way back to Tsunade's home, the two walked one in front of the other. Looking at Tsunade's back, Yūske, who knew the story, was not worried about Tsunade and the others going to war this time.

When they returned in triumph, they would already be the Three Legendary Sannin, renowned throughout the ninja world. But with Dan Katō no longer involved this time, Tsunade should not develop hemophobia and leave Konoha, right?

"What are you thinking about?"

Without realizing it, Yūske had fallen far behind.

Tsunade turned around and saw him spacing out. She spoke irritably. He was the first person to be so absent-minded while escorting a girl home.

"Uh, it's nothing." All of a sudden, Yūske did not know how to explain himself.

"Your house is really far away, huh? Haha." That was all he managed to squeeze out. Tsunade was speechless and rolled her eyes.

Before long, they arrived at the Senju Clan Compound.

Watching Tsunade enter, Yūske softly said,

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Tsunade did not look back.

Early the next morning, Yūske got up before dawn. He followed the main force to the Hokage Building, where the place was already packed. Thousands of villagers crowded together, spontaneously seeing the warriors off.

The Third Hokage stood high above, looking out at the scene with pride filling his heart. Under his leadership, the ninjas feared neither life nor death and charged forward without hesitation. The villagers, too, sincerely supported them. They lived together in such harmony.

After clearing his throat, the Third Hokage delivered a speech.

"Wherever leaves dance, fire burns. The firelight illuminates the village, and new leaves will sprout once more..."

Yūske leaped onto a tall building, raised a pair of binoculars, and looked toward the motionless ninjas lined up before the Hokage Building. Since their backs were to him, he could not make out their faces.

However, the three standing at the front were Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya. They had changed out of their usual clothes and were all dressed in jōnin flak jackets.

After a round of rousing and motivational words, the main force, led by Tsunade and the other two, headed toward the village gates.

Yūske quickly jumped down and waited along the route Tsunade and the others would take.

Yūske successfully caught the attention of the three. They exchanged glances and stopped in perfect unison.

Tsunade crooked a finger at Yūske and said with a light laugh,

"Are you a monkey? Jumping around everywhere."

With everyone staring at him, Yūske's scalp tingled. As if possessed, he ran up to the three of them and gave each one a hug. The move left them all stunned.

Most of the main force behind them knew Yūske as well. Seeing what he had done, some found it amusing, while others felt envious.

After the hugs, Yūske returned to where he had been standing, and the army resumed its march toward the battlefield.

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched from the rooftop, his eyes full of gratification. No one wished more than he did for his disciples to get along and forge bonds with one another.

Only after the ninja army had vanished from sight did he turn to the Anbu beside him and say, "Bring Yūske to me. I'll wait for him in the office."

"Yes!"

Hokage's Office.

Yūske knocked and entered, finding Hiruzen Sarutobi standing with his back to him, looking out over the village through the window.

"Teacher!" Yūske spoke first.

"After fighting Tsunade, what did you learn?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around and assigned him a post-battle reflection on the spot.

"I can't beat her!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched. He picked up his unlit smoking pipe and lightly knocked Yūske on the head with it, saying irritably,

"Say something normal."

"Yes. Tsunade's taijutsu is powerful. My String Style isn't tough enough against her Monstrous Strength. Against her, all I can do is flee passively."

"Mm. Since your offensive focus is taijutsu, you will indeed be at a disadvantage against those with powerful taijutsu."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, lit his pipe, and put it in his mouth before continuing.

"Can the strength of your String Style be improved?"

Yūske recalled how Doflamingo's Bird Cage could not be broken even by a meteor, while the meteor itself had been sliced into countless pieces. He immediately answered with conviction,

"It can."

"Good!"

Summoning Technique! Hiruzen Sarutobi bit his finger, then pressed his hand to the ground. A burst of white smoke appeared, and an armored ape emerged from it.

"Yūske, this is my partner, Enma. From now on, he will guide you in training your String Style." Hiruzen Sarutobi introduced them.

"Enma, this is my new disciple, Yūske. I'll be counting on you for the time ahead."

Enma stepped forward, patted Yūske on the shoulder, and said,

"Good. Your physique isn't bad either. I'll guide you for a while."

"Thank you, Lord Enma."