Commander-in-Chief Hatake Sakumo, Tsunade's Anger

The next morning, the storm finally subsided.

Chiyo and a rosy-cheeked Tsunade stood outside what had once been Konoha's defensive line. In the distance, towering steel structures gleamed with a cold light beneath the morning sun.

A Konoha Ninja Hawk came speeding over and landed before Tsunade.

With a poof, it turned into white smoke and vanished, leaving only an intelligence scroll in her hand.

"The headquarters has relocated. It'll take us about an hour to get there."

"Mm. Then let's set out early!"

Tsunade put away the scroll and glanced at Chiyo beside her.

The bandages had already been removed from his eyes, but a hint of weary darkness still lingered deep within his pupils.

He's recovering pretty quickly.

She muttered inwardly, yet unconsciously slowed her pace.

"Everyone, pack up and prepare to move out!!"

"Yes!! Lady Tsunade!"

Konoha's main camp on the outskirts of Amegakure.

Chiyo, Tsunade, and the others arrived. After passing through layer upon layer of checkpoints, they finally met the Commander-in-Chief of this campaign, Hatake Sakumo.

He was a tall man. His silver white hair stood upright like steel needles, and several faint scars were etched across his resolute face. His brows carried the calm steadiness of someone hardened by countless battles.

He wore Konoha's standard flak jacket, and the short blade on his back, White Fang, radiated a sharp killing intent even while sheathed.

Sakumo gave Tsunade a slight nod, his voice low and firm.

"Tsunade."

"You encountered an attack earlier?"

Tsunade crossed her arms and gave a cold snort.

"Sunagakure ambushed us with a unit, but we've already dealt with it."

Dealt with it?

Hatake Sakumo froze for a moment.

"Do we have specific casualty statistics on our side?"

Hearing this, Tsunade lowered her head, took a booklet from her robes, and handed it to him.

Anyone whose name made it onto this roster would one day become a Konoha hero engraved upon the Memorial Stone.

"It's all in there."

Hatake Sakumo accepted it and flipped through it briefly.

When he saw the record of yesterday's casualties, he let out a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Tsunade, you'll still be in charge of coordinating the medical supplies and Medical Ninja here."

Tsunade nodded helplessly at those words.

Cough, cough!

Chiyo coughed, and Tsunade turned to look at him with concern.

"Chiyo, are you all right?"

This scene allowed Hatake Sakumo to keenly sense that something unusual lay between the two of them.

Sakumo shifted his gaze and quietly sized up the person Tsunade cared about so much.

Because he had been occupied with the fighting on the front lines, Hatake Sakumo had not returned to the village.

He knew nothing of what Chiyo had done.

Especially the matter of establishing the medical system.

He had only received intelligence from the village saying that Tsunade would lead the Medical Ninja to the front lines.

Naturally, he welcomed the arrival of Medical Ninja at the front.

As a Commander who had spent years on the battlefield, he understood their value all too well.

No one wanted their friends or comrades to someday suffer grievous injuries and die in agony without anyone to treat them.

Medical Ninja... who knew how many lives they could save!

Looking at the pale-faced young man with black hair and black eyes...

Could he be that Uchiha Tsunade had previously asked him to send people to find?

That subordinate of his was carrying out another mission. Once he returned, Sakumo could ask him about it.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the tent.

"Report!"

A Jonin lifted the tent flap, unable to hide the joy on his face.

"Lord Sakumo, yesterday's battle report has been compiled!"

Sakumo glanced at Tsunade, Chiyo, and the Medical Ninja behind them. After a brief pause, he said,

"Read it aloud."

The Jonin straightened his back, his voice ringing out loudly.

"Yesterday, our forces launched a surprise attack on the Sunagakure camp and eliminated a total of one hundred and thirty-seven enemies!

All combat units deployed by Sunagakure were wiped out."

The ninjas inside the tent immediately showed delight, and some could not help murmuring in praise.

"I didn't expect us to achieve such results this time..."

"If Lord Sakumo hadn't seized the opportunity yesterday, how could we have won such a great victory!"

"That's right! Konoha won a great victory this time. Lord Sakumo charged at the forefront and shattered the Puppet Force. He deserves the greatest credit!"

"..."

Sakumo did not grow arrogant upon hearing their flattery.

Instead, his brows furrowed slightly. Recalling the booklet Tsunade had just given him, he turned his gaze toward her.

"The time you were attacked was also in the afternoon?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"More or less."

Sakumo lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, his voice growing heavier.

"At that time, I was leading men in a surprise attack on Sunagakure's main camp..."

A diversion?

His eyes sharpened as he clearly considered whether they had fallen into the enemy's trap.

If Sunagakure knew the location of Tsunade's medical unit, why hadn't they sent an elite force to intercept them?

Could there be some hidden circumstance here that he did not know about?

Just then, a timid voice came from a corner.

"Does... does this count as a great victory?"

Everyone froze and turned toward the speaker, only to discover it was a young Medical Ninja who had followed Tsunade here.

Seeing everyone's eyes fall on him, the ninja was startled by his own rashness.

But when he thought of Uchiha Chiyo's overwhelming display yesterday, he gathered his courage and continued.

"Wouldn't Lady Tsunade's battle report be even more astonishing?

Lord Chiyo alone eliminated more than three or four hundred elite Sand Ninja. Even Ebizo of Sunagakure fell at Lord Chiyo's hands..."

His voice grew softer and softer until it was nearly a mumble.

The tent instantly fell silent.

Everyone's gazes snapped toward Chiyo, and the air seemed to freeze.

The Jonin reporting the battle stood there with his mouth wide open, not even noticing the scroll in his hand slipping to the ground.

Hatake Sakumo's pupils suddenly contracted.

Three or four hundred?

If that was the number involved in the surprise attack, then it made sense!

Prioritizing the complete elimination of the enemy's Medical Ninja unit would have been the simplest and most effective result.

By killing the enemy's Medical Ninja, they could gradually expand their advantage and raise morale.

As for why the casualty numbers had been so low...

Could it be?!

He abruptly looked at Chiyo, and for the first time, shock appeared in his eyes.

The silent young Uchiha still stood there calmly.

But only now did Sakumo notice the faint, almost imperceptible pressure surrounding him.

Like a Demonic Blade kept within its sheath.

"Give me the details."

Sakumo's voice unconsciously became stern.

The Medical Ninja swallowed and began describing it haltingly.

An overwhelming Sunagakure ninja force, a desperate encirclement, and then... those nightmare-like Sharingan.

"They... they looked like all the water had been drained from them. They instantly turned into mummified corpses..."

The temperature inside the tent seemed to plummet.

The expressions of nearly every ninja who had just learned the truth shifted from shock to horror.

Some even unconsciously took half a step back.

This was no longer merely strength. He was practically a battlefield meat grinder!

Hatake Sakumo remained silent for a long while before striding over to Chiyo.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, Konoha's White Fang solemnly extended his hand.

His voice carried unprecedented excitement.

"Such an achievement is enough to be recorded in Konoha's history."

"With you joining us, I believe this war will end very soon!"

His voice no longer held mere polite praise, but genuine respect.

Chiyo smiled faintly and shook his hand.

"Just luck."

Tsunade stood to the side, watching their clasped hands. Then she swept her eyes across the tent, taking in the reverence mixed with fear in everyone's expressions, and a complicated feeling rose within her.

These idiots...

She knew better than anyone what kind of price Chiyo had hidden beneath his casual words.

"Hey."

She suddenly spoke, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the tent.

"Where's the wounded camp? I'm going to check on the treatment situation."

Sakumo keenly noticed the impatience in her tone. He gave Chiyo a thoughtful glance, then pointed west.

"The newly constructed medical tents. The medicine and other supplies have all been prepared according to the village's requirements..."

Tsunade had already turned and walked out, her blue-purple outer robe cutting a crisp arc through the air.

Chiyo watched her retreating figure, the corner of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly.

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