Someone Is Coming

Sora Uchiha put his mask back on and took out a few pills from his pouch, offering them to Tsunade.

"Here."

Tsunade suspiciously took the pills and recognized them under the glow of Chakra. They were a type of supply ninjas carried on missions – Soldier Pills.

"You're so badly injured that you can't even form a Chakra sphere, so you must not have had any supplies for a long time," Sora Uchiha explained.

Tsunade ate the Soldier Pill. To be honest, Soldier Pills were just compressed food. They were tasteless when chewed, like chewing on wood. Sora Uchiha didn't like eating them.

However, Tsunade seemed to be enjoying them, likely because she hadn't eaten in a long time.

"Cough, cough!"

Eating too quickly, Tsunade suddenly coughed. "Water."

Sora Uchiha quickly handed her the canteen from his waist. Without even looking, she uncapped it and drank.

After a while, she returned the canteen to Sora Uchiha, her pale face finally regaining some color.

"Right, why are you being chased by Takigakure?" Sora Uchiha asked, seeing that Tsunade was feeling a bit better.

Tsunade leaned against the wall, her eyes closed. The surrounding noise seemed to quiet down, and the thin air made their breathing more pronounced. Sora Uchiha remained silent, waiting patiently.

After a long time, Tsunade opened her eyes and chuckled. "How are you talking to me, you brat? Watch your attitude.

Never mind, I'll be magnanimous and not hold it against you since you came to save me. Next time you call me, remember to use a proper title."

Then, she briefly recounted the danger she had encountered.

"Originally, I was on a secret mission investigating Iwagakure, but I was discovered and then chased. I escaped across the border of the Land of Earth and came to the Land of Water.

Unexpectedly, something big happened in the Land of Water at this time. Their Hero Water was stolen, and I just happened to arrive. The Land of Water suspects I'm involved. Caught between a rock and a hard place, this is how I ended up."

Sigh, you really didn't need to be so brief.

Sora Uchiha complained weakly. It was as if she hadn't said anything; there was no useful information.

"Then why don't you cooperate with Takigakure's investigation and clear your name?" he asked, confused.

Tsunade sneered. "If only it were that simple. Of course, I'd cooperate with the investigation. They can't find anything on me because I didn't do it."

"Then why have you ended up like this?" Sora Uchiha frowned.

"Brat, perhaps their Hero Water really was lost, but ever since I, heavily injured, stepped into this village, their target has always been me, regardless of whether the Hero Water was stolen or not," Tsunade said, looking deeply at Sora Uchiha, a hint of gloom in her eyes.

Sora Uchiha was stunned. Regardless of the Hero Water incident, the moment the heavily injured Tsunade entered the Land of Water, the Takinin had set their sights on her.

What did that mean?

What was the point of Takigakure doing this?

Weren't they afraid of retaliation from Konoha?

Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed, and his pupils contracted.

The Land of Water's geographical location was special, situated between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire. During the Third Great Ninja War, the Land of Fire's main enemy was the Land of Earth, so most of the battles took place on the borders of the Land of Water or even within it!

In other words, the Land of Water was actually at the center of the war, suffering from the conflict.

"You mean, Takigakure wants to use your head as a token of allegiance?!" Sora Uchiha blurted out.

"Heh, not a bad brain," Tsunade mocked. "If I weren't injured, they naturally wouldn't dare. But since I am injured, they've had this idea."

Sora Uchiha mused. So, the crux of the issue was Tsunade's severe injury. If she hadn't been injured, none of this would have happened.

"How did you get injured?"

Sora Uchiha was a bit confused. When executing an investigation mission, the first priority upon being discovered was to escape. If Tsunade had focused on escaping, few in Iwagakure could have stopped her. It couldn't have been the old man Ōnoki himself, could it?

Tsunade pursed her lips. After a pause, she said, "I was ambushed."

"By whom?"

"I don't know. Someone wearing a mask, very strong."

Sora Uchiha's mind conjured up several faces, but he dismissed them one by one. There were so many people in the ninja world; how could he pinpoint who it was immediately?

The only thing bothering him now was whether Tsunade's serious injury was due to the butterfly effect he had caused. However, there were too few clues, and he knew nothing.

Shaking his head, he thought too much but could do too little. At this stage, even if he knew something, he couldn't do anything about it. He decided to put it aside for now.

Moreover, his primary mission now was to protect Tsunade. He could think about everything else after returning to Konoha.

Silence fell between them, broken only by the occasional drip of water from the stalactites. Having not eaten for most of the day, he felt a bit hungry.

Alas, under the current circumstances, only the tasteless Soldier Pills were available. He lifted a corner of his mask and, with a grimace, ate one.

Sora Uchiha was someone who liked sweets. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made a bet with Kurenai Yuhi and Rin. He really couldn't stand these Soldier Pills and secretly vowed to research different flavors of Soldier Pills once he got back.

"Brat, what's your name?" Tsunade suddenly asked.

Sora Uchiha glanced at her. "Seven."

Tsunade frowned slightly. "I asked for your real name, not your codename."

Sora Uchiha replied matter-of-factly, "During a mission, I must not reveal any information. I am a person of principle."

"Heh, you took off your mask not long ago," Tsunade taunted. "That's your principle."

"At that time, I really thought you were going to hit me," Sora Uchiha muttered to himself.

Just then, Sora Uchiha suddenly thought of something, his eyes lighting up slightly. "If you want to repay me with money, I can tell you too."

After buying the Explosive Tags, he was now truly penniless.

"Get lost. I have no money, but I'll give you my life," Tsunade sneered.

Sora Uchiha pondered for a moment. "If not money, then gambling with me is also fine."

Tsunade asked suspiciously, "You know how to gamble?"

"No."

"Tch, then what the hell are you talking about?"

"Because you lose every time you gamble."

Silence, like the river of the night, Sora Uchiha seemed to hear someone grinding their teeth. "Brat, has anyone ever told you that you're asking for a beating?"

In response, Sora Uchiha could only think, She's flustered, this guy is flustered.

Suddenly, a small Slug crawled out from Tsunade's abyss and whispered something in her ear.

Tsunade's expression changed slightly, and she said sternly, "Brat, how many people from your Anbu have come besides you?"

"Uh, four more."

"Can they come in a short time?"

"No," Sora Uchiha replied subconsciously. "What's wrong?"

Tsunade stood up and looked back in the direction she came from with a wistful gaze.

"Someone's coming."