15. Hunt!

Hyuga Shin stayed behind on the Rock Battlefield just like that.

His original plan had been to guide Orochimaru step by step and lay the groundwork for his later plans. He had not been preparing to go head-to-head with the Sage of Six Paths right now.

But after learning that Tsunade had come to find Nawaki, Hyuga Shin decided he had to change his thinking. He had not expected Nawaki to still be alive at this point.

And Nawaki's death was an important turning point. It triggered Tsunade's hemophobia and also made Orochimaru begin pondering the true meaning of life, laying the foundation for his later pursuit of immortality.

The "change in the wind" Hyuga Shin spoke of was his attempt to change Nawaki's fate of death.

It would give Tsunade a better future, and it would also establish him as a powerful and respectable senior in Orochimaru's eyes.

That would make his later guidance easier, preventing Orochimaru from walking the wrong path he had taken in his previous life.

This was Hyuga Shin's probing move against the Sage of Six Paths, and it was also the first time in decades that he had once again gambled against the so-called fate of the Shinobi World.

Back during the Warring States period, when he had forced his way onto the gambling table, he had discovered that his cards were transparent to others, and even his thoughts had been influenced.

But now, the enemy was in the open while he was hidden in the dark. The overall situation had reversed.

Naturally, the uncontrollable risks were lower, and his chances of success had risen greatly.

Everything that followed went just as Hyuga Shin had predicted. Not only did Tsunade fail to persuade Nawaki to return to Konoha, she was instead worn down until she began to waver a little.

All day long, Nawaki kept shouting that it was for his dream of becoming Hokage, for the Will of Fire, to inherit his grandfather's will, and so on.

Hearing this, Hyuga Shin could not help thinking, Most likely Hiruzen Sarutobi tricked him into coming here. I didn't expect the Will of Fire to have already been cooked up by Hiruzen Sarutobi at this point.

Several days passed without them managing to leave, and Hiruzen Sarutobi sent word from Konoha, demanding that Tsunade return as soon as possible to preside over Leaf Hospital.

Orochimaru also became Nawaki's main target. Nawaki went to see him several times every day, annoying Orochimaru to no end.

He even learned how to deceive both sides.

He told Orochimaru that his sister, Tsunade, supported him going to the battlefield, and now all he needed was his teacher's approval.

Then he told Tsunade that Teacher Orochimaru supported him going to the battlefield, and now all he needed was his sister's approval.

He really did almost manage to bluff his way through.

Hyuga Shin, who had been secretly observing the whole time, found it rather amusing. If that trick had actually worked, Orochimaru and Tsunade would probably have lost all face.

Although Nawaki did not succeed, he still made Orochimaru and Tsunade understand just how determined he was to go to the battlefield.

In view of this, Tsunade and Orochimaru discussed whether they should let Nawaki witness the cruelty of war. When the time came, persuading him to return to the village should be much easier.

The two of them had also noticed that Nawaki's mind was a little too one-track right now. He could not turn the corner on his own, so he needed to be knocked into shape.

Of course, they had to make foolproof preparations. It would be enough to let Nawaki experience the cruelty of war.

Just as the two of them were discussing how to arrange it, Hyuga Shin came over and advised them that it would be best not to let Nawaki go to the battlefield.

If he absolutely had to go, it would be best if both of them protected him at the same time.

He also took out a scroll and handed it to Tsunade, telling her that if an emergency arose and the situation became irreversible, she should open the scroll.

As for the reason, he did not say much. Even if he did, they would not believe him.

Hyuga Shin also knew he could not persuade them, but that did not stop him from giving them a warning in advance. After the incident happened, he could still earn a reputation for foresight. Why not?

He was not planning to stop Nawaki from going to the battlefield, because if something did not happen on the battlefield, it would happen somewhere else.

And in that case, it would slip beyond his control.

Unless he forcefully intervened, but that did not align with his interests.

He wanted to maximize his gains: change Nawaki's fate of death while also leaving Tsunade and Orochimaru with an unfathomable impression of him.

At the same time, he could make them realize certain problems and speed up the process of understanding the truth of the world.

Although Tsunade and Orochimaru had many questions on their faces, Hyuga Shin did not explain too much. He only reminded Tsunade that she must keep the scroll with her and not open it until the critical moment.

Then he left, leaving Orochimaru and Tsunade Hime completely baffled.

Originally, they had discussed having Orochimaru personally take Nawaki out for training while Tsunade remained at the central camp to hold the fort for him.

But after Hyuga Shin stirred things up like this, Tsunade Hime also felt somewhat uneasy.

After all, Nawaki was the hope of the Senju Clan, her own younger brother, and her only family. Absolutely nothing could happen to him!

Nawaki still got his wish. He received his sister's and teacher's permission to head to the battlefield and fight for Konoha, and immediately felt extremely happy.

A newborn calf was not afraid of tigers; only after growing horns did it start fearing wolves.

The young him had no fear of war, only the dream of winning achievements, making a name for himself, and earning glory.

He had no clear understanding of war at all.

After careful consideration, Tsunade still decided to follow Hyuga Shin's suggestion and protect Nawaki's training journey together with Orochimaru.

Everything in the main camp was temporarily handed over to Orochimaru's deputy, a strategist from the Nara Family.

They also instructed him that if anything came up that he could not handle, he could go ask Hyuga Shin.

The next day, the two arranged for Nawaki to follow a ninja squad on a mission, then secretly trailed them from the shadows to provide protection.

Hyuga Shin was also waiting. He had already made his move. Next, it depended on how the so-called fate—or rather, the Sage of Six Paths—would respond.

Hyuga Shin believed that if Orochimaru was the one who would turn the windmill in the future, then the destiny arranged for him should have begun with Nawaki's death.

The Sannin corresponded to the three great summoning sacred lands. They were definitely an important part of the Sage of Six Paths' scheme.

And he, Hyuga Shin, was going to completely change that destiny and guide Orochimaru onto the right path.

Even if it meant going head-to-head with the Sage of Six Paths ahead of time, he would do it!

Nawaki followed his squad as they sprinted forward at high speed, the battle-hungry factors in his blood pulsing wildly. In his eyes, this was the first step he was taking toward becoming Hokage!

Before long, Nawaki's squad encountered a Rock Village reconnaissance squad, and a fierce battle broke out.

Nawaki's performance was acceptable. He wasn't overly nervous; after all, he had gone on missions before and killed people.

After several rounds of fighting, he killed the Rock Village Chunin. His performance was passable! He hadn't disgraced the Senju line.

It also put his teammates considerably more at ease. At the very least, he wasn't dead weight.

The overall strength of the Rock Village squad opposite them was relatively poor, and compared to the teammates specially assigned to Nawaki, there was still an obvious gap.

Before long, they were wiped out.

After resting and reorganizing, the group continued carrying out their hunting mission. Orochimaru and Tsunade, hidden in the shadows, were also fairly satisfied with Nawaki's performance.

But sometimes, things wouldn't only develop in a good direction.

In the Rock Village main camp, two temporary squads made up of eight Jonin received orders and quickly left the camp, rushing toward their designated destination.

Their target was none other than Senju Nawaki!

No one knew how the Rock Village had obtained the information, but they were charging toward the set mission location with great certainty, as if they were absolutely sure.

Moreover, all Rock Village ninja carrying out missions in that area had received orders to be ready to provide support at any time.

The hunt for Senju Nawaki had begun!