"Lord Second, the situation is that we can't do anything to the Cloud Ninja, and they can't do anything to us either. Why not pull some of our forces defending against Kirigakure and Iwagakure back to help? Then we'll have a sure chance of winning."
"That's absolutely out of the question, Danzo," Sarutobi chimed in.
"Even though the two great ninja villages are already at war, we still can't let our guard down. If they double back and attack us, what will we use to fight them?"
"Monkey's right. We can't move the people stationed in the village. Danzo, come up with another plan." Tobirama Senju agreed with Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"In that case, our only option is to pit our strongest fighters against the Cloud Ninja. We can challenge them to a decisive battle." Seeing that even his teacher opposed moving troops, Danzo changed his mind.
"Can we do it?" Tobirama looked around at the others. He wasn't lacking confidence without reason; the truth was, he didn't have any truly formidable fighters under his command.
"No problem, Lord Second. I believe in myself." Danzo thumped his chest.
"That's right, Lord Second. We can't keep dragging this out. It'll only put us at a disadvantage," the others chimed in.
"All right. Danzo, I'll leave the challenge to you." Tobirama Senju hesitated before agreeing. He had brought the entire Senju Clan with him this time, and they had already lost half their numbers. They really couldn't afford to keep fighting like this.
Tianqi watched Tobirama Senju with a faint smile, silently mocking him. You thought bringing the Senju Clan and the other clans along would make the Cloud Ninja easy to handle. Didn't expect them to be such a tough nut to crack, did you?
You really think becoming Hokage makes you Hashirama Senju? What a joke. You'll squander the Senju Clan's resources sooner or later.
Tianqi was so busy mocking Tobirama Senju in his head that he didn't notice Tobirama staring at him.
"Tianqi, Tianqi! Lord Second is asking you something." Sarutobi tapped Tianqi, who was lost in thought.
"Oh, right. What is it?" Seeing everyone looking at him, he came back to his senses.
"I asked what you think of this duel. If the Cloud Ninja agree, who do you think we should send out?" Tobirama Senju looked at him sternly.
"I don't have any particular thoughts. You're the one in charge, Lord Senju. Arrange things however you like. No one would dare oppose you anyway." Tianqi waved a hand.
"You brat! Is that any way to speak to Lord Hokage? Show some respect!" Before Tobirama Senju could get angry, Danzo jumped in.
Danzo was Tobirama Senju's loyal lackey. Seeing someone speak to his teacher that way, of course he couldn't let it go.
Tianqi had grown much stronger, and he wasn't about to put up with Danzo. He immediately shot back.
"I'm talking to Lord Hokage, and he hasn't said a word. Why are you barking? Do you think you're the Hokage? What a joke!"
"You—you—you..." Danzo had never expected anyone to talk back to him. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"All right, Danzo. Let the Second speak. Tianqi, you should watch your tone too." Sarutobi Hiruzen pulled Danzo back into his seat.
"Some people have no strength but still put on airs. Don't worry, Big Brother Sarutobi. I know where to draw the line." Tianqi glanced at Danzo, who had sat back down, then turned his attention to Tobirama Senju.
Hearing Tianqi say that, Danzo gritted his teeth in fury. His hands, clenched tightly beneath the table, shook with anger. Damn Uchiha. Damn Uchiha Tianqi. Just you wait until I get my hands on you. I'll make you regret it.
"If you think Danzo is weak, then you can be the first to fight. We'll decide who else to send when the time comes." Tobirama Senju waved a hand and left.
After Tobirama Senju left, Danzo continued glaring at Tianqi. Seeing this, Sarutobi pulled Tianqi out of the meeting room.
"Tianqi, why are you talking to the Second and Danzo like that during wartime? We need to stand together right now. Don't start infighting and hand the advantage to the Cloud Ninja." Sarutobi spoke to Tianqi earnestly.
Tianqi waved a hand. "I wasn't wrong, was I? Who would dare disobey the Hokage? He'll arrange things however he sees fit."
"That's true, but..." Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know how to argue with him, since he was right. Then he asked, "What's going on with Danzo? Aren't you afraid he'll come after you later?"
"Danzo? I'm not afraid of him. It's not like he's only disliked me for a day or two. So what if I give him a hard time?" Tianqi didn't care about Danzo in the slightest. If Danzo tried anything, Tianqi wouldn't mind sending him off early.
"All right, all right. You always have your reasons. Go back and get some rest for a few days. The teacher said that if the Cloud Ninja agree to a duel, you'll be the first one out. You need to be ready."
"Got it, got it." With that, Sarutobi left.
Meanwhile, at Tobirama Senju's residence, he sat on the edge of his bed with a gloomy expression. On one hand, the heavy losses suffered by the Senju weighed on him. On the other, Tianqi had dared to insult Danzo right in front of him. He had started to form some plans of his own.
That evil Uchiha brat is getting more and more arrogant. Looks like I'll have to teach him a lesson when we get back.
Tianqi had no idea what Tobirama Senju was thinking. He was happily taking a bath, humming a tune: "We common folk are so, so happy today..."
Even if he'd known what Tobirama Senju was thinking, he wouldn't have cared. You want to teach me a lesson? First make sure you survive long enough to get back.
As for his system mission, he only needed three more people to complete it. Tianqi wasn't in a hurry. It was only three people, and the system hadn't set a time limit. He could take his time.
Three days later, the Cloud Ninja finally agreed. They couldn't keep dragging things out with Konoha either. If the two villages exhausted all their strength fighting each other, the other villages would benefit.
The Cloud Ninja and Konoha decided to hold the duel ten kilometers from both camps. That would be fairer, and even if either side tried anything underhanded, they could still send reinforcements quickly.
Tobirama Senju arrived at the agreed location with a group of elite fighters. The Second Raikage also showed up with a group of his own.
When the Cloud Ninja arrived, Tianqi took a good look at the Second Raikage. He looked a lot like the Third and Fourth Raikage, with a mustache and the same bronze-colored skin. Tianqi wondered why every Raikage had a bronze complexion. Maybe they used some kind of bronze-tanning skincare product?
Just as Tianqi's mind began to wander, the Second Raikage spoke.
"Second, what do you say? Will you go first, or will I?" It was no wonder the Second Raikage dared to declare war on Konoha and speak so arrogantly. He and Tobirama Senju were evenly matched, so he had every reason to feel confident.
"Hmph! Second Raikage, you know that if the two of us fight, neither of us will win. Let our subordinates decide the outcome." Tobirama Senju couldn't stand the Second Raikage's arrogance, but there was nothing else he could do. He and the Raikage were evenly matched, so he could only place his hopes in his subordinates.
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