Five Days Later, Were They Enemies or Friends?

"Shizune."

Tsunade's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unmistakable authority and feminine charm.

Shizune didn't respond. She clutched a pink pig so tightly to her chest that her face was nearly buried in its fluffy neck. The pig was Tonton, a little pig wearing a pearl necklace. Now held in a crushing embrace, it kicked all four legs and let out a weak, aggrieved "Oink~ oink, oink..." in protest, as if to say, "You're trying to murder me!"

Tsunade leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and said with a teasing smile, "Including this time, you've spaced out fifteen times today. Keep this up, and Tonton might suffocate in your arms."

Shizune jumped and looked down. Sure enough, Tonton's eyes had rolled back, and its pearl necklace was digging into its flesh. She hurriedly loosened her grip and patted it, soothingly saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."

Tsunade walked over, snatched Tonton from Shizune's arms, and then held it even tighter without a shred of mercy.

"See? That's exactly what you were doing." Tsunade gave a sly smile and mimicked Shizune's pose.

Tonton let out a string of "Oink~ oink, oink" sounds, its little hooves pounding against Tsunade's chest as it struggled to no avail. Pinned tight, it tried to crawl free, only for its face to end up buried between Tsunade's ample breasts. Its little eyes filled with despair. "Oink, oink..." The sound was almost tearful.

"I... I wasn't spacing out." Shizune blushed and forced herself to stay calm, but her gaze darted away. For a moment, she didn't know where she could look without seeming impolite. Tsunade's slightly open neckline did nothing to conceal her figure, especially as she held the pig. Her two "snowy peaks" rose and fell with her movements, completely swallowing Tonton. Poor Tonton had only one trembling ear sticking out.

"I got a message from Kurenai Yuhi yesterday," Shizune said quietly, changing the subject. "Uchiha Rei was poisoned during a patrol mission. His condition is serious... She hopes you can return to the village as soon as possible."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. The usual air of carefree indifference fell away from her expression. Uchiha Rei was an extremely cautious ninja.

Her gaze drifted through the window toward the distance, and her voice lowered. "Orochimaru once tried to recruit him as an assistant, but he turned him down. That kid really is something."

"That's exactly why I..." Shizune stopped abruptly, her face turning faintly red. "That's why I... worry about him."

Tsunade glanced at her, the corners of her mouth slowly curving into a knowing smile. "Oh? You're making it so obvious. Is it because he's your classmate, or is he the one you love?"

"The man I love will be someone who can make me willingly bow my head when it comes to Medical Ninjutsu." Shizune spoke evenly, but a hint of stubbornness and embarrassment still showed in her eyes.

Tsunade laughed, her shoulders shaking. Her ample breasts trembled with them, burying the pig even deeper. Tonton continued struggling in her arms.

Shizune wished she could bury her whole face in a crack in the floor. She lowered her head, bit her lip, and said softly, "He's not the one I love... He really isn't. He's just my junior."

"Then why are you blushing?" Tsunade leaned closer with a laugh and gently patted Shizune on the shoulder, her voice softening. "All right, I'll stop teasing you."

She glanced down at Tonton, who was nearly smothered unconscious, and finally took pity on it, setting it back on the floor. The little pig seemed reborn. It gasped for breath as it straightened its crooked necklace, its eyes filled with resentment.

Tsunade turned and sat by the window. Outside, the light was fading, and the wind sent a withered leaf swirling through the air. Her voice suddenly turned serious. "Kurenai Yuhi sent the message herself, so the situation must be complicated. It might not be as simple as Uchiha Rei getting hurt... The village could be in danger."

Shizune nodded, her voice firm. "I'm willing to travel through the night. Once we're back, I'll treat him right away."

"Mm." Tsunade stopped teasing and nodded. "The old man originally told me to return in ten days... Since you're in such a hurry, let's leave five days early."

"Really?!" Shizune looked up, her eyes shining with unmistakable joy and hope. Her voice rose slightly.

Tsunade crooked one corner of her mouth, wearing her familiar mischievous smile. "Ha, I knew some people had been so worried lately they couldn't even eat."

"I, I haven't..." Shizune lowered her head, the tips of her ears crimson, though the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

Tsunade stood up, picked Tonton up again, and headed for the door. "I'm going to have a drink, and maybe see if there's a good gambling table."

Tonton struggled in terror in her arms, its hooves pounding against her chest as it squealed, "Oink! Oink, oink!" It seemed to be shouting, "I'd rather stay with Miss Shizune than be a bra!"

Tsunade looked back at Shizune, her expression warm but carrying an indescribable heaviness. "You're a kind person, Shizune. But don't always worry about everyone else. You need to think about what you want—and whether you have the courage to go after it."

For a moment, Shizune stood frozen, as if her heart had skipped a beat.

She watched Tsunade walk away, her gaze gradually growing resolute.

"Uchiha Rei, wait for us."

"In five days, we'll be back.

Across a desolate desert swept by yellow sand, two figures in Red Cloud Black Robes trudged forward through the blowing sand.

With no clear direction in the desert, the two stopped beside a raised dune.

"Our target is the Uchiha." Umino Fuga finally spoke. A mask covered his face, leaving only his sharp eyes visible.

Beside him, Biwa Juzo rested the enormous Kubikiribōchō on one shoulder, its blade wrapped in torn strips of cloth. He sat on a rock with his head lazily tilted, eyes half-lidded and indifferent.

"Another dirty job." He curled his lip, his voice tinged with disdain. "Didn't you hear what that guy Zetsu said? Our mission is to clean up the Uchiha's remnants."

Fuga didn't answer. He took out a scroll and expertly unrolled it. It was a map of Konoha, with the Uchiha Clan Compound circled in blood-red ink.

"This mission isn't about engaging their elite head-on," Fuga said, his voice like a hoarse wind brushing past the ear. "We're responsible for eliminating the old, the weak, and the sick among the Uchiha. Someone else will deal with the Uchiha patrols."

Biwa Juzo snorted, a mocking smile tugging at his lips. "It's fucking ironic. An S-rank rogue ninja, reduced to killing people who can barely stand."

Umino Fuga's eyes shifted, but he gave no reply. His fingertips rested on the scroll, pressing against the patch marked in red. His knuckles turned faintly white, as though he were suppressing some emotion.

"Honestly, I hate this kind of mission." Biwa Juzo stood and hoisted the heavy sword onto his shoulder. His voice was low, tinged with weariness. "Killing helpless people is no different from pulling weeds out of a pile of corpses."

"This kind of purge is more effective than war," Umino Fuga said slowly. "War always leaves sparks behind. As long as the survivors still remember, the flames of revenge will one day rise again."

Fuga looked at the map, his expression indifferent. "And we're here to erase every variable."

He had once been the Kazekage's bodyguard, the Land of Wind's most loyal protector. But after exposing a conspiracy among the leadership, he was branded a heretic. Exiled and hunted, he was eventually offered a hand by Akatsuki. Only then did he understand that the order of the Ninja World rested on lies and sacrifice.

He believed the wars of this world had to end. He would bring them to an end, even by the cruelest means.

"Five days left." He rolled up the scroll, his tone utterly flat. "According to the plan, the mission will be carried out on the night five days from now."

He paused, then suddenly asked, "Have you ever seen the Sharingan?"

"Of course." Biwa Juzo frowned. "The Sharingan is dangerous. Don't let them catch you in their gaze."

"If they're all dead, those threats will disappear too," Umino Fuga murmured, as if speaking to himself.

Biwa Juzo stopped and turned to stare at him. "You've got your own logic, I'll give you that. Tell me, Umino Fuga—doesn't it disgust you to face all these old people and children?"

The wind rose, sweeping sand across his face. Umino Fuga fell silent for a long time, as if a grain of sand had gotten into his eye, leaving him unable to speak.

"I didn't hesitate," he finally said. "But I don't agree with it either."

"Haha." Biwa Juzo laughed, his voice dry. "Now that's a slippery answer."

"No." Umino Fuga's voice suddenly hardened. "I understand this better than you. We're just weapons. We're blades. And blades aren't guilty."

He raised his head, his tired eyes gazing into the distance. "The guilty ones have never been the blades, but the people who wield them."

Biwa Juzo looked at him, his smile deepening. "A grand, self-righteous speech... But I like it."

The two set off again.

"Uchiha Clan, wait for us."

"In five days, we'll be there."