Five Days Later, Friend or Foe

"Shizune."

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

But Shizune didn't respond. In her arms, a small pink pig was held tightly, its face almost buried in the fluffy neck. That little pig was Tonton, a pig wearing a pearl necklace, currently being held so tightly that its four hooves kicked, emitting a weak and wronged "Puyou~ Pupu Puyo..." protest, as if saying: "You're trying to kill me!"

Tsunade leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and said with a smile, "Including this time, you've been spacing out fifteen times today. If this continues, Tonton might suffocate in your arms."

Shizune was startled and suddenly looked down. Indeed, Tonton's eyes were rolling back, and the pearl necklace was digging into its flesh. She quickly let go in fright, patted it a few times, and coaxed, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."

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

"See, that's exactly what you were doing just now." Tsunade smirked slightly, imitating Shizune's posture from earlier.

Tonton let out a series of "Puyou~ Pupu Puyo" sounds, its little hooves patting Tsunade's chest with all its might, but its struggles were in vain. It was pressed so tightly, struggling to climb out, but its face ended up sinking directly between Tsunade's ample peaks. Its little eyes instantly filled with despair: "Pupu Puyo..." This sound was almost choked with sobs.

"I... I wasn't spacing out." Shizune, blushing, forced herself to stay calm, but her eyes darted around, unsure where to look on Tsunade's body to appear decent. Tsunade's slightly open collar didn't conceal much, especially as she held the pig, her two "snow peaks" rising and falling with her movements, coincidentally submerging Tonton completely. Poor Tonton only had one ear sticking out, trembling.

"Yesterday, I received a message from Kurenai Yuhi," Shizune said softly, changing the subject. "Uchiha Rei was poisoned during a patrol mission, and his condition is very serious... She hopes you can return to the village as soon as possible."

Tsunade's eyebrows twitched slightly, her usual carefree expression instantly becoming more serious. Uchiha Rei, a very cautious ninja.

Her gaze swept past the window towards the distance, her voice low, "Orochimaru once wanted to recruit him as an assistant, but he refused. That kid is indeed not simple."

"It's precisely because of this that I..." Shizune suddenly paused, her face flushing slightly, "that I... worry about him."

Tsunade turned to look at her, the corners of her mouth slowly curling into a meaningful arc. "Oh? You're so obviously worried. Is it because he's your peer, or is he the one you love?"

"The one I love must be someone who can make me willingly bow down in Medical Ninjutsu," Shizune's voice was steady, but a subtle stubbornness and shyness in her eyes couldn't be hidden.

Tsunade laughed, her shoulders shaking, her two abundant peaks trembling along, burying the little pig even deeper. Tonton struggled incessantly in her arms.

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

"Then why are you blushing?" Tsunade laughed and took a step closer, gently patting Shizune's shoulder, her voice softening a bit. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore."

She looked down at Tonton, who was almost suffocated, and finally, with great mercy, put it back on the ground. The little pig seemed to have been reborn, panting as it straightened its crooked necklace, its little eyes filled with resentment.

Tsunade turned and sat down by the window, watching the sky darken outside as a gust of wind sent dead leaves dancing in the air. Her tone suddenly became serious. "Kurenai Yuhi personally sent the message, which means the situation is not simple. Perhaps it's not just Uchiha Rei being injured... Perhaps, the village is in crisis."

Shizune nodded, her voice firm, "I'm willing to travel overnight. I'll treat him immediately upon returning to the village."

"Mm." Tsunade was no longer joking. She nodded. "The old man wanted me to return in ten days... Since you're so eager, let's make it five days earlier."

"Really?!" The moment Shizune looked up, her eyes sparkled with unconcealed surprise and hope, and her voice rose slightly.

Tsunade hooked one side of her mouth, a familiar mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Ha, I knew some people haven't been able to eat properly lately."

"I, I didn't..." Shizune lowered her head, her ear tips flushed red, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

Tsunade stood up, picked up Tonton again, and walked towards the door. "I'm going to have a drink, and see if there are any good gambling games around."

Tonton struggled in her arms in terror, its hooves patting her chest, making sounds like "Puyo! Puyo!" as if shouting, "I'd rather stay with Miss Shizune than be a chest pad!"

Tsunade glanced back at Shizune, her expression gentle yet tinged with an unspeakable heaviness. "You are a kind person, Shizune. But don't always worry about others. You need to think clearly... what do you truly want, and do you dare to pursue it?"

In that instant, Shizune froze, her heart skipping a beat.

She watched Tsunade's retreating back, her gaze gradually firming.

"Uchiha Rei, wait for us."

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

On the vast, sand-swept desert, two figures clad in red cloud cloaks walked slowly through the wind and sand.

There was no direction in the desert. The two figures stopped by a protruding sand dune.

"Our target is the Uchiha," Umino Fuga finally spoke. He wore a mask, revealing only his sharp eyes.

Beside him, Biwa Juzo carried the massive Kubikiribōchō on one hand, its blade wrapped in tattered cloth. He sat on a rock, his head tilted lazily, his eyes half-open, his gaze indifferent.

"Another dirty job," he sneered, a hint of disdain in his tone. "Didn't you hear what Zetsu said? Our mission is to clean up the Uchiha's remnants."

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

"This mission isn't about confronting their elites head-on," Fuga's voice was like a dry wind blowing past the ear. "We are responsible for eliminating the Uchiha's old, weak, sick, and disabled. As for the Uchiha patrol teams, others will handle them."

Biwa Juzo let out a cold snort, a mocking smile curling his lips. "How ironic. A dignified S-rank rogue ninja, reduced to killing those who can barely stand."

Umino Fuga's eyes flickered, but he didn't respond. His fingertip landed on the scroll, pressing down on the stained area. His knuckles turned slightly white, as if suppressing some emotion.

"Honestly, I hate these kinds of missions," Biwa Juzo stood up, shouldering the heavy Kubikiribōchō. His voice was low, tinged with weariness. "Killing these defenseless people is no different from weeding a pile of corpses."

"Compared to war, this kind of cleanup is more efficient," Umino Fuga said slowly. "War always leaves embers. As long as there are survivors with memories, the fire of revenge will ignite again one day."

Fuga looked at the map, his expression indifferent. "And we are here to erase all variables."

He was once the Kazekage's personal guard, the most loyal protector of the Land of Wind, but because he exposed the conspiracy of the higher-ups, he was deemed a heretic. Exiled and hunted, until Akatsuki extended a hand to him. Only then did he understand that the order of the Ninja World was built upon lies and sacrifice.

He believed that the wars in this world should not continue. He wanted to end them, even if it meant using the most brutal methods.

"There are five days left," he put away the scroll, his tone devoid of emotion. "According to the plan, the mission will be executed five nights from now."

He paused and suddenly asked, "Have you seen the Uchiha's Sharingan?"

"Of course I have," Biwa Juzo frowned. "The Sharingan is very dangerous. Never let them lock onto you."

"If they all die, those threats will disappear with them," Umino Fuga said in a low voice, as if talking to himself.

Biwa Juzo paused, turning to stare at him. "You have your own logic. Tell me, Umino Fuga, facing these old people and children... don't you feel disgusted?"

The wind kicked up sand, blowing across his face. Umino Fuga remained silent for a long time, as if a grain of sand had lodged itself in his eye, unable to speak.

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

"Haha," Biwa Juzo laughed, his laughter dry. "That's a very slippery way of putting it."

"No," Umino Fuga's voice suddenly became firm. "I understand better than you. We are just weapons. We are knives. And knives are not guilty."

He raised his head, his tired eyes looking into the distance. "The ones who are guilty are never the knives, but the hands that wield them."

Biwa Juzo looked at him, his smile deepening. "A grand set of words... but I like it."

The two set off again.

"Uchiha Clan, we're coming for you."

"In five more days, we will arrive."