Forty-Seven: A Gift

After four full months of tireless research by Sunagakure and Konoha, the antidote to the Demigod Hanzo of the Salamander's poison was finally ready in the depths of that snowbound winter.

This meant the shinobi on Konoha and Sunagakure's side no longer needed to avoid the Demigod's poison, and the Allied Shinobi Forces no longer had to pay countless costs to keep the Demigod's forces pinned along the border of the Land of Rain.

Uchiha Sakuya and Hatake Sakumo, among the Shinobi World's strongest fighters, no longer needed to keep carrying out missions to assassinate high-ranking figures and cut off supply lines.

Now they had the chance to face the Demigod head-on and fight him directly.

"The first batch of antidotes has arrived. The rest are being prepared as quickly as possible. They should reach the front lines within a week."

Seeing Tsunade arrive from the Konoha research institute, a thousand miles away, carrying the antidotes, Hatake Sakumo looked tremendously excited.

"Good. You've worked hard during this time, Princess Tsunade."

"I'm a Konoha shinobi too. This is what I ought to do."

Tsunade, who had stayed at the research institute in the rear since the war began, making antidotes for the Allied Shinobi Forces, smiled and nodded.

"Good, then let's call the meeting. I'll go check on this batch of antidotes."

Hatake Sakumo clapped his hands, then led everyone out, leaving Tsunade and Uchiha Sakuya alone.

He was a perceptive man and saw things clearly.

From the moment Tsunade entered the tent, she hadn't taken her eyes off Uchiha Sakuya.

But... a Senju and an Uchiha together?

If they really got together, the village might be in for a great upheaval.

He glanced back at Tsunade, who was smiling happily in front of Sakuya, and sighed inwardly.

Did the Third know about their relationship? Given the Hokage's greed for power, would he approve of a union between these two clans? No, Lady Mito was still around. In the end, it would be up to her.

Thinking this, he glanced at them once more. After exchanging a nod with Sakuya, who had noticed his gaze, he turned and left the tent.

Tsunade had no idea of the melancholy in Hatake Sakumo's heart.

She stood happily in front of Sakuya and said with a smile, "I heard about it at the research institute. The Red Flash—doesn't sound bad, does it?"

"I think it's pretty ordinary. Those Iwagakure guys are terrible at coming up with nicknames."

Sakuya shook his head as he packed his things.

"Not at all! I think Red Flash is a really cool nickname."

Tsunade said as she followed Sakuya out of the meeting tent.

He just copied Yellow Flash.

Sakuya grumbled to himself.

Those Iwagakure guys only knew how to give people nicknames with "color" and "flash" in them. That was how Minato Namikaze would get his nickname later, too. Honestly, Sakuya thought it sounded awful.

"By the way, Sakuya..."

Tsunade looked around the camp as she spoke, puzzled.

"Hmm?"

"Why does it feel like so many people are missing?"

Tsunade asked, confused. "I wanted to say something while we were in the tent. It seems like a lot of people are gone. I can't see many familiar faces."

She thought it over. "Like Dan Katō, and the Sarutobi Clan members, and the branch families from this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho. Where are they? Were they transferred somewhere else? Or..."

"They..."

Sakuya replied calmly, "They're all dead."

"Eh?"

Tsunade froze.

"A few days ago, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki from Kumogakure launched a surprise attack on our camp. A lot of our comrades, including Kato, died in that attack."

"How could this happen..."

Tsunade, who was experiencing war firsthand for the first time, looked dazed.

Before she came, she had imagined that many of her fellow villagers would die in the war and had prepared herself for it.

But seeing it all with her own eyes now, she suddenly felt a wave of worry.

In just a few months, so many vibrant lives had vanished in an instant.

If the war continued, would even more people die?

Would any of them be her relatives?

Or even...

She stole a glance at Sakuya and forced down the unease rising in her heart.

Don't jinx it, idiot.

How could that happen?

Sakuya was so strong, and he had the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Stop overthinking it. Here."

Seeing the confusion on Tsunade's face, Sakuya took a jade pendant from inside his clothes and handed it to her. "I prepared this gift just for you."

"What is it? Wow! It's so pretty!"

Tsunade took it and saw a glassy pendant with beautiful flame patterns. It glimmered in the sunlight, dazzlingly lovely.

The moment she saw it, the anxiety in Tsunade's heart vanished.

Delighted, she hung the pendant around her neck and smiled at Sakuya. "Does it look good?"

"It looks good."

"Hehe."

Hearing Sakuya's praise made Tsunade feel as sweet as honey.

Holding the pendant, she asked Sakuya, "Hey, Sakuya, where did you buy this? Judging by how fine it is, it must have cost quite a bit, right?"

"I didn't buy it."

Sakuya shook his head. "Last month, when I fought a powerful shinobi from Iwagakure, my flames accidentally melted a stone. After I killed him, I found it while searching the battlefield. It looked pretty after being burned, so I brought it back and had someone polish it a little."

He looked at Tsunade. "I'm just glad you like it."

"I love it!"

Smiling, Tsunade tucked the pendant into her collar and said very seriously, "I'll treasure it."

"Oh, Tsunade."

Sakuya remembered what they had discussed in the meeting earlier and asked, "When you were at the research institute, how well did you get along with Chiyo? What kind of person is she?"

"Aunt Chiyo?"

Tsunade thought it over. "She's very capable. She's skilled in medicine, the Puppet Technique, and ninjutsu."

"What's her temper like?"

Sakuya asked.

"Hmm... gentle, I guess."

Tsunade said, "She's easy enough to get along with. Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason. After the fighting with Amegakure ends, our relationship with Sunagakure may turn sour."

Sakuya said.

"Why?"

"Because Hatake Sakumo killed her son and daughter-in-law a few days ago."

Sakuya's offhand remark made Tsunade's eyes widen.

"Sunagakure... the Land of Pupil... Aunt Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law..."

All the information in Sakuya's words flooded Tsunade's mind, leaving her head spinning.

"This is war. Someone you've just met could become your enemy the next day... Tsunade."

Sakuya said, "You spent months studying poisons at the research institute and knew nothing about the war. I imagine Chiyo was the same. When she learns about this, her view of Konoha—and the friendship she had only just begun to build with you... all of it will fall apart."

"...I hope I won't see her on the battlefield when that time comes."

Tsunade lowered her head.