You'd better have Tsunade's healing too

"Alright, since everyone is here, let's begin the tactical briefing. According to the intelligence gathered by Jonin Hatake Sakumo, the Sunagakure forces will be here, here, and here..."

Watching the group settle down, Nara Rurin spoke in a deep voice, drawing everyone's attention.

After the meeting.

"You really are as impulsive as ever."

With the command room now empty save for Tsunade, Nara Rurin, and Uchiha Gen, Nara Rurin looked at Tsunade and spoke with a helpless sigh.

"Uncle Rurin, you know me. I have the same temperament as my grandmother—I'm protective of my own."

Although Nara Rurin was not a student of the Second Hokage, as the 'Deer' of the previous generation's Ino-Shika-Cho and given his connection to Torifu Akimichi, he was quite close with Mito Uzumaki.

Nara Rurin had always viewed Tsunade as a junior.

"Your temper really needs to change. Are you certain about that technique? Even though you gave me your word once, this is a decisive war, so I need to confirm it a second time."

Nara Rurin shook his head slightly, his expression turning serious as he looked at Tsunade and spoke softly.

"I have mastered the Katsuyu: Great Healing Technique. Relying on the chakra stored in my Yin Seal, as long as the Konoha ninja in battle can ensure the Katsuyu attached to them doesn't suffer fatal damage, I can provide continuous remote healing."

Tsunade spoke with confidence; in this regard, she possessed absolute certainty.

"That is good. I leave the safety of our soldiers in your hands."

Having received Tsunade's confident reply, Nara Rurin nodded, reassured.

Immediately, Nara Rurin's gaze shifted to Uchiha Gen, who was quietly practicing his qi nearby. Looking at the clan crest on Uchiha Gen's attire, a flicker of unreadable emotion crossed Nara Rurin's eyes.

"You must be Gen, may I call you that?"

Nara Rurin wore a smile as he spoke softly to Uchiha Gen. Recently, Uchiha Gen's name had been spreading widely throughout the Konoha rear camp; as the commander-in-chief, it would have been difficult for him not to hear of it.

"The commander-in-chief may address me as he pleases."

"Gen, please don't take what happened earlier to heart. Yue... he has his reasons. The Hyuga clan... sigh."

Nara Rurin felt a sense of regret. As the commander-in-chief, he had spent a long time working with Hyuga Yue and felt he understood the man well.

Usually, Hyuga Yue was a man of few words, yet he was deeply protective of his comrades and often did things silently without asking for anything in return.

However, Hyuga Yue's actions today were highly uncharacteristic, and he didn't need to think hard to guess the reason why.

"Caged Bird... heh. To have one's fate controlled by a bunch of trash like that—it really is pathetic."

Uchiha Gen curled his lip. While the Caged Bird did indeed protect the Byakugan bloodline, it also restricted far too much.

If such a technique were used on the Uchiha clan, it would have resulted in a bloodbath long ago. Want to control an Uchiha? Then be prepared to stare directly into the Sharingan.

"Ahem, try not to say things like that out loud, Gen. Tsunade has already told me about your situation. Although she has vouched for your strength, this is a battlefield, after all. Your medical talents are vital to Konoha, so I want to advise you: don't get carried away on the front lines."

"I know it's impossible to keep you from the battlefield and force you to stay in the Medical Department, as you are an Uchiha ninja. So, please, make sure to protect yourself. Additionally, regarding what I said earlier about you being promoted to Jonin—that was a fabrication. The Hokage has issued no such order, so you need to demonstrate the strength Tsunade promised as soon as possible. Do you understand?"

Uchiha Gen's words made Nara Rurin glance around in a panic. Once he was sure no one had heard, he spoke to Uchiha Gen with grave seriousness.

He knew the temperament of the Hyuga main branch members all too well. If Uchiha Gen's words reached their ears today, Konoha would likely be thrown into chaos for quite some time.

At that thought, Nara Rurin immediately shifted the topic, maintaining his stern demeanor as he addressed Uchiha Gen.

"You will see my strength for yourself."

At this, Uchiha Gen offered a faint smile in response.

Wind and sand filled the air.

Killing intent surged.

Sunagakure ninjas hid within the sandstorm, watching the Konoha ninjas ahead with malice.

At this moment, aside from the howling wind, the entire battlefield was silent—a silence that felt deeply ominous.

Until...

"Konoha! Hand over Hatake Sakumo, and we of Sunagakure will withdraw immediately! That damned wretch, to dare kill Hirochi and Mia! How dare he!"

From within the Sunagakure ranks, Ebizo stepped forward, his eyes bloodshot, shouting at the Konoha side with extreme hatred.

Upon learning of the death of Sasori's parents, Ebizo had fallen into a state of self-reproach. It was he who had ordered them to ambush the Konoha rear, only for them to be sent to the Pure Land.

The result left his heart filled with panic and guilt. He... could not face his sister, nor the young Sasori who was waiting for his parents to return home.

Therefore... he had to bring back Hatake Sakumo, the murderer of Sasori's parents, to be dealt with by Chiyo.

"Ebizo, stop spouting such useless nonsense. All Jonin Sakumo killed were enemies who attempted to ambush our Konoha rear. As for their identities or names, they are of no importance to Konoha. Their deaths were what they deserved."

As the commander-in-chief, Nara Rurin immediately responded to Ebizo's shout.

"Hmph, if you won't hand over Hatake Sakumo, then sleep forever in these shifting sands! Attack!"

Ebizo's eyes turned bloodshot as he waved his hand, and the Sunagakure ninja beside him immediately launched a charge toward the Konoha ninja.

"For Konoha!!"

Seeing this, Nara Rurin waved his hand as well, shouting loudly as he led his squad into the charge.

Standing in the rear, Tsunade saw the situation and simultaneously activated her Yin Seal, a massive surge of chakra flooding her body and rapidly flowing toward the Katsuyu attached to the Konoha ninja.

"Lady Katsuyu, I leave it to you."

"Mm, leave it to me, rest assured~"

"Katsuyu: Great Healing!"

In an instant, a green light illuminated the chests of every Konoha ninja.

On the battlefield, a Konoha ninja caught in the melee glanced at the wound on his arm carved by a ninja blade; seeing the bleeding stop instantly and the flesh begin to knit together, a ferocious expression rose on his face as he glared at the perpetrator of the cut.

"You Sunagakure brat, you'd better hope you have Lady Tsunade's healing too."

As the words left his lips, the Konoha ninja lunged forward, charging straight at the Sunagakure ninja.