Iced Black Tea

"The meeting's over. I figured you'd be here, so I came by. This weather really isn't fit for humans. Sigh, if only I could have a few rounds of gambling right now and enjoy myself."

Standing on a branch, Tsunade stretched lightly and spoke in a soft voice.

At that, Uchiha Gen merely rolled his eyes in silence.

"What's with that look? You know how long it's been since I last gambled. Anyway, down to business. According to reports from our scouts on the front lines, the Land of Rain is about to give out. Our previous assessment still stands: Amegakure will probably launch an all-out assault on Konoha within the next few days.

"To prepare for Amegakure's desperate counterattack, Senior Lulin's strategy is to take the initiative and attack. All logistical personnel at our camp in the Land of Rain are to withdraw first, including the Medical Department. Of course, that doesn't include the two of us."

Tsunade gazed solemnly into the rain, a trace of unease in her eyes.

After all, they were about to face the man whose name was said to be a legend, a man at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World. That might be an exaggeration, but there was no denying Hanzo of the Salamander's strength.

"Another all-out assault? Is the intelligence reliable this time?"

Uchiha Gen raised an eyebrow at Tsunade. He remembered that the reason they had come here from the battlefield in the Land of Wind was that Amegakure had been about to launch an all-out assault.

"It's almost certain. The Land of Rain got a chance to catch its breath when the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning went to war, allowing it to withstand the other nations' attacks for over half a year.

"But the Land of Rain's environment has completely crippled its supply lines. It has no food source of its own, so it can't hold out any longer."

Tsunade nodded slightly, her voice low.

"If we clash with Amegakure, that old fox from Sunagakure will definitely try to take a bite out of Konoha. Hanzo of the Salamander's summon has a huge impact on the battlefield. If Sunagakure makes a move now..."

Uchiha Gen frowned slightly. Sunagakure was like a mad dog, rushing in wherever there was meat. He didn't believe Chiyo would pass up a chance to let the mantis stalk the cicada while the oriole waited behind.

"Senior Lulin said the same thing you did, and came up with a solution. He wants our logistics units to withdraw first, then have Senior Sakumo come from the battlefield in the Land of Wind to meet us and prevent Sunagakure from attacking our rear.

"As for the battlefield where we'll run into Amegakure, Sunagakure probably won't get involved, given how much they're trying to preserve their forces right now. Still, just in case, Senior Lulin has decided to set aside a force of ninja to guard against Sunagakure."

Tsunade looked at Uchiha Gen as if to say, "You're pretty smart," then continued.

"With Senior Sakumo coming to meet us, that should be more than enough. I've never fought him, but when I treated him, I could feel the sharpness about him. His strength must have reached Kage Level a long time ago."

A flicker of excitement and fighting spirit gleamed in Uchiha Gen's eyes. (To reiterate, the author knows that Naruto doesn't have a concept of Kage Level. Jonin, Chunin, Genin, and even Kage are all positions, but this is a novel, and it's easier to understand this way. Please don't mind.)

Kage Level... also meant a chance to draw from the S-rank card pool!

At that, Tsunade thought of the ever-gentle senior. Before she became a Jonin, she had gone on many missions with Jiraiya and Orochimaru under Hatake Sakumo. She still remembered how strong and dependable he had seemed.

Hatake Sakumo was usually very gentle, even a little spacey. But during practical missions, he became an incredibly sharp blade, cutting down every obstacle in his path.

"I'm not sure exactly how strong Senior Sakumo is. In all our past missions, I've never seen him use his full strength.

"But I'm certain he's powerful. I even have a feeling he could fight the old man. By the way, how strong are you now? I felt like you'd changed a lot on the battlefield in the Land of Wind."

After speaking, Tsunade looked at Uchiha Gen curiously. She was curious about his strength, too.

In just one year, Uchiha Gen had not only learned most of Mito Uzumaki's Sealing Jutsu, but had also mastered parts of her second grandfather Tobirama Senju's Water Release and the Flying Thunder God Technique. On top of that, he was now studying Senjutsu...and he had awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan long ago.

Good grief... Could this kid have reached Kage Level too?

For a moment, Tsunade grew even more curious about Uchiha Gen's strength.

"I don't know."

Seeing Tsunade's curious expression, Uchiha Gen shook his head honestly.

Uchiha Gen really wasn't sure what level his strength was at. He knew too many different things, and he still hadn't encountered a truly powerful opponent.

But one thing was certain: Uchiha Gen could easily kill an Elite Jonin now, and even some weaker Kage would be no match for him.

"Jeez, you're a monster. Do you have any more of that tasty drink from last time? Give me some. What was it called, Nutrient Express?"

At that, Tsunade rolled her eyes. She'd already labeled Uchiha Gen a monster because of how quickly his strength had increased.

After all, she knew that even her great-grandfather, the one known as the God of Shinobi, hadn't been this strong at Uchiha Gen's age.

As for the tasty drink Tsunade had mentioned, it was one of the items Uchiha Gen had drawn from the many times he'd used the C-rank card pool. Its effect was that he could take out an unlimited amount of any ordinary drink he knew of.

"Try this one. It's pretty good."

At that, Uchiha Gen turned his wrist, and a bottle of iced black tea appeared in his hand.

"Ooh! A new drink."

Tsunade's eyes lit up. She took the iced black tea from Uchiha Gen, twisted the cap off with practiced ease, and took a drink.

"It's a little sweet, and the flavor's kind of strange. But I think it'd taste pretty good with some ice."

Smacking her lips, Tsunade gave her verdict, then finished the rest of the iced black tea in one gulp.

"Oh, right. Come with me to tomorrow's meeting. With your strength, you need to know the details of our preparations for this operation. After all, you definitely won't pass up the chance to fight Hanzo of the Salamander, will you?"

After finishing her drink, Tsunade continued, addressing Uchiha Gen.

"Of course."

Uchiha Gen, who had been admiring the moon and practicing chakra control nearby, curled his lips into a smile and replied softly.