Iced Black Tea

"The meeting is over. I guessed you'd be here, so I came over. The weather in this place is truly unfit for humans. Sigh, if only I could place a few bets right now to liven things up."

Stepping onto a tree branch, Tsunade stretched lazily and spoke in a soft voice.

Hearing this, Uchiha Gen merely rolled his eyes in silence.

"What's with that look? It's not like you don't know how long it's been since I last touched a gambling table. Let's talk business. According to reports from scouts on the front lines, the Land of Rain is reaching its breaking point. The assessment remains the same as before: Amegakure will likely launch an all-out attack on our Konoha within these next few days."

"To counter Amegakure's desperate final stand, Lulin's strategy is to take the initiative. All logistics for the entire Land of Rain camp will be evacuated first, including the Medical Department. Of course, that excludes the two of us."

Tsunade looked toward the curtain of rain with a solemn expression, her eyes filled with a hint of unease.

After all, they were about to face the man whose name was synonymous with legend, the pinnacle of the ninja world. While that statement might have been an exaggeration, there was no denying the immense power of Hanzo of the Salamander.

"Another all-out attack? Is the intelligence accurate this time?"

Uchiha Gen raised an eyebrow and looked at Tsunade. He clearly remembered that the reason they had moved from the Land of Wind battlefield to this location was because of the exact same claim that Amegakure was about to launch a full-scale assault.

"It's almost certain. Although the Land of Rain gained a breather and withstood the invasions from various nations for over half a year because the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning started fighting each other, the environmental issues in the Land of Rain have caused their logistics to collapse completely. Without a self-sustaining food source, the Land of Rain can no longer hold out."

Tsunade nodded slightly and said in a low voice.

"If we engage Amegakure, that old hag from Sunagakure will definitely want to take a bite out of Konoha. Hanzo of the Salamander's summoning beast has a massive impact on the battlefield. If Sunagakure makes a move at this time..."

Uchiha Gen frowned upon hearing this. Sunagakure was acting like a mad dog right now, drilling into wherever there was meat. He didn't believe Chiyo would pass up an opportunity to play the oriole behind the mantis.

"Lulin said the same thing as you and provided a solution. His intention is to have our logistics troops retreat first, then have Sakumo come over from the Land of Wind battlefield to provide support, thereby preventing Sunagakure from attacking our rear. As for the battlefield where we clash with Amegakure, given Sunagakure's current attitude of protecting its own feathers, they likely won't intervene. However, just in case, Lulin has decided to split off a unit of ninjas to guard against Sunagakure."

Tsunade looked at Uchiha Gen with an expression that said, "You're actually quite smart, aren't you?"

"With Sakumo providing support, that should be sufficient. Although I haven't crossed blades with him, based on the sharpness I felt from him when I was treating his injuries, his strength must have long reached the Kage level."

A flash of battle intent and excitement crossed Uchiha Gen's eyes. (To reiterate, the author is aware that Naruto does not use the term "Kage level"—Jonin, Chunin, Genin, and even Kage are merely job titles—but this is a novel, so it's easier to be intuitive. Please don't mind.)

Kage level... also represents the number of draws for an S-rank card pool!

Upon hearing this, Tsunade also recalled this consistently gentle senior. Before she had become a Jonin, she, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had gone on many missions with Hatake Sakumo. She had a deep impression of that powerful and reliable feeling.

In daily life, Hatake Sakumo was very gentle, perhaps even a bit dorky, but once on a mission, he would transform into an extremely sharp blade, severing all obstacles in his path.

"I'm not entirely sure what Sakumo's specific strength is. After all, in our past missions, I have never seen him use his full power. However, it is certain that he is very strong. I even have a feeling that he might be able to go toe-to-toe with the Old Man. By the way, what is your current strength? When we were on the Land of Wind battlefield, I felt like you had undergone a huge change."

After speaking, Tsunade looked at Uchiha Gen with curiosity. She was quite intrigued by his power.

In just one year, Uchiha Gen had not only learned most of Mito Uzumaki's sealing techniques but had also mastered the basics of some of Tobirama Senju's Water Style and the Flying Thunder God, not to mention the Sage Arts he was currently researching... and the Three-Tomoe Sharingan this kid had awakened long ago.

Hiss... could this brat have reached the Kage level too?

For a moment, Tsunade couldn't help but become even more curious about Uchiha Gen's strength.

"I don't know."

Looking at Tsunade's curious eyes, Uchiha Gen shook his head honestly.

Uchiha Gen really wasn't sure what stage his strength was at right now. After all, his repertoire was too eclectic, and he hadn't encountered a truly formidable enemy yet.

However, one thing was certain: the current Uchiha Gen could definitely kill elite Jonin with ease, and even some weak Kage-level opponents would be no match for him.

"Tch, freak. What about that delicious drink from last time? Do you have any more? Give me some. Was it called 'Nutri-Express'?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes at his response. She had already labeled him a freak regarding the speed at which his strength improved.

After all, she knew that even her Great-Grandfather, who was known as the God of Shinobi, definitely didn't have this level of strength at Uchiha Gen's age.

As for the delicious drink Tsunade mentioned, it was an item Uchiha Gen had pulled from one of his many C-rank card pool draws. Its effect was the ability to infinitely produce any common beverage Uchiha Gen was familiar with.

"Try this. It's pretty good."

Uchiha Gen flicked his wrist, and a bottle of Iced Red Tea instantly appeared in his hand.

"Oh! A new drink."

Tsunade's eyes lit up. She reached out, took the Iced Red Tea from Uchiha Gen's hand, unscrewed the cap with practiced ease, and took a gulp.

"A little bit sweet, tastes a bit strange, but I feel like it would be great if you added some ice cubes."

Licking her lips, Tsunade gave her evaluation while holding the tea, then finished the rest in one go.

"Oh, right. You'll join me for tomorrow's meeting. With your strength, you need to know the detailed process of this operation's preparations. After all, you definitely won't pass up the chance to fight Hanzo of the Salamander, right?"

After finishing the drink, Tsunade continued speaking to Uchiha Gen.

"Of course."

Uchiha Gen, who had been practicing his Qi while admiring the moon, curled his lips and answered softly.