Yiya.
The inner room's door opened, and Shizune and Yakushi Nonō hurriedly turned to look toward the entrance.
Uchiha Iori and Tsunade walked out side by side. Tear tracks still lingered on Tsunade's face, while blood was still running from Iori's eyes.
"Lady Tsunade, have you recovered from your hemophobia?" Shizune stood up. She had already guessed the answer, but still hoped to hear Tsunade say it herself.
"Yes, I've recovered. Now we'll go find Orochimaru and start making plans for a counterattack. You two should get ready as well. The Medical Unit's support work will become increasingly important."
After overcoming her hemophobia, Tsunade had returned to her former self—decisive and full of spirit.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Shizune and Yakushi Nonō nodded in agreement, then turned to coordinate with the Medical Unit.
Tsunade turned to Iori and asked with concern, "Would you like to rest first? Your Sharingan is still bleeding."
She reached out to wipe the bloody tears from Iori's face, but more blood continued to flow from his eyes.
"Just a moment. I'll treat myself." Iori projected a staff and healed himself with a quick spell. Once his condition was stable, he stopped.
Tsunade looked at the staff in Iori's hand in surprise. "What kind of ninjutsu is that? It feels completely different from our Medical Ninjutsu. Let me study it later."
This was a form of medical ninjutsu entirely unlike the current system of ninjutsu. As the strongest medical ninja in the Ninja World, she was deeply curious.
She didn't stand on ceremony with Iori. Asking him outright, she planned to see if she could learn from its strengths and improve her own Medical Ninjutsu.
"No problem. I'll give it to you when we get back. Study it however you like. It doesn't matter if it breaks."
Iori had always been generous with his own people, and localizing Noble Phantasms was one of his goals to begin with.
As he spoke, Iori took out several charms. Each contained a different healing spell: Gold Healing, Silver Healing, and Platinum Healing. He handed them to Tsunade and said,
"These are some of my research results. You can use them for reference and see if you have any suggestions. Also, can you teach me the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu?"
Iori didn't stand on ceremony with Tsunade either. He directly asked for the essentials of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu, which he had coveted for a long time.
"I can teach you the simpler ones directly, but I don't know the more advanced ones either. Those are with Kushina. I'll talk to her when we get back to the village. She'll agree."
Tsunade agreed without hesitation and even worked out what they could do next.
"Then let's go. We'll find Orochimaru and make a plan. It's time for us to counterattack."
Tsunade pumped her fist and spoke confidently.
"I can take Chiyo, but the Fourth Kazekage, the One-Tail Jinchuriki, and the Ketsuryūgan ninja must be dealt with separately. You can't handle all three by yourself."
"If necessary, I could." Uchiha Iori moved closer to Tsunade and lowered his voice.
"But I don't want to reveal too much of my strength yet. The time isn't right. If I show too much, it'll be harder for me to see certain things clearly."
Tsunade fell silent for a moment. "Spare my teacher's life. Do whatever you want with the others."
Tsunade wasn't a fool. One of the reasons she had left Konoha was to escape politics, and she understood the conflict between the Uchiha and the village.
It seemed Iori planned to pursue two approaches at once, distinguishing between those who could be won over and those who had to die.
Tsunade had no desire to protect Konoha's leadership, but her teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, still held a place in her heart.
If possible, she didn't want her lover to kill her teacher. The thought would cause her pain.
"No problem. I'll spare his life." Iori nodded. He didn't want to kill him himself either. The Third Hokage had too much influence; killing him outright would cost them a great deal of support.
But if he doesn't know what's good for him, then I can't be blamed if he dies in an 'accident,' Iori thought calmly.
Tsunade looked at Iori's expression and sighed, but said nothing. She could only hope that after his defeat, her teacher would accept it rather than bring about his own death.
"Lady Tsunade, have you recovered?"
"Lady Tsunade, are you all right now?"
"That's wonderful! Lady Tsunade can lead us again."
As Tsunade made her way through the camp, ninja after ninja greeted her and paid their respects. It wasn't because of her bloodline or strength, but because for more than a decade she had treated the sick and injured, helping countless people.
In the hearts of Konoha's ninja, she was a banner that brought people together.
"Orochimaru, it's time to counterattack. Gather the remaining jonin." Tsunade strode forward and entered the tent without announcing herself, speaking loudly.
Seeing several unfamiliar ninja standing before Orochimaru, Tsunade asked, "Have you come from the Land of Water as reinforcements?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade. After the Kirigakure Ninja pulled back, we gathered some of our forces and came to support you here," said a ninja with pale eyes as he stepped forward.
Judging by the formation, he seemed to be leading the five reinforcements.
"I'm Hyuga Hideki, jonin."
"I'm Hyuga Tetsuya, jonin."
"I'm Hyuga Yoichi, jonin."
The three jonin from the Hyuga Clan introduced themselves in turn. Though only three had come, the Hyuga Clan were the finest scouts. The Byakugan's ability to see over vast distances made it a strategic weapon for Konoha.
"I'm Shisui Uchiha, jonin."
"I'm Uchiha Naoya, jonin."
The other two ninja introduced themselves as well. They were elite ninja of the Uchiha Clan. Things were a little different from the original story: to support the Land of Wind, Shisui had been promoted to jonin early.
"Long time no see, Shisui. I heard you made quite a name for yourself on the battlefield in the Land of Water."
Uchiha Iori stepped forward and embraced Shisui, speaking warmly. During their childhood, Shisui and Iori had depended on each other. Shisui was one of the few family members Iori truly cared about.
"You've grown a lot, Shisui." Iori felt a little emotional. He'd known for a long time that Shisui would accomplish great things, but seeing him as he was now still moved him.
"All right. I've already sent someone to find the jonin who are still in the camp. We'll start making plans for a counterattack shortly," Orochimaru said, rapping his knuckles against the table.
As the jonin filed into the tent, everyone inside gradually quieted down.
"Most of us are here now. Let's begin the meeting. Reinforcements have arrived from the village, so we can start preparing for a counterattack."
Orochimaru officially opened the meeting.
"As before, we're still at a disadvantage when it comes to our top fighters. I'm out of the fight, and only Tsunade and Uchiha Iori can be considered top-tier fighters. We'll have to allocate our forces carefully."
"Does anyone have any suggestions?" Orochimaru wasn't familiar with the abilities of the reinforcements from the Land of Water, so he planned to let them share their ideas first and then fill in any gaps.