The War Zone Commander

Konoha, Hokage Building, conference room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two Advisor remained seated, exchanging silent glances.

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed outside and muttered, "Taiichi has the Flying Thunder God, and with Minato's Flying Thunder God, it'll just make things a bit harder for them."

Furthermore, I plan to send Sakumo to the Western Front Battlefield to oversee the operation. With him there, the western front will be absolutely safe.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were both a little stunned; the name Hatake Sakumo was a distant memory for them.

Since the rumor incident two years ago, Hatake Sakumo has practically withdrawn from the ranks of front-line ninjas, and these high-ranking officials, due to their own selfish motives, have not interfered in the matter.

Hearing that name again now feels completely unfamiliar.

"It would be wonderful if Sakumo could go to the front lines." Whether he meant it sincerely or not, those words were uttered anyway.

The three returned to their respective offices. After returning to his office, Hiruzen Sarutobi took out the specially made Flying Thunder God Kunai that he had specifically asked Taiichi for last time.

It wasn't that Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to seek Taiichi's protection; it was simply for the sake of easier communication.

Just like now, as Hiruzen Sarutobi activated the seal, Taiichi appeared in the office in just a few seconds, which was incredibly convenient.

Taiichi, upon appearing, immediately looked around. After confirming there were no enemies, he asked curiously, "Hokage-sama, is there something you need from me?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly began his performance, "Taiichi, I heard you've been trying to persuade Tsunade to return to Konoha. How's the situation now?"

Taiichi immediately realized that Jiraiya must have told the Hokage this. He had only told Jiraiya about his advice to Tsunade, but he hadn't expected that this big mouth would tell the Hokage.

However, upon further reflection, considering why Hiruzen Sarutobi asked him about Tsunade, and taking into account Konoha's current situation and Mist Village's declaration of war, he realized...

Taiichi immediately understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's intention: the Mist Village forces lacked a Commander who could keep the situation in check. It seemed that Danzo's defeat had made Hiruzen Sarutobi realize that Advisor who had long held high positions were not good at being Commander.

"Everything went smoothly. Teacher Tsunade still deeply loves Konoha. Although she's away, she's always concerned about Konoha's battle situation." Taiichi naturally started by praising Tsunade; whether people believed him or not was up to the Hokage.

"In our recent communications, I've also expressed my desire for Tsunade to return. Her replies suggest she's wavering and isn't as adamantly opposed as she was at the beginning. I think all that's needed now is a trigger to persuade Teacher Tsunade to return to Konoha."

Taiichi recounted his achievements over the years to Hiruzen Sarutobi, naturally embellishing his story by boasting about how much effort he had Taichi Matsushita into getting Tsunade back to Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi grew increasingly delighted as he listened, his eyes shining brighter with Taiichi. Taichi had accomplished so much over the years, and now he was even more confident in persuading Tsunade to return to Konoha.

"Taiichi, isn't this the perfect opportunity? The battle against Mist Village desperately needs a Commander, and the village is currently lacking ninjas with experience in this area. Tsunade is the most suitable candidate."

"But Hokage-sama, Teacher Tsunade suffers from Hemophobia, so it doesn't seem appropriate for her to go to the front lines. Besides, there are two Advisor in the village who could also serve as Commander."

It wasn't that Taiichi was intentionally making excuses, but if Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't even convince himself, how could he possibly convince Tsunade?

The office fell silent for a moment. Taiichi looked at the Hokage, somewhat puzzled as to what was wrong with him. Was this question really that difficult to answer?

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe, took a deep drag, and then exhaled a long plume of smoke before speaking with a hint of melancholy.

"Taiichi, perhaps you think that the situation in Konoha is not bad right now. Although Danzo lost a battle, the situation on the western front has stabilized, and it is only a matter of time before we regain the advantage."

Taiichi nodded in agreement. That was indeed what he thought. Konoha had been winning almost every battle since the start of the war. They had suffered a minor defeat before, but with his help, they had managed to recover. However, judging from Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone, the situation was not as he had imagined.

Taiichi remained silent, waiting for what would happen next.

"Konoha has already opened up three battlefields, and now it is going to open up a fourth. The village does not have enough ninjas to send out. Even the troops going to fight against Mist Village this time are supported by various Ninja Clan."

After Danzo's defeat, Cloud Village and Iwagakure showed signs of launching a joint attack on Konoha, and Mist Village even declared war on us directly. If we suffer another defeat, and the major ninja villages realize that we are no longer invincible, they will definitely put aside their prejudices and prioritize attacking the already weakened Konoha.

Our situation will be even more dangerous then, so in the battle against Mist Village, we can only win, we cannot afford to lose, because we can no longer afford to lose.

Hiruzen Sarutobi explained Konoha's current situation to Taiichi from a broader perspective, a view Taiichi had never considered before. It turned out that the seemingly glorious Konoha was now in such danger.

But Taiichi couldn't understand why, if the higher-ups knew that fighting on multiple fronts was not conducive to the development of the war, the war had allowed it to develop to its current state.

Konoha had opportunities before to completely eliminate an enemy in one direction.

Take Sunagakure for example. They were almost at their wits' end. The One-Tail Shukaku was killed Taiichi Taichi, and the village went through a series of battles. Even the surrounding area was ravaged by Cloud Village.

At that time, Konoha could have risked incurring more losses, Taiichi and Minato as the spearheads, which would have been enough to crush the entire Sunagakure in one fell swoop, but Konoha did not make a move.

Taiichi didn't believe that Jiraiya. From his observations of Jiraiya over the long period of time, he knew that Jiraiya's commands were quite aggressive, and he couldn't possibly let such an opportunity slip by.

The only possible explanation is that the village's higher-ups rejected Jiraiya's decision to attack, ordering the Southern Camp to hold their ground and watch the Sunagakure and Mist Village fight to the death.

Unexpectedly, the two of them joined forces and turned against Konoha.

This situation also occurred in the Northern Camp. Even when Orochimaru held the advantage, he could at most take over the entire Land of Hot Water, but he never took the initiative to attack the Land of Moon.

Logically, Konoha shouldn't have made such a mistake. It wasn't the first time they'd been besieged by multiple countries, and the Second Hokage set a good example.

First Shinobi World War, Konoha also faced attacks from multiple countries, but Senju Tobirama led his elite troops and relentlessly beat each enemy until they knelt and begged for mercy, before moving on to the next enemy.

With such a role model, Taiichi simply couldn't understand how the Konoha High Command had managed to turn the battle into this.

If you don't understand, just ask. Taiichi directly asked the Hokage about his question.

However, seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was also quite conflicted, and after some hesitation, Taiichi finally understood that it was nothing more than him being indecisive and worrying about this and that. Things that could have been resolved all at once had piled up due to this procrastination, which is why things had turned out this way.

In short, he felt he lacked the strength to subdue everyone, and dared not be as domineering as the Second Hokage, fearing he would incur the hostility of the entire Ninja World.

However, this conversation with the Hokage made Taiichi realize Konoha's current predicament. Finding Tsunade seemed to be an urgent matter, and the battle with Cloud Village was even more crucial.

"Don't worry, Hokage-sama. Konoha is our common home. I will do my best to persuade Teacher Tsunade to return. I believe that after learning all this, Teacher Tsunade will not have the heart to watch Konoha suffer such a calamity."

"Alright, Taiichi, hurry back. The troops are being mobilized and will be departing soon. We don't have much time."

When Taiichi sensed the Flying Thunder God Kunai Tsunade, Taiichi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Was this a coincidence or something deliberate?

If Taiichi's senses are correct, then Tsunade should be east of Konoha right now, in the direction of the Land of Waves.

Thinking of the impending great battle with Kirigakure, Taiichi couldn't help but sigh. What a hypocritical woman! She's clearly worried sick, but she insists on acting like it's none of her business.

However, this Taiichi's confidence in persuading Tsunade to return.

His figure vanished from the spot, and when he reappeared, he was already in the Land of Waves.

--

As Taiichi expected, the location was once again a casino. It can only be said that gambling is a hereditary hobby of the Senju Hashirama family. It is said that Tsunade especially liked gambling when she was very young.

Taiichi's appearance unsurprisingly attracted the attention of several people, but he only glared at them, and those who had noticed him immediately looked away.

His current mastery of Illusory Speed is already quite high, and his Yin Release Nature Transformation has reached Lv11. Dealing with these ordinary people would be a piece of cake.

Arriving at the most crowded and noisiest spot, Taiichi indeed found Tsunade's trail near the gambling table.

She had already taken off her outer robe, revealing her bare shoulders, with beads of cold sweat dripping from her forehead. There was only a small stack of chips in front of her. To an outsider, it would seem as if she had gone through some fierce battle, but only those who knew her understood that she was on the verge of losing.

The surrounding gamblers kept cheering and shouting, "Open! Open! Open!"

Taiichi, watching from the side, couldn't help but cover his face. Knowing that she would keep losing, she still insisted on gambling. And why didn't she bet smaller amounts? Why did she keep betting such large amounts? He didn't know what Tsunade was thinking.

With the dealer's announcement: "Three, four, five, twelve o'clock big."

A cheer erupted from the crowd, and the dealer took back the only chip in front of Tsunade.

Seeing that Tsunade had lost all her chips, Taiichi finally came up behind her. "Sensei, why are you always at the casino whenever I see you?"

A sleazy voice sounded behind her. Tsunade was startled at first, then her face lit up with joy. She turned around abruptly, but her joyful expression quickly vanished halfway around the corner, replaced by an angry look.

It was unclear whether he was annoyed that Taiichi had come to find him again, or annoyed that Taiyi had witnessed his embarrassing moment Taiichi.

"Hey kid, what brings you here again? Weren't you supposed to be overseeing the Western Front Battlefield?"

Well, she's definitely a stubborn woman. He's only been stationed on the western front for a few days, and Tsunade already knows the news. Doesn't that prove something?

"Teacher, let's go outside to talk!" Taiichi looked around, indicating that this was not the place to talk.

So, amidst the reluctance of many gamblers, the two left the casino. Seeing Taiichi, they couldn't help but tease him, "Teacher, you're so popular!"

Tsunade blushed upon hearing this, and quickened her pace as she left.

Back at the hotel, upon seeing Shizune, the two naturally exchanged pleasantries. After catching up, they finally got down to business.

Taiichi explained the situation in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi's assessment, and his own concerns. Finally, looking into Tsunade's eyes, he said earnestly, "Teacher Tsunade, I know you still care about Konoha, otherwise you wouldn't have come to the Land of Waves."

"Who—who said that!" Tsunade's eyes darted away, avoiding Taiichi's gaze.

"Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't ask you for help, but things are different now. Konoha is in dire straits. We must win this First Shinobi World War against Mist Village, and we must win it spectacularly. And right now, only you in Konoha can shoulder such a heavy responsibility."

Teacher, come back!

Tsunade remained silent for a long time before stepping out of the house and gazing into the distance, in the direction of Konoha.

Just as Taiichi said, she was indeed worried about Konoha, otherwise she wouldn't be here. She was well aware of Konoha's current situation; being an outsider, she saw things even more clearly than Taiichi.

However, a thorn remained in her heart, preventing her from returning to that place of sorrow.

"Taiichi, you should go back!"

Tsunade's voice rang out, but Taiichi a chill run down his spine. Was it still not working?

"Go tell the old man that I'm not going back to Konoha, but I will take over Commander. I'll be waiting for this force to arrive on the East Coast!"

My heart, which had just cooled down, immediately became hot again. Goodness, he's even pausing for breath while talking. I wonder where Tsunade learned this trick from.

"Okay, no problem, I don't think the Hokage-sama would disagree." Taiichi immediately stood up, his excitement evident on his face.

Shizune, standing to the side, was also full of surprise, but the thought that she would finally be free from this life of hiding and dodging debts made her genuinely happy.

If Taiichi knew her thoughts, he might suspect that Tsunade only took the position of Commander to avoid debts.

When Flying Thunder God returned to Konoha with the Flying Thunder God Technique, Taiichi immediately informed the Hokage of the good news. When Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that Tsunade was willing to take on the role of Commander, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, when he learned that Tsunade still did not want to return, the dejection on his face was unmistakable.

As he grew older, he sometimes wondered if he had made a mistake back then, and whether there had been a better solution. These thoughts became more frequent after Danzo's death, often plunging him into self-blame.

With the definite news brought back by Taiichi, the higher-ups quickly announced the Tsunade of Tsunade as the Commander of the Mist Village combat force.

This news immediately caused a stir in Konoha. Compared to the older Danzo of Advisor like Danzo, the younger generation in Konoha were undoubtedly more familiar with and recognized Tsunade.

With Sannin and Orochimaru Jiraiya, both legendary Sannin, having already established their formidable reputations on the front lines, and now Tsunade as the Commander of the new unit, everyone in Konoha was filled with confidence for this battle.

With morale high, the team assembled much faster.

The next morning, this force, composed of ninjas from various clans, joined Taiichi and headed to the front lines.