A New Mission

The first light of dawn barely touched the edges of Konoha Training Ground 3.

Yusuke closed his eyes and focused. Threads of chakra quickly appeared across the specially made kunai in his hand.

Unlike Minato Namikaze's "pitchfork" kunai, the one he'd commissioned was lighter and easier to throw.

Carefully, he carved a complex jutsu formula into the kunai's handle.

Sweat trickled down his temple, but his gaze remained focused and his breathing steady.

Before long, the words "Yusuke was here" slowly appeared on the kunai.

"Yusuke!"

A hurried voice shattered the morning stillness.

Yusuke's fingertips trembled. His chakra flow faltered, and the formula on the kunai flickered a few times before dissolving into a wisp of smoke.

He sighed and turned around. Tsunade was hurrying toward him, dressed in light armor suited for a long journey.

Her golden ponytail swayed in the morning breeze. A shadow hung over her refined yet spirited face.

"Are you heading out on a mission?" For some reason, seeing Tsunade dressed like that filled Yusuke with a sudden sense of foreboding.

Tsunade stopped in front of him and handed him a scroll without any preamble.

Her voice was low but stern. "Emergency orders. The reconnaissance unit on the western border spotted unusual large-scale movements by Sunagakure. They suspect the village is preparing to cross the border."

"The old man specifically ordered me to lead a team there immediately and reinforce the defenses."

Then she took out another scroll. "This one's for you. Your mission is to head to the Land of Whirlpools."

Tsunade furrowed her brows, anger and frustration flickering in her amber eyes.

"The Land of Whirlpools has requested aid. The village is assembling forces, and the main force is leaving tomorrow."

"Sunagakure just had to pull something like this now. And they specifically insisted that I go."

Yusuke silently accepted his mission scroll.

A coincidence? He didn't believe it for a second.

He was more inclined to believe Shimura Danzō was behind it.

That old bastard had pulled strings to get Tsunade sent away from him, all to eliminate Yusuke.

He could almost picture it: with the "inconvenient" Princess of Senju gone, a Chunin dying in an "accident" on the perilous battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools wouldn't cause much of a stir.

Danzō had taken advantage of the Hokage's orders and the village's "potential threat" to leave Tsunade no choice—and Yusuke no way to stop her.

"Damn it. I can't believe Danzō kept quiet for a few months, and now he's already stirring up trouble again."

Tsunade muttered a curse. She, too, believed Danzō was behind it.

But there was nothing Yusuke could do now except pretend everything was fine and put Tsunade at ease.

"Don't overthink it. Your Medical Ninjutsu is perfect for dealing with Sunagakure's poison."

"But be careful. Sunagakure's methods are devious. Don't fall into a trap."

Tsunade gave Yusuke a complicated look. After spending so much time with him, she could tell he didn't mean what he was saying.

Suddenly, she stepped closer and cupped his face in both hands.

The gesture was unexpected, and carried her usual forcefulness.

"Listen, Yusuke."

Her gaze fixed on him, her tone serious.

"The situation in the Land of Whirlpools is a complete mess. Several major powers are tangled up in it, and it's even more dangerous than the Land of Rain was last time."

"And Shimura Danzō is in charge again."

"He's definitely up to no good. You're coming back safe and sound, understand?"

Her voice trembled slightly. It sounded less like an order and more like a plea.

Tsunade held his gaze for a few seconds. Then she rose onto her toes and quickly kissed his forehead.

The unexpected kiss left Yusuke stunned.

Yusuke: Huh? Did I just get kissed against my will? I guess not, exactly.

After the kiss, Tsunade quickly stepped back, her cheeks flushing red.

She looked a little embarrassed, but soon forced herself to act composed.

"This... This is an advance on your reward."

"When you come back to Konoha in one piece, I... I'll give us a chance and see how things go."

"Huh? See how things go?" Yusuke repeated instinctively. "Haven't we already started?"

"Who said that? When have you ever confessed to me?"

Tsunade practically shouted, then immediately turned her face away.

"Anyway, remember this: come back alive."

Seeing Tsunade so uncharacteristically shy yet forceful, Yusuke should have felt happy and thrilled.

Instead, a chill even stronger than the one he'd felt when he realized Danzō was behind this swept over him.

That classic "when I get back..." line was a textbook death flag.

The kind of scene where a sweet promise was made one moment, only for the two of them to be separated by death the next, was all too familiar from his memories.

And Tsunade had sealed the deal with her "kiss of death."

Buhao, this is bad.

"Tsunade..." He opened his mouth, wanting to tell her how dangerous that flag was and ask if she could take it back.

But when he saw the sincerity in her clear eyes, the words caught in his throat.

All he could do was nod firmly and force a reassuring smile. "Okay. I promise."

"I'll come back alive and claim my 'reward.'"

Tsunade looked at Yusuke's somewhat awkward smile as if she were about to snap at him.

I've already done this much to encourage you. What more do you want?

But when she thought about what Yusuke was about to face, her fiery temper gradually cooled.

Tsunade continued reminding him of everything he needed to watch out for on the battlefield, from wilderness survival skills to the ninjutsu styles of different countries. She left nothing out.

Yusuke listened carefully and committed it all to memory.

At last, Tsunade checked the time. It was almost time for her to assemble.

She bit her lower lip and gave Yusuke a long look. "I have to go."

Yusuke handed Tsunade a kunai and smiled. "Don't look so down. This is my specially made kunai, with a chakra-activated formula I created myself."

"If you're ever in danger, I'll sense it right away and come to you."

Tsunade pressed her lips together, then carefully tucked the kunai into her pouch.

"I'm off. This is a secret medicine that stimulates your potential, but don't use it unless you have to."

She pressed a vial into Yusuke's hand and turned to leave.

Yusuke stood still, watching until her figure disappeared from sight.

The area fell silent, with only the morning breeze rustling through the leaves.

He took a deep breath of the cool air. The unease that had been weighing on him didn't fade when Tsunade left.

Instead, it kept spreading, growing heavier by the moment.

All fear stemmed from a lack of firepower.

If he had six hundred billion Explosive Tags, he didn't believe anything could stand in his way.

Yusuke quietly gathered the scattered ninja tools, then headed straight for a weapons shop in Konoha.

He went on a huge shopping spree, buying a large stock of Explosive Tags, Military Ration Pills, antidotes, and medical bandages.

As a cautious man and master of the art of staying alive, he carefully checked the quality of every supply.

He packed the Explosive Tags securely and sorted and labeled the antidotes by effect and toxicity.

By the time he finished, evening had fallen.

Back at his place, Yusuke took out his greatsword and carefully wiped the blade with an oiled cloth. Its cool touch finally calmed his troubled thoughts.

"Stay alive..." he whispered to himself.