Divergent

Humiliating the patrol ninja right to his face, Yusuke had no doubt the man would charge at him and fight to the death the very next second.

Yusuke swallowed hard, bracing himself for a head-on clash.

That bastard Kuroiwa is truly arrogant, he cursed inwardly. If not for the need to maintain my cover, I would never have done this.

The patrol ninja glared at Yusuke with intense resentment, as if harboring a deep-seated blood feud.

The shopkeeper, caught between the two, remained frozen in place, not daring to move an inch despite the pain from being grabbed.

The patrol ninja snorted coldly and loosened his grip on his sword hilt; he knew that if he didn't leave now, Yusuke's next words would be even more unbearable.

"Let's go!" He turned and led his squad away.

"Cowards."

Yusuke spat on the ground and shoved the shopkeeper downward, causing the man to shudder.

"I haven't had my fill yet. Come upstairs with me," Yusuke commanded.

The shopkeeper pleaded, "My lord, I'm a bit indisposed these past two days."

Yusuke snorted, "How unlucky. Fine, forget it. Don't bother waking the person upstairs; let him wake up on his own."

With that, he shoved the shopkeeper aside and staggered out of the shop.

The shopkeeper gritted his teeth, wanting to curse but lacking the courage.

Yusuke wandered through the streets for a few laps, confirming multiple times that no one was tailing him.

After ducking into a secluded alley, he quickly dispelled his transformation, bought a few random items, and returned to his residence.

Tsunade was the restless type; it had been some time since she finished her medical treatments, and she paced back and forth in the room.

Konan watched the agitated Tsunade, then gathered her courage and stepped forward.

"Big sister, brother Yusuke will definitely be fine, don't worry. Let's play with origami," she said, hoping to soothe Tsunade's anxiety with a game.

Tsunade stroked Konan's hair, forcing a faint smile.

Just then, Yusuke hurried in. Seeing his flustered state, Tsunade stood up and walked over.

However, a faint scent clung to Yusuke, causing her to sniff the air involuntarily.

"What's wrong?" She took Yusuke's hand and patted it a few times, signaling him to calm down.

Yusuke smiled, "It's nothing. I saw someone getting robbed on the way back, but luckily I ran fast."

He placed the items he had bought that morning beside Konan and Seiichi, which included paper and picture books.

"These are for you both, as a thank you for letting us stay."

"Inside, there's the origami book Konan likes best."

"It's too dangerous here, so we'll be leaving today." He waved with a smile to bid them farewell.

Tsunade paused, not interrupting Yusuke's decision.

Spending these few days together made her trust Yusuke's judgment; she believed he would give her an explanation later.

Konan had been smiling at the paper and books, but upon hearing that the two were leaving, she looked at them with reluctance.

People at the bottom of society are often the most perceptive when it comes to judging character.

After two days together, seeing Yusuke still remember to bring gifts for his daughter, Seiichi finally made up his mind.

"Wait, my lords! Could you please take my daughter with you? She is very well-behaved, never throws tantrums, and eats very little."

Seiichi struggled to stand and knelt on the bed to plead.

Konan turned her head, looking in terror at the father who wanted to send her away, her large eyes instantly brimming with tears.

Her face was panicked, her hands clutching the books tightly as her mind reached a state of overload.

"I know you are ninjas from another village. I can act as bait to lure the village ninjas away."

"I only ask that you treat Konan well."

"She is too young to stay in this place filled with chaos."

Seiichi kowtowed repeatedly, ignoring his daughter's attempts to pull him up, like a dying beast making a final stand to protect its young.

Hearing Seiichi reveal that he knew their identities, Yusuke's gaze visibly tightened.

He looked toward Tsunade; this was no longer a decision he could make alone.

Usually, they were posing as a married couple, so he could take the lead.

But when it came to matters involving the mission, he had to follow the captain's orders.

Tsunade looked at the weeping man, caught in a dilemma.

In principle, for the sake of the mission, she should kill both the father and daughter to prevent any intelligence leaks.

Yet, in this man, she saw the shadow of her grandfather, Hashirama Senju.

Though their strengths differed, both were individuals who doted immensely on their children and descendants.

"For the sake of the mission, or..."

Tsunade's heart was a battlefield, but a sphere of chakra quietly gathered in her palm.

Yusuke watched Tsunade in silence, saying nothing, though his own heart flickered with uncertainty.

If everything can be sacrificed for a mission, then is my life, or even Tsunade's own life, counted among those chips?

Yusuke had no answer at this moment, but he believed that if Tsunade were to take the lives of innocents with her own hands, it would become an unsolvable knot in his heart forever.

After a long while, Tsunade released her clenched fist, and the chakra on her hand dissipated along with it.

"If there is a chance, we will."

She sighed, ultimately unable to make the choice to kill these two "witnesses."

Watching the figures of Tsunade and Yusuke turn and leave, Seiichi stopped his bowing.

The man was overjoyed; he had successfully secured a chance for his daughter to survive.

He pulled Konan into his arms, ignoring her struggling and crying, and said softly.

"Konan, you must be a good girl. When those two adults come again, you must listen to them just as you listen to me, understand?"

The rain outside began to fall again, accompanied by flashes of lightning, and the sky turned dim and uncertain.

The two traveled through the curtain of rain. Yusuke, conversely, was in a good mood; he took Tsunade's small hand and secretly traced a message.

Yusuke: I controlled a chunin. Based on the information obtained, I deduce that Amegakure intends to attack the Land of Iron, which will subsequently trigger a ninja world war.

Tsunade: Are you certain?

Tsunade's expression stripped away the melancholy from moments ago, replaced by a look of grave seriousness.

Yusuke: Ninety percent certainty. There are far fewer patrolling ninjas on the streets today.

Yusuke: Furthermore, the words "supplies," "Land of Iron," and "war" appeared many times in that chunin's memories.

Yusuke: We should return immediately and warn the higher-ups to prepare defenses.

At this moment, Tsunade did not immediately provide feedback.

After waiting a while, Tsunade slowly wrote back: Words are not proof. First, transmit the intelligence you mentioned back to the village to alert the old man.

Tsunade: If what you say is true, Amegakure's defenses should be weakened.

Tsunade: We act tonight. We will obtain the Amegakure ninja roster or battle deployment plans and ascertain their troop strength.

At this, she clearly felt Yusuke's hand stiffen. Yusuke was unsure if Hanzo the Salamander had already mobilized.

Having never crossed blades with Hanzo the Salamander, Tsunade did not yet understand the extent of his terror.

Yusuke quickly wrote on her palm: Even if you, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya combined, you could not defeat Hanzo the Salamander. How do you intend to seize the roster from his hands?

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, pondering in her heart: This kid is not one to speak without cause, but are we really to return to the village with only his speculative information?

If there is an error, the loss to the village is not something he alone can bear.