There's a Bad Guy Among Us!

Orochimaru raised a hand to signal for silence, his gaze sweeping across the room. "After this sneak attack by the Sunagakure ninjas, I believe everyone here is quite clear on the situation."

"Sunagakure has officially declared war on our Konoha!"

"From this moment on, any Sunagakure ninja who steps into the Land of Fire without authorization is to be executed on sight!"

"Every squad is to attend to their assigned duties and await orders at all times. There will be no mistakes!"

Orochimaru laid out a series of strategic guidelines.

Although it was Hatake Sakumo's camp that would be dealing with the main force of Sunagakure, this side was primarily responsible for the Land of Rain battlefield and remaining vigilant against Iwagakure, who might join the fray at any moment.

The critical issue was that Sunagakure was not far from the Land of Rain. With Hatake Sakumo's troops representing only a fraction of Konoha's total strength, the pressure was immense, and it was highly likely that Sunagakure would attempt to influence this theater of war.

Orochimaru and Hatake Sakumo needed to coordinate and support one another to concentrate their combat power and face the crisis.

Konoha sat at the center of the five nations, forced to face the four great ninja villages simultaneously, along with other smaller villages whose intentions remained unclear. The situation was extremely disadvantageous.

The meeting concluded.

Bai Lin left alongside Tsunade, and Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto rushed to his side without a moment's delay.

"Brother Lin, I missed you so, so much!"

Kushina pounced on Bai Lin, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. With her feet dangling in the air, she clung to him like a sloth, refusing to let go.

Bai Lin staggered from her weight, quickly reaching out to support her thighs to steady himself. He followed Tsunade's pace with a helpless smile. "How much did you miss me? Tell me."

"Super, super much!" Kushina buried her face in the crook of his neck and mumbled, "Ever since you left, there's been no one to supervise my training."

Bai Lin raised an eyebrow, teasing her intentionally. "So, in your heart, I'm just a tool for supervising your training?"

"Hmph, you are a tool! That's what you get for leaving without taking me!" Kushina rubbed her face against his neck, pouting, though her voice softened.

"It's one thing that you took Sister Mikoto with you, but why could Nawaki go too, while I was stuck following Sister Tsunade!"

"I am very unhappy."

Kushina pursed her lips, signaling that she would forgive him only if he coaxed her.

"Kushina, what's wrong with being by my side?" Tsunade turned back, her tone sharp. "When that brat wasn't here, who do you think has been accompanying you during training all these days?"

"And who has been healing you?"

"Who has been comforting you?"

"Ungrateful brat, answer me!"

Kushina stuck her tongue out at her and made a face, then buried her head back into Bai Lin's neck, ignoring Tsunade entirely.

"I hate children the most!" Tsunade sighed helplessly.

Bai Lin naturally saw through her, and following her lead, he said, "I missed you too, Kushina."

"You don't mean that! You have Sister Mikoto by your side, gentle and capable—I'm sure you've long forgotten a little troublemaker like me!" Kushina pouted, tracing circles on Bai Lin's back with her finger, her voice filled with grievance.

Bai Lin looked down at her reddened eyes and sighed deliberately. "Oh dear, have I been found out?"

Kushina's eyes widened instantly as she tugged at his collar. "Did you really forget me?"

"I'm teasing you." Bai Lin smiled and pinched her soft cheeks, his tone gentle.

"Twenty-four hours a day, one thousand four hundred and forty minutes, eighty-six thousand four hundred seconds—my mind is filled with nothing but you."

He leaned down close to her ear, his voice dropping to a whisper, laced with deliberate seduction. "I think of you when I open my eyes in the morning, and I think of you when I close them at night. I even dream of you when I sleep. My charming little enchantress, when will you finally let me hold you and sleep soundly?"

"Wah--!" Kushina stiffened instantly, her cheeks flushing so red they looked ready to bleed, even the tips of her ears burning hot. She subconsciously tightened her arms around Bai Lin's neck, burying her face in his neck as she squeaked, "Lin, Brother Lin, you're a rogue!"

Though she called him a rogue, her body honestly snuggled closer into his embrace, her very breath turning scorching hot.

"You brat!" Tsunade, walking in front, felt the veins in her forehead throb. She turned back and glared fiercely at Bai Lin. "Spouting such lewd nonsense in broad daylight!"

"Since you're thinking of Kushina every day, it seems you haven't put Mikoto in your heart at all."

"Mikoto, don't pay any mind to this brat anymore. He's cut from the same cloth as Jiraiya; he's no good."

Tsunade fanned the flames toward Uchiha Mikoto, clearly enjoying the chaos.

"Lin, it seems I don't rank as high as Kushina in your heart. I'm so sad and hurt." Mikoto lowered her eyes, her tone carrying a hint of deliberate grievance, though the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "And here I was, thinking of you every single day."

"Haha! Mikoto, I missed you too!" Bai Lin knew Uchiha Mikoto wasn't actually angry, so he took her small hand.

"Then how will you prove it?"

"Prove it, huh..." Bai Lin raised an eyebrow, suddenly leaning down to kiss her on the forehead, his voice filled with laughter. "Does this count as proof?"

Mikoto stiffened, her cheeks turning bright red, and a crimson flush spread down to her neck.

She subconsciously looked up, locking eyes with Bai Lin's smiling gaze, before quickly lowering her head again. Her fingertips trembled slightly, but she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting. "I... I suppose it does..."

"Wow! Brother Lin, you're biased!" Kushina immediately protested, shaking Bai Lin's neck vigorously. "You kissed Sister Mikoto, you have to kiss me too! Ten times! Otherwise, I won't forgive you!"

Bai Lin felt dizzy from her shaking and laughed helplessly, kissing her on the other cheek. "Is that fair enough now?"

"Not fair!" Kushina pouted, offering her other cheek. "You have to kiss this side too! And your forehead, your nose, and your mouth!"

"You brat, give an inch and take a mile!" Tsunade turned back and gave her a sharp flick on the forehead. "If you keep acting up, I'll send you back to Konoha so you never see this brat again!"

Kushina pouted aggrievedly, yet she obediently stopped making demands, only clutching Bai Lin's neck tightly like a kitten guarding its food, muttering softly, "Sister Tsunade is mean!"

"There is a bad person among us!"

Tsunade had reached the end of her patience; she turned around and reached out to pinch Kushina's ear. "You brat, you dare call me mean? I think you're asking for a beating!"

"Ouch, ouch, it hurts!" Kushina grimaced in pain, yet she still refused to let go of Bai Lin's neck. "Brother Lin, help! Sister Tsunade is trying to murder me!"

Bai Lin hurriedly reached out to stop Tsunade, smiling as he tried to mediate, "Tsunade, even if you're jealous of Kushina, you shouldn't bully her."

"I'm jealous of her? What could I possibly be jealous of?" Tsunade was stunned.

"Of course you are. Look, Kushina is so young and already has me doting on her, while you're already so old and still don't have a man. That makes you a spinster, doesn't it?"

"I'll take pity on you; I'll sleep with you tonight to alleviate the jealousy in your heart, so you don't have to choke on dog food every day and lose your appetite."

"You brat, you're looking for death!" Tsunade instantly flew into a rage, veins bulging on her forehead as she raised her hand to strike at Bai Lin's head. "I'll show you for spouting nonsense!"

Bai Lin was prepared; holding Kushina, he sidestepped and dodged the blow, laughing as he ran away. "Tsunade, you wouldn't want others to know that you haven't had a boyfriend because you think I'm too handsome and can't look at anyone else, right?"

"You little brat!"

"Boom!" A crater several meters wide appeared in the ground.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The Konoha ninjas, unaware of the truth, heard the loud noise and instantly became alert. They rushed toward the source of the sound one after another, their expressions grave, assuming that ninjas from Sunagakure or Amegakure had infiltrated the camp.