Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill

News of the convoy ambush spread rapidly to all parties.

In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage finished reading the detailed report, his furrowed brow finally relaxing.

The Third Hokage let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, the Hidden Sand really paid a heavy price for this raid on our supply line. Fortunately, the convoy's ninja defeated the enemy. Dan Kato and his team are truly formidable; one hundred against three hundred, with three jonin facing eight—to escape would have been a feat in itself, yet they actually managed to surround and annihilate the enemy, and the losses were within an acceptable range."

"This is a great victory. Shikaku and Riyue, two tactical geniuses... they are worth looking forward to. This old man has worthy successors!" The Third Hokage wore a joyful smile, gazing at the drifting white clouds in the blue sky outside the window as he took a satisfied puff of his pipe.

In the Land of Wind, the young and promising Third Kazekage stared at the report in his hands. After a long moment, he crumpled the paper into a ball of waste.

"A bunch of trash! With triple the force, they ambushed a Konoha transport unit and ended up being wiped out instead!"

As the Kazekage's anger flared, a ring of black iron sand began to float around him. He slammed his hand onto the table, and the iron sand crashed back to the floor. The messenger ninja standing nearby trembled in fear.

"Konoha! Since you wish to invade the Land of Wind, I will make sure you never return!"

"Notify the frontline commanders, Ebizo and Chiyo. The Hidden Sand will reinforce the front with five thousand troops. I will send my disciples, Dosa and Kalo, to assist them! Prepare for the offensive. Defeat Konoha, and then counter-attack into the Land of Fire!"

"Yes, Lord Kazekage!"

Riyue had inadvertently changed history. Even if the original Hidden Sand ambush had failed, they would not have been completely annihilated, and Konoha would have certainly suffered heavy losses. Instead, with Riyue's help, Konoha won a resounding victory. This led the Kazekage to commit to a massive troop surge, which would once again alter the situation on the Konoha front.

The stalemate between the two sides was about to undergo an unpredictable shift...

At the Konoha base camp, Tsunade sat in the commander's chair, resting her chin on her hand as she listened to the report.

Tsunade was in the prime of her youth, possessing a peerless beauty. At twenty-seven, she wore a jonin flak jacket and a Konoha forehead protector, looking capable, wise, and imposing.

Her pale, creamy-yellow hair was tied in low twin ponytails at the nape of her neck, with strands framing her face. Beneath her thin, arched brows were a pair of large, beautiful eyes; her golden-brown irises held a confident, noble air that was impossible to forget. She had a dainty, upturned nose and soft, thin cherry lips. Her figure was slender and toned, with graceful curves. Young and beautiful, she possessed a touch of sweet, youthful charm, lacking the mature allure she would later develop.

"Lady Tsunade, that is the full account of the convoy ambush. It is truly fortunate that the Konoha escort ninja wiped out the enemy; otherwise, without these medical supplies, the wounded on the front lines would have been in trouble." The messenger finished his report.

Tsunade pondered for a moment, then asked, "Are you saying that Teacher Sarutobi helped me take on a disciple? And this disciple is coming to me soon? The teacher also told others that I only accepted him because of a request from his mother? The entire village knows about this now?"

"Uh... that is what I just said. I assume it was the Third Hokage's intention. Lady Tsunade, were you unaware of this?" The messenger thought to himself, feeling speechless, Hey, Lady Tsunade, were you even listening to my report about the ambush just now?

"Unforgivable!" Tsunade's brows knitted together, a large vein pulsing on her forehead as she clenched her fists.

"Teacher Sarutobi is too much! It's one thing to pick a disciple for me without my consent, but to claim I only took him in because of his mother? That's just nepotism! And he made sure the whole village knows, making it look like I choose disciples based on connections rather than skill! This happened half a year ago, and I'm only finding out now?! How long did he intend to keep this from me?!"

Tsunade's knuckles cracked loudly, causing the messenger to break into a cold sweat and step back twice.

"No, I'm going back to have a word with the teacher!" Tsunade stood up, ready to charge all the way back to Konoha. The younger Tsunade was indeed far more impulsive.

The messenger hurriedly blocked her path. "Lady Tsunade, you can't! If you return to Konoha now, who will command the troops?"

Tsunade stopped, let out a long breath, and suppressed the urge to hit someone. "Hmph! The teacher dumped such a huge burden on me, and I won't accept it! He's too cunning, letting the whole village know so that even if I wanted to object, it would be too late! The teacher is truly senile; how could he do something like this?!"

The messenger tried to persuade her, "Lady Tsunade, don't look at it that way. That new disciple of yours... no, no, the one recommended by the Hokage, is actually very talented... would you like me to tell you about his situation?"

Tsunade cut him off, shaking her head. "No need. I am very strict about taking on disciples! Letting me teach someone like that would only ruin them, understand? Even if the teacher pleads for him, it won't work. If I don't accept him, I don't accept him! If he's not qualified, he's not qualified!"

"But, Lady Tsunade, the Hokage ordered me to..."

Tsunade waved her hand. "Go back and tell that person not to come. If he wants to be an apprentice, let him beg the teacher himself. If he's capable enough, let the Third Hokage take him as a disciple! Tell the teacher exactly that!"

"Yes, yes, Lady Tsunade. Then... I shall return to report." The messenger retreated, feeling helpless. Although I haven't met that child from the Hyuga Clan, someone who became a chunin at five can't be bad. He's a genius. Lady Tsunade, your standards are truly too high—you're even rejecting a genius. Sigh, Lord Third, I did my best.

The messenger walked out of Tsunade's tent, feeling dejected.

Riyue's transport unit met the reinforcements sent by Tsunade and arrived safely at the camp under their escort. Workers were busy unloading the cargo, and logistics ninja were handling the supplies; everyone was occupied with various tasks.

Dan Kato called Riyue over to meet Tsunade. After all, the Third Hokage had ordered Dan to mentor Riyue, and upon reaching the camp, he was to hand Riyue over to Tsunade's tutelage. Naturally, a disciple had to pay his respects to his master upon arrival, or it would be a breach of etiquette.

The two left their tasks to their companions and headed toward Tsunade's tent. Konoha's main base was large, with a temporary outer wall built from thick wooden stakes. Inside were rows of tents and makeshift wooden structures. Only the warehouses and the medical station were built with brick and concrete, occupying a large, heavily guarded area. Every exit was manned, and patrols moved about constantly; the management was extremely strict. Tsunade's tent was located in the inner-central part of the camp.

As they neared the tent, they happened to run into a ninja walking out. The man was heading their way, and from inside the tent, Tsunade's voice could be heard shouting, "This is too much! I am not taking any disciples..." followed by the sound of something breaking.

The voice from inside was clear enough for even Riyue to hear from a distance. Riyue thought, Whoa, Tsunade in her younger years seems to have quite a temper!

The ninja walking out quickened his pace upon hearing the commotion and bumped straight into Dan Kato and Riyue.

"Oh? Dan, long time no see!" He waved at Dan Kato happily. It was the messenger ninja.

Dan Kato led Riyue over. Riyue looked around, full of curiosity.

"Hello, Kazomi!" Dan Kato greeted him with a smile, and the two embraced.

"Dan, how have you been? You didn't even tell me when you arrived, old friend. I heard your convoy fought a tough battle against the Hidden Sand. Well done!" Kazomi gave them a thumbs-up.

Dan Kato smiled and nodded. "I'm doing well. We just arrived at the camp, finished handing over the supplies, and were on our way to see Lady Tsunade."

"I'd advise you to go a bit later," Kazomi whispered, leaning in.

"Why is that?" Dan Kato asked, puzzled.

"Lady Tsunade is in a foul mood! It's not a good time for you to go! I'm only telling you this because I consider you a brother; I wouldn't want you to ruin your standing in Lady Tsunade's eyes."

Dan Kato scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh... what is Lady Tsunade angry about?"

"You don't know? I'll tell you, but don't let anyone else know. Lady Tsunade is furious because she found out the Third Hokage went behind her back to find her a disciple, and she's refusing to take him in," Kazomi said mysteriously.

Dan Kato glanced at Riyue suspiciously. Riyue had heard Kazomi's words as well and felt quite strange. Dan Kato continued to ask, "Isn't Lady Tsunade taking on a disciple at someone's request? How did it become the Hokage taking on a disciple on her behalf? Is Lady Tsunade unaware of the truth?"

Kazomi nodded. "Lady Tsunade is unaware of this, and there was no such thing as being entrusted by anyone. I suspect this was the Third Hokage's own idea. Lady Tsunade is furious; she said she wouldn't accept an unqualified student who relies on connections, even if the Third Hokage himself came to plead."

Dan Kato cast a meaningful glance at Nichigetsu, who helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead. Sigh, old man Third, why do you always help in the worst way? he thought to himself. Now the lie has blown up, hasn't it? Tsunade thinks I'm some guy who pulled strings to get in. And Tsunade is stubborn as a mule—otherwise, she wouldn't have spent decades in self-imposed exile after the deaths of Nawaki and Dan Kato. I wanted the Third to explain things clearly to her, but now it's even more troublesome!

Dan Kato reminded Kazomi, "Do not spread word of this. This was the Third Hokage's decision; we just need to carry it out."

Kazomi nodded. "I know. I need to hurry back and report. Dan, let's have a drink when we return to Konoha. Also, you'd better give it your all with Lady Tsunade!"

Dan Kato's face flushed slightly as he scratched his head. "Right, we'll get together when we have the time."

With that, Kazomi quickly departed from the camp. Dan Kato stared at Nichigetsu, waiting for an explanation. Nichigetsu could only sigh helplessly, not bothering to deny it. "Sigh, it was the Third Hokage's idea, but it seems he really botched it."

If Nichigetsu ran up to Tsunade now and claimed to be a cheap student the Third had accepted on her behalf, she would surely kick him out while she was already in a rage—or perhaps even blast him away with a single punch. The thought sent a chill down his spine.

Dan Kato nodded and asked, "So what will you do now? Are you going to explain everything clearly to Lady Tsunade?"

Nichigetsu pondered. "Lady Tsunade has criteria for choosing students, and I, Hyuga Nichigetsu, have criteria for choosing a master! I don't intend to reveal my identity to Tsunade directly for now; I'll hold onto that recommendation letter. I won't just show her that I'm qualified to be her student; I'll also test if she has the capacity to be my master!"

Nichigetsu replied with a firm gaze, "I won't tell Lady Tsunade for now. I was originally going to meet her alone, but that's no longer necessary. Actually, I want to see if Lady Tsunade is suitable to be my master. I believe that as long as I perform well, she won't refuse me as a student."

Dan Kato nodded. "That's the plan, then. I'll notify everyone to keep it confidential. Let's head back first and gather everyone to meet Lady Tsunade."

"Teacher Dan, you... aren't you dating Lady Tsunade?" Nichigetsu suddenly asked.

Dan Kato's face turned red, and he coughed a few times. "Uh... Nichigetsu, you're still young, so don't go asking about such things. The truth is, I admire Lady Tsunade, but I don't know how she feels about me yet."

"Oh, then you'd better work hard, Teacher Dan," Nichigetsu said with an innocent smile, though he thought to himself, That's not right. According to the story, after Nawaki died, Dan Kato should have stood up at the Jonin meeting to support Tsunade's proposal, confessed his feelings, and won her heart. Dan Kato is supposed to die in battle this year, so why haven't he and Tsunade started dating yet?

Nichigetsu snuck a look at Dan Kato's neck. Sure enough, he wasn't wearing the First Hokage's green crystal necklace. Dan Kato really wasn't in a relationship with Tsunade.

Could this Naruto world have subtle differences from the original one? Or is there some other reason? Nichigetsu couldn't fathom it, so he eventually stopped thinking about it. Regardless, with him around, Dan wouldn't die so easily. As for whether Tsunade would prefer Jiraiya or Dan in the future, that was up to them; Nichigetsu wasn't going to concern himself with that.