Victory

The Leaf's forces were split into two sections. One, led by the White Fang of the Leaf, pursued the retreating Hidden Sand forces with a frenzy, reaping lives as they went. The other, led by Princess Tsunade, began clearing the battlefield and focusing all efforts on treating the wounded.

"We can't hold them! Retreat! Run! Help me! Scatter! Everyone, scatter! I don't want to die!"

The Hidden Sand forces collapsed. A massive number of ninja, panicked and disoriented, fled in every direction like headless flies, racing into the desert with the sole goal of shaking off the Leaf's pursuit.

The Hidden Sand elites escorted Chiyo and her group as they were the first to withdraw from the battlefield, and a small contingent followed them in a rapid retreat. This left the vast majority of ordinary Hidden Sand ninja behind to suffer; those who fell behind were caught by Leaf ninja and cut down one by one. They wailed and begged for their lives, desperate not to be the last one left.

The Leaf gave the Hidden Sand no quarter. The White Fang's elite unit specifically targeted the Hidden Sand captains who attempted to rally the fleeing troops, thoroughly crushing any groups before they could regroup, then continuing their relentless pursuit. They chased them from the afternoon until nightfall, only stopping to return once the Leaf forces had ceased their pursuit.

Although the Leaf had won the great battle, no one cheered. After all, the Leaf had suffered significant casualties, and everyone was busy treating comrades, settling the wounded, and collecting the remains of the fallen. Many bodies were buried under the sand and had to be dug out. The entire battlefield required clearing, and spoils of war had to be gathered.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio reunited with Nichigetsu and his group. Choza, who had been extremely active in the battle, clutched his stomach and groaned in pain; it seemed the side effects of the green pill had not yet worn off. Shikaku and Inoichi helplessly supported him, and Shikaku quickly produced a secret family medicine for Choza to take.

Nichigetsu had used several ultimate techniques in succession, and his chakra was long since bottomed out. Even so, he ran to the medical unit and began performing surgery to treat the wounded; even without chakra, he still had his hands to help. It was not until the pursuing forces returned at nightfall and the battlefield was cleared that the unit finally withdrew.

Looking at the devastated battlefield, Nichigetsu sighed. "Whew, the Leaf finally won!"

During the Second Shinobi World War, the Leaf and the Hidden Sand fought a decisive battle in the deserts of the Land of Wind.

In this battle, the Hidden Sand committed a total force of nearly 10,000, while the Leaf committed nearly 13,000. In the end, the Leaf emerged victorious, completely routing the Hidden Sand forces. The Hidden Sand suffered nearly 2,600 ninja killed, 3,400 wounded, and 400 captured. The Leaf lost 1,100 ninja, with 2,300 wounded.

After this battle, the Hidden Sand no longer had the capacity to counterattack and could only retreat to fortresses in the heart of the Land of Wind for passive defense. The Leaf, too, had suffered heavy losses and was temporarily unable to continue the offensive.

Before the Hidden Sand decided to surrender, both sides ceased large-scale engagements and entered a new stalemate. Combat shifted to small-scale skirmishes, squad-level ambushes, and assassinations.

In the Hokage's office at the Leaf, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat at his desk with a deep frown. Before him, Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, the head of the Uchiha clan, and the head of the Hyuga clan watched him. The atmosphere was far from pleasant.

Danzo broke the silence. "Hiruzen! How long do you intend to drag this out?"

Utatane Koharu spoke up as well. "Third Hokage, have you considered the proposal to replace Tsunade? Her incompetence has left the Leaf in a passive position on the front lines, and the medical station nearly collapsed! She also fell for the enemy's trap, losing eight elite Jonin, and the plan to raid the main supply depot failed! The troops have been in the Land of Wind for so long, and they are still in a stalemate! Third Hokage, for the sake of the ninja on the front lines, she should be replaced!" She seemed to hold a deep grudge against Tsunade, another strong woman.

Mitokado Homura chimed in from the side. "Tsunade is still young and lacks experience; mistakes are inevitable. It would be better to appoint Sakumo Hatake as the supreme commander."

The head of the Uchiha clan added, "I believe we should appoint someone from the Uchiha clan as supreme commander. That boy, Uchiha Fugaku, would be a fine choice."

Only the Hyuga Clan Head remained silent; he seemed indifferent to whether Tsunade was replaced or not, waiting to raise other issues.

The Third Hokage took a drag of his pipe and said slowly, "Let's wait and see. Didn't Sakumo go to assist her? The reports from the front lines over the past few days prove that the situation has already turned in our favor."

Danzo continued aggressively. "That is exactly why Sakumo Hatake should take over as supreme commander! The moment he arrived at the front, the situation improved. You cannot ignore Tsunade's mistakes, Hiruzen! Do not let the fact that she is your student..."

"I know the situation with my student! As her teacher and superior, I will give her my full trust!" The Third Hokage cut him off.

The Third Hokage exhaled a cloud of smoke and said sternly, "I also hope that you all can give her your full trust! She is capable of leading the troops to win this war! If she loses, I, as Hokage, will take responsibility!"

With the matter put this way, the council of elders could no longer object; the Third Hokage had protected Tsunade.

"Very well, we shall trust the Third Hokage's judgment," Utatane Koharu said.

"Let us hope she can maintain the current advantage and defeat the Hidden Sand," Mitokado Homura added.

At this moment, Danzo finally revealed his true objective. "Tsunade may continue to serve as commander, but I demand to take on her student, Hyuga Nichigetsu, as my own."

"What do you mean by this, Shimura?" The Third Hokage was surprised, unsure of what Danzo was planning.

"Are you unaware, Hiruzen? Princess Tsunade has not been good to Hyuga Nichigetsu. She has failed to fulfill her duties as a master; she ignores the boy, threw him into the logistics department to do menial labor, and has taught him nothing!"

Danzo sneered. "Therefore, to prevent the incompetent Tsunade from ruining a genius of the Leaf, I demand that Nichigetsu become my student! I will see to it that Hyuga Nichigetsu is properly trained!"

"This... surely this is just the teaching method Tsunade has chosen? Besides, Nichigetsu is already Tsunade's student; how could he possibly apprentice under you?" The Third Hokage said this aloud, but thought to himself, Could that girl Tsunade really not be taking him on as a student? I thought she was just saying that. She really is stubborn...

"Hmph! How is it that I heard Tsunade isn't too keen on this student? Furthermore, it seems they haven't even held a formal apprenticeship ceremony yet..." Danzo scoffed.

"Since there has been no formal apprenticeship, I hope Nichigetsu can return to the Hyuga clan to receive systematic training." At this point, the Hyuga Clan Head also stepped forward to speak.

Danzo continued, "Tsunade's command is ineffective, and her tactical errors are one thing. But she doesn't even teach her student properly. I don't think we should indulge the First Hokage's granddaughter. Just call Nichigetsu back, and I will train him properly."

"No! Everyone knows Nichigetsu is Tsunade's student; that is already settled." The Third Hokage shook his head, thinking, It's a good thing the whole village knows about this, otherwise it would be a real headache.

"Hyuga Nichigetsu performed great deeds in the transport unit and again at the medical station. He is a genius Chunin, yet Tsunade treats him with disdain. It is only right that Nichigetsu changes masters; the one at fault is Tsunade!" Danzo retorted immediately, playing his trump card.

He had not wanted to reveal Nichigetsu's talent, but he could not force the Third Hokage to compromise otherwise.

"Nichigetsu performed great deeds?" The Uchiha clan head asked hurriedly; the last thing he wanted to hear right now was that someone from the Hyuga clan had accomplished something significant.

"Yes! He was instrumental in the total annihilation of the enemies who ambushed the transport unit. He discovered the lurking enemies, participated in formulating the ambush plan, took down many enemies, and even captured a Jonin!"

"Furthermore, he used his superb medical skills to save the medical station and killed a Hidden Sand spy, saving many lives. This is intelligence obtained by the Anbu Special Mobile Force." As Danzo spoke, he produced a report detailing the process of Nichigetsu saving the medical station, mostly based on the accounts of the ninja present at the time.

The others took the report and passed it around, feeling both surprised and delighted.

"Senju Naoko was a fine doctor; the medical skills she passed on to her son are quite impressive," Mitokado Homura remarked with a sigh.

"We cannot overlook Nichigetsu. If Tsunade treats him poorly, then he should change teachers!" Utatane Koharu spoke up as well. Now that she knew of Nichigetsu's talent, she felt it was necessary to pay him attention. He was a promising seed for learning medical ninjutsu; as a medical ninja herself, how could she not know how precious Nichigetsu's talent was?

The Hyuga Clan Head thought to himself, So the boy Nichigetsu has such methods... The Gentle Fist techniques he used must be related to his medical knowledge as well...

The Third Hokage also pondered, This kid actually kept this from me. His medical skills are so good—no wonder he wanted to apprentice under Tsunade...

"Hyuga Nichigetsu must be given importance. If Tsunade isn't up to the task, then replace her," the Uchiha clan head also said. After all, everyone wanted to be on good terms with a skilled doctor; you never knew when he might save your life.

"Nichigetsu has performed such great service, yet Tsunade still leaves him in the logistics department. If Tsunade is incompetent, she shouldn't bury others along with her!" Danzo said bluntly.

These elders in the Hokage's office—it didn't matter if you were the Hokage's student or the grandchild of a Kage, or even the Hokage yourself. If they disapproved of your actions, they would criticize you to your face.

The Third Hokage fell into deep thought. Tsunade, you are too stubborn. Perhaps you really don't want to take Nichigetsu as a student. It seems choosing you as his master was a mistake; perhaps I was truly wrong... Nichigetsu cannot be buried. If it comes to it, I will be his master. Orochimaru loves talented children; Orochimaru would be a good choice too. Jiraiya is also a good option... If he wants to learn medical ninjutsu, I will provide him with all of the Leaf's records and find another powerful ninja to mentor him...

"I think we should ask for Nichigetsu's thoughts first. If Tsunade truly isn't a good fit, then we can change instructors and let Nichigetsu choose for himself. What does everyone think?" The Third Hokage made his decision.

The others nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. The Hyuga Clan was not skilled in medical ninjutsu, and Nichigetsu was currently a hot commodity; the Hyuga Clan Head also hoped that Nichigetsu could choose a good master. The Uchiha Clan hoped to use the Sharingan to copy Nichigetsu's medical techniques.

Only Danzo revealed a barely perceptible smile, for his scheme had essentially succeeded. When the time came, as long as Nichigetsu stepped forward to tell the truth and voluntarily requested to become his apprentice, he could poach Nichigetsu.

Danzo believed that the conditions he had offered were impossible for Nichigetsu to refuse! Therefore, Nichigetsu would choose him; he would choose "Root"!

At this moment, a ninja rushed in holding a scroll. Panting, he said, "Lord Hokage! An urgent report from the front lines!"

The Third Hokage looked at him and said, "Read it!"

"Victory report: Our forces engaged in a decisive battle with the Hidden Sand yesterday. The Hidden Sand's main force has been completely wiped out, and they have lost the ability to counterattack. We have achieved victory! Respectfully, Tsunade."

"This... this is truly wonderful! It seems that the Hidden Sand's surrender is only a matter of time!" Hearing this good news, the Third Hokage stood up in excitement, and everyone present was equally shocked.

"Now, who among you still thinks Tsunade needs to be replaced?" the Third Hokage asked the group; this urgent report was a slap in the face. Everyone remained silent, especially Danzo and Utatane Koharu.

"Tsunade has led the troops to a major victory for Konoha! Changing Nichigetsu's master would affect her prestige in the village! I want Tsunade to have a good talk with Nichigetsu, and after hearing both of their opinions, we will discuss the matter of who should instruct Nichigetsu!" the Third Hokage said in a deep voice, and the others could only agree.

Danzo's expression was extremely gloomy, and he roared internally, "Why did a major victory suddenly pop up?! It ruined my plans! How did Tsunade suddenly crush the Hidden Sand?! Now it will be difficult to poach Hyuga Nichigetsu!"

Watching Danzo's expression, the Third Hokage desperately kept his face straight, struggling to keep himself from laughing out loud:

"Heh heh, this victory came at just the right time!"