Ah, Good Woman

Bright sunlight spilled into the hospital room, illuminating a brilliant smile on that fresh, otherworldly face.

In contrast, the smile on Orochimaru's rigid, angular face slowly faded; this Uchiha brat before him was even more insatiable than he had anticipated.

"A mission reward of two million ryo and terms for withdrawal from the battlefield—these are not tasks an ordinary genin could ever access. Even greed must have its limits."

"Spare me the nonsense. Five million ryo, at least ten kunai made from the same material as the Kusanagi Sword, one Kusanagi Sword, a variety of puppet materials, and a full set of ninja tools including explosive tags. Otherwise, there's no deal."

Interrupting Orochimaru's train of thought, even Hanazuki felt this near-shameless demand was a bit excessive, yet he didn't hesitate to go for the throat.

The so-called Kusanagi Sword actually referred to weapons forged from the most durable substances in the ninja world, capable of withstanding even a Tailed Beast Bomb.

As for the puppet materials and the five-million-ryo reward, they seemed insignificant compared to those ten Kusanagi kunai and the sword itself.

"Where did you hear the name Kusanagi Sword? Never mind, Konoha is footing the bill anyway. Once you sign this agreement, prepare your gear and depart immediately. The Suna and Kumo ninja are already approaching Mount Kikyo."

Orochimaru's muttering made Hanazuki's ears twitch, leaving him wondering if he had asked for too little.

"The contract is settled. The items you requested will be delivered shortly. Do not underestimate your opponent; she is a veteran of two Great Ninja Wars and a Suna advisor—the puppeteer Chiyo."

Leaving only those words behind, Orochimaru hurried away, clearly anxious to report the expenses to the Third Hokage.

It was hardly surprising; his bizarre research often required vast sums of money, and even someone with the title of Sannin like Orochimaru would surely be troubled by financial constraints.

"A Suna advisor? The puppeteer Chiyo? Compared to these old fossils who cling to power, the older generation of Suna ninja is truly enlightened."

"What should one call this? Is it that there is no difference without comparison?"

Creeeak!

The hospital door pushed open again, and Nonou stepped inside, smiling at Hanazuki.

"It seems your body has recovered quite well. Are you heading home later?"

"Well, although I'd love to go home, things rarely go as one wishes nine times out of ten. I have to head to the battlefield next. Endless war, indeed."

His carefree, brilliant smile inadvertently stung Nonou's heart.

Her hand, which had been resting on his forehead, shifted into a gentle embrace. The scent of medicinal herbs and her reassuring, tender presence left Hanazuki momentarily stunned.

"This damned era—even sprouts like you who haven't yet grown are being sent to the battlefield. It's just... it's just..."

Ah, what a good woman!

Before the inner exclamation could fade, a burst of laughter caused Hanazuki to turn his head, instantly making the Black Nine-Tails' nine tails stand on end.

"This Seat wasn't laughing..."

"Shut up! Your time to shine has come. If you dare to drop the ball at a critical moment, you'll regret it."

Rapid footsteps approached, and two Konoha ninja pushed the door open, shouting loudly.

"Is Uchiha Hanazuki here?!"

Seeing the awkward scene, the two apologized instinctively and were about to turn away, but Hanazuki, having had his moment interrupted, glared at them with eyes flashing with anger.

"What is it?"

"You... you are Uchiha Hanazuki? Have the higher-ups gone mad? They're actually sending a child to deal with the famous puppeteer Chiyo!"

The two Konoha chunin responsible for delivering the message had suspected the Third Hokage was senile, but Hanazuki's subsequent words shattered any illusion that the order was a mistake.

"So soon? Honestly, Orochimaru-sensei is truly efficient. Has the Yellow Flash already reached Mount Kikyo?"

"Yes! Minato-sama has already departed from the border of the Land of Wind and is about to arrive at the border of the Land of Fire."

Bang! The door was pushed open, and several Konoha medical ninja scanned the room, their faces lighting up when they saw Nonou.

"Nonou-sama, it's a relief you're here. It's an emergency; the Third Hokage has ordered the medical team to head to Mount Kikyo for support immediately."

"Ara ara, doctor, is your name Nonou? I'll remember that. Take this kunai; perhaps something good will come of it. Goodbye."

With a flicker, the two Konoha chunin and Uchiha Hanazuki vanished from the spot, leaving the medical team members in utter shock.

"They vanished—was that the Flying Raijin Jutsu?"

Her thoughts raced as she looked at the pitch-black kunai left on the hospital bed, which was faintly engraved with strange, cryptic symbols.

After a bright smile, she tucked it away close to her body in front of the two medical team members, leaving them bewildered—they were heading to the battlefield, so why was she so happy?

Inside Hanazuki's cabin in the Uchiha compound.

He changed into his black-clad, black-robed attire and asked the two Konoha chunin, who were still reeling from the shock.

"Suna should still have the Yellow Flash's chakra kunai. Bring out the Yellow Flash's kunai; we're leaving."

"Eh? How did you know we had Minato-sama's kunai on us?"

His mouth twitched, and he looked at them with a gaze reserved for idiots before replying coldly.

"I haven't been to the Land of Wind. If you don't bring the Yellow Flash's chakra marker to me, do you expect me to walk there step by step?"

Realizing their question had been foolish, the hedgehog-haired chunin quickly took out the kunai, scanned it briefly, and nodded slightly.

"I see. A jutsu formula that leans more toward text? I understand the basics. Let's go."

The scene shifted to an endless desert where explosions and flames appeared from time to time. When the three descended from the sky, they landed right in the center of the battlefield.

"A mistake? I intended to reach the furthest target in one go, but it seems the distance is just right."

"Hey! What are you doing standing in the middle of the battlefield? The poison needles are coming!"

From the edge of the forest, a Konoha ninja shouted, and with a series of whistling sounds, a dozen shuriken rained down from the sky, embedding themselves into the tree trunks.

"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!"

Countless invisible wind blades surged from the distance, grinding sand and dust into powder. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and a sharp shout instantly dispersed the wind blades.

"Crack!"

A powerful burst of chakra caused the battlefield, filled with explosions and war cries, to fall into a brief silence.

The Konoha ninjas hidden in the forest peered through the foliage at the figure in the center of the battlefield, who wore a Three-Eyed Demon Fox Mask with the Konoha emblem carved upon it, their expressions shifting in various ways.

"What is up with that chakra?"

"Hey, hey, hey, they pulled away the Yellow Flash, and the reinforcements they sent are this short? Is it just a kid?"

"Are you kidding me! Are we supposed to entrust our lives to this brat?"