Konoha's White Fang!

"Hmm? Jiraiya, what kind of mischief are you up to again?"

"Qi Luna, don't tell me you're involved in this too?"

Tsunade scanned the three of them with a scrutinizing gaze. Seeing their silence, she had already reached her own conclusion.

"Orochimaru, you go first. Tell me, what did Jiraiya want with you?"

Facing Tsunade's narrowed eyes and the chakra gathering in her fist, Orochimaru broke into a cold sweat. He felt as if he were being targeted by some peerless, ferocious beast; if he made a single wrong move, he would "undoubtedly die"!

His brain overclocked. Compared to the calm, drizzling rain outside, a raging storm was brewing in his mind. Finally, pushing his wits to the limit, he blurted out a foolproof plan to save his own skin!

"Jiraiya mentioned you'd been training a new ninjutsu. Since we're preparing for the decisive battle against Salamander Hanzo, he asked me to gauge the extent of your improvement so I could adjust our battle plans accordingly!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Orochimaru delivered the lines that came purely from instinct.

While protecting himself, he used Jiraiya—the "culprit"—as a human shield, while simultaneously steering the topic toward the "decisive battle against Salamander Hanzo," a strategic priority that was both critical and unavoidable!

Perfect!

This reaction was nothing short of flawless!

Even Qi Luna, who stood to the side with her hands spread in feigned innocence—though in reality, she had just been there to watch the show—couldn't help but want to applaud.

As expected of you!

She then looked at Jiraiya, who still wore a blank expression, and shook her head in disdain.

Big Brother Jiraiya, don't blame us! Orochimaru and I are heartbroken too!

"Is that what he said, Jiraiya?!"

The moment their eyes met, Jiraiya didn't dare look at her again. He dodged her gaze, rambling about irrelevant things while his hands moved behind his back, frantically signaling Orochimaru and Qi Luna for help.

"Ah—yes! Qi Luna told me about it yesterday, that's right! Exactly! Hahaha..."

After his pleas for help went unanswered, Jiraiya had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow Orochimaru's lead.

His words were half-truth and half-lie, and in the end, he even abandoned all honor, throwing the "innocent bystander" Qi Luna under the bus!

Seeing the drama land squarely on her, Qi Luna was speechless. She shot Jiraiya a resentful look:

If I ever trust you or help you again, may I become Hokage and work myself to death under a mountain of paperwork!

However, facing Tsunade's scrutiny, Qi Luna didn't speak. She simply shrugged and spread her hands in a display of innocence. She pointed at Jiraiya with a blank face, then pointed at herself with a look of confusion, finally locking eyes with Tsunade in a silent stare-down, as if to say:

You believe his nonsense and suspect me? Are you serious?

"Hmph! I don't believe a word from any of you!"

After watching Qi Luna's "pantomime," Tsunade let out a cold snort and delivered a few "gifts" with her fists, paying special attention to Jiraiya...

"Ranbou da zo, Tsunade-ane-san..." (Too violent, Sister Tsunade...)

Feeling the pain of her height "increasing" from the bumps on her head, Qi Luna couldn't help but mutter.

"Heh, next time, I'll show you what true power is!"

Tsunade sneered, her 37°C mouth uttering words as chilling as solid ice.

The threat made Jiraiya, who was covered in lumps and even smoking slightly, shiver uncontrollably!

"Tch~"

Qi Luna looked completely unconvinced, her tone radiating the attitude of "I was wrong this time, but I'll do it again."

Without giving Tsunade a chance to react, she used the Body Flicker technique and vanished.

Just as Tsunade was about to say something else, a hawk's cry suddenly pierced the sky.

Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade's expressions turned instantly grave. After a brief exchange of glances, they sprinted toward the camp.

"Major intelligence from the Sunagakure front. Gather at the main command tent first. Let's hope it's good news..."

The main tent was brightly lit, the warm firelight dancing on everyone's faces and reflecting their excitement and anticipation.

The moment the news from the Sunagakure front spread, the previously quiet camp erupted into chaos.

The Konoha jonin on the northern Amegakure front slammed their tables in excitement and cheered loudly, while other Konoha shinobi in the camp whispered to each other, the atmosphere of joy spreading rapidly through the tent.

"Hatake Sakumo is truly a hero of our Konoha! The name White Fang of the Leaf is well-deserved!"

A middle-aged jonin, his face flushed red, clenched his fists with admiration in his eyes.

"Killing the son and daughter-in-law of the First Kazekage, Retto—this is a heavy blow to Sunagakure's morale!"

His voice was filled with irrepressible excitement.

"Indeed, with Hatake-jonin there, Sunagakure is no longer a threat! Victory is only a matter of time!"

A young jonin nearby chimed in, his face beaming with a smile.

The crowd gathered together, discussing the upcoming situation on the Sunagakure front as if the dawn of victory were already within reach.

Some were eager to jump into the fray, wishing they could rush to the front lines immediately to press the advantage.

Some had already begun to calculate the logistics for the post-war celebrations.

"With Sakumo-senpai on the Sunagakure front, the overall situation is settled!"

Orochimaru flicked his long tongue to lick his lips, his eyes filled with excitement.

"After suffering such a heavy blow, the morale of Sunagakure will inevitably plummet. If our forces press the advantage now, we will surely be able to crush them in one fell swoop and send them into a rout."

"As for our side, with the antidotes developed by Tsunade, our morale will surely soar as well. Whether we can completely secure the Amegakure front depends on the upcoming battle!"

Outside the large tent, the wind was biting and the rain poured down, yet everyone inside was fired up by this piece of triumphant news.

They all understood that this pivotal battle by Hatake Sakumo had given Konoha an absolute advantage in this war.

At this moment, they could almost see the Sunagakure ninjas retreating step by step, while the Konoha army sang songs of victory.

However, they were not blindly immersed in the joy of victory; they were equally confident about the decisive battle about to erupt on the Amegakure front!

Konoha, inside the office of the Hokage Building.

"Konoha's White Fang, is it? A truly resounding title! What an incredible young man. If I recall correctly, the child he had last year is named Kakashi, right?"

"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire shall burn. The fire's light will illuminate the village and allow new buds to sprout."

"Without a doubt, Hatake Sakumo is an outstanding ninja who possesses a strong Will of Fire!"

"He will also become a new pillar of Konoha!"

Looking at the intelligence report from the Sunagakure front in his hands, a smile finally appeared on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face after many days, and the brow that had been furrowed for so long finally smoothed out.

Inside the Root base.

"Konoha's White Fang?! Hmph! Grandstanding! He merely killed two jonin; it is utterly ridiculous!"

After reading the intelligence, Shimura Danzo set it ablaze and tossed the ashes into the air, as if he could cast away the gloom in his heart by doing so.

"Ryoma, accompany me for a stroll through the village... It is time to add some fresh blood to Root..."

Unable to vent the resentment in his heart, Danzo ultimately decided to visit the compounds of the various ninja clans.

He wanted to see if, with the clan heads away at war, those clans could still protect the people he had his eyes on from him!