Argument

Aoi turned her head. There was no blame on her face, only a gentle smile.

"Awake? You really slept deeply." She paused, looking at Tianyi's still somewhat dazed face.

Her tone grew more serious.

"You did very well today. The vast majority of the critically wounded were saved because of your medical skills.

"You've rendered great service, Hinata Tianyi."

Praised so directly, Tianyi grew even more embarrassed. He scratched his head, just about to say something.

"He's awake!"

"Hinata Tianyi is awake!"

Several subdued cries came from around the campfire.

Immediately afterward, seven or eight figures rose and hurried toward him.

At the front was a scar-faced Chunin whose eyes were slightly red.

When he reached Tianyi, he said nothing at first, only bowed deeply, bending low at the waist.

When he raised his head, his voice choked with emotion. "Brother Tianyi... thank you! My younger brother...

"I thought he was definitely done for. You removed that deadly piece of bone from his chest.

"You stopped the bleeding... They said that if it had been a few minutes later...

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" As he spoke, he tried to bow again.

Tianyi quickly reached out to stop him.

"Don't... don't do that, sir. I... I only did what I could..."

Before he could finish, the others behind him began speaking over one another.

"My teammate too. His stomach was sliced open, and you were the one who stitched him up!"

"My older sister's internal injuries—if you hadn't discovered them in time, she might have been lost..."

"Thank you..."

"We owe it to you..."

Words of gratitude came from different people, simple, direct, and sincere.

The way they looked at Tianyi was full of trust and gratitude.

Those pure emotions warmed Tianyi's heart, while also leaving him at a loss.

He could only wave his hands repeatedly, his face turning even redder.

Mitarai Aoi stood at the right moment and gently clapped her hands. Her voice was not loud, but it quieted everyone.

"Alright, he has received your gratitude. He needs to rest now, and besides!"

She looked at Tianyi, her expression turning serious. "Lady Tsunade has ordered that once you woke up, you were to go to the main camp and see her immediately."

"Lady Tsunade?!" Tianyi's heart jolted.

Tsunade, one of the Three Sannin! A leading figure in charge of Leaf Village's medical system!

The surrounding shinobi also showed reverent expressions and stepped aside, their gazes carrying a little more encouragement.

"Come on. I'll take you there." Aoi gestured for Tianyi to follow.

Tianyi suppressed his nervousness and excitement, nodding once more to those around him.

Then he followed behind Aoi and crossed through the camp.

Along the way, many shinobi who were resting or standing guard looked toward him.

Their gazes varied—some were curious, but more were friendly and approving.

His performance in the medical area today had clearly already spread.

The closer he came to the largest, brightly lit tent at the center of the camp, the faster Tianyi's heart beat.

Inside sat one of the greatest medical shinobi in the world.

She was also one of the figures who would hold tremendous influence in the future Naruto World.

How would she view a suddenly emerged Genin from the Hyuga Branch House?

Would this summons bring fortune or disaster?

Aoi stopped outside the main tent and quietly said a few words to the shinobi guards at the entrance.

One guard went inside to report, then quickly returned and nodded at Tianyi. "Go in. Lady Tsunade is waiting for you."

Aoi nodded to Tianyi, encouragement in her eyes.

Tianyi took a deep breath and lifted the curtain.

Inside the tent at that moment.

The tent was brightly lit and far more spacious than it had appeared from outside.

Several figures were fiercely arguing around the central tactical sand table. Tsunade's voice could be heard from far away.

So when he entered, aside from the guard at the entrance glancing at him,

almost no one immediately noticed the small Genin.

Tianyi quickly swept his gaze over the room.

The most conspicuous figure was Tsunade, one of the Three Sannin.

Her blond hair was tied up, and her fists were clenched tightly.

Jiraiya stood slightly behind Tsunade, cold sweat on his face as he watched her.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru and Nara Shikaku pointed at several locations on the sand table.

Boom!

Tsunade slammed a fist onto the table.

"...Results? Yes! We wiped out at least three Hidden Rain Village companies.

"We severely damaged their raiding force! It sounds impressive!"

Tsunade's voice was filled with barely restrained fury.

"But what was the price?! The openings we deliberately exposed.

"The bait we allowed inside! B-7 and C-9 Outpost were nearly crippled!

"The Medical Corps was specifically targeted. Have you looked at the casualty figures, Orochimaru?!

"Those aren't numbers. They're living people! A victory bought by filling the gap with our comrades' lives.

"I don't acknowledge that kind of victory! This isn't the Will of Fire at all!"

Jiraiya sighed, trying to smooth things over.

"Tsunade, calm down... Orochimaru's strategy was aggressive, but given the situation at the time..."

"The situation at the time was that on the main battlefield, that monster Hanzo's poison mist.

"Our conventional forces simply couldn't withstand it!"

Orochimaru's cold voice cut in, his tongue unconsciously licking across the corner of his mouth.

His tone was deeply unsettling.

"If we hadn't sacrificed a portion of our forces to draw the elite under his command away from the main position,

"creating an opportunity for us to divide and surround them, the collapse and casualties on the front line

"would only have been several times, perhaps dozens of times, worse than they are now.

"This is war... Tsunade, Jiraiya. Not child's play. War is this kind of cruel arithmetic.

"Use a smaller cost to gain greater results and destroy the enemy's living strength.

"That is the most responsible course of action for Leaf Village as a whole."

"You call that a smaller cost?!" Tsunade suddenly stepped forward, and even the ground seemed to tremble.

Orochimaru did not retreat in the slightest, his pupils narrowing.

"Compared to being slaughtered in whole units by Hanzo's poison mist,

"yes, that price is acceptably small. Don't forget, if I hadn't arrived in time,

"the two of you might already have died. Even if the three of us joined forces..."

He looked at Tsunade and Jiraiya, his tone carrying a rare gravity and... self-mockery.

"We could only barely hold him back and keep him from personally reaching those encirclements.

"The pressure he gave off... heh, it reminded me of facing the old man."

Those words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing part of Tsunade's fury.

They also made the atmosphere inside the tent even heavier. Nara Shikaku spoke at the right moment.

His voice was steady and objective. "What Orochimaru said... is true.

"Based on all frontline intelligence and battle reports, Hanzo's individual strength and battlefield dominance

"far exceeded our estimates. The success of this strategy to lure the enemy in deep and eliminate them in divided groups

"depended heavily on the three of you restraining him together.

"And on our overconfidence in the combat strength of his subordinates. But this plan... can only be used once."

He pointed toward the interlocking formations on the sand table.

"After this battle, Hanzo will never divide his forces so easily again, nor will he underestimate our tactical flexibility.

"The battles ahead will be direct wars of attrition, positional warfare.

"And the deadliest problem remains this: if the three of you are tied down by the enemy's high-level combatants

"and cannot intercept him with your full strength, then if Hanzo himself breaks through to our main battle line, or even merely gets close..."

Shikaku did not finish, but everyone inside the tent understood what that meant.

It would not be a battle, but a one-sided massacre.

Ibuse's poison, combined with Hanzo's terrifying strength and the terrain of the Land of Rain,

was enough to bury every Leaf Village shinobi in an entire area here.

That was the might of the demigod of the shinobi world!

The main tent fell into a brief silence.

Even Tsunade bit her lower lip tightly, the anger on her face replaced by a deep sense of helplessness.

As one of the greatest medical shinobi, she knew better than anyone how insignificant individual medical ninjutsu was against poison mist of that scale and potency.

In that heavy silence, Hinata Tianyi, who stood in the shadows by the entrance and tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, was noticed.

"Hm?" Jiraiya was the first to notice him. He turned around, somewhat surprised. "You are...?"

Everyone's gazes instantly focused on Tianyi.

Being watched simultaneously by the Three Sannin and Shikaku, the pressure crashed down on him like a mountain.

Tianyi immediately straightened his back, dropped to one knee, lowered his head, and reported, "Genin Hinata Tianyi, reporting as ordered!"

"Hinata Tianyi..." Tsunade reined in her emotions, surprise and delight appearing in her eyes.

Her gaze lingered especially on the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead.

"So it's you."

"Good kid, you're the one from the Hyuga Clan's Branch House who used unconventional methods in the medical area today

"and saved dozens of critically wounded patients?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. Compared to you, it is not worth mentioning," Tianyi answered honestly.