Witch Tsunade

"You Mizukage really had it... rough." Keiko gaped and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He instinctively glanced at Chiyo, seated beside him, and Pakura, standing nearby in attendance. The two women looked at each other, equally stunned.

The baby-faced man before him carried a trace of shyness and unease in his mannerisms, but Keiko did not dare underestimate him in the slightest. This was a genuine powerhouse, and a respectable man willing to sacrifice himself for his village.

As the future Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura's strength could not be underestimated. A single Coral Palm had given even a cheat like Naruto a headache. As Mizukage, he had been willing to sacrifice himself and become a Jinchūriki, even subduing the Three-Tails to become its Perfect Jinchūriki. That alone showed his capabilities. Unfortunately, he would later fall into Obito's genjutsu and become a puppet completely, while Kirigakure entered the cruel Blood Mist Era.

This time, Karatachi Yagura had come neither to seek battle nor peace, but to deliver intelligence! After the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's previous assassination attempt had failed—

The Militant Faction led by Suikazan Fuguki had tried to provoke another war. They had gathered a group of militant radicals and wandering ninja and were charging toward Sunagakure, intending to act first and report later, directly starting a war through a surprise attack. Yet the Mizukage had obtained this intelligence through his own channels and had simply sold Suikazan out. That took no small amount of nerve.

"The Mizukage truly has had a difficult time. He deeply cherishes the friendship between Sunagakure and Kirigakure, but our two villages have different political systems. The Mizukage truly has no way to stop the actions of these rebel ninja, so he dispatched me to Sunagakure in advance to communicate with you. He hopes the Kazekage will understand." Karatachi Yagura gave Keiko a deep bow. His manner was exceedingly humble and pleasant.

Keiko raised a hand in a vague gesture, indicating that he need not stand on ceremony, while swiftly piecing the matter together in his mind.

The Third Mizukage was quite the ruthless character as well. Ever since taking office, he had been constantly obstructed and harassed by domestic opposition forces. This time, after intercepting intelligence about the opposition's cross-border sneak attack, he neither opposed it nor announced it. Instead, he directly sold the information to Sunagakure. This would allow Sunagakure to clean house for him while earning him goodwill with the Kazekage, all without moving a single soldier. Killing two birds with one stone.

"Fine jade may be beautiful, yet it cannot avoid minor flaws; a treasured tree may stand tall, yet occasionally bear yellow leaves. I hope your envoy will tell the Mizukage not to trouble himself too much over this. Furthermore, on behalf of Sunagakure alone, I accept the Mizukage's friendship.

I also hope no such incidents occur between our villages again. After all, there has never been much enmity between us!" The meaning was clear: fine, he would handle this matter for him, and they could be friends, but Kirigakure still needed to secure its own fence and stop pulling this sort of stunt.

"The Kazekage is wise. I hope that, when you have time, you will visit Kirigakure as well. The Mizukage will surely receive you warmly," Karatachi Yagura said, still extremely courteous.

"Certainly, certainly." Visit Kirigakure? Forget it. How was that any different from visiting an insane asylum? They were all battle-crazed lunatics. He would not even consider it before the Fifth Mizukage.

After seeing Karatachi Yagura off, Keiko kept Chiyo behind and had Pakura prepare two cups of tea.

"When you arrange the manpower later, go to the ninja academy and bring Konoha's Might Duy."

"Oh?" Chiyo seemed to search her memory for the man.

"Heh, he has a technique that is Suikazan Fuguki's natural nemesis. One hit, one kill."

"Heh, is that so? All right." Chiyo did not take this sneak attack too seriously. Karatachi Yagura had already made the time, place, and personnel involved in the attack quite clear. The question was no longer whether they could win, but whether they wanted the attackers dead or alive.

"Also, I need to tell you something important." Keiko's expression suddenly turned serious.

Seeing Keiko's grave expression, Chiyo realized the matter was no small one and grew serious as well.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

In a glass room within the secret underground chamber of Sunagakure's medical division, a White Zetsu lay on the floor with his hands tied behind his back. He let out horrifying screams, his eyes bloodshot as though he were enduring immense pain.

Several people in white coats stood nearby, observing and recording something on clipboards. At their head was the princess of the Konoha—Tsunade.

"Raise it by another two atmospheres." An unfamiliar excitement colored Tsunade's face as her eyes remained fixed on the White Zetsu in the glass room.

"Raise it again? No! It'll burst!" a staff member beside her warned kindly.

"Raise it. It's fine." Tsunade licked her lips excitedly.

"So this was the place? Why was that crazy girl here?" Keiko brought Chiyo into the underground chamber.

"I was invited by your Kazekage, you old hag," Tsunade shot back, never one to lose verbally.

"What did you say?! You crazy girl, say that again if you dare! Believe it or not, I'll poison you mute!" Chiyo flew into a rage at once.

"Come on! Come on! You old hag, I bet your poison couldn't even kill the chickens in my house." Tsunade gave no ground either.

The two began arguing right in front of Keiko. Keiko wore a forced smile as he tried to mediate between them, when he suddenly seemed to notice something.

"Quiet! Stop!" Keiko pointed in shock at a white head soaking in an enormous formaldehyde jar.

"This... has already been made into a specimen?! How many are still alive?!"

Following the White Zetsu head with his eyes, he saw a row of jars on the shelves, each containing various organs. It seemed the other four White Zetsu had met grim fates.

"There's only this one left." Tsunade awkwardly pointed at the White Zetsu still struggling in the glass room.

"You... you're really ruthless. Don't increase the pressure yet. If you play him to death, there won't be any left. These things aren't easy to get right now." Keiko hurriedly told the staff to lower the pressure.

"Lower it slowly. It's at sixty atmospheres. If you reduce it too suddenly, his blood vessels won't be able to take it. Remember to check Number Four's blood pressure after he comes out," Tsunade reminded them.

"Sixty atmospheres? It can withstand that much pressure? This is the White Zetsu you mentioned?" Chiyo pointed at the White Zetsu inside the glass room.

"It can withstand far more than sixty atmospheres. Its poison resistance and ability to take a beating are vastly different from those of normal humans," Tsunade said proudly.

"Poison resistance?!" Chiyo immediately became interested.

"You there. Bring over Subject C's records," Tsunade ordered.

"Look, this is the clinical report on Subject Number Two after taking three times the lethal dose of Qianji Poison." Tsunade proudly handed a file to Chiyo.

Chiyo put on her reading glasses and carefully examined the documents in her hands.

"What! After taking three times the dose of Qianji Poison, its spasms only occurred once every three minutes? You... that's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible. After taking the antidote, it recovered in two days. But it couldn't survive twice the dose of Peacock Gall."

"Though this result seems exaggerated, I think it is normal. In terms of toxicity alone, Peacock Gall is more potent than Qianji Poison."

"I don't think it's merely a matter of greater toxicity. This organism itself has greater resistance to plant toxins than it does to mineral toxins and biological viruses."

"Then we need to see this organism's tissue samples. You cannot jump to conclusions."

"How am I jumping to conclusions? You there! Bring over the tissue sample records."

Watching the two women, who had just been baring their fangs and drawing their swords, now getting along as though they were one person, Keiko shook his head helplessly. The two had clashed once before in the Land of Rain. The paths of poison and medicine ultimately led to the same destination. Through that contest, they had found themselves evenly matched, worthy opponents who appreciated one another greatly.

"Pakura."

"Yes!"

"I need you to make a trip. Go to ANBU shortly and arrange the ambush. Have Akasuna Guimu assign the personnel, and remember to bring Might Duy. As for on-site command... hm... you handle it."

"Yes, I'll arrange it immediately."