Long-Distance Intelligence Transmission

The next day.

Before dawn.

Tsunade had already left the Senju residence.

She had barely slept the night before.

She had sat alone in her room, staring at the ceiling for most of the night.

The destruction of the Uzumaki.

She knew it was coming.

But she didn't know exactly when.

Going by the original timeline, it would happen in roughly a year to a year and a half.

Maybe longer.

Maybe sooner.

She couldn't go to the Uzumaki and stand watch the whole time.

But by the time word reached her, it would be too late.

She needed an early warning.

A way to warn her remotely, the instant it happened.

Something that would alert her the moment the Uzumaki came under attack.

Once she had worked that out, she left before dawn.

She had to give Kushina Uzumaki what she needed before she left.

The Yamanaka flower shop.

Tsunade stood at the door and knocked three times.

The shop wasn't open at this hour, of course, but someone lived upstairs.

A moment later, a second-floor window opened.

Yamanaka Sora peered down, rubbing her eyes, a light coat draped over her shoulders.

"Tsunade?"

The moment she saw who it was, she woke right up.

"One moment!"

The window closed.

Less than two minutes later, the door opened from within.

Sora had changed into tidy house clothes and pinned up her hair.

She had moved quickly and taken care with her appearance.

If Tsunade had come to see her at this hour, it had to be important.

"Come in." Sora stepped aside.

Tsunade went straight into the small room behind the flower shop. Once seated, she got to the point.

"Lady Sora, I have something to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"Is there a way to send messages over a long distance?" Tsunade looked her in the eye. "A very long distance."

Sora paused.

"How far?"

"From the Land of Whirlpools to Konoha."

Sora's eyes narrowed.

That was far beyond an ordinary distance.

The Land of Whirlpools lay southeast of the Land of Fire, almost as far as the Land of Water.

She fell silent for several seconds, thinking it over.

"...There is."

Tsunade leaned forward slightly.

"Our Yamanaka clan's secret technique, the Mind Body Transmission Technique."

Sora lowered her voice.

"In theory, it can transmit intelligence across vast distances. But over that distance..."

She hesitated.

"It would take at least three Yamanaka jonin working together to maintain a stable connection."

Tsunade's expression darkened.

Three Yamanaka jonin.

Stationed with the Uzumaki.

That was impossible.

Forget three jonin. Konoha's leadership wouldn't approve even one.

That was another country's territory, and Yamanaka jonin were part of Konoha's fighting strength.

There was no legitimate reason to justify such a deployment.

"That's a problem."

Tsunade leaned back, her brows drawn together.

Watching her expression, Sora had a faint idea of what this was about.

The Uzumaki had arrived at the Senju residence only yesterday.

Now Tsunade urgently needed a way to communicate over long distances.

Sora didn't ask.

Some things weren't for her to know.

But she wanted to help.

"Lady Tsunade." Sora hesitated, then asked, "Do you need to send... detailed information?"

Tsunade looked up at her.

"What if all you need is a 'signal'?"

Sora chose her words carefully.

"For example... you don't need to know exactly what's happened. You only need a warning that something's gone wrong over there. Would that be enough?"

Something shifted in Tsunade's eyes.

"Yes."

Her answer came without hesitation.

"I only need to know there's trouble over there."

Sora nodded.

"Then I can think of a way."

"What is it?"

"Bugs from the Aburame clan."

"Bugs?"

Tsunade blinked.

"Yes."

Sora explained:

"The Aburame clan has certain special Rinkaichū that can form a sensory link with their host."

"Even across vast distances, they can convey simple emotions, such as fear or a sense of danger or death."

"It's not detailed information. It's more like... an instinctive connection."

"If a bug stays with the Uzumaki, and its host senses an intense threat, the corresponding mother bug here will react at the same time."

Tsunade's eyes lit up.

That was enough.

She didn't need to know who had attacked, how many there were, or how the battle was going.

She only needed a signal.

A signal that said, "Something has happened to the Uzumaki."

Then she could leave at once.

"That could work."

Tsunade sprang to her feet, ready to go.

"Wait, Lady Tsunade," Sora called quickly.

Tsunade stopped.

Sora said, a little embarrassed, "I don't actually know the Aburame clan very well. We don't have much contact."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

Sora went on:

"But Clan Head Yuri Inuzuka has always been on good terms with the Aburame."

"The Inuzuka's Ninja Hounds and the Aburame's bugs often work together on missions."

"If you want the Aburame's help, having Yuri Inuzuka take you there will do far more than an introduction from me."

Tsunade slapped her thigh.

"Lady Sora!"

"Yes!" Sora jumped at her sudden shout.

The next moment, Tsunade strode over, spread her arms, and pulled Sora into a tight hug.

"Mmph—Lady Tsunade?!"

Sora froze.

Tsunade was absurdly strong. She hugged Sora so tightly that her toes nearly left the floor.

Before Sora could react, Tsunade planted a loud kiss on her cheek.

Smack.

The sound rang out clearly.

"Thanks!"

Tsunade let her go, beaming.

Then she turned for the door.

"I'm going to find Yuri Inuzuka. I'll give you a massage later!"

The door banged open, and she darted outside.

Sora was left standing there alone.

Her face had gone completely red.

She slowly raised a hand to the cheek Tsunade had kissed. It burned beneath her fingers.

"Lady Tsunade... you really have no sense of propriety..."

She muttered the words.

But the flush in her cheeks refused to fade.

Then she thought of the massage Tsunade had promised, and those fleeting brushes of contact that happened every time.

A wave of heat swept through Sora's body.

Ten minutes later.

The Inuzuka clan's compound.

When Tsunade arrived, Yuri Inuzuka was feeding the Ninja Hounds their breakfast.

Yuri froze when she saw her.

Then her eyes brightened. She set down the food bowl and came over.

"Lady Tsunade! What brings you here?"

Tsunade went straight to the point. "Clan Head Yuri, I need a favor."

Yuri answered at once.

"Name it."

No hesitation. No conditions.

What she had said the day Tsunade saved Fuga—

[If you ever need anything from the Inuzuka clan, just ask.]

—hadn't been a courtesy.

Tsunade wasted no words and explained what she needed.

"I need to borrow a Sensing Insect from the Aburame clan. Can you introduce me?"

Yuri nodded without a second thought.

"Easy! Shikuro Aburame and I have been on plenty of missions together. He'll hear me out."

She whistled toward the yard.

Fuga came racing over.

"Hop on, Lady Tsunade."

Yuri swung onto the hound's back and held out a hand to Tsunade.

"I'll take you there."

Tsunade smiled and took her hand.

"Straight to the point. I like it."

"I learned from you."

Yuri Inuzuka grinned.

Fuga bounded toward the Aburame clan's compound on all fours.

The speed was astonishing.

It was every bit as fast as a Zhang Xue 820RR motorcycle from years to come!

Tsunade got to experience the thrill of a high-speed ride.

Before long,

Fuga drifted around a corner.

Tsunade and Yuri Inuzuka arrived at the western edge of Konoha.

The Aburame clan's compound.