Three hours later.
The cleanup on the Land of Lightning battlefield was largely complete.
The Cloud prisoners were escorted in groups to a hastily built temporary camp.
Konoha's ninja moved back and forth across the battlefield, collecting scattered ninja tools and recording the names of the fallen.
Tsunade crouched beside a rock, quietly recovering.
Minato approached with a bowl of water, crouched in front of her, and offered it to her.
"Sensei, have some water first."
Tsunade took it, drank half the bowl, and set it on the rock.
Minato hesitated, but spoke anyway.
"Sensei, why don't you rest a little—"
"I can't rest."
Tsunade cut him off, stood, and stretched her arms.
"Things here in the Land of Lightning are settled. The prisoners are secured, and the battle is over."
She turned her head toward the northwest.
"But Kannabi Bridge can't wait."
"The Uchiha Clan is with Danzo. Knowing him, there's no way he'll obediently focus on stalling as I told him to."
"If we're too late, I'm afraid Danzo will get the entire Uchiha Clan killed."
Minato's brow furrowed.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had approached at some point.
He heard Tsunade's last remark and fell silent.
He knew Danzo's temperament better than anyone.
Belligerent, radical, ambitious, and never willing to settle for being beneath anyone.
How could he obediently stall Ōnoki at Kannabi Bridge just because he was told to?
He would certainly try to take the initiative. He might even force a confrontation, using a hard-fought battle to prove his worth.
Yet Tsunade had understood all of that with a single glance at him.
Her insight left Hiruzen Sarutobi both gratified and conflicted.
He was silent for a moment. Without saying much more, he tucked his pipe away inside his robes. "Let's go."
Mito Uzumaki also emerged from nearby,