In Konoha: Three Choices at the Start

"Second, keep him on the front lines, always in your sight. Don't let him leave."

"As for the third!" Liuyun paused. "Send him to Shikkotsu Forest to learn Senjutsu!"

"The first option is out!"

Tsunade shook her head without hesitation. If what Liuyun had said last night was true, sending Nawaki there would be like throwing him to the wolves.

She shook her head at the second option, too. The battlefield was far too dangerous, and as one of its commanders, she couldn't keep Nawaki in front of her at all times.

A flicker of hope appeared in Tsunade's eyes at the third option, but it quickly faded.

She frowned and said thoughtfully, "Shikkotsu Forest's Senjutsu isn't easy to learn. I studied it for a month and got nowhere!"

Liuyun shook his head. Of course she'd put all her brains into her chest.

"That's exactly why he should go! What would be the point if it were easy to learn?"

"You realize we're sending Nawaki to Shikkotsu Forest to keep him safe, not because we actually expect him to learn Senjutsu!"

Of course, if none of that worked, they could only hide him in a small country.

A small country? Tsunade shook her head again. This was the Second Shinobi World War. She knew better than anyone what happened to small countries.

"I've decided! I'll send Nawaki to Shikkotsu Forest to learn Senjutsu!"

Tsunade took a deep breath, her mind made up.

"When?"

"Not today. We'll wait until we're back from the mission! He should at least see how cruel war is!"

"Whatever makes you happy!" Liuyun turned to leave.

"Wait! What exactly happened to wipe out the Senju Clan?" Tsunade called after him again.

"When you start using your brain, I'll tell you!"

"If you had half your second grandfather's brains—no, even ten percent—the Senju Clan wouldn't have declined!"

As soon as Liuyun finished speaking, he appeared before Tsunade. While she was still bewildered, he seized her lips in a fierce kiss.

The familiar touch. The familiar scent.

Tsunade's eyes shifted. Liuyun immediately bolted, vanishing from the tent in an instant.

His voice drifted in from outside.

"Consider that my payment, Teacher Tsunade!"

"That little bastard!" Tsunade roared at the spot where Liuyun had disappeared.

Her shout shook the air, but there was no real anger in her eyes.

After all, in the Genjutsu, she had...

Early the next morning, Tsunade picked a dozen or so Jonin. With Liuyun included, they formed a special squad of twenty.

After eating, Tsunade sent Nawaki and Mikoto to the medical support unit. She then split the squad into groups of five and headed for the Sand Ninja's main camp.

The camp stood on the far western edge of the Land of Rivers, near the border with the Land of Wind.

To reach it, they had to cross the Land of Rivers.

Ever since Hanzō of Amegakure had set off the Second Shinobi World War, the surrounding small countries had become battlefields for the major villages. The Land of Rivers was no exception.

At its heart, the Second Shinobi World War had been caused by unequal economic development among the major nations. Even without Hanzō, it would have come. The only question was when.

When they entered the Land of Rivers, Liuyun could barely stand to look around.

Collapsed houses were everywhere. Bodies littered the ground, including those of children.

Some corpses had begun to rot. The streets were nearly deserted.

The few people they saw had sallow faces and were starved to skin and bone. They trudged forward blindly, like walking corpses.

Some even gnawed on the dead. It was hell on earth.

It was nothing like the peaceful life of his previous world.

At that moment, Liuyun wanted to drag Hashirama Senju back from the Pure Land just to beat his corpse.

With all that power, why had he founded the shinobi villages?

Why hadn't he listened to Madara and united the entire Shinobi World?

At least war wouldn't have come so soon.

Liuyun felt a surge of resentment toward Hashirama Senju.

Naive fool!

"War is this cruel. Try not to dwell on it. The sooner we end it, the sooner this place can recover."

Seeing Liuyun's distress, Tsunade patted his shoulder and spoke softly.

"I know. It's just hard to take in all at once."

Noticing his discomfort, Tsunade quietly picked up the pace. Half a day later, the five of them arrived at a small inn near the border, disguised as merchants.

They had barely sat down and were about to discuss that night's plan when the ground began to shake violently. The rumble sounded like an army charging past.

"Looks like Jiraiya's group successfully drew them out!" Tsunade said with an excited smile.

"Kid, go take a look. You're the youngest and the least familiar face. No one should recognize you!"

"All right." Liuyun sighed and left the inn.

He climbed a tree and watched the mass of troops in the distance from cover.

Leading them was none other than the Third Kazekage.

Old Chiyo was beside him. Liuyun didn't recognize the other Sand Ninja leaders.

Is that...? Liuyun's pupils contracted. On the Third Kazekage's other side stood an old man—a bald old man, to be precise.

"The One-Tail Jinchuriki? They've sent him into battle already?"

Liuyun looked down and kept watching.

The force moved at a tremendous pace. Several Sand Ninja leaders looked anxious.

Behind them marched an army of furious Sand Ninja.

The Third Kazekage looked in much better shape than Sakumo. They needed to act quickly, or something unexpected could happen on the battlefield.

Back at the inn, Liuyun told Tsunade everything he had seen.

"You're saying the Third Kazekage looked healthy and was leading the charge himself?"

Tsunade was startled at first, then her expression grew grave.

"So the Third Kazekage may have recovered enough to fight. But Lord Sakumo..."

Hyuga Asuka, the Hyuga Clan ninja accompanying them, spoke in a low voice.

"We move tonight! The sooner we act, the better our chances!" Tsunade said through gritted teeth.

As one of the battlefield commanders, Tsunade knew how badly White Fang was hurt.

Even with her Medical Ninjutsu, he would need more time before he could fight again.

"Scout the Sand Ninja's main camp this afternoon. Find out how many are still there," Tsunade told Hyuga Asuka.

"Understood, Lady Tsunade!" Hyuga Asuka nodded solemnly.

"No need to trouble Asuka. There aren't many ninja left at the Sand Ninja's main camp!

"I sense a little over two hundred of them!

"More than forty have very faint Chakra. They're probably too badly wounded to fight.

"Nearly seventy have fluctuating Chakra. They're wounded, but they can still fight.

"The rest must be the guards they left at the camp!"

"That many?" Tsunade froze. She clearly hadn't expected the Sand Ninja to leave so many people behind.

"That's not the important part." Liuyun shot a look at the woman beside him and spoke irritably.

"I also sensed a familiar Chakra signature in there! Want to know whose?"

"Don't keep us guessing now!" Tsunade snapped, flicking Liuyun hard on the forehead.

"Wait! When did you learn Sensory Ninjutsu?" Tsunade asked as the question occurred to her.

Liuyun curled his lip and sighed. "You're a terrible teacher. You don't even know what Ninjutsu your student knows!"

Tsunade blushed. "Enough smart talk. Get to the point. Whose Chakra did you recognize?"

"Ebizo!"

"Ebizo? You're saying Ebizo is at the Sand Ninja's main camp?"

Tsunade cried out, her fair face darkening.

Ebizo wasn't as famous as his older sister Chiyo, but his strength was not to be underestimated.

If they raided the Sand Ninja tonight, they would need at least two people to keep him occupied.

Add the guards at the camp, and Tsunade's face scrunched up.

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you: there are five Elite Jonin and fifteen Jonin in the camp!

"And around fifty Elite Chunin. They're probably the camp's patrol guards!"

Liuyun smiled as he delivered the final blow.

Shit.

As soon as Liuyun finished, everyone else's expression changed. Their faces turned grim.

Raiding the Sand Ninja's supplies under these conditions was practically suicide. Even if they succeeded, their chances of surviving were slim.

"We have to try, no matter what. Otherwise, the front lines..." Resolve filled Tsunade's eyes.

Knock, knock, knock!

Someone knocked at the door.

Liuyun, standing beside it, opened it at once.

The arrivals were the temporary leaders of the other five-person teams.

"Lady Tsunade," they said quietly.

Tsunade nodded.

Then she told them about the forces remaining at the Sand Ninja camp.

Their faces grew as grim as everyone else's.

It was a mission they were unlikely to survive.

"We strike at three in the morning! Remember, our mission is to destroy the Sand Ninja's food supplies!"

"Once they're destroyed, leave immediately! Understood?" Tsunade ordered.

"Understood!"

Night fell. A crescent moon hung high, casting its cold light over the Shinobi World.

Liuyun and the others, dressed for action, stood among the branches of several trees.

He gazed at the campfires ahead and the countless tents barely visible beyond them. His face showed nothing.

If Liuyun had been in charge of the operation, his entire plan would have been one word: attack.