Chapter 41

"Second, keep him on the front line, where you can watch him and never let him out of your sight.

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

"The first option is out!"

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

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

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

She furrowed her brows and said thoughtfully, "Senjutsu at Shikkotsu Forest isn't easy to learn. I spent a month studying it and got nowhere!"

Liuyun shook his head. Clearly, all her brainpower had gone into her Big Boobs.

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

"You do realize you're sending Nawaki to Shikkotsu Forest for refuge, not because you actually expect him to learn Senjutsu?"

Of course, if none of those options worked, they could only hide him away 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 and made up her mind.

"When?"

"Not today. We'll wait until we get back from this mission! He should at least experience how brutal war is!"

"As long as you're happy." Liuyun turned to leave.

"Wait! What exactly happened to bring the Senju Clan to the brink of extinction?" Tsunade called him back 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 kissed her hard on the lips!

The familiar touch. The familiar scent.

Just then, Tsunade's eyes shifted. Liuyun took to his heels and vanished from the tent in an instant.

His voice drifted in from outside.

"Consider that my payment, Teacher Tsunade!"

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

Her shout shook the tent, but there wasn't a trace of anger in her eyes.

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

The next morning, Tsunade picked more than a dozen Jonin. With Liuyun and the others, they formed a special squad of exactly twenty.

After eating, she sent Nawaki and Mikoto to the medical support unit. Then she split the squad into groups of five and set off for the Sand Ninja Main Camp.

The Sand Ninja Main Camp stood at the western edge of the Land of Rivers, between the country and the border of the Land of Wind.

To reach the Sand Ninja Camp, they had to cross the Land of Rivers.

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

At its root, the war had been caused by uneven economic development among the major nations. Even without Hanzō, it would have come sooner or later.

When they entered the Land of Rivers, Liuyun could barely stand to look at the scene before him.

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

Some bodies had already begun to rot. Living people were a rare sight on the streets.

The few they did see were sallow and skeletal, stumbling blindly onward like walking corpses.

Some were even gnawing on the dead. It was hell on earth.

It was nothing like the comfortable life in 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 ninja villages?

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

At least then, war wouldn't have come so soon.

Liuyun felt a deep surge of resentment toward Hashirama Senju.

Naive fool!

"War is this cruel. Try not to dwell on it. Once we end it, this place will come back to life."

Seeing Liuyun's sorrow, Tsunade patted his shoulder and comforted him 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, their group of five arrived at a small inn on the border of the Land of Rivers, disguised as merchants.

They had barely sat down and were about to discuss the night's operation when a violent rumbling rose around them, like an army on the march.

"Looks like Jiraiya and the others managed to draw them out!" Tsunade said with an excited smile.

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

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

He climbed into a large tree and watched the approaching army from concealment.

At its head was none other than the Third Kazekage.

Old Lady Chiyo was beside him. Liuyun didn't recognize most of the other members of the Sand Ninja High Command.

Then 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 already sent him into battle?"

Liuyun looked down and continued watching.

They advanced at high speed. Some of the Sand Ninja High Command looked visibly anxious.

Behind them came an army of furious Sand Ninja.

The Third Kazekage looked much better than Sakumo. They had to act quickly, or something unexpected might happen on the battlefield.

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

"You're saying the Third Kazekage looked healthy, and he was leading them himself?"

Tsunade was surprised at first, then her expression gradually turned grave.

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"That's right." Liuyun shrugged.

"That's trouble. It looks like the Third Kazekage may have recovered his fighting strength, while Lord Sakumo..."

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

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

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

Even with her Medical Ninjutsu, he would need more time to recover his fighting strength.

"Scout the Sand Ninja Main Camp this afternoon and find out how many remain," Tsunade told Hyuga Asuka.

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

"No need to trouble Senior Asuka. There aren't many ninja left at the Sand Ninja Main Camp!

"I sense around two hundred of them!

"More than forty have very faint Chakra. They're probably injured and unable to fight.

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

"The rest must be the guards the Sand Ninja left at their main 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, okay?" Liuyun glanced at the busty woman beside him and said irritably.

"I also sensed a familiar Chakra among them. Want to know whose?"

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

"Wait—when did you learn Sensory Ninjutsu?" Tsunade asked after a beat.

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

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

"Ebizo's!"

"Ebizo? You're saying Ebizo is at the Sand Ninja Main Camp?"

Tsunade cried out, her fair face darkening.

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

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

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

"Oh, right. 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 patrol guards at the Sand Ninja Main Camp!"

Liuyun smiled, delivering the final blow without mercy.

Grass was a plant. It could also help girls with irregular periods!

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

Attacking the Sand Ninja's provisions under these conditions was practically suicide. Even if they succeeded, they might not make it out alive.

"No matter what, we have to try. Otherwise, the front line..." Resolve filled Tsunade's eyes.

Knock, knock, knock!

Someone knocked on the door.

Liuyun, who was standing beside it, opened it at once!

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

"Lady Tsunade," they greeted her quietly.

"Mm." Tsunade nodded.

She told them about the Sand Ninja forces remaining at the camp.

Their faces darkened, just like everyone else's.

This was a mission they were unlikely to survive.

"We move at three tomorrow morning! Remember, our mission is to destroy the Sand Ninja's provisions!"

"Leave as soon as they're destroyed. Understood?" Tsunade ordered sternly.

"Understood!"

Night fell. A crescent moon hung high, its cold light lending the Shinobi World a little brightness.

Dressed for combat, Liuyun and the others stood in the trees.

Campfires glowed ahead, revealing dense rows of tents. Liuyun's expression remained calm.

If Liuyun had been in command of this operation, his plan would have been simple: attack.