Chapter 192: Tsunade's Hesitation
Kumogakure Battlefield, Konoha Main Camp in the Land of Frost.
Orochimaru was engrossed in a document. Opposite him, Danzō Shimura was ranting incessantly. His words were the usual refrain, urging Orochimaru to find a way to secure more credit for himself.
Orochimaru ignored him.
The document detailed Shisui Uchiha's recent performance. He vaguely sensed a problem: Shisui's Sharingan was too powerful, unnaturally so for a Three-Tomoe state. The battle in which Sakumo Hatake's squad critically wounded Yugito Nii was particularly suspicious. Could an assassin-type Jōnin and a newly awakened Three-Tomoe Uchiha defeat a Jinchūriki? That was highly unlikely.
Orochimaru suspected that Shisui Uchiha might have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Tobirama Senju had conducted extremely detailed research on the Uchiha Clan. As a Konoha elder and a scientific fanatic, Orochimaru had naturally studied this research. He wondered about the true power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Orochimaru fell into contemplation. He felt an urge to test Shisui Uchiha.
"Orochimaru!" Danzō Shimura yelled in frustration. He remembered Orochimaru saying that Sakumo Hatake wouldn't be able to steal his credit and felt his anger flare up. The single greatest achievement for Konoha against Kumogakure so far was the critical wounding of Yugito Nii.
Just then, a knock sounded outside.
"Lord Danzō, Lord Orochimaru, this is intelligence from Konoha regarding the Iwagakure battlefield." The person who entered was an ANBU ninja, but he had formerly been a Root operative, so he handed the scroll to Danzō Shimura.
"You may leave." Danzō Shimura took the scroll and waved him away.
"I have a bad feeling about this again." Danzō Shimura hesitated for a few seconds before opening the scroll. His entire body began to tremble.
When he saw that Hoshikawa and Tsunade had captured the Four-Tails Jinchūriki Rōshi alive, his first thought was, My chance at being Hokage is gone!
"Has Iwagakure been repelled?" Orochimaru glanced at him, asking flatly.
"See for yourself!" Danzō Shimura slapped the scroll onto Orochimaru's desk, his face ashen, and stormed out of the main tent.
The tide had turned, and he was powerless to stop it! Unless Orochimaru could conquer Kumogakure and capture A, Killer Bee, and Yugito Nii alive. But was that even possible?
Orochimaru frowned slightly. What was with that old man's attitude? He scanned the scroll and immediately understood the source of Danzō's fury.
Tsunade's student has actually grown to such an extent? Orochimaru had seen Hoshikawa a few times before, but besides his striking looks, he had left no impression. He simply didn't care about ordinary "geniuses," as he was one himself.
"It seems the position of Hokage is destined for Tsunade." Orochimaru closed the scroll. Even he felt that, given the current situation, no one could compete with Tsunade. Unless, of course, someone killed her. But Orochimaru wouldn't do such a thing. Furthermore, as her teammate, he knew exactly how difficult she would be to kill.
Orochimaru shook his head. He had always considered the Hokage position secondary. Now that his hopes were dashed, he didn't feel any displeasure. On the contrary, he thought his rewards from this war were quite good. Aside from the general study of the Sharingan, Shisui Uchiha presented an interesting opportunity for observation.
In a nearby tent, Sakumo Hatake's squad also received the intelligence from Konoha.
"Hoshikawa captured a Jinchūriki?!" Asuma Sarutobi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"This… this truly sounds incomprehensible," Shizune was stunned for a few seconds before her face registered shock.
"That's Hoshikawa for you!" Shisui Uchiha's reaction was less dramatic. Just as Hoshikawa had suspected, he had indeed activated the Mangekyō Sharingan to critically wound Yugito Nii. Shisui Uchiha had initially thought that with the awakening of his eyes, he could defeat Hoshikawa . Now, he wasn't so sure.
In terms of raw power, the Four-Tails was stronger than the Two-Tails. Moreover, Shisui Uchiha only managed to critically wound Yugito Nii with the help of Sakumo Hatake.
But after careful consideration, he wasn't entirely surprised. Since childhood, Hoshikawa had always been the strongest among their group of friends. Even without a Kekkei Genkai, he couldn't be judged by common sense.
"I'm done for!" Asuma Sarutobi felt like he would be living in Hoshikawa 's shadow for the rest of his life.
Kirigakure, Mizukage's Office.
"Kushimaru Kuriarare was not wronged by losing to him." The Third Mizukage said slowly, his eyes closed.
Mei Terumī stood frozen, clutching the scroll, unable to recover her thoughts. How long had it been since their last meeting, and his strength was already so great that he could defeat the Four-Tails Jinchūriki Rōshi?
Is this rational? How did he train? Mei Terumī, as the unparalleled genius of Kirigakure, had learned Water Release Ninjutsu at an astonishing pace. But Hoshikawa was even more ludicrous than her.
She felt like her purse and her shoes would never be returned. Worse, the next time they met, she might lose even more. That pervert! Mei Terumī couldn't help but grit her teeth.
"Truly remarkable," a baby-faced ninja said after a moment of silence. This was Yagura Karatachi, who, in the original story, would become the Three-Tails Jinchūriki and the Fourth Mizukage, possessing formidable strength. However, he would soon be controlled by Obito Uchiha, turning Kirigakure into an even more blood-soaked village.
"What should we do now?" Ao asked gravely. In the original story, he would be known as the Byakugan Killer, having acquired a Byakugan. But for now, he was just a competent Jōnin without widespread fame.
"Wait," the Third Mizukage said slowly. "Konoha has captured the Jinchūriki Rōshi. Iwagakure will inevitably react, perhaps even starting a direct war." His meaning was simple: wait for them to fight tooth and nail, then swoop in and take advantage.
"Yes." Ao nodded. This approach was undoubtedly the most beneficial for Kirigakure.
"Our primary target remains Konoha," the Third Mizukage continued. "The deaths of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen cannot go unavenged."
Of course, he had another unspoken reason. Kirigakure was famous for its proficiency in Water Release, yet Hoshikawa 's Water Release could defeat the Four-Tails Jinchūriki Rōshi. If the strongest Water Release user in the Shinobi World was not in Kirigakure, it would be a laughingstock. If they could defeat Hoshikawa , it would prove that Kirigakure's Water Release was superior. The Third Mizukage believed that Hoshikawa defeated Rōshi purely because of the elemental advantage. In his hands, the result would have been the same. He was confident that his Water Release was no weaker than Hoshikawa 's. After all, he was the Mizukage!
Night fell.
Tsunade returned to the Konoha camp. When she entered her tent, she found Hoshikawa already waiting.
"How is your body feeling?" Tsunade took off her shoes and walked barefoot to him, then plopped down onto the mat.
"I have the Strength of a Hundred Seal, so I've already recovered," Hoshikawa said, a little vexed. "It's just that the sheer amount of chakra consumed won't be replenished anytime soon."
"You little brat! You got away with murder and you're complaining!" Tsunade leaned forward and flicked his forehead.
Hoshikawa 's eyelid twitched. The flick disturbed not just his forehead, but also Tsunade's precariously positioned clothing.
"How did I get away with murder?" Hoshikawa reluctantly averted his gaze.
"Capturing Rōshi and only paying the price of chakra consumption? Isn't that an incredible bargain?" Tsunade rolled her eyes and countered.
"That's true." Hoshikawa nodded, then asked, "So what's my reward?"
"Don't worry, you'll get your reward." Tsunade chuckled. "When you return to Konoha, the Old Man will definitely give you one."
"And you, Master?" Hoshikawa blinked and asked.
"What reward could I possibly give you? I've already given you everything I could." Tsunade suddenly paused. "Wait, there is one thing you haven't learned yet: the Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest."
"Sage Mode?" Hoshikawa was taken aback. The reward he was fishing for wasn't this. However, Sage Mode was worth a try, though he wondered if he was capable of learning it.
"That's right," Tsunade explained. "In the Shinobi World, besides chakra, there is another type of energy called Natural Energy, which only Sage Mode can use." She proceeded to explain the details of Sage Mode.
In summary, the explanation was similar to the original story. Sage Mode is a special state that absorbs Natural Energy and uses Senjutsu Chakra. By merging the absorbed Natural Energy with physical and spiritual energy in equal proportions, Senjutsu Chakra is created. Senjutsu Chakra can be used for Senjutsu, and it also amplifies Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu, making it incredibly powerful. This amplification is not just a doubling of power, but a factor of several times.
Currently, only Jiraiya could use a half-complete Sage Mode in the Shinobi World. Before him, there was Hashirama Senju, who was invincible due to the combination of Sage Mode, Wood Release, and terrifying chakra reserves. In the original story, the number of ninja who could use Sage Mode was also extremely small, limited to Kabuto Yakushi, Naruto Uzumaki, Minato Namikaze, and perhaps Madara Uchiha. Even Orochimaru couldn't master it, only managing to create the inferior Cursed Seal. This highlighted the immense difficulty of learning Sage Mode.
"Learning Sage Mode takes a very long time. After the war is over, I'll take you to meet Katsuyu." Tsunade stretched. "I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"
"Yes." Hoshikawa pulled out a bento box.
"Did you just make this?" Tsunade took the bento box and, noticing it was still warm, asked.
"I made it about two hours ago," Hoshikawa paused. "I used Fire Release to keep it warm."
Tsunade's heart fluttered as she looked at the bento box. Clearly, Hoshikawa had prepared dinner for her in advance. She had only been delayed by two hours while dealing with Iwagakure matters.
Tsunade suddenly realized how lucky she was. To have someone who cared so much and overlooked her volatile temper.
Tsunade recovered, opened the bento box, and found it to be a rich and generous meal, similar to their usual dinners. She picked up her chopsticks, put a piece of chicken cutlet in her mouth, and her eyes soon narrowed in pleasure. Hoshikawa 's cooking really was the best.
"I had Minato send Rōshi back to Konoha," Tsunade suddenly remembered. "If there's anything you're interested in from Iwagakure, you can tell me, and we'll add it to the trade conditions."
"Lava Release Ninjutsu," Hoshikawa said without reservation.
"Are you sure?" Tsunade looked surprised. "Lava Release is a Kekkei Genkai. Even if you get the Ninjutsu scrolls, it will be very difficult to learn."
"That's not necessarily true," Hoshikawa replied with a smile. "Lava Release is a Kekkei Genkai formed by the combination of Fire and Earth. I know a thing or two about both Fire Release and Earth Release."
"It's not that easy," Tsunade said, biting into a rice ball. "Too bad there's no sake."
"There's no harm in trying," Hoshikawa said casually. "It's best not to drink during the war. We can drink when we get home."
"Fine then." Tsunade thought about it. "Given the importance of a Jinchūriki, there are many things we can trade for. Adding Lava Release Ninjutsu is acceptable."
"Thank you, Master." Hoshikawa smiled, watching her eat.
"What is there to thank me for?" Tsunade shook her head. "Without you, we wouldn't have captured Rōshi, let alone made such a huge profit."
"All the Water Release Ninjutsu I learned came from you, Master." Hoshikawa said earnestly. "You deserve the most credit!"
"Is your next sentence going to be that I should become Hokage?" Tsunade raised her eyes, glaring at him, and asked.
"Congratulations, you've learned to answer before I ask. That is indeed what I meant," Hoshikawa coughed lightly and said.
Tsunade withdrew her gaze and took a fierce bite out of the chicken cutlet.
"...?" Hoshikawa 's heart tightened as he watched.
"Becoming Hokage is not so simple," Tsunade said after chewing and swallowing the chicken cutlet. "The Old Man isn't that old. If he doesn't retire, he can remain Hokage for a long time."
Hoshikawa 's eyebrow twitched. Was she finally conceding?
What Tsunade said was true. Hiruzen Sarutobi was Hokage twice in the original story, holding the title until his death. Minato Namikaze only became the Fourth Hokage because Konoha suffered heavy losses during the Third Shinobi World War. Under pressure from various factions, Hiruzen Sarutobi took responsibility and voluntarily stepped down.
But the current situation was unfavorable because Konoha was consistently winning.
However, all hope was not lost. Tsunade's reputation was now extremely high, almost matching Hiruzen Sarutobi's. If she spoke to the Fire Daimyō, the remaining ninja clans and ninja would naturally support her.
"If you want the position, Master, it's only a matter of time," Hoshikawa said, looking at her. "What do you think?"
"I…" Tsunade met his gaze, and the words of refusal ultimately stuck in her throat. She quickly shifted her eyes, focusing on the bento box in her hands.
"It's too early to talk about this now," Tsunade shook her head, her face expressionless.
"You're right." Hoshikawa smiled. "Let's wait until the war is over." He had already detected Tsunade's hesitation. Once she wavered, the crack would only widen, eventually leading to her acquiescence.
Tsunade felt inexplicably relieved. For some reason, facing Hoshikawa made her feel a certain pressure. Was she caring too much?
Tsunade silently finished the bento box. "I need to rest. See you tomorrow."
"Good night, Master." Hoshikawa picked up the bento box and left her tent.
Less than three days later, everyone was hit by a shocking piece of news: Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, led ten thousand ninja to land on the shores of the Land of Lightning, catching Kumogakure completely off guard.
Would you like me to translate the next chapter, or would you like to discuss the implications of the latest news?
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