When his companions faced insurmountable danger, he was the first and most natural person to step forward, standing in front of everyone and becoming the one who took the initiative to cover the rear, the one who faced death head-on.
The third Hokage remained silent, picked up his pipe again, brought it to his lips, and tried to calm his inner turmoil with a puff.
Bang!!!
But a sudden, deafening sound, like a thunderclap, erupted in the silent conference room!
Koharu and Homura: "...!?"
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were startled by the sudden loud noise. The third Hokage's hand trembled, and he almost dropped his pipe.
"You damned fool!!!"
A roar filled with fury, one could even say exasperated and hoarse, followed the sound of the table slam, coming from someone no one expected.
Danzo Shimura!
This man, who was always as somber as an ancient well and never showed his emotions, suddenly stood up from his seat, his eyes burning with terrifying rage and fury.
"What kind of hero is this kid trying to be!?"
"Does he even deserve it? Who does he think he is!? Is Chiyo's poison something you can just test on so easily? What if he dies? What if the antidote can't be made? Has he even considered the consequences!?"
His voice grew louder and more urgent with each sentence, completely losing its usual coldness and restraint; he paced back and forth in the conference room like a restless wild beast.
"What is Jiraiya doing?! He just stands by and watches this kid run wild?! Did a toad eat his brain?!"
"And Tsunade! Isn't she that kid's teacher?! Is this how she teaches her students?! Sending him to his death?!"
"He was taught to gamble with his own life?! Trash! All of them are trash!"
"Especially this kid! He's a complete idiot! A moron! A fool! A reckless brat who doesn't know his place!!"
He became angrier and angrier as he cursed, walking faster and faster, his chest heaving violently.
Under the almost bewildered gazes of the third Hokage, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado, this old friend of theirs for half a century seemed to have been struck hard on his most sensitive and least wanted nerve by something invisible, making him completely go into a berserk state.
Ignoring the expressions on the three men's faces, Danzo abruptly stopped and looked directly at the third Hokage, saying: "Hiruzen! That kid acted on his own, risked his life, and showed no respect for discipline! This is absolutely not the behavior of a qualified ninja! Nor is it the judgment of a temporary leader shouldering such an important task!"
"So! Now! Immediately! Right now! Bring that kid back from the front lines!"
What happened in the back of the conference room was unknown to outsiders; all that happened was that the lights in the Hokage building stayed on very late that night.
Ultimately, Shinichi Higashino was not transferred back.
But the next morning, an urgent document bearing the joint seal of Konoha's F4 was delivered to the southwestern front by a special envoy.
The document mainly contained two parts.
The first part was a formal reprimand to the frontline commander, Jiraiya, with harsh language and no leniency, clearly stating that, as the highest commander, failing to promptly stop such dangerous behavior by subordinates carried an inescapable leadership responsibility.
The second part was a direct order issued to Shinichi Higashino, forbidding him from carrying out any similar dangerous acts of testing poison on himself again. If violated, regardless of any reason, he would be immediately and forcibly transferred back to the rear.
Below the command are the signatures of four people.
The third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Advisor, Koharu Utatane.
Advisor, Homura Mitokado.
And… Advisor, Danzo Shimura.
…
Let's go back to the afternoon of the same day after Tsunade had met Shinichi.
Tsunade turned and left the field hospital, striding towards Konoha's command center.
Konoha ninjas passed by her from time to time, and each one stopped respectfully to salute her.
Tsunade did not stop walking; she merely nodded slightly, her face revealing no emotion.
Jiraiya was already standing at the entrance of the command center, his hands folded in front of him, his expression as attentive as it could be, with a hint of flattery.
Seeing Tsunade approaching, he quickly took two steps forward: "Tsunade! You're back? You've worked hard! How did the mission go? Um..."
Tsunade glanced at him, her steps unwavering, and she simply said, "Alright, let's go inside and talk."
"Oh? Okay! Please come in!"
Jiraiya was taken aback, then felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly stepped aside and personally lifted the tent flap.
As he lifted the tent flap, he stole glances at Tsunade's expression, his mind racing.
'Strange, this reaction isn't right.'
Under normal circumstances, knowing that while she wasn't there, that kid did such a thing, and knowing that he had watched it happen without stopping it, shouldn't Tsunade have immediately scolded him harshly? Or even directly beat him? He had already thought about which posture he would have while being scolded and beaten.
Tsunade ignored his small movements and walked straight into the command center, then sat down in a chair.
Actually, on her way here, she also figured out something.
Even if she had been there, what difference would it have made?
That kid is usually mild-mannered and can chat with anyone with a smile. He seems very easy to talk to, but once he makes up his mind about something, no one can stop him. He's as stubborn as an ox.
"Stop making that long face."
Seeing that Jiraiya still looked uneasy, Tsunade said impatiently, "Alright, let's get down to business."
Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief, quickly pulled up a chair, and sat down, adopting an attitude of listening attentively.
"I couldn't catch up."
Tsunade said directly, "This Pakura is very cunning. She never confronts me head-on. Every time I get close, she leads her team to retreat. Her Quick Style is indeed fast. I can't catch up."
"Moreover, she is very cautious and never lingers in battle. I have laid bait several times to try to lure her in, but she doesn't fall for it and withdraws decisively without giving me any chance."
Jiraiya nodded, the smile on his face fading as he regained his composure.
"It seems she is well aware of her role: Harassment, containment, and guerrilla warfare. She will continue to attack the squads and outposts around us. Even if she fails, as long as she can hold back our elite forces, her mission will be accomplished."
"Now that Chiyo has arrived..."
After a moment's hesitation, Jiraiya continued, "This old woman's poison is indeed troublesome. Here's the arrangement: Tsunade, you stay at headquarters and deal with Chiyo's poison. As for Pakura, I'll think of a solution..."
"No need."
Tsunade interrupted him directly.
"I'll continue pursuing Pakura."
Jiraiya was taken aback: "But..."
"Even if I can't catch her, I still have to keep chasing.
Tsunade glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "Even if we can't do anything to her, we can't let her roam freely around us. Today she attacks the supply line, tomorrow she attacks the wounded evacuation team, and the day after tomorrow she takes down our outpost. As long as she's still active, she'll keep causing us losses. We need someone to keep an eye on her."
"As for creating the antidote, let that kid handle it."