After Hiruzen Sarutobi left, Tsunade stepped into the tent.
"What did that old man say to you?"
She didn't bother with pleasantries, bluntly referring to Hiruzen as "that old man" the moment she entered.
Kaede smiled lightly. "Not much. I'll be heading to the Land of Rain in a few days."
"He didn't bring up the matter with the Cloud ninja?"
Tsunade hesitated slightly as she asked.
Kaede chuckled. "You mean their so-called peace terms? He did mention it, but I'm not stupid enough to hand over the initiative to them. Come on."
Tsunade let out a breath of relief.
Ever since her younger brother's death during the Second Great Ninja War, she'd come to see things like "sacrificing yourself for the village" as foolish ideals only idiots would follow.
She was worried Kaede might get a sudden rush of emotion and agree to Kumogakure's terms just to end the war. Sure, if the war really did end, he'd be remembered as a hero by countless people. But what good is being remembered when you're dead?
And this was war. Kumogakure couldn't be trusted. If they went back on their word afterward, there'd be no way to stop them.
"You're right. Kumogakure can't be trusted. And even if they could, trading your life for peace is something only a fool would do."
Tsunade spoke with a trace of mockery in her voice.
After a few seconds of silence, she looked at Kaede and asked, "So, when do you plan to leave for the Land of Rain?"
"In a few days," Kaede replied, thinking it over. "No point rushing. Orochimaru-sensei already withdrew our forces from the old base. Even if Rain and Stone are working together, it'll take them time to move deep into the Land of Fire."
Tsunade nodded and said in a serious tone, "I won't be able to go with you to the Land of Rain. You'll have to be extra cautious there. Hanzō is extremely dangerous."
"Even if you managed to defeat the Third Raikage, don't underestimate him. Someone like the Third Raikage could still lose to Hanzō!"
Her gaze was sharp and serious.
Having once fought Hanzō of the Salamander, she knew all too well how formidable he was, a man dubbed the "Demi-God of the Shinobi World." During the Second Great Ninja War, he single-handedly defended the Amegakure from the combined forces of three major shinobi villages!
"Don't worry," Kaede said with a faint smile.
The Third Raikage might not have been guaranteed to beat Hanzō, after all, the Raikage was known for his impenetrable defense, while Hanzō's strength lay in his lethal poisons. Just inhaling a bit of it could kill you.
But while the Raikage might've had trouble with Hanzō, Kaede didn't consider Hanzō much of a threat. He already knew most of Hanzō's tricks, his deadliest weapon being the poison hidden in his body. But poison was nearly useless against him. After all, what better antidote was there than turning back time?
"You two can come in now."
After warning Kaede about Hanzō, Tsunade called toward the entrance of the tent.
Shizune and Yūhi Kurenai stepped in. Kurenai kept her head low, still visibly nervous in Tsunade's presence.
Tsunade gave Kurenai a quick glance, then shot Kaede a look of mild annoyance. This brat had everything going for him, strength, character, but his only flaw was being too popular.
Still, Kaede was young. A little messing around wasn't a big deal. Compared to someone like Jiraiya, Kaede was practically a saint.
"Lady Tsunade's presence really is overwhelming…"
Kurenai sighed in relief after Tsunade left, placing a hand over her chest. "If she found out we were playing cards in here, she'd probably scold us to death."
"Kurenai, you probably don't know Tsunade-sensei's nickname," Kaede said with a grin.
"Huh?" Kurenai looked confused.
Kaede beamed. "She's known as... the Legendary Loser."
"When it comes to cards, you're nowhere near her level, though I'm talking about losing ability, not winning."
Kurenai stared at him in disbelief, then turned to Shizune, who nodded seriously. In an instant, Tsunade's awe-inspiring image in her heart completely collapsed.
….
Three days later.
In recognition of his defeat of the Third Raikage, Hiruzen Sarutobi formally promoted Kaede from Jōnin to Elite Jōnin.
There were many Jōnin in Konoha, but Elite Jōnin made up less than one-fifth of that number.
In the original timeline, Kakashi was already an Elite Jōnin during the Chūnin Exams, while Kurenai and Asuma were just regular Jōnin, there was a significant difference in strength between them.
An Elite Jōnin was essentially a Jōnin captain.
If a team of Jōnin were to be assembled for a high-level mission, the one leading them would undoubtedly be an Elite Jōnin.
In fact, Elite Jōnin usually held specific high-level roles: heads of the Intelligence Division, Konoha Military Police, or Anbu captains and vice-captains.
However, Kaede's promotion came without any such additional position.
Hiruzen still wasn't ready to give Kaede real authority. With Kaede's current strength and reputation, if he were given control over a division, it could easily turn into a personal army, much like Danzo's ROOT organization.
Besides, none of those roles were currently vacant. And given Kaede's young age, simply making him an Elite Jōnin without attaching other duties was perfectly reasonable.
None of the ninja in Konoha objected to the promotion.
Kaede was from the Hatake Clan.
He had also achieved remarkable, undeniable feats.
Even though he was still very young, that was more than enough to qualify him for the title of Elite Jōnin.
Following his promotion, Kaede left the front-line base and set out for the Land of Rain.
….
Several days later.
Kaede arrived at the relocated Konoha base further inland.
"You've come so far in such a short time. I never thought I'd be surpassed by my own student… hehehe."
Orochimaru let out a sinister chuckle as he looked at Kaede entering the tent, a trace of admiration in his snake-like eyes.
Even though he had expected it, Kaede's growth had still exceeded all his predictions. After leaving, he had soared to greatness, having already slain both Chiyo and the Third Raikage.
Chiyo was impressive, but manageable.
The Third Raikage, though, based on Orochimaru's intel, was a monster among shinobi. Defeating him meant Kaede had now reached the summit of the shinobi world.
At this point, the only ones who could claim to be above Kaede were legendary figures like Uchiha Madara or the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
"I wouldn't have gotten here so quickly without your guidance, Sensei," Kaede said as he moved to stand beside the tactical map laid out in the center of the tent. "What's the current situation?"
"It's... a bit difficult."
Despite saying that, Orochimaru's face showed no concern. That familiar eerie smile still played on his lips.
"Hanzō and the Third Tsuchikage are both dangerous. I nearly didn't make it back after our last skirmish."
"But now that you're here, things should turn around. With your strength, holding off either one of them shouldn't be a problem. Danzo and I can handle each other."
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