The Nara clan had always been inherently laid-back and reluctant to involve themselves in Konoha's various power struggles, but that didn't mean they lacked the ability to do so.
Now that they had decided to support Tsunade, Shikashin naturally wanted to gather more information. So he asked directly, his words making his stance absolutely clear.
In response, Tsunade withheld only certain confidential details, things concerning the Uchiha clan, Sakumo, Orochimaru, and the original Senju clan. But she revealed Konoha's current political situation and her own suspicions about why Hiruzen had sent her to this military camp.
Tsunade was willing to place her trust in Shikashin, or rather, Shin trusted him, and that was enough.
The Ino–Shika–Chō trio had always stood as one; betrayal among them was unthinkable.
With Torifu vouching for him, plus a strong sense of foresight and awareness, Shin had no reason for doubt. He had fully briefed Tsunade from the start. The two of them talked for several hours, during which Shikashin constantly offered advice and strategy.
Tsunade had to admit, having such a strategist by her side was genuinely a relief.
Off to the side, Minato hadn't spoken a word the entire time, but he listened with great focus, and gained much from it.
At the same time, he finally understood why his brother held Shikashin in such high regard.
"I understand the general situation now. I also know what needs to be done," Shikashin said with a nod after learning all the details.
"Your speculation is quite reasonable. It's likely the Hokage really is trying to provoke a conflict, just as you suspect. So, when we call a meeting later to gather everyone, I'll publicly request, under my authority as camp commander, that you be responsible solely for treating the wounded and preparing antidotes. That way, even if something does happen, no one can pin it on you."
"But wouldn't that just shift all the pressure onto you?" Tsunade asked, shaking her head.
"You don't need to worry about that," Shikashin said confidently. "I've been serving as a commander on the border for a long time now. I can handle this level of control. Besides, didn't you say that in a critical situation, Shin could come at any time?"
He gestured to the Flying Thunder God mark tag she had just given him, smiling.
"With the two of you here and my full support, nothing will go wrong."
Once their plan was finalized, he immediately gathered the camp's senior leaders for an emergency meeting and formally introduced Tsunade.
Aside from a few people who had received "special instructions," the rest welcomed her wholeheartedly.
Though she had never set foot in the border camps before, her reputation was everywhere.
Not only was she of noble lineage, but the events involving the Land of Whirlpools had made her a household name. On top of that, the antidotes everyone had been using over the past year were all formulated by her, he was bound to be welcomed.
It's worth noting: what made Suna truly loathsome wasn't their puppets, it was their ruthless use of poison.
Tsunade's arrival gave everyone a sense of security.
However, after just two days at the Left Flank camp, during which she treated several severely wounded soldiers and developed a new type of antidote, Tsunade said her farewells to Shikashin, explaining that she intended to be stationed long-term at the Right Flank camp.
Just as Shikashin had said, the Left Flank was more stable with him around. And should anything arise, Shin could be summoned immediately. It was safer overall.
As long as friction with Suna was kept under control, even if someone within the camp tried to stir up trouble, they wouldn't be able to truly threaten Tsunade.
But things were different at the Right Flank camp, located at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.
When Tsunade arrived there, she was warmly welcomed by everyone in the Right Flank camp, but unlike the Left Flank under Shikashin's watch, she could clearly feel that many of those welcoming her didn't have good intentions.
She could tell just from the name of the camp commander.
After the enthusiastic welcome ceremony, Shimura Tameo led Tsunade and her shadow, Minato, into the command room along with the camp's senior officers. As he did so, he spoke with feigned emotion:
"Lady Tsunade, it's truly wonderful that you could come during such turbulent times. Let's proceed with the handover right away. Only by officially passing the command of the camp to you can we put everyone's minds at ease. Here are the handover documents. Please review them, and if everything looks good, you can go ahead and sign."
Tameo wore a constantly excited smile and kept chattering away, as did the people around him, who were enthusiastically reporting the camp's situation.
These people never gave Tsunade a moment to breathe, yet everything they said and did was carefully measured to avoid triggering her displeasure.
If it had been an ordinary person, suddenly arriving in an unfamiliar place and subjected to such a whirlwind of information, they'd probably be left dizzy and confused. It wouldn't be surprising if they ended up signing the command handover documents without fully understanding what was happening.
After all, when Hiruzen had assigned Tsunade the mission, he had vaguely indicated something along those lines.
Judging by Tameo's attitude, it seemed like he must have received direct instructions from Hiruzen, which would explain his eagerness to cooperate.
But Tsunade sneered inwardly.
While Hiruzen had verbally implied that she should take over command of the camp, the written documents he gave her were deliberately vague.
On paper, the message boiled down to something like: "Tsunade, your responsibilities are great. You must ensure the safety of both camps and handle any emergencies with care."
Nowhere in the documents was there any formal wording of an appointment.
If she signed this command handover document, and Tameo later accused her of seizing control without official orders, the consequences could be severe.
It would be in black and white, she wouldn't be able to deny it. And if tensions at the border escalated later on, she alone would be held accountable. It was clear that Hiruzen was exploiting her lack of frontline experience and trying to trick her into a political trap. And admittedly, the setup was quite misleading.
Someone without experience, unfamiliar with how things really worked, could easily be deceived by Hiruzen's vague verbal instructions.
The way the camp personnel acted was clear proof that Hiruzen's "orders" had reached them.
As for why the official documents were unclear?
With the atmosphere already so orchestrated, someone might hesitate to question anything for fear of looking incompetent.
They might even convince themselves that this was just how formal appointment wording was structured, and they simply didn't understand it due to inexperience.
But the moment she signed that paper, anything that happened in the camp afterward would be her responsibility as the new commander.
And Hiruzen and Danzō would then be free to manipulate the situation however they pleased.
"Enough!" Tsunade suddenly slammed the table and shouted in anger.
The people who had been enthusiastically speaking around her were shocked by the sudden outburst, and the room instantly fell silent.
"Who told you I came here to take over command of the camp?" Tsunade's gaze turned icy as she swept her eyes across the room, locking eyes with each person present.