Chapter 151: Tsunade's Teasing
Hoshikawa frowned slightly.
It wasn't that the three Nin-Taijutsu skills Tōdai gave him were weak; on the contrary, they were considered very powerful. In the original story, the destructive power Fourth Raikage A generated using them was comparable to Tsunade's Monster Strength.
But there was one problem, or rather, a prerequisite: to unleash their maximum potential, they had to be used in conjunction with the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Without it, their power was limited.
Hoshikawa didn't possess the Lightning Release Chakra Mode; he only had his Lightning Release Body (Raiton no Karada), which wasn't as potent as using the Monster Strength technique.
In short, these three Nin-Taijutsu were somewhat negligible to him. However, they were useful for padding the Taijutsu and Lightning Release Ninjutsu slots on his status screen.
"Hoshikawa ." Tōdai patted his shoulder. "Lord Raikage asked me to tell you that once we defeat Konoha, he will personally take you on as a disciple."
Hoshikawa wasn't surprised. The Lightning Release Chakra Mode was a secret technique that could only be learned by the Raikage's lineage in Kumogakure. As a spy embedded in Konoha, he naturally hadn't earned their complete trust yet. Not unless he could return to Kumogakure.
"Once you become Lord Raikage's student, you'll be a candidate for the next Raikage," Tōdai said, painting a big smile. "That's a dream come true for anyone!"
"I'll work hard," Hoshikawa nodded earnestly.
Tōdai's words did serve as a reminder. With that identity, once he was strong enough, he might actually go ahead and claim the Raikage title.
"Kumogakure launched its operation not long ago. Konoha should have received the intelligence by now." Tōdai mused. "Have you heard anything?"
"Yes." Hoshikawa didn't hide it; they'd find out soon enough anyway. "Konoha dispatched four hundred ninja to the Land of Frost."
"Konoha is proceeding exactly as Mabui predicted, opting not to take the opportunity to attack Sunagakure," Tōdai said with a smile.
Mabui?
An image surfaced in Hoshikawa 's mind: a dark-skinned, white-haired female ninja dressed in a secretary's uniform. She was the "external brain" of Kumogakure, equivalent in status to Konoha's Nara clan, and possessed extremely high intelligence.
"Are you and your teacher among them?" Tōdai suddenly asked.
"Yes," Hoshikawa replied. "My teacher is leading the team; the goal is to stabilize the situation."
"Just as we suspected." Tōdai couldn't help but laugh. "That's exactly what Kumogakure planned."
"To mislead Konoha while scheming against Sunagakure?" Hoshikawa caught on and asked directly.
"Precisely," Tōdai explained. "Sunagakure is already weaker, and now it's in disarray. Taking them down is simpler than dealing with Konoha."
"Is it just Sunagakure, though?" Hoshikawa raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not." Tōdai smiled. "Kumogakure's ultimate target is Konoha."
"I see." Hoshikawa had his suspicions confirmed.
Kumogakure was indeed ambitious, but achieving their goal wouldn't be easy. After all, there was still Iwagakure to worry about. In the original story, Iwagakure had seized the chance while Kumogakure and Konoha were fighting, and attacked Kumogakure directly. The Sandaime Raikage sacrificed himself, holding off ten thousand Iwa ninja single-handedly to cover his comrades' retreat, eventually dying of exhaustion.
Iwagakure's ambition was also considerable. Besides Kumogakure, they had previously sent a thousand Iwa ninja to invade the Land of Fire.
"When you reach the Land of Frost, if the opportunity arises, you should meet with Lord A and the others," Tōdai said with a grin. "You've already gained quite a reputation in Kumogakure."
"How many people know my true identity?" Hoshikawa asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not many." Tōdai thought for a moment and listed seven names: the Sandaime Raikage, the Fourth Raikage (A), Killer Bee, Daimaru, Samui, Mabui, and Yugito Nii.
"Don't worry, none of them will leak your identity," Tōdai assured him seriously.
"Understood." Hoshikawa stood up to leave. "We depart for the Land of Frost at nine. I should go."
"Stay safe," Tōdai smiled. "And tell your friend to start brainstorming new novels."
I see the latter part of that sentence was the real point, Hoshikawa muttered internally as he turned and headed home.
Shinku Yūhi was already awake and preparing breakfast. He didn't ask where Hoshikawa had been, which was normal since Hoshikawa often woke up early to train.
"Hoshikawa , morning." Kurenai Yūhi yawned as she walked out of her room. She had changed into her standard combat ninja vest and tied her hair up for the mission. She looked less like a girl and more like a heroic, spirited warrior.
"Morning," Hoshikawa instinctively reached out.
"No touching!" Kurenai sidestepped him, sticking out her tongue and making a playful face.
So cute. Hoshikawa watched her skip into the bathroom and smiled.
After breakfast, the two bid farewell to Shinku and headed to Tsunade's house.
Rin Nohara had already arrived. After greeting them, they entered the house.
"Time to go, Sensei," Hoshikawa said helplessly, looking at Tsunade sprawled on the couch.
"Why are you so late?" Tsunade lifted her head and complained. "I'm starving. Hurry up and make me some food!"
"Huh?" Hoshikawa was taken aback. "Didn't I tell you last night to make your own breakfast?"
"I forgot." Tsunade paused, remembering that he had, in fact, told her. But she was so used to Hoshikawa coming over to cook that she hadn't bothered to remember.
"..." Hoshikawa was speechless.
"Is that a problem?" Tsunade challenged, folding her arms.
"No, it's fine," Hoshikawa 's eyelid twitched.
Tsunade was wearing pajamas, and her movement, with her arms crossed, created a rather striking image.
Fine. Might makes right. Hoshikawa turned and headed for the kitchen.
Kurenai and Rin exchanged glances. They both felt a sense of awkwardness. What kind of teacher-student relationship was this? But they didn't dwell on it and obediently waited across from Tsunade.
Hoshikawa opted for the quickest meal: ramen. To save time, he even utilized his Fire Release Chakra.
Before long, a piping hot bowl of chicken ramen was ready. He carried it back to the living room.
"Thanks." Tsunade grabbed the chopsticks and dug in. She had been hungry for a while and ate without hesitation, finishing the entire bowl in minutes.
"Let's go!" Once Hoshikawa had washed the bowl, the three of them headed to the Konoha Gate.
All four hundred ninja had already assembled, standing in orderly rows of four, organized by squad.
"Lady Tsunade." Shikaku Nara approached them.
"We leave now," Tsunade nodded slightly.
The four hundred ninja marched out under Shikaku Nara's command.
By evening, they reached the border of the Land of Fire. Past this point lay the Land of Hot Water, and then the Land of Frost.
These two minor nations served as buffer zones between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. Any conflict between Konoha and Kumogakure would inevitably turn them into battlefields. In fact, this was the role of most minor nations between the Five Great Nations. The vulnerability of the weak was painfully evident.
"Your food still tastes the best." Tsunade walked into their tent. As the commander of four hundred ninja, she couldn't show favoritism by cooking for herself, so she had eaten the same standard rations as everyone else.
"Here." Hoshikawa pulled out a lunch box as if by magic.
"How is it still hot? When did you make this?" Tsunade's eyes lit up.
"Yesterday," Hoshikawa replied, raising his hand. "I just heated it up using Fire Release Chakra."
Tsunade's heart warmed. This kid really was thoughtful.
Tsunade opened the box and saw that it was filled entirely with chicken cutlets. Clearly, this box was prepared just for her.
"Want some?" Tsunade used her chopsticks to pick up a cutlet and held it out to his mouth.
"Thanks." Hoshikawa took a bite, chewing contentedly. He was mid-chew when he suddenly froze, seeing Tsunade use the same chopsticks to grab another piece of chicken.
"What's wrong?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.
"Aren't you going to switch chopsticks?" Hoshikawa cleared his throat.
"Oh, that." Tsunade chuckled. "Are you shy?"
"No," Hoshikawa quickly shook his head.
"Really?" Tsunade decided to tease him, biting down on the chopsticks and licking her lips slightly.
"…?" Hoshikawa 's eyes widened instinctively.
"You are shy after all." Tsunade looked pleased with herself.
But then her expression froze. She suddenly realized what she had just done.
What am I doing?
Tsunade looked down, a wave of embarrassment washing over her.
Just then, Kurenai and Rin walked in.
"Wow!" Kurenai caught the familiar scent, rushing over. "Hoshikawa ! I want some!"
"Here." Hoshikawa , naturally, had prepared ahead of time.
"You're the best!" Kurenai beamed.
"This one's for you." Hoshikawa handed a lunch box to Rin Nohara.
"Thank you." Rin held the warm lunch box, thinking how incredibly thoughtful he was.
After dinner, everyone pulled out their sleeping bags. Tsunade, however, suffered from insomnia. She couldn't understand why she had acted on a whim like that earlier. Was it because she and Hoshikawa were normally too close?
Tsunade closed her eyes and, amidst her chaotic thoughts, finally drifted off to sleep.
The night passed without incident. Since they were still within the borders of the Land of Fire, nothing happened.
After breakfast, the group set off again. By afternoon, they successfully reached the Land of Frost.
Upon entering, the temperature dropped sharply, and light snow began to fall. Compared to the Land of Fire, the Land of Frost had colder, longer winters.
"Lady Tsunade." Minato Namikaze led a group of Konoha ninja out to greet them. The four hundred ninja hadn't concealed their movements, so Minato's team was well aware of their approach.
"Rin!" A familiar voice rang out while Tsunade and Minato were talking.
"Obito, long time no see." Rin smiled warmly when she saw Obito Uchiha.
"I..." Obito Uchiha was about to speak but was interrupted.
"Hoshikawa !" Might Guy gave a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming. "The flames of youth are starting to burn again!"
"..." Hoshikawa 's mouth twitched, but he held his tongue.
"Hoshikawa ." Kakashi Hatake arrived a moment later.
The group began to exchange pleasantries, but it was mostly Obito Uchiha boasting about his recent achievements. Listening to him, Hoshikawa felt a slight sense of dissonance. Was this still Obito Uchiha? Why did it feel like he had improved so much?
Hoshikawa suddenly thought of Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu. If they had contacted Obito early, it would explain everything. Madara Uchiha was immensely powerful and experienced, and even casual guidance from him could cause Obito's skill to skyrocket.
Of course, these were just Hoshikawa 's guesses. Perhaps Obito Uchiha had been stimulated by Hoshikawa and was simply motivated to work harder.
"Let's get into the camp," Tsunade walked over and said.
Hoshikawa and the others immediately stopped chatting and followed her into the encampment.
Calling it a camp was generous; it was simply rows and rows of tents.
"Lady Tsunade." Minato Namikaze pointed east. "That's where we've just finished setting up new tents for your unit."
"Thank you, Minato," Tsunade nodded slightly, then looked at Shikaku Nara. "Shikaku, go organize the unit, then have all the Jōnin come to the main tent for a meeting."
"Yes, ma'am." Shikaku Nara turned and left.
Soon, the four hundred ninja entered the tents in batches to rest.
"Hoshikawa , come with me to the main tent." Tsunade glanced at Hoshikawa . Although he wasn't officially a Jōnin, his strength was already at that level. More importantly, Tsunade wanted to nurture him. Being Hokage wasn't about fighting; it was about managing people and politics. Hoshikawa needed to appear frequently to build his reputation.
"Yes, Sensei." Hoshikawa said goodbye to Kurenai and the others and followed Tsunade.
"Why does he get to go to the main tent?" Obito Uchiha's smile instantly froze when he saw this. He had just finished boasting to Rin and was feeling smug, only to be hit with a painful reality check.
As Hoshikawa entered the main tent, he was met by several assessing gazes. Although surprised by his presence, no one said anything, as Tsunade was now the commanding officer.
Hoshikawa looked around. The only special thing about the main tent was a sand table placed in the center. The sand table was a map of the Land of Frost, currently divided into red and blue sides. Red was Konoha, and blue was Kumogakure. The main objective was the front-line ninja outposts. Judging by the sand table, the fighting was intense and evenly matched.
"Lady Tsunade." Minato Namikaze bowed slightly. "Everyone is present."
"Good." Tsunade looked at the sand table. "Give us a briefing on the situation."
"Yes, ma'am." Minato Namikaze nodded. "Including the four hundred ninja who just arrived, the camp currently holds five hundred thirty-two personnel..."
Hoshikawa knew his place and stood beside Tsunade, only listening and never speaking.
The meeting lasted for nearly two hours, primarily focusing on mission assignment. Ninja warfare was different from conventional battles, requiring detailed allocation of specific ninja squads rather than just mass charges.
After the meeting, Hoshikawa held a scroll. It contained his squad's mission, rated as A-Rank. Simply put, they were to reinforce a front-line outpost. That outpost had recently repelled a Kumogakure attack but had three seriously wounded ninja, urgently requiring medical ninja support.
"What? You guys are leaving right now?" Obito Uchiha asked in surprise.
"Mhm." Rin Nohara nodded. "This is an urgent mission."
"Sensei Minato, can we go with them?" Obito Uchiha quickly pleaded.
"No," Minato Namikaze refused. "With Lady Tsunade and Hoshikawa , your team's support is not needed."
Damn it!
Obito Uchiha could only watch as Rin and Hoshikawa 's team departed.
.........
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