The Nara Clan Head spoke again.
"We definitely have to fight, but we should deal with the poison first."
"I suggest immediately recalling Tsunade. With her here, Chiyo's poison will be ineffective, no matter what."
"Lord Hokage, do you know where Tsunade is right now?"
Hearing this, Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly. However, he couldn't remain silent and responded in a low voice,
"Tsunade is not in the village. I've already sent people to search for her."
At his words, the expressions of everyone present, including the Nara Clan members, shifted.
They had all lived through the Second Shinobi World War. They knew very well what Chiyo was capable of. Beyond her Puppet Technique, her poisons alone had been enough to trouble even Hanzō of the Salamander.
Back then, Konoha had relied entirely on Tsunade to endure the wars. Without her, they had no antidote.
"Hmph! Hiruzen, this is because you're too soft."
"You actually let her leave despite her fear-induced sickness? You should have made her stay in the village."
"Otherwise, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
Here we go again—Danzō taking the opportunity to attack the Hokage.
Hiruzen's face turned red with anger.
"Danzō! If you don't have a better idea, then shut your mouth!"
"Everyone knows Tsunade's situation. She has a deep-seated phobia and post-war trauma."
"Even if she were in the village, she could only help with the poison. As for the rest… sigh…"
Everyone understood Tsunade's condition and nodded in agreement.
"By the way, Lord Hokage, on my way back, I passed through a town to the northwest. I think I saw Lady Tsunade there."
"If possible, please send ANBU to search the northern region."
Kazuyama's sudden words drew everyone's attention.
His information caught Hiruzen by surprise.
"Kazuyama, are you sure about this?"
"Well, I was in a hurry, but I don't think I was mistaken. I saw a cloak with the word 'gambling' written on the back."
Hearing this, Hiruzen's expression visibly lightened.
The issue wasn't that Tsunade wouldn't return—it was that they couldn't find her.
Now that they had a lead on her whereabouts, retrieving her would be much easier.
"Not bad, Kazuyama! You've done it again!"
"Now that we've found Tsunade's whereabouts, the next step is to arrange reinforcements."
"Everyone, this is wartime, and I hope we can all work together to defeat our enemies!"
Kazuyama had seen just how smooth Hiruzen's tongue was.
The rest of the meeting turned into a complete solo performance by him. With his silver tongue, he managed to convince each clan to send a considerable number of elites to the battlefield in the Land of Rivers.
Tsk tsk, you had to admit—anyone who could serve as a Kage during wartime wasn't just strong; they were also master manipulators.
"Kazuyama, what about you? Are you taking a break for a few days or heading to the battlefield?"
Kazuyama thought for a moment, a gleam appearing in his eyes.
"My sensei is fighting in the Land of Rivers, and as his apprentice, I should assist him."
"I'll go to the battlefield, but I'll leave my three students behind. It's still too soon for them."
Hiruzen nodded. He respected Kazuyama's decision—after all, he had just delivered crucial intelligence, so it was reasonable to let him rest.
But Kazuyama had his own plans. Sasori and Rasa were on the battlefield in the Land of Rivers!
They were treasures—if he didn't take this opportunity to trick them at least twice, where would he find another chance?
The meeting concluded, leaving only a few people in the large conference hall.
"Hiruzen, regarding Kazuyama, I think you should let him serve under my command!"
"We've all seen his capabilities. A talent like this shouldn't be wasted leading a simple Jōnin squad."
Danzō had once again set his sights on Kazuyama.
Although his Root Division had many skilled operatives, none could rival Kazuyama.
Take intelligence work, for example—every time Kazuyama went on a mission, he returned with crucial information.
A talent like that had to be kept under his control.
But before he could even make a move, three sharp sentences and a piercing glare cut him off.
"Hmph! Don't even think about it!"
"He's my disciple's disciple—he follows my orders!"
"Give up on that idea!"
Hiruzen shut him down immediately. Was Danzo joking? Trying to steal one of his own men? Not a chance.
"Danzō, you're overthinking this, while Kazuyama is excellent at intelligence work, his combat skills don't align with Root's operations."
"And if I recall correctly, doesn't Root already have its own intelligence personnel?"
"Isn't there someone named Nonō Yakushi?"
Homura glanced at Danzō, fully aware of what he was plotting.
But Kazuyama's situation was unique.
Orochimaru's disciple and Hiruzen's grand-disciple—what are you thinking, Danzo?
"Hmph, she left."
"I'll deal with that later."
"Hiruzen, I still believe Kazuyama should be trained under my Root Division!"
Hiruzen had been in a good mood, but Danzō's persistence soured it.
"Hmph! Danzō, keep your hands off. Kazuyama is both a Jōnin of Konoha and a member of ANBU."
"He follows my orders alone!"
"Remember, I am the Hokage!"
With that, Hiruzen gave Danzō no chance to argue and left the meeting room.
Homura and Koharu followed shortly after, leaving Danzō alone in the vast chamber. His expression twisted with frustration as he spat,
"Damn you, Hiruzen! You'll regret this!"
…
After leaving the Hokage Building, Kazuyama didn't head home. Instead, he went straight to the Land of Rivers.
He had no intention of following the main force—it was too slow.
A day later, he once again set foot in the Land of Rivers.
As he looked at the distant battlefield, a trace of shock flickered in his eyes.
It had only been half a month, yet the battlefield had changed completely.
Almost all the surrounding trees were gone. The ground looked as if it had been plowed, scarred with countless traces of destruction.
"Heh heh heh, Kazuyama, you're here…"
A familiar, chilling voice came from behind him.
Turning around, he saw Orochimaru. He looked exhausted, his face worn with fatigue.
"Sensei, the village has dispatched a large number of reinforcements, including elites from various clans. They should arrive in less than two days."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smile at the good news.
"That is good news…"
"What about Tsunade? Any updates? This poison is becoming a real problem."
At the mention of poison, a rare look of seriousness crossed Orochimaru's face.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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