"Sorry, Elder. I need to return to the village. Once I'm back, I'll ensure that Orochimaru and Jiraiya return to the camp to support you. You don't have to worry about the camp being weakened; it's only a matter of a few days."
Tsunade knew that while it was important to settle personal matters, she couldn't afford to mess around with the war.
Even if she returned to Konoha, she would make sure Orochimaru and Jiraiya went back to assist Hatake Sakumo.
"That's good to hear."
Hatake Sakumo and Nara Shikashige both let out a sigh of relief.
Although there was no shortage of jonin in the camp, what they truly lacked were the powerhouses who could sway the battlefield.
Sakumo was strong enough, but holding back the Third Kazekage was already a challenge, leaving him unable to do much more.
Luckily, Chiyo and her brother Ebizō had retired and returned to Sunagakure. If they had remained, the pressure on Konoha would have been even greater.
Let's just say that having Chiyo alone would have given Sakumo plenty of trouble.
"Well, I'll be on my way now."
With that, Tsunade swiftly departed, gathering her things to return to Konoha.
In the command center, the others exchanged glances. The meeting, as expected, couldn't continue.
"What is this mess? Why can't we just focus on finishing the war properly?"
Hatake Sakumo was visibly frustrated, slamming his hand on the table. As the frontline commander, he felt nothing but helplessness, having to endure this situation.
Yet, no matter how frustrated he was, there was nothing he could do but carry on. Even as commander, he had to follow orders from the higher-ups.
Despite being the commander, he couldn't give direct orders to people like Tsunade, and could only negotiate with them.
Thankfully, the Sannin respected Hatake Sakumo as a senior. If it were someone else in command, things might have been even more difficult.
No one dared to speak further. When matters involved the higher-ups, it was best not to say anything that could get them into trouble.
The next morning, Xin arrived at the Hokage's office, knocking on the door for all to see. "Come in."
The Third Hokage's voice was hoarse, and he looked worn out, his increasingly aged face showing signs of fatigue.
"Hokage-sama, here is my retirement request."
Xin placed the application on the desk.
"I ask for your approval, Hokage-sama."
Seeing the application on the desk, the Third Hokage, already groggy from anger and lack of rest, felt a dull ache in his head. Rubbing his temples, he sighed.