When Tsunade mentioned that she intended to train medical ninja and heal the injured on behalf of the village, all three members of "Konoha's F3" (Hiruzen Sarutobi plus the two councilors) looked overjoyed.
In the wake of Orochimaru's return to the fold, Tsunade had finally come back to serve the village as well.
However, when Tsunade said she also wanted to conduct medical research for the village, the F3 immediately became cautious.
After all, Orochimaru's ongoing research projects alone were already costing the village a great deal of money, so they had grown to subconsciously link the word "research" with "huge expenditures."
Thinking it over, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Tsunade and asked, "Tsunade, what kind of medical research are you planning? If it isn't absolutely vital, I'm afraid the village can't afford to fund it right now."
Tsunade came fully prepared. Without hesitation, she answered, "Back in the day, I proposed that every three-person ninja squad should have a medical ninja. But due to a lack of trained medical ninja, that proposal still isn't fully realized today. Even so, my idea was sound: letting every squad have someone with medical skills would prevent a lot of needless casualties."
When Tsunade raised this old proposal, the three members of Konoha's F3 fell briefly silent.
They knew she was right, but it was a difficult issue. After a pause, Mitokado Homura remarked, "Tsunade, your reasoning is correct, but the obstacles to implementing it are huge. As you mentioned, the village simply doesn't have enough trained medical ninja. At best, it's something we can only achieve step by step."
After he finished, Koharu Utatane added,
"Let me mention one more point: a ninja squad's primary mission is to complete assignments, not simply ensure their own survival. Our current setup aims to maximize a three-man cell's ability to complete tasks. If we swap one member for a dedicated medical ninja, that might weaken the team's overall effectiveness at carrying out missions."
In other words, Homura was basically saying, Your idea is great, but we can't make it happen right now. Let's not bring it up again.
Koharu was pointing out that Tsunade's proposal, while solving certain problems, would create others.
Under normal circumstances—had she not teamed up with Senshi—Tsunade might have had no way to counter their objections. But this time, her collaboration with Senshi gave her the perfect solution.
After Homura and Koharu finished, Tsunade curved her lips into a smile.
"Lord Homura, Lady Koharu, Sensei, there's no need to worry about those concerns. They simply don't apply anymore. With Senshi's help, I've developed a plan for a 'shared summoning beast.' We can seal small slugs with strong healing abilities into special scrolls, giving every ninja medical support as needed."
"That way, there's no need to alter the three-person squad structure, and the shortfall of medical personnel also ceases to be an issue."
Those words made the faces of Konoha's F3 go a bit rigid. Although Tsunade spoke in an understated way, this new medical approach qualified as a strategic-level technology for Konoha.
Imagine a Konoha jōnin who just fought an opposing jōnin to a draw, both badly injured.
The Konoha shinobi could then use the slug-summoning scroll to heal themselves.
Even a small improvement in their condition might let them finish off the wounded enemy. And that's just one of many scenarios.
This kind of easy-to-use medical scroll would be helpful whenever anyone was hurt.
After a moment of serious thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, "Tsunade, how effective are these scrolls? Where does the research stand right now?"
That was exactly what Tsunade wanted to hear. She replied matter-of-factly, "The healing effect of these slug scrolls can be improved further, but that requires funding for continued R&D."
"Currently, the slugs inside the scrolls can handle most moderate injuries. Each scroll remains active for about a month."
Learning the potential of Tsunade's plan, Konoha's F3 found themselves in a tough spot. Her idea was clearly another strategic technology, but the village already had far too many costly priorities.
They wondered whether they should support this new project immediately.
Finally, after some thought, Hiruzen asked,
"Tsunade, is your hemophobia definitely cured now?"
She nodded. "Yes, Sensei, it's no longer an issue for me."
He continued, "Konoha can only allocate limited funds at the moment. Can your research still go on under those circumstances?"
At that, Tsunade vigorously shook her head.
"No, Sensei, a strategic project like this can't rely on minimal funding. But don't worry—I can follow Orochimaru's example, keeping the core technology within Konoha's control while using other factions' money to drive the research forward."
Konoha's F3: (O_O)???
They were all taken aback. While Orochimaru had gone around the ninja world expanding operations, Tsunade was now effectively "undercutting" him right in Konoha.
Still, using this strategy to do medical research was certainly in the village's best interest.
Exchanging glances, the three all nodded. Hiruzen then concluded, "All right, Tsunade. This 'Slug Summoning Scroll' medical approach, as a strategic-level technology, can be developed the way you propose. Outside of that, is there anything else?"
Of course, there was something else. Tsunade didn't just want to compete with Orochimaru over R&D funding; she also wanted a share of his market.
She took out a sealing scroll and unfurled it on the Hokage's desk. Three bottles of sake-like liquor appeared, and the entire office was filled with a rich aroma.
"Hmm? Tsunade, what's this?" Hiruzen asked, sounding intrigued.
Tsunade explained seriously, "Sensei, this is 'Flying Rain Terrace Health Liquor,' currently in a research stage. It's harmless, though, and very beneficial for ninja—especially older ninja."
"We've infused it with a purified version of the Hero Water from Takigakure, as well as Senzu Beans supposedly left behind by the legendary Sage of Six Paths. It can help veteran ninja maintain their health and regain lost vigor, with effects comparable to the Eternal Chakra Elixir but at a lower price."
…
Meanwhile…
Obito and Madara were also making great headway in their plans. Even though Obito kept skimming money for his personal stash, they had finally scraped together enough to purchase the Six-Tails and Seven-Tails.
Once they obtained the Eight-Tails as well, the Eye of the Moon Plan could begin.
In a forest near the Land of Earth's black market, Madara offhandedly asked Obito, "Do we have enough money ready?"
Obito nodded. "Yes, we're set. We just need to contact Senshi and get the deal done."
After confirming with Obito, Madara had White Zetsu reach out to Senshi while they waited in the forest.
They didn't have to wait long: Senshi activated his Kāma space-time jutsu to bring them both to the Mountain Graveyard.
Because dealings with Tailed Beasts had to be kept secret, he handled the transaction here.
While Senshi sold Tailed Beasts to Madara and Obito, he was also out there helping other factions build "the ultimate Tailed Beast weapon."
If the other villages and their jinchūriki learned that he was the reason their beasts had been weakened, they'd never agree to collaborate.
Seeing Senshi and Karin, Obito and Madara wasted no time. Madara stated, "Senshi, we want to buy the Six-Tails and the Seven-Tails."
Senshi nodded.
"No problem, Madara bro."
He signaled Karin, who promptly took out the two Tailed Beasts—Six-Tails (which had been imprisoned for a while now) and the more recently captured Seven-Tails—from her Kamui Dimension.
When Madara saw the two beasts, he was delighted.
"Senshi, I'll pay 1.3 billion ryō to hire you to deliver the Six-Tails and the Seven-Tails."
[Mission Accepted]
[Client: Uchiha Madara]
[Goal: Provide Madara with the Six-Tails and Seven-Tails]
[Payment: 1.3 billion ryō]
[Rank: S]
[Bonus: 1.3 million Employment Points]
With the system prompt echoing in his mind, Senshi cheerfully handed them both over. It was a one-time sale, but he'd already made quite a sum off these Tailed Beast deals.
After handing the beasts off, Senshi asked curiously, "What about the Eight-Tails, Madara bro? Tobi bro? Not getting that, too?"
He knew that once they had the Eight-Tails, they could proceed with the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Which in turn would lead to reviving Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, completing Black Zetsu's mission and netting Senshi over 30 billion ryō in commissions (i.e., over 30 million Employment Points). Surely enough to finally unlock the advanced draw feature.
Across from him, Madara felt a twinge of annoyance. He would love to buy the Eight-Tails, but they didn't have the funds yet.
"Not right now. Still just a matter of time," Madara said lightly.
Obito chimed in, "Yeah, give us about a month or so, and we'll be back for the Eight-Tails. Here's 1.3 billion for now."
He passed Senshi a sealing scroll. As their eyes briefly met, they exchanged a silent signal. Within that scroll, Obito had included not just the 1.3 billion but also the promised "bonus" from their earlier private deal. Senshi caught his meaning at once.
Deal done, Senshi said, "Great. Rack up another 800 million, and I'll get you the Eight-Tails whenever you want. Ganbatte!"
He waved a hand and teleported away with Karin. Left alone in the Mountain Graveyard, Madara told Obito,
"Let's seal these two beasts into the Gedo Statue."
Obito nodded, though he couldn't resist adding,
"It figures these Tailed Beasts were captured by Senshi long ago. All my efforts previously were a complete waste."
Madara just snorted.
"Doesn't matter. Once the Eye of the Moon Plan is activated, our era will begin."
Obito wore a grin.
"Yeah, sure."
On the outside, he pretended to agree. In his head, though, he was thinking, You're wrong, old man. It won't be our era—it'll be my era. I'll create a world with Rin in an Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Madara had no clue Obito planned to betray him at a critical moment. Madara thought Black Zetsu was his loyal creation, and Obito was just another pawn under his influence.
He had no idea that Black Zetsu had altered the Uchiha Stone Tablet and was never loyal to him at all.
Soon enough, they sealed the two Tailed Beasts into the Gedo Statue. By now, eight Tailed Beasts were gathered, lacking only the Eight-Tails to make the Ten-Tails' initial revival possible.
When the job was done, Madara said, "Let's go back to grinding missions in the Land of Earth's black market. We need eight hundred million more, and I want it as fast as possible."
Obito nodded.
"With our efficiency, that shouldn't be too hard."
He used Kamui to warp them both to the black market again.
…
After that, Senshi and Karin reappeared in the Mountain Graveyard. This time, Senshi wasn't there to snatch the Tailed Beasts back—that would ruin his own pending job with Black Zetsu.
Instead, he had another mission. He wanted to slice off a portion of the Three-Tails. The Tailed Beast chakra he'd obtained through gacha was pure energy, devoid of the beast's consciousness; for his plans regarding Kaguya's revival, he needed to keep part of the Three-Tails' mind intact.
With Karin watching curiously, Senshi went to the Gedo Statue, casually slapped on a sealing array, then began extracting some of the Three-Tails from its container.
Using a technique he called "Tailed Beast Partition," he cut a piece of the Three-Tails' body away—instantly turning that piece into a mini version of the beast.
Catching sight of this pint-sized Three-Tails, Karin broke into an evil grin. It looked like yet another hapless creature had joined her Kamui Dimension as a "food tester" and "sake sampler."
Once she sealed up that mini Three-Tails, Senshi erased any evidence of tampering and left with her. He dropped Karin off in Konoha so she could continue her collaboration with Tsunade, and then he returned to Amegakure.
Madara and Obito were close to launching the Eye of the Moon Plan, meaning Kaguya Ōtsutsuki would soon be resurrected.
Plus, the rest of the Ōtsutsuki clan would inevitably make their way to the shinobi world. Senshi felt it was time to unify this world a bit more.
Apart from the absurdly powerful "Ōtsutsuki Shibai," Senshi wasn't too worried about the other alien invaders. And once he unlocked the advanced draw, even Shibai might have to endure two big "smackdowns."
For now, though, those conflicts were a bit down the road. His urgent priority was reorganizing the shinobi world.
He knew that all these scattered ninja villages wouldn't stand a chance if they faced the Ōtsutsuki alone—those aliens had tattoos beyond their comprehension, while half the ninja here could barely handle "fancy eyes."
Senshi decided he would talk to Konan and Nagato about forming a grand "Ninja Alliance," effectively arming the entire shinobi world against future threats.
After all, if he had to keep rushing around as a one-man fire brigade, sure, he'd get lots of commission requests, but it wouldn't be the ideal scenario.
A more optimal plan was for every major power to know that he could enhance their ninja, so they'd come to him now to grow stronger— rather than waiting until they got flattened by the Ōtsutsuki. With that in mind, Senshi headed to the tower in Amegakure.
When he arrived at the leader's office, he found a peculiar sight: the one sitting behind the desk wasn't Konan or Kakuzu, but rather Nagato—still blind.
This reminded Senshi of a scene from the movie The Intouchables: after Philippe lost the use of his body, his new caretaker Driss didn't pity him or treat him like he was perfectly normal.
Instead, Driss joked with him, pushed him to try new things, and treated him like a real friend — just as he was.
In other words, Driss neither treated him "as disabled," nor as a normal person.
Similarly, Nagato—despite his blindness—was still hard at work on village affairs. Senshi stepped inside and couldn't help smiling.
Nagato had installed a computer with accessibility features on his desk so he could keep up with his paperwork.
Senshi gave it a quick look, then joked, "Nagato-bro, why not borrow a pair of Byakugan or Sharingan for now?"
Nagato immediately refused.
"No thanks. This is good enough. I wouldn't be comfortable using Byakugan or Sharingan. If an opportunity to get the Rinnegan ever shows up, then we can talk. Otherwise, any other eyes will just make me cough."
He was actually hoping Senshi wouldn't manage to procure a Rinnegan anytime soon. Konan and Kakuzu were pushing so much work on him already. If he got new eyes, they'd only pile on more.
Unaware of Nagato's secret wish, Senshi took a seat and said, "Nagato-bro, Konan, Kakuzu—I have a grand plan in mind!"
Nagato tilted his head curiously.
"What plan?"
Konan and Kakuzu also watched him expectantly. After a brief pause to gather his words, Senshi explained:
"I want Amegakure to take the lead in forming a Ninja Alliance—an alliance in which every hidden village and faction in the shinobi world would participate. The aim is to promote peace, development, and fewer conflicts among all parties."
"At the same time, Akatsuki would serve as a peacekeeping force for the alliance, establishing branches in every hidden village to handle conflict resolution around the ninja world."
In other words, Senshi was envisioning a sort of "Shinobi United Nations."
Nagato: (O_O)???
Konan: (⊙_⊙)???
Kakuzu: (⊙_⊙)???
They were all dumbfounded. Yet they had to admit that his proposal sounded unbelievably good. It was exactly what the original Akatsuki had once dreamed of—world peace and development.
Back then, they'd been far too weak to accomplish anything on that scale. But times had changed; Amegakure was now on par with any of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and it certainly had enough clout to spearhead such a project.
This alliance would serve the interests of every ordinary ninja and civilian who desired peace. Only those who benefited from war and violence would oppose it.
After a short silence, Nagato spoke up.
"I think this is an excellent plan. And I propose that Senshi should be the Alliance's leader."
Senshi practically jumped. That was a massive responsibility he wanted no part of.
"No way, man. Come on, you know my 'management experience' is…not just poor, it's downright terrible. Look at how I founded a refugee camp and then basically never tended to it. The same goes for that ninja academy I started. I hardly ever show up at Senshi Bank, either, and let's not even talk about my mercenary corps—I leave them pretty much on their own."
~~~
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