AN: Sorry, this chapter was posted slightly earlier by one day. So the next post will be on the 9th/ in 3 days.
"Uuuuh..." Katsuro looked up as if praying Tsunade would forget the question. "T-tsuande did I mention how pretty you look today?"
Tsunade squinted at his strange action and him trying to avoid answering it.
"Yes you did, numerous times just before actually." She said with blush, but then shook her head to avoid falling for his ruse. "Wait, why are you being weird? What more is there to hide?" She eyed him suspiciously.
"What do you mean? I'm not being weird."
"Yeah you are… the Wood Style you learnt recently right?"
Katsuro stayed silent and Tsunade's eyes widened, "No way… HOW LONG AGO EXACTLY DID YOU LEARN IT!"
"N-not that long ago…"
"Wait all those Jutsu that you used, you must've needed to practice for some time… and training in the Shikkotsu forest," she muttered to herself.
"Oh my god! Our wedding hall! You used wood style!" Tsunade said, looking up in realisation. But she didn't even wait for his confirmation as she continued thinking.
She muttered to herself for a solid minute or so before, "Wait! The thing you and Granny Mito would talk about and refer to some big secret! OH! No wonder she liked you so much, and all those single training sessions!"
By this point Tsunade had already grabbed a pillow and unceremoniously started hitting him with it.
"You've had it for that long! And didn't tell me!" she fumed.
10 minutes later…
"So when exactly did you have it?"
"I realised I could use it when I was very young, soon after Granny took me in. I think I've been able to use it since birth, but only realised I could when I started training seriously. Of course, I told Granny straight away, and she was so excited and happy. But then she advised me to keep it hidden. She understood first hand the fear of Wood Style and she was concerned other villages would try to assassinate me holding nothing back. At that point, the Senju clan was declining and as I grew older I realised she was also wary of Danzo and Hiruzen who at the very least would have kidnapped me if they knew."
Tsunade was listening intently, nodding as she now realised how much her sensei had let happen and even been involved in.
"But when I got stronger, it no longer became about being careful, no opponent I faced until then needed me to use it. So I have saved it as my trump card, and as you can see, it paid off."
The next morning….
In the early hours of the next morning, a small group of representatives had gathered to discuss the proceeding actions. Much of the Shinobi were still busy with aiding the injured as much as they could. The force led by Hiruzen had an overwhelming advantage and comfortably won the battle dealing more of a blow to Iwa. The sheer loss of lives they suffered would cause deep lasting wounds.
All the armies of Konoha convened soon after, with Shikaku reporting their own affairs. It was clear their battle was aimed to stall them, but with how harsh they had responded under Katsuro's directive, they managed to catch many with over 6000 Shinobi. Thanks to understanding their plan, predicting them and forcing them into traps thanks to the Nara's schemes and the enemy's lack of strong figures, they had managed to kill over 2000 of the 4000 numbers that faced them in just a short time. Shikaku took a page out of Katsuro's book, to ensure their advantage was utilised by attacking out right holding little back. With shinobi like Jiraiya on the field and even Hiruzen was surprisingly useful Konoha barely struggled. Jiraiya was even a little upset that he couldn't even use the Sage Mode he had finally got a hole of.
Of course this was in stark contrast to what those under Katsuro suffered through. And when those still largely unharmed 6000 Shinobi saw the state of their comrades, they felt immense respect and a little guilt. But their tales of triumph were unimaginable. Konoha technically had over 7,500 Shinobi fight in that location. But that did not account for Katsuro joining later having completed his own war. Even then, they faced a force of 8000 Kumo Shinobi and 12,000 Iwa Shinobi. A total of 20,000! And to hear that they had reduced that number to potentially less than 3000. Even when you added the Suna force's penultimate arrival of 3,500 it was an insane feat. For such a miracle, many were injured and killed across the countless battles. From that 8000, total, if all those who were injured across every battle and weren't even able to fight pulled through Konoha would still have lost nearly 4000 Shinobi. And many more likely faced permanent injuries that would continue to affect them through their whole lives. Though this number was astronomical, especially due to how short this war had been, defeating over 17,000 Shinobi was a testament to the strengths of those present. Those who lived would find themselves stronger than ever and fame and reputation came with it. Stories were told to their comrades under Sakumo and Hiruzen and names were passed around like tales of legends.
Excluding the Sannin Orochimaru, who showed that his strength had improved greatly from the second shinobi war, many of which seemed to be associated with one man. "Earth Splitter Tenaki" and the "Blessed Princess Minari" were the most famous for their feats, with Minari held up like a Saintess for her healing ability. Others of their group like Masaru with his new 'Sewing Needle' and 'All-seeing Souta' gained recognition for their strength, leadership and strategy. A squad of 6 Shinobi consisting of just Jonin and elite Jonin could turn the tide of any conflict. Their association to Katsuro and death they brought to their enemies earned them the elusive title of the 'Heralds.'
The 'Yellow Flash' Minato was openly talked about, with many believing he was the second strongest of the village. His feats of holding entire armies and having enough personal strength to deal with the Raikage alongside his likeable personality, had people even calling for him to become Hokage. A feat he thought unlikely, until his teacher retired.
The 'Green Beast of Konoha' , a diamond in plain sight who was once covered in the mud of 'Eternal Genin.' A gem that Kaito uncovered to find the best Taijutsu expert in the Shinobi world. For short periods of time, Might Duy with his 7th gate could even fight against Kage level opponents. He destroyed countless Jonin and Elite Jonin he encountered, being a key reason that Konoha didn't collapse before reinforcements arrived.
Senju Kaito, a man always seen beside his Patriarch. He was overshadowed by the blinding light, but it only took longer for his own prowess to be acknowledged. He was at the cream of the crop even for Elite Jonin, a symbol of strength for both the Senju and Konoha. He was being called 'The Right Hand.'
Who's right hand? Well none other than the current era's true 'God of Shinobi', Senju Katsuro. This was no artificially induced title, no it was born naturally out of reverence for his feats. It was a title that truly brought the size of the mountain into the eyes of Hiruzen. Hearing Katsuro's Jutsu and defeating 4 incredibly powerful Shinobi made him understand that his best interest was keeping the peace. Extremely proficient use of Wood Style alongside what he had already shown made shivers crawl down his spine even when he was an ally. Even he had to admit, unlike his fake title, Katsuro truly deserved it. A man who stood unchallenged at the very peak.
His title was also the reason behind the names for 'Heralds' and 'The Right Hand.' They were the Heralds and Right Hand of the 'God of Shinobi'.
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