Lately, Orochimaru had been acting mysteriously, disappearing all day long. Tsunade had tried multiple times to find him for a drink but failed each time.
Uchiha Ryun was also looking for him. After failing to locate him several times, he used the Communication White Snake to ask about his whereabouts. It turned out Orochimaru had gone to the Land of Rice.
Orochimaru had been busy building a biological laboratory recently, and many matters still required his personal attention.
Ryun asked if he wanted to go to Ryuchi Cave together. Upon hearing this, Orochimaru immediately abandoned the laboratory and hurried back to Konoha...
Ryuchi Cave possessed Sage Mode inheritance, a power that surpassed ordinary ninjutsu. Someone as obsessed with techniques as Orochimaru would never miss such an opportunity.
Before Orochimaru returned to the village, Konoha held another full jonin council meeting.
The theme of this meeting was "Detailed and Diversified Reform of the Ninja Forces," which involved the allocation mechanisms of ninja squads.
The main goal of the reform was to better utilize the unique abilities of each ninja and provide opportunities for those with specialized skills to realize their value.
Konoha planned to implement a multi-unit collaborative combat system for ninja forces, further subdivided into various squads.
For example, squads like the Intelligence Squad, Tracking Squad, Combat Squad, Control Squad, and Logistics Squad, as seen in the original story, were all topics to be discussed during the meeting.
During this period, Tsunade proposed the full integration of medical ninjas into every ninja squad, with each squad required to have at least one medical ninja.
Such a configuration could significantly increase the survival rate of ninjas in each squad. Tsunade believed that the top priority should be the comprehensive training of medical personnel, even converting some combat ninjas into medical ninjas if necessary.
However, this proposal was rejected by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. His reasoning was that with war approaching, converting combat ninjas was not cost-effective. Medical ninjutsu could not be mastered in a short time, as it required extensive and complex knowledge. Konoha simply lacked the capacity to fully integrate medical ninjas at this stage.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen rejected her proposal, Tsunade immediately stood up and began shouting at him, not holding back at all...
Seeing Tsunade's fierce and somewhat familiar demeanor, Ryun felt like he had seen this scene somewhere before. It wasn't until a man stood up to speak that he realized this was a small segment from the original manga.
"I think she's right..."
Senju Dan stood up and spoke solemnly:
"We can't keep repeating the same mistakes. Just like on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, countless ninjas died from Hanzo's poison. If there had been more medical ninjas back then, the early casualties wouldn't have been so severe..."
Once Dan said this, many jonin agreed with his point.
"I also support Tsunade's proposal. The full integration of medical ninjas is necessary. Even if it affects the ratio of combat ninjas, the long-term benefits outweigh the drawbacks."
Ryun, the youngest elite jonin present, also stood up to voice his opinion.
"In war, the most important resource is people—ninjas. Eliminating the enemy's forces is crucial, but we must also do our best to preserve our own. We can't afford to neglect this."
Ryun, Tsunade, and Dan were the three most renowned figures in the room, aside from Konoha's leadership. All three had fought bloody battles on the frontlines. Their unified stance forced the Hokage and the two advisors to reconsider the proposal.
Tsunade looked at the two who supported her and felt deeply moved, especially the man named Dan...
As for that brat Ryun? Did he even dare not to support her?
Sarutobi Hiruzen observed the youngest speaker, whose words were clear, logical, and forward-thinking, and couldn't help but nod inwardly.
His grand-disciple was becoming more and more outstanding, almost flawless in every aspect—even more perfect than his favorite disciple, Orochimaru.
"Regarding the medical ninja proposal, we will conduct further research. Tsunade, submit a detailed plan later..."
Tsunade still wore a sour expression, but the Third Hokage ignored her and moved on to the next topic.
"Tsunade, let's grab a drink after the meeting..." Ryun whispered to her in a low voice.
Hearing Ryun's first-ever invitation to drink, Tsunade was visibly stunned, her eyes filled with surprise.
Had this brat taken the wrong medicine today? Why was he suddenly inviting her for drinks out of nowhere?
In truth, Ryun simply didn't want her to interact with Dan as she had in the original story...
It wasn't that Ryun had any particular feelings for Tsunade, but Dan was destined to die soon. In the original story, Tsunade confessed to him, gave him a crystal necklace, and soon after, he met a tragic end...
His death devastated Tsunade, even giving her hemophobia. Ryun didn't want her to suffer like that, especially since the two of them were very close.
No cursed necklace, no kiss—maybe Dan wouldn't die. No contact—maybe Tsunade wouldn't suffer. It was better for everyone this way.
In the original story, after the meeting, Tsunade would wait for Dan to thank him in person.
"Do you need my help with something?" Tsunade eyed Ryun suspiciously.
Inviting her out of the blue for drinks? He must want something from her.
"No... Can't I just invite you for a drink? Seriously..."
"You don't even like drinking that much. And your alcohol tolerance is terrible... Inviting me for drinks in broad daylight? I can't help but suspect your motives..." Tsunade scrutinized him.
"Just say yes or no..." Ryun glared at her.
"Later..."
Tsunade muttered softly. She wanted to thank Dan first before going.
"..."
"Later my ass. After the meeting, I'm heading to the Shimura Clan's big casino for some high-stakes gambling. If I win, we split the profits. Are you coming or not?"
"What?!"
Hearing this, Tsunade was shocked.
Ryun was taking her to Konoha's famous big casino for high-stakes gambling? This was something she had begged him to do many times, but he had always ignored her!
And now, Ryun—the undefeated gambling king—was offering to split the winnings with her? How could Tsunade resist?
"Right after the meeting? Fine! I'll go with you!" Tsunade quickly agreed.
With booze and gambling, who needed love? No loneliness, no emptiness—just pure excitement.
Gambling and drinking were Tsunade's two greatest passions in life. Now that Ryun had stacked both buffs to the max, her slight affection for Dan was instantly replaced by an overwhelming anticipation.
All she could think about now was how she and Ryun would "dominate" the casino later!