On the corner of the training ground.
"Stay away from Mikoto?"
Uchiha Yoru looked at Kushina Uzumaki with a mocking smile.
"Relatively speaking, Kushina-san, you should be more rational. After all, you are the next Nine-Tails jinchuriki!"
BOOM!
Uchiha Yoru's straightforward statement made Kushina's pupils shrink. The one thing she didn't want to face was just laid bare.
Seeing the loneliness in Kushina's eyes, as if she had been hit where it hurt, Uchiha Yoru gave a calm smile.
"Don't worry, the Uchiha possess the strongest power; we won't rely on outside forces like you."
An arrogant look appeared in his eyes. This was very Uchiha, and Uchiha Yoru was also muttering to himself.
He was doing this for his future plans. After all, it was too difficult to get close to someone as guarded as Kushina Uzumaki.
Not everyone had the opportunity that Minato Namikaze had, where the entire village would participate in an elaborate act for him.
In the original story, just a few Cloud ninjas were able to infiltrate Konoha, bypass the Police Force, the Anbu, the Root, and the Intelligence Division, successfully kidnap a hostage, and leave the village.
Tsk, tsk!
Even more incredible was that the kidnappers were walking slowly and brazenly, and these elite Cloud ninjas couldn't even spot the hair that was left behind.
And even more incredible, they were defeated by a Chunin-level Minato Namikaze who hadn't even mastered the Flying Thunder God Jutsu yet.
"You!"
Kushina Uzumaki's eyes were red with fury. She glared at Uchiha Yoru. Her fiery temper was a way to hide her inner vulnerability.
But Uchiha Yoru looked at her calmly.
"Kushina Uzumaki, your status may be important, but Big Sister Mikoto is enough to convey the Uchiha clan's goodwill through you, so you don't have to overthink it."
"On the contrary, you should be more careful yourself. As the future Nine-Tails jinchuriki, many people will covet you and your influence. Don't let someone use you and end up hurting Mikoto."
He was pushing back at Kushina, but his real intention was to make her more wary.
As the saying goes, "If I can't have it, why should you get it?"
Besides, he believed that with his efforts, Tsunade, who was now on guard, would prevent anyone from using similar tactics to exploit Kushina's vulnerability.
"Hmph! I don't need you to tell me!"
Kushina Uzumaki snorted and made a hand sign. Her Shadow Clone instantly disappeared. At the same time, the red-haired figure talking to Mikoto in the distance was stunned for a moment.
"Kushina? What's wrong?"
Seeing Uchiha Mikoto's sincere concern, Kushina Uzumaki snapped out of it and gave her a sunny smile.
"Nothing."
As their laughter echoed, Uchiha Yoru, knowing better, left the area.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it had been over a month since he returned from the battlefield in the Rain Country.
Under the night sky, the Hokage's office building was brightly lit.
In the meeting room, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane sat at the head of the table. Their faces showed the great dignity of their positions as they held the jonin meeting.
"The battlefield in the Rain Country is becoming more and more tense and is not looking optimistic. On the surface, it's a war between the Rain Village, the Sand Village, and our Konoha, but in reality, it already involves the five great ninja villages."
"The Cloud, Stone, and Mist Villages are secretly supporting the Rain Village and have even sent elite squads... and the Sand Village has also declared war on us..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, in his prime, spoke with a dignified expression, his fierce eyes sweeping over the jonin in the meeting room, laying out the serious situation on the front lines.
The jonin all looked solemn. It seemed that only one of the five great ninja villages had declared war, but in reality, the hidden tensions were a clear sign that a Great Ninja War had begun.
Previously, although ninjas from other countries had been involved, they at least hid their true intentions, which at least prevented a large-scale ninja war.
But now, the Sand Village had declared war, as had the Rain Village.
A month had passed since Nawaki's death. Tsunade seemed to have accepted the reality. During this jonin meeting, she discreetly glanced at Jiraiya next to her, then stood up and said in a deep voice:
"First, regarding missions that require a four-person squad to operate independently for a long time in enemy territory, by assigning a medical ninja to the team, the squad's survival rate and mission success rate can be greatly improved..."
As Tsunade's determined voice echoed in the jonin meeting room, many jonin nodded in agreement.
It was true that if a mission squad had a medical ninja, it would greatly increase their survival and success rates.
Tsunade had this medical plan for a long time, but it wasn't complete. Hiruzen and the others knew about it. However, at this jonin meeting, Tsunade presented a more complete medical ninja plan.
She also proposed plans to establish a medical institution in the village and train more medical ninjas.
As Tsunade's comprehensive medical system was proposed, the jonin present all nodded. However, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, who were sitting at the head of the table, exchanged glances and looked at Hiruzen with a solemn expression.
The composed Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes, what you say is true, but we are in a time of war. Establishing a medical system would not only take too much time, but we also lack funds right now. The enemy will not wait for us that long."
As the Third Hokage's calm voice echoed, Tsunade, whose proposal was rejected, sat down with a calm expression.
This surprised even Jiraiya, who was beside her. It didn't seem like Tsunade's temper. Even Orochimaru, who was in the front row, frowned.
Only Tsunade was calm. In her heart, she was growing suspicious.
Although they were in a time of war, it wasn't impossible to start a medical system. They could start with a small investment, and after the war, they would have a foundation to get on track.
Konoha didn't lack this kind of funding. Could it be that the village really doesn't want a Hokage from the Senju clan?!
"I agree with Jonin Tsunade's opinion."
Just then, a gentle but resolute voice sounded. It was Konoha Jonin Dan Kato.
Dan Kato, with his light blue hair, stood up and firmly agreed with Tsunade's proposal for a medical ninja system.
"I don't want the ninjas who have died so far to have died in vain. We should learn from their sacrifice."
As Dan Kato's determined words echoed, Jiraiya was a little surprised. He saw a dangerous smile on Tsunade's face after someone agreed with her.
"Tsunade, it's not that the old man doesn't agree; it's just because of the current battlefield."
Jiraiya thought Tsunade was angry because the Third Hokage didn't agree.
But he didn't know that as Dan Kato stood up, Tsunade's heart was filled with rage.
Good! They really dare to scheme against me!
First, Nawaki, and now this conniving jonin suddenly appeared. It was all a series of interconnected events, a trap designed for her and even the Senju clan.
She couldn't find anything wrong with Nawaki's death, so it could be explained as an accident. But what about this Dan Kato?
"Shut up!"
Tsunade took a deep breath at Jiraiya's concern, then she let out a cold snort with a cold expression, which made Jiraiya smile sheepishly. He didn't dare to provoke this "tigress" at the moment.
While Tsunade was holding back her anger, she was also relieved. At least the people who were secretly scheming against her weren't her teammates, Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
"Jonin Kato, what you say makes a lot of sense, but right now, the village..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi showed a rare look of appreciation. He praised Dan Kato's love for the village in front of all the jonin, but he also had to mention the problems the village was currently facing.
However, in Tsunade's eyes, this only solidified Dan Kato's identity.
At this moment, in Tsunade's eyes, the three people sitting above her, who were once her great-uncle's disciples, looked righteous but were filled with hypocrisy.
Summoning Jutsu!
No one else saw it, but Jiraiya looked on with suspicion. What is Tsunade using a summoning jutsu for right now?
If it were anyone else, it would be thoroughly investigated. Who knows if they would leak information? But this was Tsunade. It was different.
Anyone could betray the village, but as a member of the Senju clan, who founded Konoha, how could Tsunade possibly leak information?