"Lord Sakumo, we should take our leave now as well."
Sakumo Hatake looked at Chiye and nodded seriously.
"Go."
The silver-haired man's eyes gleamed with insight, and he suddenly thought of something.
"Wait!"
Chiye looked at him, puzzled.
Sakumo's expression turned serious.
"Your battle achievements will eventually reach the other Villages, so, you must be extra careful from now on. They might take action against you."
Chiye was startled, then chuckled and nodded.
"Yes. Thank you, Lord Sakumo."
After speaking, Chiye pursued Tsunade.
One in front, one behind.
The Medical Ninja who had followed also hurried to catch up.
When he pulled open the flap of the medical tent, he saw Tsunade with her back to him, forcefully throwing a bundle of bandages into a supply box.
"You should cherish medical supplies, Lady Tsunade."
Chiye's voice rang out.
Tsunade spun around abruptly, her bright brown eyes glaring at him.
Seeing the Medical Ninja following not far behind, she forcibly suppressed her anger.
Tsunade walked past Chiye.
She began to assign tasks to the Medical Ninja.
"Review the medical handbook several times. Tomorrow, I will quiz you on key contents. Anyone who cannot answer will return to the Village with the severely wounded Ninja!"
"During wartime, we don't need useless people!"
Everyone's hearts trembled, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
"Yes!! Lady Tsunade!"
Hearing the uniform reply, Tsunade nodded sternly.
"Aside from the Medical Ninja necessary to care for patients, everyone else should rest well and await orders from the Medical Team! Dismissed!"
As soon as she spoke, everyone quickly left.
Within a few minutes, only Tsunade and Uchiha Chiye remained in the camp.
Tsunade strode up to him.
"You should know the consequences of overusing the Mangekyo, right?"
Her voice was very low, but it carried suppressed anger.
When Chiye's battle achievements were just announced, almost everyone looked at Chiye with shocked and envious eyes.
But not a single person cared what he had to pay for using that power.
This feeling couldn't help but remind her of her younger brother, Nawaki.
Back then, people only remembered the 'glory of the Senju Clan' but forgot that he was just a child trying to be strong.
How much suffering he endured to maintain the family's reputation...
In the end, he even charged into the battlefield and lost his life.
She didn't want to see Chiye, like her brother, ruin himself for the sake of reputation!
Chiye looked at Tsunade, knowing she was angry about what had just happened.
"Next time you act so recklessly, I'll..."
"...Use a Chakra Scalpel to stitch up my eyes."
Chiye skillfully finished her sentence, raising his hand to lightly tap Tsunade's smooth forehead.
"You said that yesterday."
"..."
Tsunade slapped Uchiha Chiye's hand away.
She turned to get a medicine bottle, but Chiye gently pressed down on her wrist.
"Don't worry."
Chiye's voice suddenly became serious.
"I will be careful. Unless absolutely necessary, I won't use these eyes."
Tsunade finally sighed, then turned her hand to check his pulse.
After confirming everything was normal, she finally shook his hand off.
"Does one's own eyes need others to tell them what to do? What an idiot..."
She mumbled.
She turned to rummage through the medical supplies.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tent, casting crisscrossing light spots on the ground.
"Found it!"
Tsunade found a medicinal herb inside.
After carefully cleaning it, she came to the table.
Taking out a Chakra Scalpel, she precisely shaved the herb, the blade colliding with the wooden board on the table, making faint, crisp sounds.
"This is for you! You must eat it three times a day."
Chiye leaned against the medicine cabinet, looking at her taut profile, and suddenly reached out to pinch off the medicinal slice she had just cut.
"Hey!"
Tsunade's scalpel trembled.
"This medicinal slice hasn't been decocted yet!"
Chiye put the medicinal slice to his nose and sniffed.
The somewhat overpowering smell made him frown even more.
"This stuff looks really unappetizing."
Tsunade was so angry she grabbed his collar.
"Put that down!"
Her breath fanned Chiye's face, carrying a faint sweet scent.
Chiye let her pull him, and suddenly chuckled.
"Tsunade, do you know about the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
"..."
Tsunade was silent for a moment, her bright brown eyes glaring at him, but the strength in her hand unconsciously loosened.
"The Mangekyo Sharingan, of course I know about it."
She turned her face away, her voice lowering.
"I saw it in my family's books when I was little."
The medicine grinder made a dull rolling sound on the cutting board.
Her fingertips unconsciously traced the Chakra Scalpel.
"Those who awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan are all eventually consumed by darkness."
Chiye suddenly grabbed her hand and gently rubbed it against his cheek.
"Tsunade, do you have faith in me?"
His voice was very soft, yet unusually clear.
Tsunade did not answer the question, taking a deep breath.
"Chiye, unless absolutely necessary, never activate the Mangekyo Sharingan."
When Tsunade looked up, she realized that his dark eyes were intently gazing at her.
There was no usual playfulness in them, only seriousness.
"Tsunade, do you have faith in me?"
Chiye asked again.
"You are my person, how could I not believe you?"
She pulled her hand back, her ear tips slightly reddening.
"Otherwise, I'll use a sealing jutsu to completely seal those troublesome eyes of yours."
Chiye smiled and raised both hands.
"Yes, yes, Lady Tsunade is the most sensible."
The sound of patrolling Ninja's footsteps came from outside the tent, and Tsunade suddenly shoved a medicine packet into his arms.
"Drink it before bed."
She paused, then added fiercely,
"If you dare to pour it away, you're dead."
...
At the same time, in a dark underground laboratory near the Konoha-Amegakure border.
Water droplets condensed on the damp stone walls, and Orochimaru's golden slit pupils gleamed like those of some cold-blooded animal in the dim light.
He walked through the long corridor, stepping on accumulated water.
Root Ninja stood like statues on both sides, their breathing barely audible beneath their masks.
In the innermost secret room, Danzo stood leaning on his cane in front of a laboratory table, his single eye staring at a pale arm floating in a cultivation tank.
At the severed end of the limb, tiny granulation tissue was wriggling.
"Progress is good."
Danzo's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing.
"But it's not stable enough."
Orochimaru licked his lips and took out a test tube from his sleeve.
A few cell tissues floated in the pale green liquid, emitting an eerie glow in the darkness.
"The latest Hashirama's Cells extract."
His voice carried a seductive rhythm.
"As long as the transplantation is successful, the power of Wood Release will..."
Danzo suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him.
"We'll discuss it again once it's stable."
A hint of mockery flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, but he put away the test tube accordingly.
He looked around. This underground laboratory, fully supported by Root, had equipment far more sophisticated than he had anticipated.
The cultivation pods contained organs from various Bloodline Limit Ninja.
"'Materials' collection is going smoothly."
Danzo tapped the ground with his cane.
"A new batch of goods will be delivered in three days."
Orochimaru's slit pupils contracted slightly, his greedy gaze sweeping over the precious samples immersed in the nutrient solution.
"Truly... something to look forward to."
"However, something seems to have happened in Amegakure."
Orochimaru was silent for a moment, then said coldly,
"No matter what, as long as there are enough materials, it's fine! Our research cannot fall behind!"
Upon hearing this, Danzo's single eye narrowed slightly.
"I know. You can temporarily focus on your experiments here.
I've already told Hiruzen that I'm temporarily assigning you to Root.
As for the Eight-Tails intelligence you want, I've already mentioned it to those few in the Village. I estimate you'll be able to act in a few days."
Orochimaru casually hummed in acknowledgment, his eyes fixed on the "materials," completely unconcerned by Danzo's recent suggestion.
"Oh, right, news just came from the Sand Ninja battlefield. Among your squad that was previously wiped out, there's one survivor; he's still alive."
Orochimaru's expression froze.
He couldn't help but have some suspicions.
"Who?"
"Uchiha Chiye!"
Orochimaru was silent, and a meaningful expression suddenly appeared on his face.
"Oh? He's actually still alive? Things are getting more and more interesting!"