The Sand's poisons were ever-changing — their formulas shifting constantly.
Poisoning was easy, detoxifying was hard.
In all of the Hidden Leaf, only Tsunade had the ability to quickly produce antidotes.
Without her, the Riverfront War couldn't even begin.
So, even though she had publicly exploded at the council, the village elders had no choice but to swallow their pride and send Tsunade to the front lines.
...
The long list of assignments continued — forty Jōnin names in total.
If each Jōnin commanded a single division, that meant over two thousand ninja would be deployed to the Land of Rivers.
When Nara Kakaku finally finished reading the roster, he looked toward Tsunade.
Seeing that she didn't intend to flare up again, he quietly sighed in relief.
If Tsunade refused to go to the front, his job as supreme commander would become far more troublesome.
The Nara Clan raised deer for Leaf and cultivated precious medicinal herbs in their forest.
They'd always maintained a friendly relationship with Tsunade.
When she was young, studying medical ninjutsu, she had spent an entire year in the Nara forest learning the properties of herbs.
...
The Jōnin who'd been named all turned to glance toward the three commanders, each silently calculating their future positions.
Then, in the heavy silence, the Uchiha Clan Head, Uchiha Toki, slowly stood up.
"Lord Hokage," he said, voice calm but firm, "the Uchiha are willing to take the field — to fight for the Hidden Leaf.
This is the Second Great Ninja War, and yet the Uchiha have not been called to serve.
Why is there not a single Uchiha Jōnin name on that list?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's irritation deepened.
The Senju had already caused him trouble — and now the Uchiha were stirring as well.
He suppressed his anger, forcing patience into his tone.
"The longer the war drags on, the emptier the village becomes," he explained.
"We must always guard against a surprise attack from another village.
The Uchiha Police Force serves as our Village's final line of defense.
Unless absolutely necessary, the Uchiha should not leave the village.
The elders of the Hidden Mist have been moving restlessly.
Scattered Mist shinobi have appeared near the ruins of the Uzumaki Clan.
We cannot afford to lower our guard.
If the Hidden Mist declares war, the Police Force will be our last shield — and then, you too will march to battle.
There's no need to be impatient."
Faced with the Hokage's explanation, Uchiha Toki could say nothing more.
Still, his gaze toward Senju Hanaki carried a trace of envy.
The Senju, it seemed, had far more freedom than his clan ever would.
During the First Shinobi World War, the village had sent the Uchiha to fight the Mist.
Other clans were allowed to play to their strengths — but the Uchiha were always forced into their weaknesses.
The Uchiha excelled in Fire Style, but were consistently pitted against Mist shinobi — masters of Water Style.
That first war had been brutal; many had died.
"Always forced to fight where they're weakest…" Yagami thought. "They make the Uchiha sharpen their flaws and dull their edge — a deliberate strategy of control."
...
Seeing that no one else wished to speak, Hatake Sakumo stood up.
"Lord Hokage," he said, his voice steady, "please have faith — in the Land of Rivers, the Hidden Leaf will be victorious."
Hiruzen's expression softened slightly.
If there was anyone he trusted, it was Sakumo.
Leaf had always been blessed with talent, but even among them, Sakumo shone the brightest.
Sakumo continued:
"I also believe that Lady Tsunade's proposal deserves serious consideration.
The puppeteers of the Sand are masters of poison.
Whether our front-line medical system is prepared — and whether antidotes can be supplied quickly — will directly determine our casualty rate.
Every shinobi of the Hidden Leaf is our comrade and partner.
If Lady Tsunade can bring her trained Senju medical-nin to the front lines, it will secure our advantage."
...
Tsunade blinked in surprise.
She hadn't expected Hatake Sakumo to voice his support.
Back when Sakumo had served as commander of the Anbu under the Second Hokage, he had always handled affairs impartially, never showing favor to the Senju.
When Hiruzen became Hokage and purged and reorganized the Anbu, Sakumo had severed all ties with the Senju entirely.
To Tsunade, he'd always been a man of fairness and discipline — strong, principled, but distant.
Now, this gesture of goodwill… she didn't quite know what to make of it.
...
Hiruzen turned his head slowly.
Danzō straightened in his seat, eyes flicking repeatedly between Sakumo and Tsunade.
Hatake Sakumo was powerful — but dangerously straightforward.
To the elders, his simplicity was both a strength and a flaw.
All eyes fell upon him.
Yet Sakumo remained calm and open, his words clear of deceit.
He spoke only out of genuine loyalty to the village.
Yagami thought to himself, Sakumo's political sense and combat genius are inversely related. His principles are pure — too pure.
But in a world like this, those who hold to their values openly… rarely last long.
...
Hiruzen's patience finally waned.
He rubbed at his temples and said, "That will be all for today's Jōnin Council.
Kakaku, Sakumo, Tsunade — and the forty Jōnin selected — work together and lead our forces to victory against the Hidden Sand."
The meeting ended in a strange, heavy atmosphere.
Every faction had achieved its own goals — and yet, each had encountered something unexpected.
...
Back in the Hokage's office, the three elders gathered again.
Not long after, Captain Yellow Dog handed Yagami a sealed mission scroll.
The Hokage was furious.
His new order: tight surveillance on the Senju Clan and Hatake Sakumo.
He wanted to know if the two were colluding.
Yagami accepted the assignment and left the building silently.
Monitoring shinobi like Tsunade required subtlety — too many eyes would only draw suspicion.
He would work alone.
...
Hatake Sakumo remained at the Hokage's building, studying maps with the forty Jōnin — analyzing the terrain of the Lands of Wind and Rivers.
Meanwhile, Senju Hanaki, Tsunade, and the other Senju Jōnin departed together.
Yagami followed discreetly.
Their destination: the Hospital.
In the courtyard, a construction crew was at work expanding the complex — building Outpatient Building No. 2.
It would be connected to the original wing by a covered walkway.
The old building's end wall and windows had already been torn down, fenced with temporary barriers in preparation for the merger.
With so many Senju entering the medical corps, the hospital was simply no longer large enough.
Of the hundred and sixty new medical-nin, many would rotate to the front lines during wartime, returning to the hospital during peace.
...
Yagami observed quietly from the shadows, eyes fixed on the director's office.
He needed to find a way to infiltrate — to gather intelligence.
Inside, Tsunade and Hanaki worked tirelessly, managing both patient care and the hospital expansion.
They didn't stop until deep into the night.
When they finally finished, Tsunade stood by the window of the office, staring blankly into the darkness outside.
Hanaki asked softly, "Tsuna… are you sure it was wise to confront the Third Hokage so openly?"
Tsunade's voice was calm, but edged with iron.
"I know Hiruzen Sarutobi better than anyone. In some ways, he's a man who fears the strong and bullies the weak.
If you're gentle, if you compromise, he'll only push further.
But if you resist him with all your strength — he'll back off. He always seeks compromise.
That's who he is."
She turned slightly, her tone firm.
"Don't worry, Aunt Hanaki. I've kept contact with Orochimaru. I have my own network.
When the time comes — even Hiruzen Sarutobi will have to yield."
Hanaki hesitated.
"Can Orochimaru really be trusted?"
"Trustworthy?" Tsunade's lips curled faintly. "Far more than that idiot Jiraiya."
She closed her eyes, a shadow of old memories flickering across her face.
"When Hiruzen was my supervising Jōnin, he was kind. Patient.
He taught me everything with such care.
But somewhere along the line… he and Danzō both became something else.
More extreme. More ruthless."