The Suna-nin's poisons constantly changed their formulas. Administering poison was easy; developing an antidote was difficult.
Throughout all of Konoha, only Tsunade had the ability to concoct antidotes within a short timeframe.
The war in the Land of Rivers could not proceed without Tsunade.
Even though Tsunade had just publicly erupted in anger, the higher-ups had no choice but to endure it and send her to the frontlines.
The reading of the lengthy list continued, eventually naming forty Jōnin.
If each Jōnin commanded a battalion, that meant dispatching over 2,000 ninja to the Land of Rivers.
After finishing the list, Nara Shikaku looked towards Tsunade.
Seeing that Tsunade showed no intention of causing further trouble, he breathed a sigh of relief.
If Tsunade refused to go to the frontlines, his role as Commander would be fraught with difficulty.
The Nara clan raised deer for Konoha, and their deer forests also cultivated other precious medicinal herbs. Their relationship with Tsunade had always been good.
When Tsunade was young and learning medical ninjutsu, she spent an entire year in the Nara clan's deer forests just to understand the properties of medicinal ingredients.
The named Jōnin looked towards the three commanders, mentally planning their own positions.
Amidst the silence, Uchiha Clan Head Uchiha Kane slowly stood up:
"Hokage-sama, my Uchiha clan is also willing to take to the battlefield and fight for Konoha.
The Uchiha clan has not yet contributed to the village in the Second Great Ninja War. Why are there no Uchiha Jōnin on the list?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was already thoroughly annoyed – the Senju causing trouble, and now the Uchiha were restless too.
Furious inside, he maintained a patient expression:
"The later stages of a great ninja war leave Konoha increasingly vulnerable. We must remain vigilant against surprise attacks from other villages at all times.
The Uchiha clan is responsible for the Konoha Military Police Force, Konoha's final line of defense. Unless absolutely necessary, the Uchiha clan should not be deployed to the frontlines.
The Mist Village Elder Genji has been restless. Sporadic Kiri-nin have been spotted in the Land of Whirlpools. We must be prepared.
If Kiri declares war, then the Military Police Force, as our last reserve force, will also take to the battlefield. Please be patient."
Faced with the Third Hokage's explanation, Uchiha Kane couldn't say much more.
He glanced enviously at Senju Hanaki. The Senju clan had far more room to maneuver than his Uchiha clan.
In the First Great Ninja War, the village had sent the Uchiha to deal with the Kiri-nin.
While others played to their strengths, the village elders had repeatedly forced the Uchiha to highlight their weaknesses and hide their strengths.
The Uchiha excelled at Fire Release, which was countered by the Kiri-nin's Water Release. The First War had been fought with great difficulty, resulting in many Uchiha deaths.
Seeing that no one else wished to speak, Hatake Sakumo stood up:
"Hokage-sama, please believe me, in the Land of Rivers war, Konoha will be victorious!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression softened considerably. Hatake Sakumo's strength was worthy of trust.
Konoha was rich in talent, possessing many geniuses, and Hatake Sakumo was an exceptionally brilliant one.
Hatake Sakumo continued:
"Hokage-sama, I believe Princess Tsunade's proposal is worth considering.
The Suna-nin puppet masters are highly skilled with poison. The adequacy of the frontline medical system and the timeliness of antidote administration will determine our casualty rates.
Every Konoha ninja is our comrade and partner.
Princess Tsunade could bring experienced Senju medical ninja to the frontlines to safeguard our advantage."
Tsunade was taken aback. She hadn't expected Hatake Sakumo to extend an olive branch.
When Hatake Sakumo served as an Anbu Battalion Commander under the Second Hokage, he had been strictly impartial, never showing favoritism towards the Senju clan.
After the Third Hokage took office and purged the Anbu, Hatake Sakumo had never contacted the Senju clan again.
In Tsunade's view, Hatake Sakumo was a just, principled, and powerful ninja who had neither offended nor had any significant dealings with the Senju clan.
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly turned his head. Danzō even sat up straighter, his gaze repeatedly shifting between Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade.
Hatake Sakumo was immensely powerful, but his actions often carried an air of naivety and oversimplification.
The several elders all stared at Hatake Sakumo, yet he remained completely forthright. He made the suggestion for Konoha's sake, without any personal agenda.
Yōkō thought to himself, Hatake Sakumo's political acumen is inversely proportional to his combat wisdom. Or perhaps, this man is too principled, stubbornly adhering to his own values.
How could he openly support the Senju clan in such a situation?
Sarutobi Hiruzen, feeling weary and wanting to end the Jonin meeting, said:
"This Jonin meeting is adjourned. Shikaku, Sakumo, Tsunade, and the forty Jōnin, cooperate well and face Sunagakure together."
The Jonin meeting concluded in a strange atmosphere.
The elders' objectives were met, but they also encountered many unexpected developments.
The three elders returned to the Hokage's office. Not long after, Battalion Commander Yellow Dog assigned Yōkō a mission.
The Hokage was furious and demanded close surveillance of the Senju clan and Hatake Sakumo to see if they were colluding.
Yōkō accepted the mission and left the Hokage Building.
Monitoring an Elite Jōnin like Tsunade was more likely to lead to exposure with more people involved, so Yōkō operated alone.
Hatake Sakumo remained in the Hokage Building with the forty mobilized Jōnin, studying maps and analyzing the terrain of the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers.
Senju Hanaki, Tsunade, and the other Senju Jōnin left the Hokage Building. Yōkō followed them.
Tsunade and the others entered Konoha Hospital.
A construction crew was working in the hospital courtyard, building the new Outpatient Building No. 2.
Building No. 2 would be connected to the original Outpatient Building via a corridor.
At the end of the old Outpatient Building's hallway, windows and walls had been removed, temporary barriers installed, preparing for the connection to the new building.
With so many Senju ninja entering the medical-nin ranks, the hospital was no longer sufficient.
These 160+ medical ninja would be dispatched to the frontlines in batches during wartime and would work in Konoha Hospital during peacetime.
Yōkō looked towards the Director's office in the Outpatient Building, pondering how to infiltrate and gather some intelligence.
Senju Hanaki and Tsunade were extremely busy, working continuously from noon until evening.
It was only late at night that the two finally finished treating patients and planning the expansion.
Inside the Director's office, Tsunade stood by the window, staring blankly outside.
Senju Hanaki asked, "Tsunade, was it really alright to confront the Third Hokage so directly in the Jonin meeting?"
Tsunade said:
"I understand Sarutobi Hiruzen. To some extent, he's someone who bullies the weak and fears the strong.
If you appear gentle and cooperative, he will press his advantage.
If you resist fiercely, he will retreat and seek compromise instead.
He is a man skilled in compromise.
Don't worry, Aunt. I've maintained contact with Orochimaru, and I have my own resources.
At critical moments, even Sarutobi Hiruzen will have to give in."
Senju Hanaki asked, "Is Orochimaru reliable?"
"More reliable than that idiot Jiraiya, at least," Tsunade closed her eyes, recalling unpleasant memories. She said:
"When Sarutobi Hiruzen was my Jonin sensei, he was so kind, so meticulous in his teachings.
I don't know when it started, but Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, and the others began acting more and more extreme."
***
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