However, Kato Dan soon wore a gentle smile again.
"My name is Kato Dan. I look forward to working with you in the future. I'll take my leave now and not disturb your reunion."
After saying this, Kato Dan waved his hand and turned to leave.
At this moment, Tsunade looked at Hayato Ren with some confusion and asked:
"Why do I feel like you have some issue with Kato Dan? That guy is actually a decent person, isn't he?"
"I think that guy's heart isn't as sunny as his appearance suggests. Teacher, why do you think he's a good person?"
"Earlier at the Jonin Meeting, I proposed that every squad in Konoha should be equipped with a Medical Ninja from now on. This would significantly reduce casualty rates. Jiraiya and Orochimaru, those two disloyal guys, actually disagreed. Only Kato Dan agreed."
After listening to Tsunade's explanation, Hayato Ren's gaze toward her became quite strange.
After staring at Tsunade's face for quite a while, Hayato Ren finally continued:
"Teacher, you came up with this idea on a whim without considering the practical aspects, didn't you? Kato Dan really does have ulterior motives if he could agree to such a proposal."
Seeing the slightly contemptuous look in Hayato Ren's eyes, Tsunade immediately became furious.
"If you don't give me a proper explanation today, you'd better be prepared to spend the next month lying in bed."
After saying this, Tsunade crossed her hands together, her knuckles making a series of "crack, crack" sounds.
Facing Tsunade's threat, Hayato Ren showed no panic at all and continued speaking in a calm tone:
"To become a Medical Ninja, one must have talent in Chakra control. Konoha has so many squads - can we really gather enough ninjas with the talent to learn Medical Ninjutsu?"
"Moreover, the resources needed to train one Medical Ninja are enough to train three ordinary ninjas. On the battlefield, which do you think would be more effective - six ordinary ninjas or two ordinary ninjas plus one Medical Ninja?"
"Besides, not all Medical Ninjas are like you, Teacher, possessing extraordinary combat abilities. They're quite vulnerable and would definitely become the enemy's primary targets if they appeared on the battlefield."
"So it would be more practical to establish a field hospital at the camp instead. We could also teach ordinary ninjas how to perform emergency wound treatment on the battlefield. This way, without consuming too many resources, we could still achieve good results."
After listening to Hayato Ren's explanation, Tsunade widened her eyes.
It took her a while to regain her composure, then she reached out and vigorously patted Hayato Ren's shoulder.
"Your brain really works well, kid. You actually came up with such a solution. You're truly worthy of being my student. It seems my usual teachings have been quite effective."
Looking at the smug Tsunade before him, Hayato Ren suddenly felt that ancient sayings always contained some truth - like the idiom about large breasts and no brains.
Among Sarutobi Hiruzen's three disciples, Tsunade was undoubtedly the least intelligent of the trio.
Orochimaru goes without saying—few in the entire Shinobi World could match his intellect.
Jiraiya, too, belonged to the type whose wisdom appeared as foolishness, masking true cleverness.
Only Tsunade consistently let emotion override reason, often making bizarre decisions.
Just then, Tsunade suddenly reached out and rapped Hayato Ren on the head.
"You little brat, are you bad-mouthing me in your head again?"
Hayato Ren immediately put on an innocent expression.
"That's a downright injustice! I gave you such great advice, and not only do I get no reward, I even get hit. If I'd known, I wouldn't have said anything at all."
After speaking, Hayato Ren turned away, acting as though he was ignoring Tsunade.
Seeing him like this, Tsunade sighed helplessly and said,
"I was wrong to blame you. I apologize, alright? I'm sorry, is that enough?"
Hayato Ren glanced sideways at Tsunade and pressed further,
"'Is that enough?'—how pitiful for Lady Tsunade. I'd better just leave and not be an eyesore to someone."
With that, Hayato Ren stood up to leave.
At that moment, Tsunade suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the collar.
"Don't push your luck with me. Out with it—what do you actually want?"
Hayato Ren's face immediately took on an embarrassed look.
"Well, I haven't been assigned a tent yet. I was thinking... I could share yours, Teacher."
"Huh? You're not a three-year-old afraid of the dark, are you? I don't want to be saddled with some weird reputation."
"But that old bastard Danzo already has his eye on me. What if he sends someone to ambush me while I'm sleeping? Besides, we're master and disciple—what's the big deal?"
Tsunade's expression turned conflicted. After a long moment of thought, she finally agreed to Hayato Ren's request.
As one of the commanders, her tent was quite large anyway. At worst, she could just set up another bed inside.
So Hayato Ren followed behind Tsunade toward the place where he would be staying.
From the outside, it looked like a perfectly ordinary tent, just noticeably larger than the ones around it.
The interior was sparsely furnished, with only a bed, a set of table and chairs, and a few books and empty liquor bottles on the table.
Aside from a faint scent of alcohol, the tent also carried a subtle, soothing fragrance that was quite pleasant.
Before long, a ninja delivered a bed and set it up outside the tent.
Tsunade gestured with her eyes for Hayato Ren to fetch it himself, while she sat in a chair, picked up a flask of shochu, and began sipping.
After arranging his bedding, Hayato Ren watched Tsunade drink one cup after another and couldn't help but ask,
"Teacher, we're in the middle of a war, and we're at the front lines. Is it really okay for you to drink like this?"
"It's fine, it's fine. This little bit of alcohol has no effect on me. Ever since Kushina became the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, drinking is the only hobby I have left."
After hearing this, Hayato Ren fell into silence. Tsunade, who was known for her gambling addiction, had actually stayed away from gambling dens for so long. It seemed Uzumaki Mito's passing had dealt her a heavy blow.
Thus, Hayato Ren slowly walked behind Tsunade and gently embraced her.