The fact that Tsunade had sold off clan assets to fund her gambling was known only to the higher-ups of the Senju clan.
In the eyes of the ordinary ninja of the Senju clan, Tsunade was powerful, virtuous, and the beloved granddaughter of Hashirama Senju.
If most of the Senju clan's ninja weren't scattered throughout the Leaf, the Uchiha wouldn't dare claim to be the strongest clan.
Afterward, Tsunade assigned a ninja to arrange accommodations for Yuhi Kurenai and the other two.
Then, she dragged Hayato Ren to her own residence.
Before Hayato Ren could even take a proper look at the furnishings, Tsunade threw him onto the bed.
The two then tumbled together...
By the time they reappeared, the once bright and sunny weather had turned pitch black.
Unlike before, when deep fatigue was hidden between her brows, Tsunade now looked radiant and refreshed.
It was as if she had bathed in the Fountain of Life, full of energy.
"The Sand Ninja recently built a new camp. They're probably going to declare war on us," Tsunade said leisurely, holding Hayato Ren's right arm as they strolled.
Hearing this, Hayato Ren paused for a moment before responding, "Do ninja battles require a righteous cause like samurai do?"
Tsunade couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "We're ninja. Why would we bother with such rigid formalities?"
"In that case, why don't we take this opportunity to ambush the Sand Ninja camp? Since the war hasn't officially started, they probably won't be heavily guarded. Besides, we shouldn't wait until they're at our doorstep to fight back."
Tsunade stopped in her tracks. "You occasionally come up with decent ideas. I'll gather the team now to discuss this."
...
"The Sand Ninja's intentions are clear. We can't just sit and wait—we should take the initiative. What do you all think?" Tsunade sat at the head of the conference room, speaking passionately.
Hayato Ren sat beside her.
The rest were other Jonin from the camp, all unnamed extras.
The room immediately grew noisy.
"Lady Tsunade is right. We can't sit idle. We should strike those Sand Ninja scum hard."
"As expected of Lady Tsunade, thinking of what we couldn't."
"With Lady Tsunade leading us, we're sure to return victorious."
...
Who said there was no politics among ninja? Listening to the flattery from below and glancing at Tsunade's slightly upturned lips beside him, Hayato Ren couldn't help but shake his head.
How could the Leaf be properly governed with a bunch of sycophants like these?
"Alright, since no one has objections, let's now recommend candidates to carry out this mission."
As soon as Tsunade spoke these words, the atmosphere in the room seemed to hit a mute button, instantly falling silent.
The Jonin present glanced at each other, yet not one stepped forward voluntarily.
But this couldn't really be blamed on them. Given their abilities, attempting to assault the Sand Ninja camp would be like an egg striking a rock, even if the Sand Ninja were caught off guard.
After a prolonged silence, Hayato Ren finally broke the frozen atmosphere.
"Let me go. Even if something unexpected happens, I can retreat at any time."
Hearing this, Tsunade nodded and then cautioned:
"No matter what, you must prioritize your safety above all else. After all, we're not inferior to the Sand Ninja, so there's no need to rush this mission."
After Hayato Ren accepted the mission, the tense air in the meeting room immediately turned cheerful.
"Lord Ren will surely accomplish this mission."
"Indeed, that's the legendary Flying Thunder God Technique. Only a genius ninja like Lord Ren could master it."
"Let's prepare a victory celebration for Lord Ren back at the camp."
...
With the matter settled, Tsunade addressed a few other issues before announcing the meeting adjourned.
In the blink of an eye, the Jonin had all vanished.
The spacious meeting room was left with only Tsunade and Hayato Ren.
At this moment, Hayato Ren suddenly remarked quietly:
"Where did you find this bunch of so-called 'talents'? Did they all become Jonin through backdoor connections?"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade's expression instantly turned awkward.
"Well, those guys are indeed a bit sycophantic. But their skills aren't lacking. When do you plan to carry out the mission?"
"As the art of war says, prolonged campaigns blunt weapons and dampen morale, exhausting strength in sieges. Such matters are best resolved swiftly. I'll go shortly. By the way, please keep an eye on Konan and the other two for me."
"I don't have the leisure to play babysitter for you. You handle it yourself."
Tsunade reached out and patted Hayato Ren's head, then the two walked out of the meeting room.
Hayato Ren didn't go to inform Yuhi Kurenai and the others about this matter. Instead, under the cover of night, he quietly left the camp.
After trekking through the sand dunes for over two hours, Hayato Ren encountered two Sand Ninja.
"Ha~ I'm a bit sleepy. Why do you think the village leader is fighting the Leaf again? I have a feeling I won't make it back home this time."
"Don't say such discouraging things. It's because the Leaf took out our Third Kazekage. After something like that happens, we can't just act like nothing occurred. Otherwise, there'd only be four great ninja villages left."
"I don't think the Leaf was behind the Third Kazekage's disappearance. If they really had that capability, they'd have stormed our village long ago."
"Who knows about such things? It's none of our concern as lowly Chunin anyway. I just want to survive until the war ends and return to the village to marry Yoshiko."
Suddenly, a silvery-white flash cut through the air.
The heads of the two Sand Ninjas chatting idly instantly soared into the sky, two straight pillars of blood splattering directly onto the sand.
With a flick of his wrist, Hayato Ren shook the bloodstains off his long blade.
Gazing at the two headless corpses before him, he murmured softly:
"Don't casually set flags at a time like this, especially not the most ominous marriage flag."
After silently eliminating the two guarding Sand Ninjas, Hayato Ren's figure vanished once more into the night...
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "LegendaryTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!