Konohagakure.
Hokage’s Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, inhaled deeply, closed his eyes to savor the taste, and then exhaled the smoke.
The swirling smoke dissipated in front of him.
However, the heaviness on his face did not lessen in the slightest.
In the past, this smoking routine, no matter how tense the moment, could always provide some solace to his strained nerves.
But now, it was unusually ineffective.
“Mirai…”
He looked out the window towards the direction of the battlefield in Kusagakure and sighed.
This battle came at a very inopportune time.
Konoha’s current combat strength was meager, and it seemed that Namikaze Mirai could use this battle to gain unprecedented prestige.
And the Uchiha, that unruly clan, would likely gain considerable recognition among the other clans through this battle.
Namikaze Mirai had specifically brought them to the battlefield with this goal in mind.
Although he was fully aware of it, he was powerless to change it.
Konoha now needed Namikaze Mirai, as well as the Uchiha’s strength.
He suddenly felt a sense of bewilderment.
Namikaze Mirai now resembled Minato from back then.
But Mirai was not Minato.
A trace of worry appeared in Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyes.
Namikaze Mirai was rebellious and ruthless. When Danzo merely took Naruto away, Mirai slaughtered the entire Root organization and killed Danzo mercilessly.
Could such a person really become Hokage? Would Konoha still have a place for them then?
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not want to see that happen, and he was determined to push for Tsunade to become Hokage.
Thinking of Tsunade, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt another headache coming on.
Since her last visit to the Uchiha compound, Tsunade seemed to have changed, distancing herself from him.
Despite numerous attempts to summon her, she never responded.
Even now, with Kumogakure declaring war, Tsunade had secretly gone to the battlefield, wanting to contribute.
Nonsense!
Wasn’t this nonsense?
With her hemophobia not yet cured, how much could Tsunade actually contribute on the battlefield?
As Sarutobi Hiruzen stewed in his worries, the door to the Hokage’s office suddenly opened.
A scout ninja entered and placed a scroll on his desk.
“Hokage-sama, this is the latest report from the front lines.”
“Mm.”
Nodding, Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up the scroll, glanced through it, and seemed to age several years, his expression growing more complex.
They had won.
After Namikaze Mirai arrived at the battlefield, the Konoha forces fought like they were cheating, winning consecutive battles.
This time, even with two Jinchuriki, Kumogakure was still no match for Mirai. The Tailed Beast Bombs were effortlessly deflected, and Kumogakure’s morale was shattered, forcing them to retreat.
Such a performance might even outshine Minato’s achievements.
In recent days, the villagers of Konoha, hearing of the battlefield news, were praising Namikaze Mirai more and more, like mushrooms after the rain, spreading throughout the village.
Despite his efforts to suppress this sentiment, it was of little use.
All these events made Sarutobi Hiruzen’s face grow paler and paler.
The ninja delivering the report noticed this and muttered inwardly.
“Konoha won, shouldn’t the Hokage be happy?”
“Why does he look like this?”
…
At the same time, in Kumogakure’s Raikage’s Office, the Fourth Raikage A was glaring at the latest reports from the front lines, his face livid with anger.
“Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!”
“I sent both Yugito and Bee, and the battle still ended like this? What the hell is Dodai doing?”
A trembled with rage.
If Dodai weren’t a highly respected figure in Kumogakure, serving since his father’s reign and holding a position akin to Danzo in Konoha, he would have replaced him immediately.
This battle was utterly absurd.
How could they lose with the Jinchuriki on their side?
“Raikage-sama, it’s not as bad as it seems. Dodai miscalculated in this battle and didn’t fully utilize our forces.”
“Yugito was the only one who fully transformed into her Tailed Beast. Bee, our stronger Jinchuriki, didn’t fight with his full strength. Otherwise, the Blue Flash alone couldn’t have deflected two Tailed Beast Bombs simultaneously.”
Listening to the scout’s detailed explanation, A’s expression gradually eased.
Calming down, he understood the reasoning.
The Two-Tails was one of the weakest Tailed Beasts.
While Namikaze Mirai could deflect the Two-Tails’ Tailed Beast Bomb, he might not be able to do the same with the Eight-Tails’ Tailed Beast Bomb.
The Eight-Tails was the second strongest of all the Tailed Beasts.
Even his father, the strongest Third Raikage, could only shatter the Eight-Tails’ Tailed Beast Bomb with Hell Stab but couldn’t deflect it.
With two Tailed Beasts on their side, the advantage still lay with Kumogakure.
Dodai’s retreat was not a defeat but a strategic decision to preserve their strength.
With this understanding, A’s tension lessened.
The scout cautiously presented another message.
“Raikage-sama, Dodai has emphasized the need to replace Kumogakure’s standard equipment. Please review.”
Handing over another letter, the scout watched as A’s recently calmed face turned dark again, like he had swallowed a frog.
“This amount will cost a fortune in resources and manpower!”
Kumogakure had over ten thousand registered ninja, with more than a thousand deployed to the battlefield in Kusagakure.
Even if each ninja only replaced one bone-crafted ninja sword and one stone-crafted kunai, the cost would be astronomical.
But Dodai’s letter was firm, the handwriting harsh and forceful, almost tearing through the paper.
A could feel Dodai’s frustration and humiliation.
Taking a deep breath, A’s anger towards Namikaze Mirai rose another notch.
Gritting his teeth slightly.
“Fulfill the requirements in this letter as quickly as possible.”
…
While the Hokage and Raikage offices were filled with worry, the Konoha camp was celebrating.
After repelling Kumogakure’s attacks twice, the Konoha shinobi’s morale soared to new heights.
Walking through the camp, one could hear enthusiastic recounts of Namikaze Mirai’s feat of deflecting the Tailed Beast Bomb everywhere.
The descriptions made it seem like Namikaze Mirai had become a god among shinobi.
Passing by the Uchiha camp, one could hear wild laughter inside.
No one was happier about this battle than the Uchiha.
Their clan head had revealed the Mangekyo Sharingan and the powerful Susanoo, sending the Two-Tails flying. Namikaze Mirai had easily deflected the Tailed Beast Bomb. Together, the Uchiha were laughing themselves hoarse.
Shinobi passing by the Uchiha camp quickened their pace, not wanting to be pulled into a conversation about their heroic deeds.
In this light-hearted atmosphere, Namikaze Mirai rubbed his chin in his tent.
He had just learned that Tsunade was also in the camp.
Should he…
Invite Tsunade into his room?
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