"Your eyes... they've turned into three-tomoe?"
After the personality fusion, Kuugetsu was still occasionally influenced by Inner Kuugetsu, but in front of Hoshiyomi, she was still the same innocent and cute version of herself, letting him ruffle her hair without resistance.
Hearing Hoshiyomi's words, Kuugetsu froze for a moment, and a flash of excitement crossed her face:
"Is that really true, Sensei?"
Saying this, Kuugetsu eagerly searched for a mirror. When she received the one brought by Shinku, she couldn't wait to look into it.
Seeing the three black tomoe in her eyes in the reflection, even Kuugetsu, who had become much more composed after the fusion, couldn't help but smile brightly.
In this era where no one but Madara and Izuna had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, the three-tomoe Sharingan was the acknowledged pinnacle of the Sharingan. To be able to awaken a three-tomoe Sharingan was a dream for every Uchiha clan member.
(Itachi's description of the era of Uchiha Naori was a TV anime original. If everyone could use Izanagi, Konoha would probably be named Uchiha.)
There's a widely acknowledged saying in the shinobi world: Once you unlock the three-tomoe Sharingan, you're guaranteed to be a Jonin, because the enhancement it gives to perception and genjutsu abilities is truly terrifying.
Additionally, within the Uchiha clan, only those who have unlocked the three-tomoe Sharingan are eligible to become part of the clan's upper echelons.
At only twelve years old, Kuugetsu had already met this standard. If the Uchiha clan knew, they would probably be driven mad with jealousy.
After her excitement subsided, Kuugetsu didn't forget to thank everyone. She bowed to each of the elders, for without them, she might have already become a monster controlled by the inner demon.
Hoshiyomi and the others naturally smiled in return. After Kuugetsu had expressed her thanks, Hoshiyomi smiled at her:
"Go and share this good news with your father."
"Mm!" Kuugetsu nodded enthusiastically, then excitedly left the tent. Once outside, her smile faded somewhat. After merging with Inner Kuugetsu, their personalities influenced each other, and she was no longer the shy little girl she once was.
She politely returned greetings to those who greeted her as she passed, but there was still an air of distance about her, making her seem somewhat aloof, leaving people confused about her demeanor.
Now, Kuugetsu had become cold on the outside but gentle on the inside. Compared to her previous timid self and the domineering Inner Kuugetsu, this was probably a positive evolution.
When Hokushin saw his daughter's three-tomoe Sharingan and heard her story, he was both relieved and heartbroken. The father and daughter couldn't help but embrace and cry together, but after the crying, they both felt a new sense of hope for a wonderful life in the future.
...
The drizzling rain lasted for about three months. After the rainy season finally passed, winter arrived, and the Year 35 was getting closer.
With the long rainy season behind them, the Konoha shinobi on the Iwagakure front were ready to begin their next moves.
They would split into two groups: one would return to the village, resuming their daily duties as shinobi, while the other would follow Hoshiyomi and the others to the Sunagakure battlefield, engaging in a prolonged war of attrition against the Sunagakure forces.
Konoha didn't plan to use overwhelming force to completely wipe out Sunagakure. One reason was that such a move would disrupt the current balance of the shinobi world, potentially provoking the Cloud and Mist villages to intervene, leading to a second great war.
Another reason was that in the previous wars with the Amegakure and Iwagakure, Konoha didn't gain anything. While they maintained the prestige of being the number one ninja village, they didn't get any substantial financial benefits.
The support for the Amegakure had cost a significant amount of money, and even though Iwagakure withdrew voluntarily, Konoha hadn't gained much.
If they wiped out Sunagakure all at once, the expenditure would be too great. Even Konoha, with all its resources, would struggle to bear such a cost.
Konoha has decided to engage Sunagakure in a war of attrition. The plan is to block them at their doorstep, preventing them from completing missions and restricting their movements. Meanwhile, Konoha's shinobi will take on the missions to support the village, outlasting Sunagakure and forcing them to surrender.
Hoshiyomi left all of the Senju clan members from the Iwagakure front under his command. This was also to prevent the Wood Release replication project from being initiated.
Although he didn't believe Konoha would be foolish enough to start the project now, and the key figure in the plan, Orochimaru, was already with him, he still remained vigilant. These people were the foundation for him and Tsunade's future, and he was counting on them to quickly turn the tide in the future.
Kuugetsu and Minato followed close behind. They had come to the battlefield for training and had only been here for a little over a year, so they obviously wouldn't be leaving so soon.
Jiraiya didn't accompany the group. After hearing that the situation wasn't as urgent as expected, he couldn't bear to leave his students. He decided to stay in the Amegakure for another six months to continue teaching them.
He would reunite with Hoshiyomi and the others after the six months were over.
It's worth mentioning that Uchiha Hokushin could have returned to the village to rest, but he gave his spot to someone else because he was worried about his daughter.
Although Kuugetsu's combat abilities were no longer weaker than his, he still subconsciously wanted to protect her until the war was over.
After spending about a day organizing supplies, the next morning, the group split into two and set off toward their respective destinations.
Hoshiyomi and his subordinates traveled for about a day before arriving at the Sunagakure front. The Sunagakure front had expanded significantly by this time.
Thanks to repairs during another entire rainy season, the Konoha camp at the Sunagakure front was even more lavish than the one at the Iwagakure front. Some might even believe it was the finest in the town.
The news of Hoshiyomi and the others arriving had already spread throughout the area, and Sakumo, Tsunade, and the others were waiting at the entrance.
It had been nearly a year since their last reunion. After a year, the original Konoha Six, the group that had once been together, was finally reunited (though Jiraiya was still absent).
As Hoshiyomi and the others approached the camp entrance, a familiar figure rushed forward and hugged him. Who else could it be but Tsunade?
She hadn't seen Hoshiyomi for more than half a year and had so many private things she wanted to tell him. Since the two were already in a relationship and didn't need to hide, she naturally hugged him openly.
Minato had long grown accustomed to Tsunade's actions, but Kuugetsu, who was standing aside, was a bit startled.
She didn't meet Tsunade often, and the gap in time made her feel somewhat uncomfortable as she watched Tsunade's overly enthusiastic gesture. Her expression was a bit complex.
At that moment, Hoshiyomi had no time to worry about what his two little disciples were thinking. While holding Tsunade, he could feel her warmth and smell her fragrance, and his mind was focused solely on one thought:
"It's been half a year... seems like she's grown a bit more... prominent."