"Tsunade-sama." Shizune raised her hand and knocked on the door. But after waiting for a moment, she received no response from Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune couldn't help but raise her voice.
"Don't be noisy!" Tsunade muttered as she rolled over in bed. The shift exposed her two fair legs beneath the sheets.
"Tsunade-sama, Kitazawa has something to see you about!" After Shizune finished speaking, she directly opened the door.
"Kitazawa?" Tsunade groggily rolled her body back over.
Shizune subconsciously glanced and immediately fell silent; there was simply no comparison.
Yet, at the same time, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Fortunately, Kitazawa hadn't witnessed this disheveled sight.
"Didn't Kitazawa go to the Land of Grass?" Tsunade sat up, yawned, and asked.
"He should have returned yesterday." Shizune thought for a moment and said, "Given his personality, he wouldn't act without reason. It's likely something urgent."
"Could it be that Naruto is in trouble?" Tsunade got out of bed, but quickly shook her head and said, "If Naruto was in trouble, he wouldn't be looking for me."
"Tsunade-sama, you should change your nightgown." Shizune reminded her.
"You're right, can't let that guy get a free show." Tsunade glanced at her revealing self and said.
"…?" Shizune was full of questions. From that tone, she felt as if something had happened between Tsunade and Kitazawa.
Tsunade turned away, moving toward the wardrobe. With practiced ease, she slipped into her usual sleeveless top. A quick pull of the black sash, a neat knot—and in an instant, the fabric traced her figure perfectly.
"What do you want?" Tsunade walked barefoot to Kitazawa, casually saying, "If it's not urgent, I'll throw you out."
There weren't many who dared to disturb her sleep.
"Of course there is!" Kitazawa immediately said.
He knew that Tsunade wasn't joking. In the original work, she could punch Jiraiya several meters away. Throwing him out would be even easier.
"I encountered a rather special kunoichi in Kusagakure (Hidden Grass Village)," Kitazawa repeated what he had told Kurenai.
Tsunade's pupils constricted as she listened, and she froze in place. Although she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she already had the answer in her heart.
The Shinobi World is vast, and while coincidences are numerous, red hair coupled with immense chakra most likely points to the Uzumaki Clan.
"I never thought that there were still Uzumaki Clan members alive." Tsunade slowly exhaled, saying with great surprise.
Konoha, or rather, the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan, have very deep ties. The wife of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, was Uzumaki Mito from the Uzumaki Clan.
Uzumaki Mito was also the first Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
And the second Nine-Tails jinchūriki was also from the Uzumaki Clan—Uzumaki Kushina. She was also the wife of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
"Kusagakure (Hidden Grass Village) is truly audacious!" Tsunade clenched her fists and said, "Let's go, follow me to see Sarutobi Hiruzen!"
Though Kusagakure may be small, it remains a recognized Shinobi Village. Any matter involving relations between villages must ultimately be decided by the Hokage.
Kitazawa was not at all surprised by her reaction. He stood up and followed Tsunade to the Hokage's office.
"Tsunade-sama." An Anbu shinobi, Haru, came forward and said, "Hokage-sama hasn't arrived yet."
"Tell him to come immediately," Tsunade said unceremoniously.
"Yes." If it were someone else, Haru would definitely ignore them and instead punish them for disrespect. But Tsunade was different.
Haru was certain that if he ignored her, Tsunade would go straight to the Sarutobi Clan to find Hiruzen.
"Tsunade." Not long after, Hiruzen walked in, glanced at Kitazawa, and asked in confusion, "What happened?"
Although Tsunade was usually boisterous, she understood some etiquette. It was rare for her to come to him before his working hours.
But now was not the time of the Shinobi World War, so what major event could there be?
"Do you still remember the Uzumaki Clan?" Tsunade looked at him and asked.
"Of course I remember." Hiruzen's expression became serious as he asked, "Is it related to the Uzumaki Clan?"
His first reaction was that Tsunade had found the culprits who annihilated the Uzumaki Clan back then. If that were the case, it would be a huge problem.
The Uzumaki Clan was not an ordinary shinobi clan; they controlled the Land of Whirlpools, comparable to a small shinobi village.
To be annihilated overnight, the culprits must have been connected to the Five Great Villages. In Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, the greatest possibility was Kirigakure and Kumogakure.
Kirigakure was close. Kumogakure liked to steal secret techniques from small villages.
"Kitazawa discovered a kunoichi of the Uzumaki Clan in Kusagakure (Hidden Grass Village)," Tsunade said directly.
"What?" Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but show a surprised expression upon hearing this.
But when he heard it was Kusagakure, rather than Kumogakure or Kirigakure, he felt somewhat relieved. Konoha could not afford another Shinobi World War at this time.
Although the matter of Hyuga Hizashi's sacrificial death was led by the Hyuga Clan, the Konoha high-ups did not prevent it.
The reason was that they did not want to go to war with Kumogakure.
Orochimaru had fled, Jiraiya and Tsunade were often away, and Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina had sacrificed themselves.
At that time, Konoha was left with only Hiruzen and a few of his old comrades.
"Kitazawa, are you sure?" Hiruzen looked at Kitazawa and asked in a serious tone.
"Absolutely certain." Kitazawa reiterated the characteristics of Karin's mother.
"It seems to be almost certain." Hiruzen believed more than half of it as soon as he heard it.
"Old man, what do you plan to do?" Tsunade asked in a deep voice.
"The Uzumaki Clan is an ally of Konoha, and they must be saved," Hiruzen stated without hesitation.
If he didn't save them, he would inevitably incur Tsunade's wrath, which would be more trouble than it was worth.
Furthermore, Naruto has half Uzumaki blood, and he would blame him when he grew up and learned about this matter.
In addition, Uzumaki shinobi are natural jinchūriki, which, for Konoha, can be considered as being prepared for any eventuality.
"It's just… how to save them still needs careful consideration." Hiruzen spoke slowly, "Kusagakure itself is not worth Konoha's concern, but the matter may give the other Four Great Villages an excuse to intervene."
"What excuse? Rescuing the Uzumaki Clan is Konoha's duty!" Tsunade said with clear displeasure.
"As Hokage, I cannot act rashly. I must weigh everything thoroughly." Hiruzen looked a bit awkward, but his reasoning was steady. Any action that could potentially spark war, in his view, required absolute caution.
"Time waits for no one—I'll go personally!" Tsunade stood up sharply.
"I think we should discuss it first." Hiruzen quickly advised, "If you barge in to demand them outright, it would make Konoha appear too domineering."
"Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama." Kitazawa spoke up at the right moment, "I have an idea—courtesy before force."
"What do you mean?" Tsunade's tone softened slightly.
Hiruzen, however, felt a subtle sting. Why did it seem like, in Tsunade's eyes, her teacher weighed less than this outsider Kitazawa?
"The Uzumaki Clan has long been Konoha's ally. Rescuing them fulfills that alliance—no one can fault us for it." Kitazawa said with a smile, "First, send a formal letter to Hidden Grass Village, state the situation, and request they hand over the Uzumaki Clan Ninja."
Truthfully, what Hiruzen sought was simply a just cause. But Tsunade, impatient to act and true to her nature, couldn't be bothered with such details.
"That's a good idea." Hiruzen's eyes lit up.
If Kusagakure complied after receiving the letter, it would resolve the issue smoothly while displaying Konoha's authority. If they refused, then the blame would fall squarely on them. After all, Konoha would have been courteous from beginning to end.
"In that case, get it handled immediately!" Tsunade snorted coldly, "Every moment we delay means she suffers another."
"You should be the one to handle this." Hiruzen said with a gentle smile, "Just like when you rescued Yakushi Kabuto, I'll temporarily place Anbu under your command."
"Again?" Tsunade twitched her mouth, "Am I really that easy to trick?"
"How can it be called tricking?" Hiruzen shook his head, "My intention is for you to personally lead the Anbu in delivering the letter."
"Me?" Tsunade raised her brows in surprise.
"We must prepare for the worst-case scenario." Hiruzen said calmly, "That Kusagakure may destroy evidence and deny everything."
Kitazawa lifted an eyebrow. He had to admit, as Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen truly did consider every possibility.
"Alright." Tsunade nodded. What Hiruzen said wasn't impossible. To be safe, she should indeed go herself.
"I'll write the letter now. You head to the Anbu and gather personnel." Hiruzen paused to remind her, "Remember, we're going to rescue, not to attack Kusagakure. There's no need to bring too many."
"I'm not a child," Tsunade pouted, "I'll only take two squads."
"Alright then." Hiruzen nodded, then called out, "Haru, select eight Anbu to accompany Tsunade-sama to Kusagakure."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Haru responded quickly.
Seeing this, Tsunade, too lazy to head to the Anbu herself, sat on the sofa to wait. Kitazawa, not bothering with ceremony, sat down beside her.
Shizune remained standing behind Tsunade like a secretary. In truth, that was exactly her role after Tsunade became Hokage.
Haru was efficient. Before long, he returned with eight Anbu members.
Kitazawa immediately spotted Kakashi. That silver-white hair was far too conspicuous.
Kitazawa winked at him, as if to say: "Another mission together—what fate, huh?"
Kakashi's eyes flickered in slight surprise when he noticed both Tsunade and Kitazawa. But Kitazawa's attention quickly shifted to the Anbu beside him.
The build and the eyes beneath the mask were very familiar. Kitazawa was certain he had seen that face before.
"Tsunade-sama," Haru introduced, "These are the two Anbu squad leaders—Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Itachi."
So it was Uchiha Itachi. No wonder the familiarity.
Kitazawa couldn't help raising an eyebrow. Haru's selection skills were top-notch. With Tsunade, Kakashi, and Itachi—forget Kusagakure, they could storm Kumogakure itself.
Kitazawa suddenly recalled Yamato. He realized that both times Tsunade had temporarily led Anbu, Yamato was nowhere in sight. Was he on another mission? Or deliberately hidden by Hiruzen?
If Tsunade discovered Yamato's existence, she would undoubtedly dig into the Wood Release experiments. Though Orochimaru had fled, Danzo was still around. That revelation would stir a storm Konoha could not ignore.
The Hokage's office grew quiet, save for the sound of Hiruzen's brush across the paper.
Itachi's gaze fell on Kitazawa. Among everyone present, he alone was an outsider. Hiruzen, Tsunade, Shizune, and the Anbu were all part of the Hokage's circle.
Kitazawa, just a Ninja Academy teacher, seemed out of place here. But in Itachi's view, that only proved his worth—his ties to Tsunade were indeed unusual. The Uchiha Clan had not misjudged their bet.
"Alright, the letter is written. Haru." Hiruzen casually handed it over.
Haru stepped forward, received the letter, and presented it to Tsunade.
"We'll depart now." Tsunade didn't even check the contents—she simply tucked it away.
"Tsunade-sama, I'll go with you." Kitazawa coughed lightly.
"Aren't you supposed to be teaching?" Tsunade teased.
Kitazawa glanced around, then leaned in and whispered a few words in her ear.
"Not a bad idea." Tsunade chuckled.
"...?" Hiruzen hesitated, wanting to speak. Is there some secret conversation that even I, the Hokage, cannot hear? But since it involved Tsunade, he didn't ask further.
Kitazawa's heart swelled with joy as four lines of text appeared before his eyes.
[A genius student should make a name for himself in the Ninja World, take the first step, and let the Ninja of Kusagakure feel your formidable strength.]
[Current Mission: Safely escort Karin and her mother back to Konoha Village.]
[Mission Reward: Fire Sealing Method.]
[Accept?]
This was indeed similar to the rescue of Yakushi Kabuto. And the reward was the Sealing Jutsu Kitazawa hoped to see.
The Fire Sealing Method was a B-rank Sealing Jutsu. Its effect, as the name suggests, was to seal flames, but it required a special sealing scroll as a medium. In the original work, it was the only Sealing Jutsu that could directly counter Uchiha Itachi's Amaterasu.
Although Amaterasu didn't perform well in the original story, it was still a Mangekyo Sharingan-level ability. The perversity of Sealing Jutsu was evident.
Kitazawa chose to accept.
As for the two sentences he had just whispered to Tsunade, they were very simple. Tsunade, as one of the Konoha Sannin, going to deliver a letter would surely terrify the Hidden Grass Village, and they might just hand over Karin and her mother.
But if Kitazawa went to deliver the letter, the result would be hard to say.
Then, if he added fuel to the fire with a few more words, he could directly anger Hidden Grass Village, making them even less likely to hand them over. As long as Kusagakure refused, Tsunade would have a reason to act.
Tsunade's reason for agreeing was also simple: she wanted to vent her anger. After all, with Karin's mother being treated in such a way, she wouldn't feel satisfied unless she beat up the Ninja of Kusagakure.
Kitazawa's suggestion was exactly what she wanted.
As soon as they left the Hokage's office, the eight Anbu Ninja vanished. As Anbu, they were naturally adept at moving in the shadows. Tsunade didn't say much either and hurried towards Kusagakure with Shizune and Kitazawa.
By evening, they set up tents on the spot to rest. Kitazawa was able to chat with Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi for a while and gather some intelligence on Kusagakure.
At present, Kusagakure was split between two opposing factions: the Hardliners and the Peace-lovers.
The Hardliners were the pro-war faction, hoping to use the Box of Ultimate Bliss, which could grant any wish, to rule the Ninja World. Mui from Hozuki Castle in the movie was part of the hardliners.
The Fire Release: Heavenly Prison and Fire Release: Great Fire Heavenly Prison that Kitazawa obtained both came from him.
Their purpose for this trip was Karin and her mother, so they didn't concern themselves with the Box of Ultimate Bliss. In fact, apart from Kitazawa, no one believed in the existence of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, nor that it could grant any wish.
The next morning, they successfully arrived at Kusagakure.
"Kitazawa, you go." Tsunade handed the letter to Kitazawa.
"Senior Shizune, you come with me; it's more appropriate for two people to go," Kitazawa said, taking the letter. It would be rather shabby for one of the Five Great Villages to send only one person.
"Hmm." Shizune nodded and agreed.
"Kakashi, Itachi," Tsunade immediately called out.
"Tsunade-sama," Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi quickly appeared before her.
"You two enter the village and locate that Uzumaki Clan member first," Tsunade instructed.
Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi both possessed Sharingan, making them the best candidates for gathering information. And with intel, they could naturally find Karin and her mother.
Of course, they didn't yet know it was a mother and daughter; they all thought there was only one Uzumaki Clan member.
"Yes." Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi replied in unison.
"Try not to alert them," Tsunade reminded.
Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi nodded and disappeared from their original spots.
"Then we'll go, Tsunade-sama," Kitazawa said and walked towards Hidden Grass Village with Shizune.
"Who's there?" Before they even got close, they were discovered by the two Ninja guarding the gate of Kusagakure.
"We are Ninja from Konoha Village," Kitazawa stepped forward and said.
"Konoha Village?" The two Kusagakure Ninja exchanged glances and asked, "May we know what brings you to Kusagakure?"
"This is a letter our Hokage-sama asked me to deliver to your Kusagakure (Hidden Grass Village) leader," Kitazawa said in a deep voice, "If your Kusagakure does not agree, the consequences will be severe."
"Are you threatening us?" The two Kusagakure Ninjas' expressions immediately darkened as they asked.
"This is not a threat; it's a notification," Kitazawa said with a smile, "Hurry up, time is limited, and no one can guarantee what will happen if you're late."
"Don't think you can be so arrogant just because you're a Konoha Village Ninja!" The young Ninja on the left gripped his Ninja blade in anger.
"Sorry, Konoha Village Ninja can do whatever they want," Kitazawa said, spreading his hands.
He had no good feelings towards Kusagakure. Leaving aside the matter of Karin and her mother, just Kusagakure's methods were despicable. They were most skilled at learning and deciphering other villages' Ninjutsu.
Moreover, he was here with a mission.
Shizune looked at him with surprise. She didn't know what he and Tsunade had discussed, so she found it incomprehensible now.
Was this intentional?
Kitazawa's attitude greatly reduced the probability of Kusagakure agreeing to release the person.
"You go and notify the leader." The middle-aged Ninja stopped the young Ninja and said, "And make sure you deliver his words exactly as they were spoken."
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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)