One by one, the Konoha jonin left the meeting room, leaving only Tsunade and Sarutobi Hiruzen behind.
BOOM!
The sound of a shattered conference table echoed from inside. The Konoha ninja outside quickened their steps, eager to get away as Tsunade's furious voice erupted.
"Old man, have you lost your mind?! You're rejecting such a solid reform plan—even using the Hokage's veto power?!"
"Tsunade, I'm not outright opposing it," Hiruzen replied calmly. "But the village is short on manpower and funds. The medical-nin system reforms will just have to wait."
"Then when exactly do you plan to approve them?"
Hiruzen had no real answer. He could only deflect with empty promises—once we have enough personnel, once the budget improves…
In the end, Tsunade stormed out, slamming the door behind her. The meeting had ended in discord.
"Deduct the door repair costs from her mission pay," Hiruzen sighed. "At least that'll keep her from gambling it all away."
"Understood."
A hidden ANBU operative, who had witnessed the entire exchange, seized the chance to slip away unnoticed. The last thing he wanted was to be remembered by the Hokage—who might hold a grudge and make his life difficult later.
The Gathering Storm
Peace never lasted long.
Konoha's mobilized force of 3,000 shinobi finally arrived at the front lines in the Land of Grass. Combined with the existing 2,000 troops already stationed there, the total now exceeded 5,000.
At this moment, Konoha stood at the peak of its military might.
The policies of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had borne incredible fruit. Thanks to being the first village to establish a ninja academy, Konoha had not only produced a vast number of elite shinobi but also an endless stream of top-tier talents.
The village's strength was unrivaled.
It boasted no fewer than ten Kage-level fighters:
Mito Uzumaki, the strongest jinchūriki in the world, still alive and well. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage—a powerhouse firmly in the upper echelons of Kage-tier. Other Kage-level figures like Danzo Shimura, Torifu Akimichi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Dan Kato, and Sakumo Hatake.
Clans like the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Aburame also had pseudo-Kage-level elites, while the combined might of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio could rival a standard Kage.
And then there were the hidden monsters—shinobi like Might Duy, Mitarashi Anko's future mentor, and Genma Shiranui's predecessor—who could strike with devastating force when least expected.
As for elite jonin? The combined forces of Sunagakure and Iwagakure might not even match Konoha's numbers. Shinobi like Sasuke Sarutobi (not that one), Yūhi Shinku, and Mitarashi Shinku—along with numerous three-tomoe Uchiha—were so abundant that they couldn't even break into Konoha's upper leadership.
In other villages, elite jonin could command entire battalions. But in Konoha?
Sasuke Sarutobi had to scheme just to secure command of 200 troops—a far cry from the thousand-strong legions others led.
Even three-tomoe Uchiha struggled. Without high-level mission achievements, they couldn't even earn the official Konoha jonin title, let alone a command position. The police force slots were limited, and competition was brutal.
Uchiha Shun had been a prime example of this struggle. And then there was Might Duy—another victim of Konoha's meritocratic grind.
(Though, for now, Duy remained a genin, deliberately kept under the radar by Sasuke Sarutobi. Losing such a hidden powerhouse to reassignment would be a massive blow to his unit's security.)
Reorganization & New Recruits
With the arrival of the 3,000 reinforcements, the restructuring began.
Sasuke Sarutobi's unit, still understrength at 200, seized the chance to recruit—particularly from the latest batch of early-graduated prodigies.
Among them were Sarutobi Fūma and Sarutobi Koyomi. However:
Koyomi was sent to serve as Tsunade's assistant (a role similar to Shizune's future position). Fūma, the "foolish little brother," was grouped with Shukaku Kin and Inuzuka Gaku—forming a new squad under Sasuke's tutelage.
(His previous team had semi-disbanded: Inuzuka Ryō was now a special jonin, while Shukaku Dō and Kosuzu had been promoted to chunin.)
To strengthen the alliance between the Sarutobi, Shukaku, and Inuzuka clans:
Shukaku Kin (the clan head's heir) was assigned as Sasuke's disciple. Inuzuka Gaku, the most talented of his generation, surpassed even Ryō in potential—destined to become an elite jonin.
Compared to Gaku's genius and Kin's wealth-backed prowess ("Money Style"?), Fūma was… underwhelming.
But he wasn't completely useless.
While Gaku had his ninken and Kin had his resources, Fūma had one advantage: clan techniques.
His Water Clone: Mizubōshu could unleash chunin-level combat power in aquatic environments.
Moreover, with the clone's help, he had made decent progress in **"Mizuame (Starch Syrup) Secret Techniques"**—though he hadn't yet mastered advanced skills like:
Mizuame Binding Ropes Mizuame Swamp Sticky Armor Syrup Substitution Mizuame Sealing Jutsu Sticky Clone
Still, he could at least splash syrup to hinder enemies.
More importantly, with Mizubōshu's aid, he could perform **"Water Healing"**—effectively functioning as a medical ninja.
(His chakra reserves were lacking, but his learning ability was solid. The healing focus had delayed his Mizuame training—but under Sasuke's guidance and the stimulus of Yang Release: Gluttony Technique, mastering Mizuame Binding Ropes was only a matter of time.)
Meanwhile, Koyomi trained under Tsunade, focusing on medical ninjutsu with "Black Rope" techniques as a secondary.
(Black Rope required strong Yang Release and chakra control—without proper training, hair manipulation was impossible. Though Koyomi's chakra reserves were mediocre, her control was excellent, allowing her to perform tree-walking, wall-walking, and water-walking with ease. She was now training on sharpened stone pillars.)
She, too, had a Mizubōshu clone, and her Water Healing surpassed even Fūma's.
Tsunade, grateful for Sasuke saving Nawaki, took Koyomi under her wing—even assisting with a critical breakthrough:
Chakra synchronization between Mizubōshu and the Sarutobi.
As it turned out, the Senju Clan's millennia-old knowledge included fragments of chakra-sharing techniques—a concept tied to the Sage of Six Paths' original ideals of unity and understanding.
(Or perhaps Mito Uzumaki, as Kurama's jinchūriki, had gleaned insights from the Nine-Tails' chakra-sharing ability.)
But the truth was even more surprising:
The secret actually came from Katsuyu.
Tsunade's "small favor" had, in fact, changed the Sarutobi Clan's destiny.
Now, with Mizubōshu fusion, Sarutobi shinobi could:
Boost their physical stats Grind their techniques endlessly Compensate for weak natural talent through sheer effort
For a clan long held back by mediocre aptitude, this was a revolution.
And it was all thanks to a slug's ancient wisdom.
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