Chapter 137: Tacit Consent
Masahiko carefully examined Danzo's injuries and frowned slightly.
"Who treated this? It was done very thoroughly. Even if I did it myself, it would only be to this extent." Masahiko wasn't an expert in medical ninjutsu, but over the years, he had learned some. With the accumulation of time, he had reached a certain level of proficiency. But in truth, with Katsuyu around, he rarely needed to do anything himself.
"Koharu treated him," Hiruzen responded.
"Koharu?" Masahiko paused, and the image of a certain stubborn old woman, Utatane Koharu, appeared in his memory. "I didn't expect her medical ninjutsu to be quite good."
Masahiko sighed and shook his head. "You could ask Little Tsunade to come back and take a look, but even I can't heal his injuries quickly."
At only twenty-one years old, Tsunade had gradually earned the title of "Princess of Slugs." Saving lives and healing the wounded on the battlefield, she was deeply trusted by everyone in Konoha.
In reality, Danzo's injuries were severe. His right eye was likely permanently blinded, and the damage to the right side of his body would cause a permanent decline in his strength. There was probably no hope for him to train his Wind Release to Level 8, comparable to Masahiko's. When Masahiko suggested bringing Tsunade back, he didn't actually hold much hope.
Hiruzen shook his head. "The situation in the Hidden Rain battlefield is critical; Tsunade cannot return."
Masahiko sighed inwardly. He really has started to play the victim. He smiled and asked, "Critical how?"
Hiruzen was slightly startled by Masahiko's expression but still put on a mournful face. "With Danzo injured, I had to send Kagami to lead the team against the Hidden Sand. As for the Hidden Rain, I can only leave Orochimaru in charge. The situation is dire, and Hanzo, the leader of the Hidden Rain, hasn't even made his move yet."
Masahiko frowned. "Because Danzo was injured, Kagami went to the Hidden Sand?" He genuinely didn't know this piece of news.
Suddenly, he paused. "That's not right. Danzo is only injured, but the Second Kazekage died in battle! And Sakumo is over there too."
Hiruzen shook his head helplessly. "They have already selected the Third Kazekage, and their attacks have become even fiercer. With only Sakumo there, I can't rest easy."
Masahiko hesitated.
Seeing Masahiko hesitate, Hiruzen secretly rejoiced.
"Also, the situation on the Hidden Rock front is somewhat unfavorable. Although most of the elites from the Senju and Hyuga clans are there, no one can withstand Dust Release. After all, Dust Release is a Kekkei Tota; ordinary ninjutsu cannot counter it." As Hiruzen spoke, he lightly flattered Masahiko.
However, hearing this, Masahiko stopped hesitating. Every point Hiruzen made seemed to exaggerate Konoha's disadvantage. If it were truly this bad, Konoha would have been defeated long ago in the original story.
"If that's really the case, why don't you go to the battlefield?" Masahiko asked with a smile.
Hiruzen's face stiffened. "Elder Masahiko, I still need to guard Konoha to prevent any attacks."
Masahiko smiled. "It's fine. I'll stay in Konoha for a while. You go!"
"..."
The Acting Hokage
One day later, Masahiko sent Hiruzen off to the battlefield and began his life as the "Acting Hokage."
The first matter the Acting Hokage had to deal with was the arrangement of the new batch of Ninja Academy graduates. Whether to send them as reinforcements to the battlefield or assign them to various understaffed departments within Konoha was all up to Masahiko. Of course, the children's wishes would also be respected; they would submit applications, feeling a bit like college applications where you agree to obey the assignment.
"Uchiha Mikoto, applying to study at the Konoha Hospital." Masahiko looked at the document in his hand and paused slightly.
"Uchiha Mikoto graduated? Konoha Hospital..." Masahiko waved his brush. Approved! Itachi's mom shouldn't be messing around on the battlefield.
After flipping through several documents, Masahiko's eye twitched. Not a single one applied to go to the battlefield. These kids...
"Wait, applying to go to the battlefield?" Masahiko paused. He remembered that in the original story during the Third War, there was no such thing as an application. Graduates were basically sent straight to the battlefield.
"That time, that was called a crisis... Sure enough, Hiruzen was trying to trick me into helping." Masahiko smiled slightly, giving a thumbs-up to his own IQ.
Flipping to the very end, Masahiko finally found one person who applied to go to the battlefield.
"Applying for the Hidden Rain battlefield? Commendable courage." Masahiko looked down and saw the applicant's name, causing his mouth to twitch. "Nawaki Senju!"
Masahiko decisively waved his brush. "Denied!"
Masahiko remembered that in his past life (knowledge of the manga), Nawaki died shortly after graduation on the Hidden Rain battlefield. He might have been thinking of finding his sister, but Masahiko felt he was looking for death...
Nawaki's ninja talent could only be described as high, not exceptionally high. He fell quite short of everyone's expectations. Already eleven years old, he had just graduated from the Ninja Academy, lagging behind those geniuses who graduated at seven or eight.
Masahiko thought that after rejecting the application, Nawaki would give up the idea. Unexpectedly, Nawaki actually came to find him.
"Great-Great-Grandpa, why won't you let me go to the battlefield?"
Looking at the urgent-faced Nawaki before him, Masahiko sighed helplessly.
"What are you going to do on the battlefield? Besides, does Mito know you want to go?"
Nawaki stammered, "Grandma agreed!"
"Like hell she agreed..." Masahiko muttered. "You just graduated; your strength and experience are insufficient. Train for a while longer."
"But I agreed with several classmates to go to the battlefield together!" Nawaki retorted.
Masahiko was stunned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
He picked up the stack of documents on the desk and handed them to Nawaki.
As Nawaki looked through them, his face grew more and more dejected. "None of them are going? That bunch of cowards... even Mikoto isn't going."
Masahiko paused, feeling something was a bit off, but didn't think too much about it. "I'll probably stay in Konoha for a while. I'll teach you some ninjutsu during this time."
Nawaki looked utterly dejected but didn't object further. He nodded and left.
Masahiko breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly felt as if he had missed out on some Witness Points.
"If I had sent Nawaki to the battlefield and then secretly followed him to save him, would I have gained a lot of Witness Points?"
Thinking this, Masahiko smiled bitterly and shook his head. He was really going crazy for Witness Points.
"If that's the case, I might as well kill Hiruzen directly. Maybe I'd get five hundred or a thousand points in one go!"
While he was thinking this, someone knocked on the door.
Masahiko was startled. Sensing slightly, his expression turned strange. Caught right as he was thinking of doing something bad. "Come in!"
Danzo, dressed just like in the original story and leaning on a cane, walked in and greeted Masahiko.
Masahiko smiled. "You're awake, Hero of Konoha!"
Danzo was silent for a moment. "Elder Masahiko, my body..."
Masahiko shook his head. "I have no way either. However, you yourself should have one."
Danzo's expression changed, and he fell into deep thought without speaking.
Masahiko sighed. "Do it covertly; don't let me see it. And don't target your own village, especially the Senju and Uchiha. Once your injuries are healed, stop immediately!"
Danzo nodded and walked out.
"I hope he can control his inner desires and not go down the same old path as the original story. If he does, I might really have to personally take out the Hero of Konoha... With me here, he shouldn't dare!"
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