When Yoru and Tsunade returned to the Konoha camp—
The entire camp erupted into cheers.
The destruction of that batch of explosive tags had saved countless lives.
In war, the leading cause of death for shinobi was weapons like kunai and ninja tools. The second was explosive tags. Only after that came high-level ninjutsu.
After all, on the battlefield, enemies surrounded you from all directions. Who had the time or opportunity to calmly cast powerful techniques?
And for most Jonin, after using a few high-level jutsu, their chakra would be nearly depleted.
That was why the number of shinobi killed by explosive tags was terrifyingly high.
After the celebrations subsided, the crowd gradually dispersed. Senju Senra then brought Yoru, Tsunade, and several key decision-makers into the command headquarters.
"Congratulations, Yoru."
As soon as they stood still, Senju Senra spoke.
"The village has decided to promote you to Jonin and publicly announce your achievements."
Then he added meaningfully, "This proposal was put forward by the elders of the Senju faction."
Tsunade's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
Was the Senju clan officially starting to support Yoru?
Yoru's eyes flickered as well. After a moment, he said calmly, "Senra, please thank the Senju elders for me."
With his promotion to Jonin, he had reached the peak of formal rank. Above Jonin, there was only the Kage.
The title "Elite Jonin" wasn't an official rank, but a recognition earned through reputation in the ninja world.
To enter Konoha's upper echelon, becoming a Jonin was a mandatory requirement unless one was already a clan elder.
"However, something strange happened," Senju Senra continued.
"The votes were originally tied. But at the last moment, the Hyuga clan head voted in favor. That's what allowed the decision to pass."
Yoru's eyes narrowed slightly.
His thoughts drifted back two years.
Hyuga… Anshun?
Whatever his name was—
That so-called Hyuga prodigy had been completely crushed by him back then.
By all logic, that should have created deep hostility.
Unless…
A glint flashed in Yoru's eyes.
If that was the case—
Then the Hyuga clan might be worth drawing in.
Konoha had three great noble clans:
The Senju clan. The Uchiha clan. The Hyuga clan.
Together, they formed the backbone of Konoha.
Now—
The Senju clan, the strongest among them, had already extended a hand of support.
His plans involving the Uchiha could gradually begin.
If everything went smoothly, those two clans—and their affiliated families—would eventually stand behind him.
But if he could also secure the Hyuga clan—
Then he would even have the capital to challenge Hiruzen Sarutobi's position as Hokage.
From what he could tell, the Hyuga clan clearly had internal divisions.
Perhaps the clan head intended to use him to resolve internal conflicts.
As long as there were interests involved—
There would always be an opening.
Yoru's thoughts raced, but his expression remained calm.
"Perhaps the Hyuga clan simply has the bearing of a great family," he said with a faint smile. "They don't bother holding grudges against someone like me."
Senju Senra chuckled. "That's possible."
Then his expression grew serious.
"Our intelligence shows that ever since you destroyed that batch of explosive tags, the Rain shinobi have been moving more frequently."
The other advisors also looked grim.
"Yesterday alone, six of our squads were wiped out."
"They seem to be gathering in one location. Those Konoha squads just happened to be in their path."
"This doesn't look like a planned ambush—it's more like they're preparing for something big, and our teams were simply in the way."
"We've already begun regrouping our forces. I've also sent word for Jiraiya and Orochimaru to return."
In recent days, both Jiraiya and Orochimaru had been dispatched on missions and had already begun building their reputations.
News of the Third Hokage's disciples appearing on the battlefield had spread.
The cold and ruthless Orochimaru.
The white-haired Jiraiya.
And the princess of the Senju clan—Tsunade.
But now—
Tsunade's fame had grown even more rapidly.
Not only because of her status, but also because she and Yoru had destroyed a heavily guarded Rain Village supply depot.
Her brutal combat style, combined with her stunning beauty, had earned her an increasingly widespread reputation.
Yoru thought for a moment, then asked the most critical question.
"What about Sunagakure? Have they made any moves?"
Senju Senra's expression darkened further.
"None."
Yoru's face changed.
No movement—
Was the biggest sign of something happening.
Such large-scale activity from the Rain Village couldn't possibly go unnoticed.
Under normal circumstances, Sunagakure should have reacted.
But they hadn't.
That meant—
Something bigger was at play.
Is Hanzo preparing for a full-scale war?
Yoru frowned.
This was too early.
Then he realized—
The silent destruction of their supply depot must have made Hanzo uneasy.
Originally, Hanzo likely hadn't planned for an all-out war yet.
But Yoru's ability to infiltrate and destroy key resources without detection was too dangerous.
If this continued, the Rain Village's losses would only grow.
Hanzo couldn't afford to wait any longer.
He had likely reached an agreement with Sunagakure and Iwagakure to temporarily cease hostilities.
All major Rain forces would now be directed toward the Konoha front.
As for the other two villages—
They would gladly accept such a deal, letting Konoha and the Rain Village fight while they waited to reap the benefits.
Of course, Hanzo wasn't a fool.
Those villages had probably withdrawn most of their forces secretly, leaving only empty camps as a facade.
Yoru shared his analysis with Senju Senra.
The latter's expression shifted repeatedly.
Then he made his decision.
"We'll immediately request reinforcements from the village."
A war—
Was about to erupt.
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