Back at the base camp, Nara Shikaku, serving as the deputy commander, immediately ordered the logistics team to assess the casualties from the battle.
"Lord Shikaku, the losses this time are relatively light, with fewer than 300 casualties. More than half of them were a result of the sudden rampage of the Eight Tails."
While no one could be joyful about the deaths, Shikaku couldn't help but feel a sense of relief upon hearing the logistics report.
Last time, when only a thousand troops were deployed, the death toll reached a staggering 600.
This time, however, with a much larger number of participants in the battle, the loss-to-strength ratio was only about half of the previous engagement. It underscored the significance of having a skilled commander in a battle.
"By the way, what about that individual, A? Shouldn't he have survived?"
Shikaku suddenly recalled A, who had suffered a grievous injury – a fist-sized wound in his abdomen – inflicted by Tatsuya at the end of the battle.
It seemed impossible for anyone to survive such a severe injury.
"No one can say for sure. After all, the Ninja World is filled with various strange and unique jutsu we haven't encountered before," responded Sakumo. However, he frowned slightly and added, "But... if he does indeed die, we might find ourselves in an all-out war with the Cloud Shinobi. After all, he was the son and the heir to the third Raikage."
"The Third Raikage? He's a figure at the pinnacle of this era," Shikaku remarked, with a hint of envy in his voice.
"Speaking of which, where is Master Tatsuya?" Shikaku suddenly inquired, remembering something crucial. In a potential battle with the Cloud Shinobi, Tatsuya was their only ace against the formidable Raikage.
"As soon as I returned to camp, he mentioned something about needing to relocate and promptly left," Sakumo recalled.
"Relocate? To where?" Shikaku asked, momentarily puzzled but not dwelling on it too much. Some matters were better left unexamined if one wished to extend their lifespan in the world.
...
The war stronghold where Tatsuya resided wasn't the same as the camp set up on the Land of Wind border last time. This time, they were in a small town in the northern part of the land of Fire, offering a more comfortable living environment.
Male and female ninjas were lodged in separate quarters. However, at this moment, Rin clutched her bedding and followed Tatsuya to the male ninja's living area, her face crimson with embarrassment. She hid her face with the bedding to avoid being recognized.
"Don't worry, they won't dare to look, let alone speak," Tatsuya reassured her as he strolled ahead.
Even if someone noticed the situation and realized that Tatsuya was the leader, they quickly averted their gaze and mentally chanted, "I haven't seen anything," to themselves.
Despite Rin's attempt to conceal her identity by hiding behind the bedding, everyone in the stronghold had already figured out that she was the young woman accompanying Tatsuya during these past days. What was the point of covering her face now?
"Alright, you can relax," Tatsuya said, gesturing for Rin to put down the sheet.
In addition to having more space, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the quarters. Tatsuya motioned for Rin to settle in.
This is Tatsuya's residence within the camp, and there are no third parties present. However, Rin's blush hasn't faded in the slightest.
Upon returning to the stronghold, Tatsuya instructed Rin to pack her things and move in with him. The reason for this was to prevent the white monster from attacking her again. It was a serious reason, but Rin couldn't help feeling embarrassed about the situation, given that they were both men and women alone in a tent.
"It's not easy to keep you alive," Tatsuya remarked. He leaned against the corner of the wall, closed his eyes, and tried to calm his mind. He finally understood why Rin often didn't survive in any fanfiction or parallel worlds.
Even without joining Minato's class, she still had the possibility of surprise kidnappings by Madara and White Zetsu at some point. Being distracted could lead to capture.
Since the residence only had one room, Rin arranged her bedding in a corner to create some privacy. She then asked in a somewhat pitiful tone, "Master Tatsuya, how long will we have to live like this?"
At this moment, she felt like a neglected pickled cabbage—sour and unnecessary.
"It's hard to say," Tatsuya replied. He had comprehended and used Yamamoto Genryūsai's sword for the first time and sounded fatigued. He continued, "Throughout the entire Third Ninja World War, there were no incidents. It might continue this way. After the war, you may have to stay with me permanently. The worst-case scenario could be a lifetime."
When Tatsuya mentioned "a lifetime," Rin's cheeks turned red, and she seemed on the verge of fainting from embarrassment.
Tatsuya himself felt hesitant. In theory, as long as Obito loves Rin, the old Madara wouldn't let Rin go. The Uchihas are like this they get stronger and insane if what they love the most is killed before them.
The amount of Uchiha's despair is equally proportional to his strength.
This posed a significant problem, especially with her always being around. Tatsuya wondered how they would handle this when conducting secret business with Tsunade in the future.
Unbeknownst to him, Rin had eavesdropped on more than one occasion. After all, She had already taken over Shizune's position of being Tsunade's assistant.
...
...
In an underground Cave on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth:
"He can see through your transformation technique?" Madara, seated on the Withered Wood bed, listened to the report from Black Zetsu and Tobi, his aged face showing a hint of confusion.
In his experience, only three types of ninja could penetrate the White Zetsu Transformation Technique.
First, those with the power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, like himself.
Second, individuals like Uzumaki Mito possessed the unique ability Mind's Eye of the Kagura to perceive the good and evil within a person's heart.
Third, those like Hashirama are masters of the Sage Mode.
The individual named "Hatake Tatsuya" clearly didn't belong to the Uchiha or Uzumaki clan. So, did he possess a unique ability akin to Mito's sensing the negative intentions?
While Elderly Madara contemplated this, White Zetsu asked, "Based on the information from our clone, the girl named Rin is with Hatake Tatsuya. Kidnapping her now would be more difficult. What should we do?"
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