If Hanzo of the Salamander was truly behind all this, then why would he be guiding the conflict?
Once conflict escalates, war can break out at any moment.
And when war breaks out, the first to suffer would be the Land of Rain, which would inevitably become the battleground for the great nations.
Is Hanzo just planning to let everything go down the drain?
It doesn't quite make sense. Shaking his head slightly, Takashi spoke:
"Akimichi Torifu is right. Whether the Sand Village is deliberately provoking or someone else is pulling the strings, the final outcome could very well be an all-out war. We have to be ready."
"But you shouldn't go to the frontlines."
"Why not?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.
Takashi replied solemnly: "From the village's perspective, you should be on the frontlines.
But from our perspective, you can't. You need to stay in the village."
"If the situation continues to escalate, I'm afraid Danzo Shimura will be brought back into the fold. Having you stay in the village is a way to counter this.
As for Danzo, it's better to keep him locked up."
When tensions rise and war breaks out, knowing the Third Hokage's character, he'd certainly want to bring Danzo back, pulling him out of prison.
But someone as insidious and ambitious as Danzo is best kept behind bars. Otherwise, he'd jump around, stirring trouble and causing unnecessary annoyance, even if he can't do much harm.
Due to Kushina, Danzo had gone to warn Takashi, leading Mito Uzumaki to become dissatisfied, which eventually caused Danzo to lose his position as the Hokage's advisor. Even if it was a powerless title, it was still a high position.
From his failed attempt to ally with Hanzo to assassinate him, it was clear that Danzo's hatred for Takashi ran deep.
Not to mention, Mito pushing Akimichi Torifu forward had torn the Hokage faction into two.
If Danzo were to come out, he'd certainly try every trick in the book to target them.
"What about the frontlines?"
Tsunade understood Takashi's concerns and knew that Danzo was a tricky character. Back then, her grandmother's influence had kept him at bay, but now that Mito was gone, Danzo could become a genuine menace if the Third Hokage didn't take action.
If she stayed in the village, she could prevent Danzo from being reinstated by the Third Hokage.
If she went to the frontlines, she wouldn't be able to oversee these matters. Poor Torifu would be left to stand alone, entirely unable to stop the Third Hokage.
"I'll go."
After weighing the options, Takashi chose to take her place, while Tsunade stayed in the village.
If he replaced Tsunade at the frontlines, at most, she'd miss out on a chance to boost her reputation. But did Tsunade even need that?
Not at all.
As for the so-called glory of the "Three Legendary Sannin," it was pure nonsense. The title wasn't an honor for Tsunade, Orochimaru, or Jiraiya—it was a disgrace.
If the three of them had truly defeated Hanzo of the Salamander, and he gave them the title out of respect, that would have been acceptable.
But instead, the outcome was that the Rain Village lost the battle, yet Hanzo managed to defeat all three of them, arbitrarily bestowing upon them the title of "Sannin."
It was just a way to mock them.
Takashi smiled, "Maybe war is an opportunity for me too. If I work hard, contribute more, and earn some merits, maybe people will start taking me seriously. I'm tired of everyone seeing Hyūga Takashi as nothing but some freeloader—a man who only made it because of the women around him."
"A freeloader? What do you mean?"
"Basically, a man whose reputation comes from the women in his life."
"Ah."
Tsunade paused for a moment, and then her expression began to change. "Pffft… Haha! Sorry, I couldn't help it. It's just too true! Hahaha, it's killing me!"
Unable to hold back, she laughed first.
It wasn't her fault—in truth, Takashi's rise had indeed followed such a path. First, he got to know Tsunade, who recognized his talent, and then she guided him step by step in his growth.
Then Kushina had grown fond of him, and finally, even Mito had seen his potential.
Tsunade, Kushina, Mito—three women, each with a unique and important background. It wasn't surprising that others viewed Takashi as a "freeloader."
Though Takashi didn't mind living off others, it didn't mean he liked people treating him as someone who only got by through connections.
Moreover, with Tsunade staying in the village, it worked more to his advantage, so he had no choice but to head to the battlefield in her place.
Though he was going to the frontlines in Tsunade's stead, Takashi had no intention of taking on the role of a medical ninja and charging into battle.
If he was going to be a medical ninja, he'd focus on healing. There was no need to risk his life unless it came to a point where even medical ninjas had to fight.
Meanwhile, in the Sand Village, a meeting was also being held regarding the escalating conflict with the Rain Village.
Compared to the atmosphere in Konoha, the mood in the Sand Village was far more heated.
The Third Kazekage, known as the strongest Kazekage, was an ambitious man who wanted to lead his village to grow stronger, surpassing the other villages.
Unfortunately, the Land of Wind was too poor, and its population and resources were too limited. The Sand Village had hit a developmental dead end—without enough resources and people, progress had come to a halt.
The only way to break this deadlock was to start a war and seize resources from other nations and villages. Taking over resource-rich territories would be even better.
And the Land of Fire had always been a juicy target in the eyes of the Sand Village.
"Hmph, the so-called Demigod…"
The Third Kazekage sneered, tossing the intelligence report onto the table. Unlike Konoha's suspicions, the Sand Village directly pointed the finger at Hanzo of the Salamander.
Given the chance to be a loyal dog, and yet playing these petty tricks in the shadows? Still, Hanzo's antics had ended up helping the Sand Village in a way.
The Third Kazekage had always wanted to break the stalemate, but he had to consider the opinion of the Daimyo's government.
Now, with the conflict escalating—without the Sand Village being the aggressor, whether Hanzo was scheming or Konoha was acting on its own—sending this news to the Daimyo would silence him.
Once the Daimyo was pacified, and with his support secured, then…
Looking at the map of the Land of Fire, the Third Kazekage's eyes began to burn with intensity.
The Land of Fire had an abundance of resources that the Sand Village desperately needed. With those resources, the Sand Village could push through its developmental limits and become increasingly powerful.
"Chiyo, send word to the Daimyo's palace." The Third Kazekage gave Chiyo a look.
Chiyo nodded. "We won't let you down, Lord Kazekage."
She understood the Third Kazekage's intent—exaggerate the situation a bit. Spread the narrative that Konoha was bullying them, provoking the conflict, and planning a war. All these words would be delivered to the Daimyo to incite his sense of crisis and anger.
Once they had the Daimyo's support, the Sand Village would be able to take the initiative.