Chapter 17: So! You Dare Scheme Against Me!
Training Field Corner.
"Stay away from Mikoto?"
Facing Kushina Uzumaki, Uchiha Yosuke smirked with a hint of mockery.
"Honestly, Kushina, you should keep a clearer head. After all, you're the next Nine-Tails Jinchūriki!"
Boom! Yosuke's blunt statement caused Kushina's eyes to widen in shock. Her deepest fear, the truth she least wanted to confront, had been laid bare.
Seeing her stunned and lonely expression, Yosuke gave a calm smile.
"Don't worry. The Uchiha possess the strongest power; we don't rely on borrowed strength."
His demeanor was proud, so characteristic of an Uchiha. Secretly, Yosuke thought to himself that this was necessary for his plans; getting close to someone as guarded as Kushina was no easy task.
Not everyone had Minato's advantage, where the whole village played along in orchestrating a grand show. In the original story, a few Cloud ninjas could slip into the Leaf Village, evading the Police Force, ANBU, Root, and the Intelligence Division, sneak into the Senju district, capture a hostage, and nearly walk out unbothered.
"Tch!"
Kushina's eyes blazed red, glaring furiously at Yosuke. Her fiery temper, after all, was partly a shield for her inner fragility.
Yosuke, however, just watched her calmly.
"Kushina Uzumaki, maybe your identity is important, but Mikoto's friendship with you is enough to convey the goodwill of the Uchiha. So, you don't need to overthink things.
"Instead, you should keep an eye on yourself. As the future Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, many people might exploit you, and you wouldn't want to drag Mikoto down."
Turning Kushina's warning back on her, Yosuke subtly urged her to heighten her vigilance.
After all, if he couldn't have her, he certainly wouldn't let anyone else easily win her over.
"Humph! Save it!"
Kushina snorted, made a quick hand seal, and her shadow clone vanished. At the same time, the real red-haired Kushina, who was chatting with Mikoto nearby, paused for a moment.
"Kushina? Are you alright?"
Seeing Mikoto's genuine concern, Kushina put on a bright smile.
"Nothing's wrong."
With laughter in the air, Yosuke wisely left them to their conversation.
...
Time flew by, and a month had passed since Yosuke's return from the Rain Country frontlines.
Night fell, but the Hokage's office remained brightly lit.
In the conference room, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane sat at the head, exuding the weighty authority of those in power, hosting a jōnin meeting.
"The situation on the Rain Country battlefield is growing increasingly dire. Officially, this is a war between the Rain Village, Sand Village, and us in the Leaf. But in reality, the five major villages are all getting involved.
"The Cloud, Stone, and Mist villages are covertly supporting the Rain Village, even sending elite squads... and now the Sand Village has declared war on us..."
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, in his prime, explained the escalating crisis at the frontlines, his gaze sharp as it swept over the jōnin in the room.
The jōnin looked grim; though only the Sand had officially declared war, it was clear a ninja world war had begun. Previously, the villages had held back, deploying only elite squads, but now the Sand and Rain villages had openly engaged in combat.
A month had passed since Nawaki's death, and Tsunade seemed to have accepted the reality. At the jōnin meeting, she glanced subtly at Jiraiya beside her, then stood up and spoke firmly:
"By assigning a medical ninja to each four-person squad during independent operations in enemy territory, we could significantly increase survival and mission success rates..."
Tsunade's confident voice echoed in the meeting room, earning the silent nods of many jōnin.
Indeed, adding a medical ninja to each team would greatly enhance their survival rate and mission success.
Tsunade had long advocated for this medical system, though it was not fully developed yet. The Third Hokage and others were aware of her proposal, but this time, she presented a comprehensive plan that included creating a village medical corps and training additional medical ninjas.
As Tsunade explained the medical system, many jōnin nodded in agreement. However, Mitokado and Utatane exchanged a heavy look, and then glanced at Hiruzen.
The Third Hokage took a deep breath and nodded gravely.
"Yes, you make a good point, but given we're at war, establishing such a system would take time, which we don't have. Plus, there's the issue of funding, and our enemies won't wait for us."
Tsunade sat down calmly after her suggestion was rejected, but Jiraiya was taken aback. This wasn't like her typical response. Even Orochimaru in the front row frowned.
Only Tsunade seemed unaffected, though inside, doubts were forming. Though it was wartime, she knew they could still start small and expand post-war. Leaf Village had enough funds, so why the resistance? Did the village really not want a Senju Hokage?
"I support Tsunade's proposal."
Suddenly, a calm, firm voice spoke up: it was Kato Dan.
With his light blue hair, Kato Dan, a Leaf jōnin, voiced his support for Tsunade's medical ninja system.
"I don't want to see any more lives lost in vain. We should learn from those who've already fallen."
Jiraiya, noticing Dan's support, was surprised, especially when he saw the dangerous smile on Tsunade's face.
"Tsunade, the old man isn't against it, it's just that... it's because of the war situation..."
Jiraiya assumed that Tsunade was angry because the Third Hokage didn't support her proposal.
But little did he know that Kato Dan's sudden endorsement had enraged Tsunade.
So, this was the plan! They actually wanted to set her up!
First Nawaki, and now this blatant attempt, one scheme after another, aimed squarely at her and the Senju Clan.
If Nawaki's death could be dismissed as an accident, then what about Kato Dan?
"Shut up!"
Ignoring Jiraiya's concern, Tsunade took a deep breath, her gaze icy. Startled, Jiraiya fell silent, knowing not to provoke her further.
As Tsunade struggled to contain her fury, a sliver of relief surfaced; at least it wasn't her teammates, Jiraiya or Orochimaru, who had betrayed her.
"Kato-san, you make an excellent point, but under the current circumstances..."
The Third Hokage praised Dan's loyalty in front of the jōnin, yet still highlighted the village's constraints.
But to Tsunade, this scene only cemented her suspicions about Kato Dan's true intentions.
At this moment, the three at the top—once her granduncle's students—were now ironically just as hypocritical as they appeared.
Summoning Jutsu!
No one noticed, but Jiraiya caught the unusual look in her eyes. Why would Tsunade use a summoning jutsu at a jōnin meeting?
With others, this might've raised alarms over a potential breach of information. But Tsunade? The Senju, who founded the village, would never betray it.
(End of Chapter)
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