Night time, The lights in the Hokage Building still burned.
"Hiruzen, the current warfront is perilous. We cannot afford such reckless offensives. Maintaining stability on the eastern front is sufficient—at the very least, we must wait until…"
Mitokado Homura spoke anxiously in the office.
The next moment—
Bang!
With a loud noise, Tsunade kicked the door open and stormed in.
The Sandaime rubbed his temples.
A headache!
Homura alone was troublesome enough. Now Tsunade had shown up. It seemed he would have to smooth things over again.
He rose, ready to rebuke her—
But Tsunade slammed a scroll onto the desk.
Actually.
In Tsunade's mind, it would have been more impactful if she had shattered the desk with that slap. But considering she might need the desk herself someday, she held back.
"Quit dawdling, old man. Read it yourself!"
Tsunade shot a glance at Homura, her eyes brimming with scorn and disdain.
Always meddling. What do you know of war?
Pathetic.
Sandaime paused, then immediately realized: any intelligence Tsunade delivered must be critical battlefield reports from Kyōichi. He waved his hand, silencing Homura.
He picked up the scroll and unfurled it.
A single glance froze his breath. He was so overjoyed he almost forgot to exhale.
"Cough! Cough-cough!"
"Hiruzen?! What's wrong? I told you—"
Homura hurriedly patted his back, assuming he was angry. He prepared to berate Tsunade—until his eyes caught the report's contents—
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure, accompanied by one other, launched a surprise attack on the eastern border. They were intercepted by Kanda Kyōichi, Might Duy, and Shirakumo Hayama. Four were killed, three were captured alive, and only Hōzuki Mangetsu escaped via water."
Capturing Hōzuki clan members was notoriously difficult.
This was common knowledge in the shinobi world.
The last time Kyōichi captured Hōzuki Chikage, it was an exception. So, Hōzuki Mangetsu escaping wasn't surprising. What was surprising was that three people had taken down the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?
Is this a joke?
Homura's mouth hung open, speechless.
"I never expected this, truly never... I approved his autonomous planning because I trusted Kyōichi's competence to avoid losses. Yet he's nearly resolved the eastern front!"
Sandaime stammered, exhilarated.
Each Swordsman wielded a legendary blade, combining Kirigakure ninjutsu and assassination arts to devastate Konoha's forces.
With the seven eliminated, the eastern threat crumbled.
"Heh. I'll never understand your generation. You cling to power yet cower in fear. With three villages besieging us, we must break one front. Did you expect to crush Kumogakure first?"
Tsunade's icy gaze swept over them.
Homura stood mute.
Facts rendered any arguments hollow. The report bore Yamanaka Inoichi's seal—a guarantee of authenticity.
Inoichi would never lie about something like this.
Sandaime said nothing.
Tsunade's barbs targeted not just Homura, but himself. But he had no retort.
The Sandaime held the battle report, both excited and overjoyed.
After a long silence, Sandaime tapped the desk. "Old friend… perhaps you should deploy to the frontlines…"
Homura stared blankly between Hiruzen and Tsunade. Seeing Tsunade's panicked, combative expression, he sighed bitterly.
She let out a bitter laugh and said, "Perhaps I am outdated. Very well. My presence might hinder the troops. But if needed, I'll answer the call without hesitation!"
"Homura-sama, please don't say that. Everyone knows your contributions. But at your age, it's time for us younger ones to step up and protect the village. There's no need for you to go to the battlefield."
"Konoha hasn't fallen so low!"
Tsunade's demeanor softened instantly—
One moment she was calling them "old folks," and the next, she was addressing Homura as "Homura-sama."
Sandaime marveled at her whiplash-inducing shift.
He understood her motive: keeping Homura away from the frontlines avoided his meddling in command.
Even Jiraiya would struggle with his interference.
It was better to keep him in the rear.
Though pained, Sandaime acknowledged this was optimal. If Homura fought…
These aged bones might truly meet their end.
But what role could Homura fill now?
After some deliberation—
The Sandaime asked, "Since the war hasn't fully started yet, how about you go and mentor the genin and chūnin in the village?"
"That's fine. If required, know this old man won't spare his life."
Homura departed with a final sigh, leaving the office.
With him gone, Tsunade dropped her hostility. Grinning, she told Sandaime, "Sensei, Homura-sama has served Konoha well."
"Ah, it's good that you understand. Well, it's just differing philosophies."
The Sandaime shook his head and didn't say more. He flipped through the scroll again, then frowned. "What about the six swords?"
"Kyōichi sealed them in Shikkotsu Forest to prevent Kirigakure's retrieval."
Tsunade flushed.
Kyōichi's intentions were clear—preventing Kirigakure from taking them back was one thing, but more importantly, he was wary of the Sandaime finding an excuse to take them, like if Kirigakure demanded the swords as part of a peace deal.
She also believed the Sandaime was capable of such a thing.
The Sandaime was speechless.
After a few seconds, he said, "Tsunade, your condition... has it improved?"
"..."
Tsunade's mood darkened, and she gently shook her head.
But.
After a moment, she said, "It's slightly better, but not completely cured. However, since I've decided to succeed you, I will carry their beliefs and become a worthy Hokage!"
"Good. With that resolve, I can rest assured. When this war ends, you'll assume the role."
Sandaime exhaled in relief.
Kyōichi's performance had exceeded his expectations, and This victory virtually secured the east.
He could imagine.
Once this war was over, with Tsunade and Kyōichi's combined prestige, there would be no resistance to her becoming the Yondaime. The only thing he was worried about was Tsunade's "condition."
But her improvement shows healing.
...
"Kyōichi-sama."
"Reduce the patrols by half and have everyone rotate. If Kirigakure sends envoys seeking truce, ignore them. We'll deal with it in a few days."
"Yes!"
Back at the camp, Kyōichi issued a series of orders.
Six of the Seven Swordsmen were gone, but Kirigakure's main forces were still intact and posed a significant threat.
Unless Kirigakure stabbed Kumogakure in the back, there was no way he could let his guard down.
After giving these orders, Kyōichi dispelled his shadow clone.
Then, he went to the tent where Might Duy was resting.
"Kyōichi-sensei!"
Might Guy wiped away his tears, his face full of worry.
"Let me take a look first."
Duy was unconscious.
He often opened the Sixth Gate, but using the Seventh Gate and the Daytime Tiger was a first for him.
Kyōichi carefully examined him.
After a moment, he smiled and said, "Guy, your father is fine. He's just exhausted."
"Really?"
Might Guy was overjoyed.
"Yes, but when he wakes up, he'll need to rest for a few days. Make sure he doesn't train during that time. Your job is to watch over him."
"Yes!"
Might Guy was both surprised and relieved.
Kyōichi patted his shoulder and then walked out of the tent.
Asuma and the others looked worried but didn't dare to get too close.
"He's fine. Everyone, get some rest."
"Yes!"
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sensei, that move Duy-san used..."
Shisui was curious.
That move didn't seem like a ninjutsu, but it also went beyond ordinary taijutsu.
"I previously speculated that each gate beyond the Sixth would bring about completely different changes, potentially leading to new taijutsu techniques. That move must be one Duy-san came up with."
Kyōichi explained, then looked at everyone and said, "If you lack talent, then focus on one thing. Even if you only master one technique, you can still become exceptional through relentless practice."
"Yes!"
Everyone was inspired, feeling that Kyōichi's teaching was absolutely right.
Focusing on one path could still lead to greatness!
Of course.
This was a bit of a poisonous mantra.
Focusing on one path could lead to greatness, but rarely supremacy—barring exceptions like the Eight Gates.
Take, for example, Yūhi Shinku and Yūhi Kurenai from the anime.
They focused on genjutsu.
And in the end?
They were just average.
A system notification sound rang out, but Kyōichi didn't pay much attention, only glancing at it briefly.
A regular ninjutsu.
Nothing special.
After bidding farewell to the kids, he went to see Inoichi.
Inoichi would have to work overtime.
The three who were still alive weren't urgent, but the dead Ameyuri Ringo needed to be dealt with while the body was still fresh.
Seeing Inoichi's exhausted face.
Kyōichi had an idea.
Could his Chakra Absorption Technique be further developed and researched, perhaps even reversed into a Chakra Transfer Technique?
Kyōichi pondered this. It seemed worth a try.
However.
This technique wasn't urgent at the moment.
The Chakra Absorption Technique was difficult to popularize. It required precise chakra control. If one's control was weak, the absorption rate and conversion efficiency would be abysmal.
Akado Yoroi was a prime example.
By late night.
The second batch of the Uchiha clan had arrived.
This group was led by Fugaku himself. He had thought that upon arriving, he would face a dire battlefield situation and have to shoulder the responsibility of turning the tide.
In Fugaku's mind, he had even hesitated over how much effort the Uchiha should exert, worrying that going all out might provoke Konoha's suspicion.
But in the end?
When he reached Nagano Mountain, he found the situation calm and peaceful.
After talking with Uchiha Yashiro, Fugaku was completely dumbfounded.
The Seven Swordsmen… gone?
The eastern front… secured?
This...
All his scheming and planning.
In the end, he had been fighting shadows!
Fugaku's expression was blank, and for a while, he didn't know what to say.
After a long time.
"Has anything else happened these past few days?"
"The next Hokage might be Tsunade."
"I figured. Anything else?"
Fugaku wasn't too surprised.
Kyōichi's appointment and Tsunade's return to the village were clear signs of her impending succession.
Yashiro shook his head.
Fugaku stared at the night sky in a daze.
So.
By the time he arrived, all that was left were the scraps.
If Kirigakure surrendered...
Would he have to go back tomorrow?