Hokage Building Conference Room.
Tsunade and Hanekawa arrived a little late, and most of the seats were already occupied.
However, they weren't that late, as Hiruzen Sarutobi had yet to arrive.
"Lady Tsunade."
The assembled jonin rose to greet Tsunade warmly, creating an atmosphere that felt almost like they were welcoming the Hokage herself.
It was obvious to everyone in Konoha who the most likely candidate for the next Hokage was.
Even if Tsunade didn't become Hokage in the end, forming a good relationship with one of the most outstanding medical ninjas in the ninja world could only be beneficial.
As for Hanekawa, with Tsunade standing out in front, he was selectively overlooked.
He didn't mind at all. In his view, such social formalities were nothing but a bother.
Tsunade also found it troublesome, but as the saying goes, you can't hit someone who's smiling at you. She could only respond to each greeting.
By 8:30, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado walked into the room together.
The conference room fell silent immediately.
Danzo Shimura wasn't present at this jonin meeting because he was far away on the battlefield of Kumogakure.
Similarly, Orochimaru, Sakumo Hatake, and Minato Namikaze were absent for nearly the same reason.
"I'll get straight to the point," Hiruzen began. "Just last night, the Konoha defense force led by Yoshimura Yokazu was ambushed by a large force of Iwagakure ninja."
"Fortunately, Minato arrived in time and barely managed to stabilize the situation."
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.
This was roughly in line with the events of the original story.
The Konoha defense force, stationed on the western border of the Land of Fire, was tasked with patrolling the area.
In the original timeline, after being ambushed by Iwagakure's army, only four ninjas, including Yoshimura Yokazu, survived.
It was Minato who eventually arrived and saved them.
However, the current circumstances had changed.
Judging from Hiruzen's words, with Minato's assistance, they managed to fend off the Iwagakure forces.
On further thought, Hanekawa realized this might have been influenced by his presence—a butterfly effect of sorts.
Because Tsunade's prestige was so high, Danzo didn't want Minato to gain too much credit and had him stationed closer to the Iwagakure border, making it easier for him to respond in time.
In the original timeline, Minato had likely been stationed elsewhere and needed more time to arrive due to Konoha's widespread conflicts.
"The Iwagakure forces comprise about 1,500 ninjas, which seems to be their vanguard. More reinforcements will likely follow," Hiruzen added thoughtfully. "Tsunade, take 2,000 ninjas and head there as quickly as possible. Minato and his team won't be able to hold out for long."
"Understood."
Tsunade immediately agreed.
Hiruzen had already informed her of this beforehand, so she wasn't surprised and didn't ask any further questions.
"I'm concerned Kirigakure won't sit idle once Iwagakure makes a move," Homura Mitokado suddenly remarked.
"That's a valid concern," Hiruzen agreed.
Konoha had captured the seven swords of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and under normal circumstances, Kirigakure should have approached them to negotiate for their return.
Their silence suggested ulterior motives—likely a plan to reignite conflict.
It wasn't entirely surprising. Despite their recent defeat, Kirigakure had only lost around 1,000 ninjas and still retained much of their strength.
"Hizashi, the Hyuga clan will be responsible for monitoring Kirigakure," Hiruzen decided after a moment's thought.
"Yes," Hizashi Hyuga replied, slightly surprised but still accepting the task.
Hiruzen's decision was clearly influenced by the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, a natural counter to Kirigakure's techniques.
Hanekawa had a passing thought.
Could this be the event where Kirigakure's Ao obtained a Byakugan?
Not that it mattered to him.
Even if he gave them a warning, they might not listen—and he had little to do with the Hyuga clan anyway. His investment was in Tsunade, not them.
"There's no need to worry too much," Hiruzen said with a smile, attempting to lighten the mood. "Overall, Konoha is currently in a favorable position."
"Indeed," Homura agreed. "Especially since Sakumo's team just dealt a heavy blow to the Two-Tails jinchuriki."
"Could there be a connection between these events?" Tsunade suddenly asked. "Why would Iwagakure attack Konoha when Kumogakure is suffering a loss?"
"Are you suggesting they've formed an alliance?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile froze instantly.
"I don't know," Tsunade replied, shaking her head. "But we need to prepare for the worst."
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow at her statement.
Tsunade's speculation had some logic, but in this case, it was entirely wrong.
Iwagakure wasn't collaborating with Kumogakure—they were using all their resources to prepare a surprise attack.
From the Fourth Shinobi War in the original story, where the Allied Shinobi Forces totaled 80,000, it was clear that the Five Great Villages each had a maximum of 15,000 shinobi.
For Iwagakure to send 10,000 shinobi to attack Kumogakure was practically their entire military force.
"I'll have the Anbu investigate further," Hiruzen said, rubbing his temples in frustration.
If Tsunade's guess were correct, it would spell enormous trouble for Konoha.
"This concludes today's meeting," Hiruzen declared in a serious tone. "Tsunade, you're to depart immediately."
The assembled shinobi rose and began to leave the room.
"Sensei," Hanekawa called out, catching up to Tsunade. When he saw they were alone, he spoke up. "I think Iwagakure's true target is Kumogakure."
"You mean Iwagakure is feinting against Konoha to confuse Kumogakure?" Tsunade stopped and turned to look at him.
Her reaction was quick. With just that hint, she deduced the truth.
"Exactly," Hanekawa explained. "Iwagakure's movements were too fast, as if they were waiting for Kumogakure to suffer a setback."
"That makes sense," Tsunade said thoughtfully. "If that's the case, it's actually good news for Konoha."
Hanekawa nodded slightly.
In the original story, Konoha was the village most often targeted in coordinated attacks, with all four other Great Villages waging war against it at some point.
But now, Kumogakure seemed to have taken Konoha's place, about to be besieged by three villages.
That didn't mean Konoha was entirely safe, though.
With Kirigakure still lurking, Konoha might also face a three-front war similar to Kumogakure.
"If only you were ten years older, I could help you compete for Hokage," Tsunade said with a hint of regret on her face.
In her eyes, Hanekawa already had the makings of a Hokage.
The only issue was his age.
"No problem. You can become Hokage first and then pave the way for me," Hanekawa said with a wink.
If Tsunade became Hokage, he could play the role of her successor!
"Go inform Kurenai and Rin!" Tsunade rolled her eyes, feeling a bit helpless.
Why did this kid keep saying that?
If it were anyone else, she'd have already smacked them.
"Yes, Sensei." Hanekawa grinned.
"We're meeting at Konoha's gates in two hours," Tsunade instructed as she walked ahead, waving her hand. "Don't follow me. Go prepare."
As the frontline commander, she had a lot to organize, especially selecting 2,000 shinobi within two hours.
Hanekawa nodded and changed direction, heading to Rin Nohara's house.
"Happy New Year!" Rin greeted him with a warm smile when she saw him.
Visiting on the first day of the year, she thought he had come to exchange holiday greetings.
"Happy New Year," Hanekawa replied briefly before getting to the point. "Rin, we're heading to the Iwagakure battlefield in two hours."
"Iwagakure?" Rin paused, immediately realizing what had happened.
Tsunade had already given them a heads-up before, so she wasn't too surprised.
"What about Kakashi and Obito? How are they?" Rin quickly asked.
"They're fine," Hanekawa reassured her. "They're both strong, so don't worry too much."
"That's a relief," Rin said with a sigh. "I'll be ready on time."
With that, she went back to her room to prepare her equipment.
After saying goodbye to Rin, Hanekawa headed to Kurenai Yuhi's house.
"Ugh! So annoying!" Kurenai complained loudly. "Even the New Year isn't peaceful!"
She had been planning to spend New Year's Day with Hanekawa, perhaps even go out together, but now she had to abandon those plans.
"Don't worry, we'll crush them together," Hanekawa said with a laugh, patting her head.
"Yeah, let's send them packing!" Kurenai huffed in agreement.
"Get ready. I'm coming with you," said Yūhi Shinku as he walked in from outside.
He had just received orders to join Tsunade on the Iwagakure battlefield.
Hanekawa wrapped up his conversation with Kurenai.
He had more to prepare than just standard ninja tools—there were also cooking utensils, spices, and food supplies to pack.
Because he needed to secretly deliver food to Tsunade, Hanekawa made a trip to the nearby market for a large-scale shopping spree.
Fortunately, he had money and could afford sealing storage scrolls.
Normally, even for a jonin, they would only carry one or two sealing scrolls. Besides being expensive, most shinobi didn't have much to bring along—usually just weapons, dry rations, and clothing.
Hanekawa felt like he was moving houses.
In a way, he wasn't wrong. The war with Iwagakure wasn't something that would end quickly.
Two hours later, Hanekawa, Kurenai Yuhi, and Shinku Yuhi arrived at Konoha's gates.
Two thousand shinobi had gathered there, densely packed and exuding an oppressive aura.
"You two, stick close to Lady Tsunade and stay safe," Shinku Yuhi instructed before returning to his own squad.
In both war and missions, shinobi operated in small squads.
Shinku Yuhi was no exception, though his teammates were temporary as his previous ones had perished—a common occurrence.
Even in the original story, Naruto Uzumaki's squad experienced reformation.
"Shibi Aburame," Tsunade called out, scanning the gathered forces.
"Lady Tsunade," responded a young man in a white robe, carrying a gourd on his back.
Shibi Aburame, father of Shino Aburame from the Konoha 12, was a member of the Aburame clan, known primarily for their exceptional scouting abilities. However, their combat prowess was not to be underestimated.
"Given the urgency of the situation, we'll be moving at full speed. I'll rely on your clan for reconnaissance," Tsunade instructed.
"Yes!" Shibi replied with a serious expression.
"Move out! Full speed ahead! Destination: the Land of Grass!" Tsunade commanded with a sweeping gesture, and the two thousand shinobi set off in an orderly fashion.
The Land of Grass, situated between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire, served as a buffer zone between Iwagakure and Konoha.
The battle was unfolding in this area, and the Grass Village could only endure silently, fearing collateral damage.
Hanekawa followed behind Tsunade, thinking as he ran.
If his memory was correct, Madara Uchiha was also in the Land of Grass.
This was why he was able to save Obito Uchiha in time.
However, as an elderly Madara, his strength had diminished significantly, so there was little need for concern.
In another two years, he would likely meet his end, just as Sasuke Uchiha was about to be born.
The two thousand shinobi encountered no issues along the way. By the afternoon of the second day, they arrived safely in the Land of Grass.
"Shibi," Tsunade called, giving her next order after a moment of thought. "You and your team go ahead to meet Minato."
"Understood!" Shibi led three members of the Aburame clan, vanishing swiftly into the distance.
"Everyone, rest here!" Tsunade announced loudly.
After a day and a half of constant travel, with only a single night of sleep, everyone was physically and mentally drained.
Now that they had reached the Land of Grass, where battle could erupt at any moment, it was dangerous to continue in this state.
At Tsunade's command, the shinobi all sat down to recover.
"Sensei, want some water?" Hanekawa offered a water bottle.
Tsunade didn't hesitate, twisting it open and downing half of it in one go, as if she were drinking soda.
Hanekawa sat beside her and closed his eyes, practicing sensory ninjutsu in his spare time.
Compared to Wind Release techniques, sensory ninjutsu was simpler to master.
He suspected he would unlock the "Special Jōnin in Sensory Ninjutsu" trait before "Special Jōnin in Wind Release."
The order didn't matter much, as both were components for synthesizing the "Versatile Jōnin" A-rank trait.
Hanekawa was looking forward to the A-rank "Versatile Jōnin" trait. The effects of this series were consistently impressive.
An hour later, rest time ended, and Shibi and his team returned on schedule.
"Lady Tsunade," Shibi reported, "we've met with Minato. They recently fought a fierce battle and suffered significant losses."
"What about the Iwagakure shinobi?" Tsunade asked, frowning slightly.
"They've already retreated," Shibi replied. "I suspect they learned of our arrival and withdrew to avoid being surrounded."
"That seems likely," Tsunade nodded. "Lead us to Konoha's encampment."
"Understood!"
Shibi and his team led the way as the two thousand shinobi moved toward the Konoha camp.
Half an hour later, a familiar figure appeared—Minato Namikaze.
"Lady Tsunade!" Minato greeted her with a wide smile. "You arrived just in time!"
In the earlier battle, the Iwagakure shinobi had gained the upper hand, but halfway through, they suddenly retreated.
Minato had thought it was a trick until Shibi's arrival clarified the situation.
_
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