In the Land of Rivers, at the headquarters of Konohagakure and Sunagakure
Hanekawa stood to the left of Tsunade, glancing around. The main tent was already packed with special jonin and jonin who had co for the eting.
The two major villages had dispatched a total of 5,000 shinobi, so the number of special jonin and jonin was naturally not small.
However, Hanekawa didn't recognize many of the special jonin and jonin present.
Aside from the shinobi from Konoha, he only knew Chiyo and Baki.
The first jonin eting in the Land of Rivers, attended by both Konoha and Suna, was presided over by Tsunade.
Although Chiyo was more senior, she had lost to Tsunade before, and Suna was currently relying on Konoha's assistance.
"The 5,000 shinobi from Kirigakure have split into two groups. One has entered the Land of Rivers, while the other remains at sea," Hyuga Hizashi said solemnly.
Although Suna's forces had arrived first, after the last war, Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent the Hyuga clan to monitor Kirigakure.
Now that Kirigakure's forces were on the move, the Hyuga clan had taken the lead in reconnaissance.
"How many Kirigakure shinobi are in the Land of Rivers?" Tsunade asked after so thought.
"They've entered the Land of Rivers in small squads," Hizashi explained. "The total number is unknown, but we've already detected nearly 200 Kirigakure shinobi."
Tsunade suddenly recalled the harassnt tactics used by Kirigakure during their last encounter.
Harassnt tactics were effective when outnumbered, but now Kirigakure's forces were comparable in size to theirs. This likely ant more than just harassnt.
"What about the Third Mizukage?" Tsunade asked after a mont of thought.
"He's at sea," Hizashi paused before adding, "But it's hard to track the movents of such a powerful individual. He might not even be there anymore."
Tsunade nodded slightly.
Although the Byakugan was excellent for reconnaissance, a Mizukage skilled in water release was like a fish in water near the sea. It was normal not to find him.
"It seems our priority is to figure out their movents," Chiyo said calmly.
"Chiyo is right," Tsunade agreed. "Let's start assigning tasks."
Three hours later, the eting concluded, and the jonin dispersed.
"Get so rest. We'll start the mission tomorrow," Tsunade said, yawning.
Once everyone had left except Hanekawa, she reverted to her usual self.
"Alright," Hanekawa couldn't help but smile.
The serious and focused Tsunade was a stark contrast to her private self. But in his eyes, both versions were equally appealing.
"Hanekawa," Tsunade leaned closer to him and whispered, "Did you bring any food?"
The two were now very close, and a faint fragrance filled the air.
Hanekawa's gaze shifted downward, taking in her delicate face and soft lips.
"What are you staring at?" Tsunade glared at him. "Did you not bring any?"
"I did. All your favorites," Hanekawa replied, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart.
"Good," Tsunade straightened up, a satisfied smile on her face.
Hanekawa thought to himself that she was quite the glutton.
But it didn't matter. As her personal chef, it was his job to keep her well-fed.
"Let's go to my tent," Tsunade said, turning to leave the main tent.
As the frontline commander, her tent had already been prepared and was quite spacious.
"This place could fit several people," Hanekawa remarked as he looked around.
"What? You want to stay here?" Tsunade asked casually as she sat down on the carpet.
"I wouldn't mind," Hanekawa blinked.
Tsunade was montarily stunned.
She hadn't expected Hanekawa to respond like that.
Did this kid not understand the concept of boundaries between n and won?
"What did you bring?" Tsunade changed the subject.
"A lot," Hanekawa handed her five storage scrolls.
"This much?" Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise. "Did you buy out an entire supermarket?"
"Not that much," Hanekawa said modestly. "Maybe half."
"..."
Tsunade felt a twinge of gratitude but was mostly at a loss for words.
"How about takoyaki?" Hanekawa suddenly rembered. "It's best eaten fresh before it loses its flavor."
Too bad he didn't know ice release.
If he had mastered ice release, it would be like carrying a portable fridge, making things much more convenient.
Speaking of ice release, had Haku, the ice release user who followed Zabuza, been born yet?
He was two or three years older than Naruto, so he should be born either this year or the next.
"Takoyaki?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that for kids?"
"Kids can eat it, and so can big kids like you," Hanekawa said, pulling out two boxes of takoyaki and heating them with a fire release technique.
"What do you an, big kids?" Tsunade retorted. "You're such a brat!"
Hanekawa thought to himself that only he knew exactly what he ant.
Soon, a rich aroma filled the air.
Tsunade subconsciously swallowed, her throat moving slightly.
"So, big kid, want so?" Hanekawa handed her the takoyaki.
"Since you're offering, I'll humor you," Tsunade said with a light huff, taking the box.
She skewered one with a wooden stick and popped it into her mouth, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction.
"Did you make this?" Tsunade asked after swallowing.
"Yeah," Hanekawa nodded. "How did you know?"
"Regular takoyaki doesn't taste this good," Tsunade said before biting into the second one.
"I'll take that as a complint," Hanekawa smiled.
"It is a complint," Tsunade said without hesitation.
"Well, you're in for a treat later. It's going to get even better," Hanekawa said, referring to his upcoming upgrade to his C-rank skill, "Advanced Chef."
"Really?" Tsunade sounded skeptical. "It's already this good. Can it really get better?"
"You'll see," Hanekawa said. Though he didn't know the exact effects of the upgraded skill, he was sure it wouldn't disappoint.
"Did you learn cooking from a culinary ninja?" Tsunade asked curiously as she chewed.
"No," Hanekawa shook his head. "I taught myself."
Culinary ninjas were shinobi dedicated to creating delicious dishes.
In the original story, their only appearance was when they kidnapped Aya and had a cooking showdown with Ichiraku Ran.
Of course, Teuchi and Aya erged victorious.
In that sense, culinary ninjas weren't all that impressive.
"That's true. Aside from you, I've never t anyone who cooks this well," Tsunade said as she continued eating.
Soon, she finished both boxes of takoyaki.
"Thanks," Tsunade said, patting her stomach. "You can go rest now."
"Alright," Hanekawa stood up and returned to his own tent.
It wasn't far. His team's tents were all set up close together.
The night passed uneventfully, and the next day arrived.
The headquarters buzzed with activity as many shinobi prepared and left on their assigned missions.
Hanekawa's team also received their first mission: to track and eliminate Kirigakure shinobi in the Land of Rivers.
Although the previous day's eting had covered a lot, the general strategy was to drive Kirigakure out of the Land of Rivers first.
As for reconnaissance at sea, this ti was different. With so many Kirigakure shinobi at sea, Tsunade didn't dare send Hanekawa on such a risky mission.
"According to the Hyuga clan's intel, a Kirigakure squad is in the small forest by the river up ahead," Tsunade pointed north.
"There are indeed four shinobi," Hanekawa closed his eyes and used his Mind's Eye technique. "One jonin and three chunin."
"Handle them," Tsunade nodded.
"Yes," Hanekawa, Yuhi Kurenai, and Rin Nohara responded in unison.
Spirit Transformation Technique!
Rin ford hand seals, her body standing still as her soul left her body.
Hanekawa and Kurenai used the Body Flicker Technique to cross the river and enter the forest.
Boom!
Explosive tags buried underground triggered a series of explosions.
A wave of heat and flas shot into the sky.
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.
They had set up explosive traps in advance?
Without hesitation, Hanekawa and Kurenai retreated.
Water Release: Water Wall!
Hanekawa clapped his hands together.
A wall of water rose in their path, blocking the explosive shockwave.
At the sa ti, a thick mist began to spread through the forest, mixing with the smoke from the explosions.
This was the Kirigakure shinobi's signature Hiding in Mist Technique
However, they hadn't expected Hanekawa and Kurenai to also know the technique.
Seeing the mist, the two of them charged forward, disappearing into the fog.
"I didn't expect Konoha shinobi to be this foolish," the Kirigakure jonin couldn't help but laugh.
His voice, amplified by chakra, echoed from an indistinguishable direction.
Suddenly, a sharp sound of sothing cutting through the air ca from behind him.
"What?!"
The jonin's smile froze.
He instinctively turned around and saw a flash of blade light.
At the last mont, the jonin used the Body Flicker Technique.
Blood splattered.
The Thunderfire Sword left a deep gash on his arm.
But he had survived.
The jonin let out a sigh of relief, clutching his wound as he scanned his surroundings.
His expression grew serious.
In the mist, a technique he had mastered, he couldn't sense Hanekawa's presence.
How was this possible?
Who was the real Kirigakure shinobi here?
A mont later, a scream echoed from nearby.
The jonin's face paled. It was the voice of one of his students.
He hesitated for a few seconds, about to move to assist, when the ground beneath him suddenly gave way.
A pair of hands grabbed his ankles and pulled him underground, leaving only his head above the surface.
Hanekawa turned, and the Thunderfire Sword swiftly pierced the jonin's skull.
The jonin's mouth opened, but no words ca out as he fell into eternal darkness.
He had never imagined he would die in the mist, at the hands of a Konoha shinobi.
"The combination of the Hiding in Mist Technique and earth release is perfect," Hanekawa mused.
In the thick mist, most shinobi only paid attention to their surroundings, neglecting the ground beneath them.
After all, in their minds, Kirigakure shinobi weren't known for earth release.
Wind Release: Gale Palm!
Hanekawa clapped his hands together.
A gust of wind erupted from his palms, quickly dispersing the mist.
Hanekawa had killed the jonin, Kurenai had taken out two chunin, and Rin had subdued the last one.
"Interrogate him for intel," Tsunade said casually.
Since they had captured one alive, they might as well extract so information.
How much valuable intel they could get was up to luck.
As it turned out, they were in luck.
"He said the Kirigakure squads that entered the Land of Rivers were carrying a large number of explosive tags," Hanekawa reported. "They deliberately revealed their locations to set traps and wear us down."
"We're heading back now," Tsunade's tone turned serious.
"How despicable!" Kurenai frowned.
This was a suicide tactic.
While the Kirigakure squads could gain an advantage with the explosive tags, they were deep in the Land of Rivers and would have a hard ti escaping once their locations were exposed.
"There's no such thing as despicable in war. Any strategy that leads to victory is a good one," Tsunade shook her head.
The group quickly returned to headquarters and relayed the intel.
Even so, they had suffered significant losses.
Explosive tags were powerful and hard to detect. Only chunin and jonin could react in ti, and even then, only elite chunin stood a chance.
If a jonin was careless, they could still fall victim to the traps.
However, once they were on guard, the traps beca less effective.
Although the first day's losses were heavy, the two sides soon reached a stalemate in the Land of Rivers, engaging in back-and-forth skirmishes.
---
Sowhere in the Land of Rivers, in a forest.
Uchiha Madara sat under a tree, his eyes half-closed.
Compared to his real body, which was bound to the Gedo Statue, he much preferred the freedom of his shadow clone.
At that mont, a white figure erged from the ground.
"How's Obito doing?" Madara asked without looking at the White Zetsu, his gaze fixed on the sun.
The August sunlight was at its peak, but he paid it no mind.
"He keeps insisting on returning to Konoha to see Rin," the White Zetsu replied.
"Pathetic love," Madara said calmly. "But it's sothing we can use."
He had already determined that the key to Obito's awakening was Rin.
"Can we capture Rin?" Madara asked.
"Over the past two months, I've led several Kirigakure shinobi to her, but Tsunade and Hanekawa always intervened," the White Zetsu shook its head.
Its thod was simple: using the Transformation Technique to pose as a Kirigakure shinobi and relay Tsunade's team's location.
"It seems the Third Mizukage will have to step in," Madara wasn't surprised.
He had anticipated this outco.
Tsunade and Hanekawa's current strength was on par with a Kage. Ordinary jonin were no match for them.
It was ti to implent the more complex second phase of the plan.
"As for Obito, leak the information to him at the right mont," Madara said after so thought.
If he directly told Obito to let him go see Rin, even soone as simple-minded as Obito might figure out who was behind it.
"Understood," the White Zetsu nodded before sinking back into the ground and disappearing.
---
_
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