Chapter 207 (Patreon)

The next morning, Kizaru arrived at the Hokage’s office with bleary eyes after getting only seven hours of sleep.

As soon as he entered, Hiruzen handed him the reports the ANBU had delivered from the Eastern and Western Fronts.

Both battlefields had achieved major victories.

The report from the Western Front was relatively straightforward. Jiraiya had lured the enemy into a trap, and with the outstanding performance of the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Konoha had devastated the Allied Shinobi Forces’ vanguard and repelled their assault.

The report from the Eastern Front, however, left Kizaru scratching his head.

He had never expected Orochimaru to go so far as to summon the First Hokage with the Edo Tensei.

Because the matter involved the First Hokage, the report had immediately been classified as top secret. Only Kizaru and Hiruzen were permitted to read it.

Once they finished, the two looked at each other and fell silent.

Four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been killed by Might Duy alone, while the remaining three had been captured by the First Hokage.

Technically, Orochimaru, the commander of the Eastern Front, had achieved a complete victory.

The problem was that this was not the kind of victory Konoha wanted.

If Konoha merely wanted to crush its enemies as quickly as possible, there would have been no reason to send Orochimaru and Jiraiya to command separate forces along the borders.

One of the primary objectives of this war was to give Konoha’s younger generation valuable battlefield experience.

And what had Orochimaru done?

He had decided to let the dead handle the fighting instead.

“Any information concerning the First Hokage’s return must be kept secret,” Hiruzen said, his expression unusually grave. “Not a single word can be allowed to leak.”

Kizaru fully agreed.

He nodded slowly before asking, “The more troublesome question is what we should do with the First Hokage now.”

If Hashirama had known nothing about Madara’s involvement, the solution would have been simple. Orochimaru could release the Edo Tensei and allow him to return to the afterlife.

Kizaru doubted Hashirama would resist. He would most likely understand the situation, cooperate with them, and peacefully return to the Pure Land.

Unfortunately, Hashirama now knew that Madara was still alive.

He also knew that Madara was the one manipulating the war from the shadows.

To stop his old friend from causing any more damage, Hashirama had decided to remain in the world of the living for the time being.

That made matters far more complicated.

The First Hokage’s identity carried enormous weight. If his presence was handled carelessly, it could cause serious political upheaval within the village.

Forcing him to return to the Pure Land was no longer an option either.

In the report, Orochimaru had openly admitted that Hashirama had broken free of his control and could now act entirely of his own will.

Whether the First Hokage remained in the living world or returned to the Pure Land was no longer Orochimaru’s decision.

“The Edo Tensei must be used far more cautiously in the future!” Hiruzen said angrily.

Orochimaru’s reckless decision had left him furious.

They were fortunate that the person who had broken free of the Edo Tensei’s control was the First Hokage. If Orochimaru had summoned a legendary shinobi from another village instead, Konoha might have handed one of its enemies an incredibly powerful ally.

“I’ll remind him,” Kizaru replied.

He was equally dissatisfied with Orochimaru’s recklessness.

In fact, he could not help wondering whether Orochimaru had done this deliberately to express his displeasure at being dragged out of the research institute and sent to the front lines.

Perhaps it would be better to leave Orochimaru inside the research institute from now on.

He would contribute more to the village there—and cause far fewer problems.

“Kizaru, do you intend to tell Tsunade about the First Hokage?” Hiruzen asked.

At the mention of Tsunade, a faint, amused smile appeared on his face, as if he had already imagined how she might react.

Kizaru rubbed his temples and remained silent.

This was entirely different from researching Hashirama’s cells.

Orochimaru had brought Tsunade’s grandfather back from the dead.

On the bright side, it would allow her to see a beloved family member again.

On the other hand, Orochimaru had disturbed the rest of the dead and turned her grandfather into an Edo Tensei.

“Have Elder Koharu take charge of medical logistics on the Western Front,” Kizaru finally said. “We’ll call Tsunade back to the village.”

He had no intention of hiding something this important from his lover.

“I suggest placing Tsunade in charge of attending to Lord Hashirama while he remains in the village,” Hiruzen said.

It was the best arrangement for both Tsunade and Konoha.

“Yes, that should be fine.” Kizaru leaned back in his chair with a smile. “If Lord Hashirama is interested, she can show him around the village. He might enjoy seeing just how prosperous the village he founded has become.”

Hiruzen smiled and nodded.

That was exactly what he had been thinking.

As the longest-serving Hokage in Konoha’s history, Hiruzen had played an enormous role in shaping the village into what it was today.

He naturally wanted to show the elder he had once admired what Konoha had become during his decades as Hokage.

“Then I’ll inform Tsunade.”

“Sorry to trouble you, Sarutobi-sensei.”

During wartime, Konoha operated with remarkable efficiency.

Kizaru made the decision that morning, and by the afternoon, Tsunade had already received the message on the Western Front.

After reading the scroll delivered by the messenger hawk, Tsunade’s eyes widened so sharply that she nearly screamed.

Orochimaru had actually brought her grandfather back with the Edo Tensei?

For a moment, Tsunade could not make sense of her own emotions.

She did not know whether she was excited, relieved, confused, or furious.

Perhaps she felt all of them at once.

“Tsunade, did something happen in the village?” Jiraiya asked.

The expression on her face made it obvious that the message contained something serious.

“I can’t tell you without the Hokage’s permission,” Tsunade replied.

Her thoughts might have been in chaos, but she had not forgotten Konoha’s rules regarding classified information.

“Jiraiya, I have to return to the village immediately. Elder Koharu will arrive later to take over the medical and logistical operations.”

Jiraiya’s curiosity only grew.

Whatever had happened was important enough for Kizaru to recall Tsunade from the battlefield in the middle of a war.

Homura Mitokado, who had been standing silently nearby, was equally curious.

Unlike Jiraiya, however, Homura maintained the dignity expected of a village elder and refrained from questioning her directly.

“Leave this place to Elder Homura and me,” Jiraiya said. “You don’t need to worry about anything here. Just be careful on your way back.”

Tsunade nodded.

Without wasting any more time, she picked up a brush and an unused scroll from the table. After writing down everything that needed to be handed over, she passed the scroll to Jiraiya and departed from the camp alone.

Unlike Tsunade, Orochimaru and Danzō were forced to travel much more slowly.

They were returning from the Eastern Front with the captured Kirigakure shinobi, making it impossible for them to move at full speed.

Although Tsunade had departed nearly a full day after them, she reached Konoha first.

She traveled through the night without stopping and arrived the following morning.

Even after reaching the village, Tsunade did not bother to rest. She merely cleaned herself up before heading straight for the Hokage’s office.

Kizaru had sensed her chakra long before she entered Konoha and immediately informed Hiruzen of her arrival.

By the time Tsunade entered the office, both of them were already waiting for her.

“Kizaru, what happened with Grandpa?” Tsunade demanded the moment she stepped inside. “What kind of enemy appeared on the Eastern Front that forced Orochimaru to summon him?”

Tsunade knew about the Edo Tensei Orochimaru had been developing.

What she wanted to know was what kind of monster Kirigakure possessed that could have driven Orochimaru to use it on her grandfather.

“Uchiha Madara,” Kizaru answered directly. “He has been controlling Kirigakure through genjutsu. He also implanted Hashirama’s cells into the Fourth Mizukage, allowing him to use Wood Release.”

“That bastard Madara again!”

Tsunade slammed both hands against the desk, causing it to shudder beneath her palms.

“He had better hope I never find him! If I do, I’ll make sure he regrets it!”

Considering Madara’s current age and deteriorating condition, Kizaru replied with complete confidence, “He’s already dying of old age. One punch from you would probably finish him.”

“Then punching him to death would be doing everyone a favor!” Tsunade snapped.

“Ahem!”

Hiruzen, who had remained silent until now, cleared his throat and interrupted the exchange.

“Tsunade, the main reason we recalled you is so that you can receive Lord Hashirama when he returns to the village.”

He paused before continuing.

“Because Madara is still alive, Lord Hashirama intends to remain here until the matter has been resolved.”

“Grandpa…”

Memories of her childhood surfaced in Tsunade’s mind, and the anger on her face gradually gave way to nostalgia.

“I’ll take responsibility for him.”

“That is what Kizaru and I had in mind,” Hiruzen said before looking toward Kizaru with a smile.

Seated behind his desk, Kizaru smiled and gave a slow nod of approval.