Adopted by Tsunade [43-48] (Patreon)

Chapter 43: Magnet Release

Natsume gazed at the distant valley. "Something feels off. It looks too much like a trap."

"No," Kabuto Yakushi shook his head. "Maybe my sensory jutsu doesn't cover enough range."

"I'll check." Tsunade used her sensory jutsu, but still detected no one else. "Stay alert. Prepare for battle."

She knew there were plenty of ways to block sensory techniques, so she didn't let down her guard.

"Yes," Natsume and the others replied in unison.

Tsunade took the lead, heading toward the north side of the valley.

She was a walking arsenal—she needed no special prep.

Shizune quietly activated the poison needle launcher on her right arm.

Kabuto reached for his pouch, gripping a few kunai.

Natsume, a Water Release specialist, was basically a long-range caster. As long as he had hands, he was good.

"There are signs of a fight," Kabuto's sharp gaze caught it and spoke up.

Truthfully, everyone could see it.

The traces were huge.

"This is the Akimichi Clan's Multi-Size Technique," Tsunade said, looking at the massive footprints, each several meters deep. "If a battle broke out and there's still a survivor, that's suspicious. But we're here to rescue, not to turn back just because it looks fishy."

She looked up and spotted bodies nearby.

Most wore the attire of Cloud ninja; a few were from Konoha.

In the deepest pit, lay the ninja Kabuto had seen during reconnaissance.

It was Shitō Akimichi.

He was battered and bruised. On seeing Tsunade, fear flashed in his eyes and he shook his head frantically.

"The place is rigged with traps," Kabuto sniffed out the threat immediately.

That was why Shitō Akimichi was signaling them to go.

"I'm afraid it's not just traps," Shizune scanned the area. "There are probably people lying in ambush too."

A blatant lure.

Turning back would be safe.

But Natsume knew Tsunade wouldn't abandon someone in need.

More importantly, she had the power to save people. Backing off just because of danger wasn't her style.

"I'll rescue him. You all watch for enemies," Tsunade said as she moved forward.

For a ninja, setting and disarming traps was basic training.

Even though she was a medical ninja, that didn't mean she only healed.

The combined experience of Natsume, Kabuto, and Shizune couldn't match a tenth of hers.

…

On the southern slope, twelve ninja were hiding in ambush, surrounded by a faint barrier that concealed them.

"A woman and three brats? Why would Konoha send such a squad for rescue?" A jonin in a vest sounded disappointed. "Lord Toroi, looks like our plan didn't work."

"Ryousuke, we've actually caught a big fish this time!" Toroi grinned. "You're young, so you wouldn't know. Do you know who that woman is?"

"Who?" Ryousuke perked up, "Is she some big shot from Konoha?"

The other ninja looked hopeful.

Shitō Akimichi was tough. Taking him down had cost them.

When Toroi realized he was Akimichi, one of the clan's top fighters, he decided to use him as bait.

Konoha would definitely send people to rescue him.

"Tsunade," Toroi said.

At once, Ryousuke and the others looked shocked.

One of the legendary Sannin—they'd heard the stories.

"Can we even take her?" Ryousuke was both excited and worried.

"It's nothing to worry about," Toroi said confidently. "History shows Tsunade is famous for her medical ninjutsu. She's stronger than most jonin, but we have four jonin, and I have Magnet Release. You think she can escape?"

"Brilliant, sir!" Ryousuke flattered him. "With your Magnet Release, you're as good as several jonin. As for Tsunade, I've never heard she has any special bloodline."

"As expected of a Sannin—she shrugged off all our traps," Toroi stood up, wielding two massive blocky shuriken. "Now it's our turn. Let the others go, but Tsunade must be captured alive. If we bring her back, Lord Raikage will reward us handsomely."

The group's eyes lit up.

Capturing Tsunade! Not only was the reward tempting, but the fame in the ninja world could earn them a title—like "Sannin Slayer." Just imagining it was exciting.

…

A huge gust of wind roared.

Natsume looked up to see a giant blocky shuriken as big as himself.

That would kill him for sure.

He didn't hesitate—both hands threw six kunai at once.

But as soon as they hit the shuriken, they lost control and bounced away.

"Careful! Something's off!" Kabuto shouted and threw his prepared shuriken.

A swarm of weapons collided with the bouncing kunai and kept going for the blocky shuriken.

But on impact, they too rebounded.

"Magnet Release!" 

Tsunade was treating Shitō Akimichi.

He was horribly injured; if she delayed, the damage would be permanent.

Losing a jonin like him would be a huge waste.

She noticed the odd shuriken and recalled the intel: "That's Toroi, the Magnet Release ninja from the Cloud Village."

Water Style: Water Formation Wall!

A wall of water rose in front of Natsume, blocking the rebounding shuriken.

But the massive blocky shuriken cut right through the water wall.

Natsume was ready.

Behind the water wall—an earth wall.

Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!

Natsume mainly trained in Wood and Water Release, but he'd learned some Earth techniques too.

After all, elements counter each other.

The blocky shuriken got stuck in the thick earth.

"Not bad, for a Sannin's student," Toroi said as twelve figures surrounded the four of them.

With a wave, Toroi recalled his shuriken—Magnet Release at work.

"You're surrounded. Surrender and spare yourself the pain," Toroi sneered. "Even a Sannin can't escape now."

Natsume glanced at Tsunade, who was still healing Shitō. He bit his thumb and pressed it to the ground.

Summoning: Katsuyu!

The ground cracked open, and through the dust and smoke, a giant slug appeared.

The Cloud ninja were shocked.

Except Toroi.

He knew Tsunade's summon. Katsuyu wasn't as dangerous as the toads or snakes—her attacks were limited.

And Magnet Release was one of the few bloodlines suited to restraining large creatures.

"I'll handle her. You all get Tsunade," Toroi bit a scroll, and a swarm of shuriken flew at Katsuyu.

He aimed to pin the summon down.

Without hesitation, Ryousuke and the others charged at Tsunade.

Chapter 44: Do You Even Know How to Fight?

The Sannin's legend was huge.

Especially when all three were together—most ninja would flee on sight.

But individually, Tsunade's fame was the weakest.

For two reasons:

She was a medical ninja—seen as someone to protect, not a fighter, in the ninja world's mindset.

She'd been out of action. After developing hemophobia in the Second Ninja War, she'd left Konoha and the ninja life behind.

It had been over a decade. The new generation barely remembered her.

Her two big achievements were fighting Hanzo with the Sannin, and her solo battle with Chiyo.

But both highlighted her medical skills above all.

That's why Toroi was happy to see her.

If it was Orochimaru or Jiraiya, he'd likely have retreated.

Their records were far more intimidating.

Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!

Ryousuke spat out a fire dragon.

Cloud ninja specialized in taijutsu and lightning style, but that didn't mean they couldn't use other elements.

People had different chakra affinities. If you were born with a fire affinity, it was easier to develop it than to force yourself into lightning.

After Ryousuke attacked, the others joined in, hurling ninja tools everywhere.

Water Style: Water Formation Wall!

Natsume formed hand signs.

The fire dragon and water wall collided, vapor exploding into thick mist.

Kabuto's eyes flickered, his body vanished, and his right hand glowed green—turning into a chakra scalpel.

A scream rang out.

One Cloud chunin, glancing down, saw a bloody hand burst from his chest.

"Bastard!"

A nearby Cloud ninja saw Kabuto had used the mist to stab his teammate from behind.

A cold flash—Cloud ninja drew his sword and swung at Kabuto.

Danger loomed.

Kabuto didn't react.

"Die!" The Cloud ninja grinned, thinking Kabuto was frozen in fear.

Next second—

Several shuriken flew from behind, weaving through the air and striking his vital points from odd angles.

His grin froze as he collapsed.

Kabuto severed his chakra thread and lunged for the next enemy.

Meanwhile, Shizune provided support nearby.

Water Style: Water Trumpet Technique!

Natsume faced even greater pressure—with three jonin opponents.

He stood in front of Tsunade, hands together, and a giant flower of water burst through the mist.

He quickly formed signs, face turning grim.

His next jutsu was risky—he could only use it once.

But it could heavily thin the enemy ranks.

"This kid's a jonin!" Ryousuke was shocked.

Jonin weren't rare.

But a jonin under ten years old—that was absurd.

"My favorite thing is killing prodigies. All that talent, but they can't use it," one of Ryousuke's jonin comrades sneered.

He'd seen plenty of prodigies fall apart on the battlefield.

And under ten years old—how strong could he be?

Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!

His eyes went cold as he gathered chakra.

An earth wall rose to block the water flower.

The water shattered.

Ryousuke nodded. Just a jonin—nothing to fear.

Natsume paused, then spat out a thin jet of water.

Water Style: Severing Wave!

Developed by the Second Mizukage—no, actually by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

A highly compressed blade of water chakra—capable of slicing through the God Tree's roots in the original story.

Natsume wasn't on that level.

But Ryousuke and his team weren't the God Tree.

This jutsu looked ordinary—easy to underestimate.

"So small? Is our prodigy out of chakra?" The earth-style jonin mocked.

But as he taunted, he wasn't slow.

Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!

A mud dragon head emerged, spitting mud bullets.

Natsume caught his breath.

He didn't bother with the soon-to-be corpse.

Body Flicker!

He intercepted the third jonin's shuriken.

A massive force hit him—taijutsu.

Natsume slid back.

"You're dead—"

The middle-aged man had been about to sneak-attack Tsunade, but Natsume blocked him.

He only managed three words before a teammate's scream startled him.

The slim water jet suddenly accelerated, slicing both the earth dragon and its caster in one go—smooth as silk.

The blood took two seconds to spurt out.

From three jonin, only two remained.

Natsume glanced at Toroi—the real threat.

By now, Toroi had the upper hand against Katsuyu with Magnet Release and ninja tools.

Katsuyu was a support summon.

Her attack was spraying corrosive acid—otherwise, she was like a medic's mobile platform for group healing.

"You'll pay for this!"

Lightning crackled around the middle-aged man as he appeared in front of Natsume.

No fancy jutsu—just a straight punch.

Ryousuke took the chance to spew a barrage of fireballs at Tsunade.

Natsume clenched his fist and met the punch.

Monster Strength!

The man looked confident, but as Natsume's overwhelming power flooded his arm, his expression changed.

"Ahhhh!"

His entire arm exploded.

Natsume took the chance to slash his kunai across the man's throat.

As blood spurted out, he used Body Flicker to dash to Tsunade.

Most ninja had high attack but low defense.

At that moment, Tsunade stood up, her body a blur as she dodged Ryousuke's attack.

Healing was finished.

"Natsume, he's yours. I'll take the Magnet Release one," Tsunade said.

She sent a clone to drag Shitō Akimichi to safety and leapt onto Katsuyu's head.

Toroi knew things had gone wrong.

His plan was to suppress Katsuyu, then team up with the others to take down Tsunade.

Either way—capture or kill—would be a huge accomplishment.

As for Natsume, Kabuto, and Shizune? He hadn't even considered them.

Three brats, no vests—probably genin, maybe chunin at best.

Ryousuke and the others should have finished them in ten seconds—any longer would be an embarrassment for jonin.

But things turned out very differently.

Eight chunin couldn't beat Kabuto and Shizune.

Three jonin, three-on-one, and two got killed. Do they even know how to fight?

Toroi wondered if they'd bribed their way to jonin.

How else could you explain it?

Ryousuke, now without a target, turned to Natsume.

His face was grim.

Losing two teammates—he wasn't about to underestimate Natsume.

Fortunately, after all those jutsu, the prodigy's face was pale.

Classic chakra exhaustion.

Fire Style: Fire Whirlwind!

Ryousuke's chakra turned red and burst out, forming a fire tornado.

"I've avenged you all," he muttered, already seeing Natsume screaming in the flames.

Rip!

The sound of flesh tearing.

Natsume's body turned into vines, burning to ash in the fire.

"A clone?" Ryousuke was stunned.

He'd seen water, lightning, and earth clones—but never a wood clone.

A gust behind him.

Ryousuke's hair stood on end as he spun around.

He saw Natsume's right arm, grown with sharp wooden spikes.

That was his last sight.

The spikes impaled him and branched out, turning him into a bloody porcupine.

Natsume wouldn't reveal Wood Release unless he was sure he could wipe them out.

He glanced at the remaining chunin.

With Shizune and Kabuto working together, only three remained, still struggling.

They were as good as dead.

Natsume finally looked at Toroi.

This character had some screen time in the original.

In other words, defeating him could earn Fate Points—and dying to Tsunade or to Natsume would be very different. So Natsume wanted to land the finishing blow.

He gripped the First Hokage's necklace. Chakra surged, making him feel like he might burst.

"Sensei!" he shouted.

Toroi and Tsunade both froze.

Toroi was shocked by Ryousuke's death.

What happened?

In less than a minute, he was the last one standing.

Toroi had been too focused on Katsuyu and Tsunade to notice the others. Now he was stunned.

Tsunade understood what happened.

It had to be Wood Release.

Otherwise, things wouldn't have ended so quickly.

As for Natsume calling her, he clearly wanted to take part in the fight.

After all these years, Tsunade understood Natsume well. One look, and she knew what he wanted.

Tsunade stepped back.

Natsume took her place.

Toroi snapped out of it, furious.

What are you doing—tag-teaming me?

You're underestimating me!

Toroi hurled his blocky shuriken.

"Don't touch them directly," Tsunade warned. "With enough contact, you'll be magnetized."

Magnet Release.

A pretty good bloodline.

The famous users were the Third and Fourth Kazekage.

Toroi's Magnet Release was pretty basic—just magnetizing things.

He couldn't control iron or gold sand.

Wood Style: Wood Pillar Wall!

Wooden planks rose up, blocking the shuriken.

"Wood Release?!" Toroi's eyes went wide in shock.

He'd never seen it, but he'd heard of it.

In that instant, one thought filled his mind:

Run! Run and tell the Fourth Raikage!

That news would be as valuable as capturing Tsunade.

Most importantly, he couldn't win against both of them.

Wood Style: Piercing Tree!

Natsume wasn't about to let him escape.

He'd been waiting for this.

Thanks to Hashirama's legend, most ninja's first reaction to Wood Release was panic.

Wooden vines snaked out from Natsume, rapidly combining into a towering tree.

Toroi tried to run but couldn't.

The branches moved like living things, wrapping him up.

His prized Magnet Release was useless now—he couldn't magnetize wood.

[Because of your actions, Toroi's fate has changed. You gain 49 Fate Points.]

[Because of your actions, Hiruko's fate has changed. You gain 8 Fate Points.]

[Because of your actions, Shitō Akimichi's fate has changed. You gain 9 Fate Points.]

Chapter 45: Thanks for Warming the Bed

Toroi was a minor character, contributing forty-nine destiny points—almost the limit.

Although Shitō Akimichi was saved by Natsume and the others, even without them, Konoha would have dispatched other rescue teams.

Hiruko was a bit of a surprise.

Natsume recalled his story.

He was a ninja of the same generation as Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, considered their friend.

But lacking in talent, he watched the Sannin rise to fame and felt resentful.

Due to various factors, he developed the forbidden technique: the Chimera Technique.

A fusion ninjutsu.

It allowed him to fuse other ninja or summons with his body, gaining their abilities and even bloodline limits.

Toroi was one of the ninjas Hiruko fused with.

Now that Natsume killed him, Hiruko would just look for a new substitute, so the destiny points were relatively low.

"Natsume."

Tsunade, seeing the battle was over, hurried over to check him up and down. Confirming he wasn't injured, she finally relaxed.

Natsume was covered in bloodstains.

She didn't mind, pinched his cheek, and praised, "You really surprised me this time."

She knew Natsume was at jonin level.

But she hadn't expected him to fight so efficiently.

She'd thought he might panic, but he hadn't.

A bit of a shame, actually.

That face with a panicked expression would have been so endearing.

Tsunade could've comforted him and played her role as the older sister.

"It's not surprising. After all, my teacher is one of the legendary Sannin," Natsume said, looking up with admiration in his eyes.

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat.

"Such a sweet talker."

Tsunade turned away and changed the subject, "Shizune and Kabuto have finished fighting too. Let's clean up the battlefield and head back."

"Okay."

Natsume joined Shizune and Kabuto.

First, they collected anything valuable, then disposed of the bodies.

It wasn't for fun—bodies could talk in the ninja world.

The Five Great Villages had methods to invade brains and extract memories.

But if you burn everything to ashes, Wood Release won't be exposed, and the bodies can't be identified, let alone speak.

Unless Orochimaru or Kabuto used Edo Tensei, they couldn't be revived.

Soon, the four set out on their way back.

Oh, and Natsume and Kabuto were carrying the heavily injured Shitō Akimichi.

He was still unconscious, both from his injuries and Tsunade's interrupted treatment.

It was getting late, so they couldn't make it back to base camp in time.

After their battles, all four needed to clean up, so they set up camp near the river.

This time, Tsunade didn't call Natsume but went with Shizune.

They were both going to bathe.

"Don't peek, okay?"

Tsunade suddenly turned toward Natsume, giving him a meaningful look.

"Don't worry, sensei, I'll keep an eye on Kabuto," Natsume patted his chest. "No one else will get close either."

Kabuto, sorting through loot, looked up puzzled. After a few seconds, he said coldly, "I'm not interested in women."

Natsume immediately stepped back, looking wary.

"I'm not interested in men, either," Kabuto added, exasperated. "Right now, I'm only interested in medical ninjutsu."

"I was just joking, bro."

Natsume smiled. "Are you really planning to be single for life?"

It seemed that Kabuto never married in the original story, either.

Like Yakushi Nonou, he became the director of an orphanage.

Natsume couldn't imagine what kind of girl Kabuto would like.

So, men should be a bit shallow.

Changing waifus every month is normal.

Of course, Natsume meant 2D waifus.

Now that he'd crossed into Naruto, his 2D waifus became real—exciting!

..

Because they were in a dangerous area, Tsunade and Shizune didn't take too long and soon returned.

Natsume also went to the river to wash off the blood.

When Kabuto finished sorting loot, Tsunade called everyone over to review the day's battle.

"All three of you did excellent, especially you, Natsume. You made full use of your strength and are already a qualified ninja. Keep it up."

She didn't hold back on praise.

But the three of them reacted calmly, and Tsunade didn't feel the joy of being a teacher.

"I'll take the first half of the night watch. Who'll take the second half?"

"I will," Natsume raised his hand.

Shizune and Kabuto also raised their hands but, seeing him, put them down.

They were grown up enough to notice Tsunade's favoritism toward Natsume.

Fortunately, none of them were petty. Compared to feelings, they cared more about their own strength now.

The day's battle made them realize that, in danger, the two of them were a burden.

In fact, that's the role of a medical ninja—no one expects them to be powerful fighters.

But under Tsunade's influence, Shizune and Kabuto forgot their original roles and became both healers and fighters.

What a disaster.

Tsunade sighed as she watched Natsume bring his sleeping bag over to sleep next to her.

She reached out and stroked his small face, feeling a sense of calm.

At midnight, she woke Natsume.

"Go sleep inside, sis," Natsume yawned.

"I'll join you."

Tsunade climbed into his sleeping bag, laughing, "Thanks for warming the bed for me."

Natsume was stunned.

Damn!

 Why didn't I think of that?

I should've taken the first half of the watch and slept the second half.

"Good night."

Tsunade closed her eyes.

After a day of fighting and healing, plus her watch, she was exhausted and soon asleep.

There was no moonlight tonight.

To avoid sensory, they didn't light a fire.

Luckily, ninja had good night vision, so Natsume could admire Tsunade's beautiful sleeping face.

After a while, he focused on keeping watch.

He wasn't like Tsunade, who could multitask. If there was an enemy attack, that'd be trouble.

…

Morning.

Natsume looked at the sky, ready to wake Tsunade, but she opened her eyes first, still groggy and unfocused.

She hadn't slept long, so she was still out of it.

Tsunade suddenly hugged him, her warm face pressed against his, eyes closed, half-conscious.

"Is it morning yet? Or am I dreaming?"

As she spoke, she blew softly in Natsume's ear.

Hey, what kind of dream are you having?

 "It's already the next day," Natsume replied.

Tsunade immediately woke up, realized what she was doing, and quickly let go.

How did I end up hugging Natsume again?

 Tsunade, you said last time was the last time.

After breakfast and another day's travel, they finally returned to base camp.

Because the mission involved several jonin, their mission was upgraded from A-rank to S-rank.

For genin, this was almost unheard of.

If word got out, Natsume, Shizune, and Kabuto would be famous.

But since their leader was Tsunade, it wasn't that shocking.

Chapter 46: Something's Fishy

Somewhere in the Land of Fields.

Not far from the river was Konoha's camp.

Tsunade turned in the mission, then brought Natsume, Kabuto, and Shizune to the main tent.

Many people were already there.

"Lady Tsunade."

The first to speak wasn't Uchiha Fugaku, but Nara Shikaku, with his pineapple hair.

He was the father of Nara Shikamaru, one of the Konoha 12, and the Shika of the current Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

The Nara clan was known for their intelligence and usually served as strategists.

This war was no exception.

"Regarding Shitō, I represent the Ino-Shika-Cho trio in thanking you. If you hadn't arrived in time, he might never be a ninja again."

Nara Shikaku looked grateful.

Ino-Shika-Cho had deep bonds.

It wasn't strange for him to thank her on behalf of the still-unconscious Shitō.

"I was just doing my duty," Tsunade waved her hand and got to the point. "What's the situation?"

"Not good."

Uchiha Fugaku said grimly, "In just a week, we've lost thirty outposts and bases."

"They launched a full assault?"

Tsunade already had some intel, but hearing the number still surprised her.

"Yeah."

Fugaku nodded. "We were caught off guard and had to retreat, but Shikaku found something odd."

Outposts and bases were vital in war.

They formed defensive positions against enemy attacks.

Ordinary tents or obstacles couldn't stop jutsu.

Without outposts, you were always on edge.

"Everyone, look at the map."

Shikaku spread out a map of the Land of Fields. "These thirty outposts seem randomly scattered, but we've unknowingly retreated to the southern side, downstream of this river."

He drew a big circle on the map.

"Could it be a coincidence?" Tsunade asked, "The area's so large—ambushes would be hard to pull off."

"That's exactly what's odd," Shikaku nodded. "But the Fourth Raikage's goal isn't just these outposts."

"Right."

Tsunade offered her guess, "The Cloud Village probably wants a big victory to gain leverage in negotiations and win more compensation."

"We think so too," Fugaku glanced at Hyuga Hiashi. "The Hyuga clan's ninja have scouted—the two Jinchuriki are still in Cloud Village."

"Taking out that many outposts in a short time cost them a lot, too," Hiashi said. "There's something fishy. We should send Hyuga ninja behind enemy lines."

Risky, yes, but finding something would mean a big achievement.

"Byakugan is great for scouting, but if discovered, and without enough strength, it could backfire. If the Hyuga clan head wants to go himself, I have no objection," Fugaku said.

He knew what Hiashi was thinking.

To outsiders, the Hyuga and Uchiha were the two great dojutsu clans of Konoha.

But within the Uchiha, they never saw it that way.

Fugaku especially—he knew about the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Mere Byakugan, how could it compare?

Hiashi's expression changed.

He didn't dare go himself.

As the head of the main branch, he didn't have the caged bird seal. If caught, the Byakugan would fall into enemy hands.

In the Third Shinobi World War, a Hyuga elder lost a Byakugan to Kiri's Ao and gave him the title "Byakugan Killer."

That lesson made the main branch even more cautious—every dangerous task went to the branch family.

With the caged bird seal in hand, they had no choice but to obey.

"Then I'd like to hear your thoughts, Fugaku," Hiashi replied stiffly.

"I suggest Lady Tsunade lead a team, with Uchiha Shisui's squad assisting," Fugaku said without hesitation.

Tsunade needed no introduction.

She was the highest-ranking, and one of the top five in strength.

Uchiha Shisui had already earned the nickname "Shisui of the Body Flicker" in the previous war and had become even stronger since.

In terms of personal achievements, he was number one.

Even without Mangekyo, he was far stronger than three years ago.

"I'm fine with that," Tsunade agreed after a moment.

She'd joined the war to train Natsume and the others.

Their previous performance against Toroi had satisfied her.

Though dangerous, infiltrating enemy lines was excellent training.

She felt they were up to the task.

"Yes," Shisui stepped forward and accepted the mission.

He'd always been the shortest among the jonin due to his age.

Natsume noticed him for the first time.

"Shisui, are you leading a team now?" Tsunade asked, "Who are your team members?"

Two squads.

She was confident in Natsume's group, but the other squad was questionable.

Talents were rare.

"I was specially permitted by the Hokage to lead as a jonin," Shisui replied gently. "My team is Orochimaru's three students: Uchiha Itachi, Anko Mitarashi, and Yugao Uzuki."

"Orochimaru's students, huh?" Tsunade raised her eyebrows. "That guy never leaves the village, but sends his students out?"

Shisui stayed silent.

Big-shots' quarrels, none of his business.

In fact, he hadn't chosen them because of Itachi.

Orochimaru had assigned him.

Why, he still didn't know.

"In that case, I'll leave it to you, Lady Tsunade," Fugaku said as soon as the chat ended.

He glanced at Shisui and Itachi—no words, but the message was clear: perform well.

Because of upheaval within the Uchiha, Fugaku realized how dangerous things were.

He was trying to balance appeasing the radicals while learning about the village high-ups' moves through Shisui and Itachi.

Two-pronged approach.

Fugaku didn't want to rebel.

In the original, he was forced to lead, then met Itachi, surrendered, didn't resist, let him slaughter the clan.

His thinking was hard to understand, even absurd.

As for now—

Fugaku wasn't a good clan head or father, so he had no idea what Shisui and Itachi really thought.

His inaction only sped up the Uchiha's demise.

Chapter 47: You're a Disgrace, Leave the Group!

Night.

Tsunade's team and Shisui's team—eight people—gathered.

They'd left Konoha camp and traveled all afternoon.

Now it was rest time, time to get to know teammates.

"I'm Uchiha Shisui, jonin, three-tomoe Sharingan, specializing in Fire Style, kenjutsu, and genjutsu."

Shisui took the lead with introductions.

Knowing your teammates' strengths was crucial for missions.

Otherwise, you'd waste time or fail to help in a crisis.

For example, with Shisui, there was no need to worry.

But Shizune was different.

"Tsunade, medical ninja."

Tsunade kept it brief.

Everyone knew her reputation—no need for details.

"I'm Uchiha Itachi, chunin, two-tomoe Sharingan, same specialties as Shisui."

Itachi was clearly stronger than at the same point in the original.

Thanks to Orochimaru's teaching and frequent special tonics.

Plus, the war had made him grow a lot.

And Shisui's guidance helped too.

"I'm Anko Mitarashi, chunin," she said enthusiastically. "I can use Fire Style, but my best skills are the snake jutsu my teacher taught me."

A young girl playing with snakes—already on the wrong path.

"Yugao Uzuki."

The purple-haired girl was cool and aloof. "I'm good at my teacher's snake jutsu and taijutsu."

Natsume wasn't sure what her personality was in the original, but she felt a lot like Orochimaru now.

But she was pretty. Pity her future sickly boyfriend wouldn't enjoy it.

"I'm a genin for now, but with a special technique my teacher taught me, I can reach near-jonin level for a short time."

Yugao paused, revealing her secret.

It wasn't really a secret; she'd used it several times over two years, so many people knew.

Natsume narrowed his eyes.

That description sounded a lot like a cursed seal.

After getting Jugo, Orochimaru started researching it.

Natsume didn't know the progress, but by now, some results were expected.

Maybe not Cursed Seal of Heaven, but the lesser Cursed Seal of Earth was possible.

And only Yugao had it.

Clearly, she was the test subject.

She wasn't as important as Itachi's Sharingan or Anko's emotional bond.

Just a bonus.

Orochimaru wouldn't care if she died.

Dangerous, yes—but for an ordinary civilian like Yugao, it was acceptable.

It was a rare chance to get stronger.

Most people didn't even get to be test subjects.

Natsume thought of something else.

Had Orochimaru tampered with her curse seal?

Knowing his nature, it was almost certain.

And having Shisui lead the team—obviously suspicious.

Anything could happen on the battlefield, even Shisui could be killed.

Like if they ran into the Fourth Raikage.

If a wild Orochimaru appeared during the chaos and ambushed Shisui, he might just get his Mangekyo Sharingan.

"I'm Natsume. I specialize in Water and Earth Style, have a lot of chakra, and am close to jonin level."

"Kabuto Yakushi, genin, medical ninja."

"Shizune, chunin, medical ninja."

Shisui was surprised—two medical ninja? That was a luxury.

His team had none, but they were strong enough not to need one.

"Everyone go rest," Tsunade said. "Keep your strength up. The next mission will be dangerous."

"Yes," the others replied in unison.

Natsume and Itachi didn't sleep—they took the first half of the night watch.

"It's been years, old classmate. I've heard a lot about you. You're quite the star among the younger generation," Natsume said, jumping onto a tree, back against the trunk.

"Thanks," Itachi stayed alert, scanning the area. "You're also not bad either."

"...Also?" Natsume was startled.

What does that mean?

 Did someone leak my info?

 "The Hokage often praises you in front of me, and even showed me your 'Will of Fire' essays. They were impressive."

Itachi's attitude softened—less cold than before.

Anyone who endorsed the Will of Fire earned his respect.

And Natsume not only endorsed it, but offered new ideas—rare indeed.

"The Hokage flatters me. I'm still far behind," Natsume smiled. "When it comes to the Will of Fire, the Hokage is our role model."

Ugh!

 That was tough to say.

But earning Itachi's trust could be useful.

He wasn't interested in saving the Uchiha clan.

Given their personalities, even if he saved them, they wouldn't be loyal or serve him.

Unless he had the power to suppress them.

But if you're that powerful, why bother?

Still, Natsume was interested in the Sharingan.

A plug-and-play upgrade.

Letting Danzo have it would be a waste.

Danzo couldn't even beat Mangekyo Sasuke; in the end, he traded his life to seal half a bridge.

You're a disgrace, leave the group!

But to get fate points, Natsume have to maneuver the named Uchiha side characters a bit.

They chatted for half an hour.

Thanks to Natsume's talk no jutsu, Itachi's opinion of him improved greatly.

At midnight, Shisui and Kabuto took over.

Natsume crawled into his sleeping bag for the rest of the night.

…

Next day.

The eight set out again.

Shisui and Itachi handled scouting.

Sharingan couldn't see as far as Byakugan, but was more versatile.

Since it was an infiltration, they avoided enemies rather than fighting.

Finally, they reached their destination.

Cloud Village's main camp.

Upstream by the river.

"Do you think they'll use a water attack?" Natsume asked.

"Nice idea, but impossible," Shisui explained. "Most ninja can walk on water. There might be brief chaos, but once they react, it's meaningless."

"True," Natsume nodded.

In fact, this terrain favored Water Style users.

Konoha had more water-style ninja than Cloud.

"After dark, we'll split into two teams to investigate. Our team will check for anything unusual nearby," Tsunade ordered. "Shisui, try to capture two people without alerting the enemy and use your Sharingan to interrogate them."

"Yes," Shisui nodded.

He liked this order.

Ordinary Sharingan had trouble hypnotizing jonin, but he had Mangekyo.

He'd quickly learn what Cloud's real plans were.

Chapter 48: Lightning Amplifier

Natsume and the other three cautiously circled around the main camp of the Hidden Cloud Village.

They didn't find anything unusual.

Returning empty-handed was only normal.

If it were really that easy to spot something, it would be too suspicious.

If Tsunade were alone, she'd probably risk sneaking in herself.

But now, with Uchiha Shisui's squad assisting, she didn't need to act personally—she just had to wait.

"So quick?"

Shizune was surprised to see Shisui's team return so soon.

After all, they were going in to capture someone; a single misstep could mean being discovered.

She could only chalk it up to good luck.

But Natsume knew it wasn't luck—it was skill.

The normal activation of the Mangekyo Sharingan didn't cause a stir.

If you weren't looking directly at their eyes, you probably wouldn't notice anything different.

Fooling Mitarashi Anko and Uzuki Yugao was child's play.

"Looks like the situation isn't good."

Tsunade noticed Shisui's serious expression. Once he got close, she asked, "What did you find out?"

"It's a water attack."

Shisui pointed at the distant embankment. "They plan to release the water and flood the downstream areas."

"Huh?"

Tsunade instinctively looked at Natsume.

"That's just the first step."

Shisui took a deep breath. "Step two is lightning. They've developed some sort of device, placed at the riverbed, to amplify Lightning Release chakra. It can instantly electrify all the river water."

Ninjas can walk on water, but not defend against lightning.

If this tactic worked, many ninjas would be paralyzed, giving the enemy a huge advantage.

As for the device, it wasn't surprising.

In the original story, the Hidden Cloud Village even created high-tech weapons like the Space-Time Chakra Cannon, allegedly able to blast the moon.

Creating a lightning amplifier was no big deal.

In the absence of prior knowledge, it was very possible to fall into this trap.

Ninjas aren't afraid of water.

Even if Lightning Release was added, instantly covering such a large area is difficult.

So, their guard would be down.

But now that they knew the plan, stopping it was much simpler.

One: destroy the lightning amplifier.

Two: inform Fugaku and the others to relocate.

But merely stopping the plan was letting the Cloud Village off too easily.

"Shizune, Kabuto, Anko, you three go back to camp right away and inform Fugaku of the situation."

Tsunade made a prompt decision.

She picked the three whose abilities were more ordinary.

Those staying—Natsume, Uchiha Itachi, and Uzuki Yugao—all had jonin-level strength.

"Lady Tsunade, what about you all?"

 Anko looked unwillingly at Yugao.

Itachi relied on his own talent and Sharingan, but Yugao's power came from a curse seal given by Orochimaru.

What annoyed Anko was that Orochimaru hadn't given her one.

She was there first—why was Yugao favored?

"We'll try to destroy the lightning amplifier. If possible, we'll also give the Hidden Cloud a little surprise."

Tsunade waved her hand. "Your mission is just as important, don't slack off."

"Yes."

With that, Anko and the others didn't dare linger and quickly left.

"What about the details of this lightning amplifier?"

 After watching them leave, Tsunade asked.

"The main control is in the Cloud's camp. It requires nine Lightning Release jonin to operate, channeling their chakra through cables to the devices at the riverbed, then releasing it all at once."

Shisui knew this because he had interrogated a jonin with his Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Troublesome."

Tsunade fell into thought.

They only had five people here—no way to gather nine lightning jonin.

Using the enemy's plan against them was nearly impossible.

Unless they transferred people from the Konoha main camp.

But going back and forth would surely alert the Cloud.

Not to mention, they'd need to relocate their own camp.

Plus, the Cloud had plenty of scouts and spies.

Moving nine lightning jonin at once would be very obvious.

Shisui hesitated for a few seconds, choosing not to reveal his Mangekyo Sharingan.

He was cautious because of what happened to him at Orochimaru's hands—he couldn't blindly trust Tsunade.

Actually, with the Mangekyo's ability, controlling a few jonin wasn't hard.

He could even use Kotoamatsukami to alter the Fourth Raikage's subconscious, giving Konoha an unprecedented victory.

"I have a question."

After listening for so long, Natsume finally spoke: "Does the device require nine Lightning Release jonin specifically, or just the chakra of nine jonin?"

"It just needs the chakra of nine jonin, as long as it's Lightning nature."

Shisui answered immediately.

Tsunade's eyes suddenly lit up—she understood Natsume's idea.

If that was the case, with her Yin Seal, she alone had enough chakra to rival nine jonin.

If not, she could use the First Hokage's necklace.

"Shisui, lead the way."

Tsunade possessed five chakra natures: Fire, Lightning, Earth, Water, and Yang.

Though she wasn't specialized, she could convert her chakra to Lightning.

Very few people knew about the Yin Seal.

Shisui had never heard of it, but if Tsunade said so, she must be confident.

He immediately led them to the location of the amplifier.

As expected, many people were patrolling.

Sneaking in quietly was almost impossible.

"Natsume has Water and Earth Release—he can open the embankment, redirecting the river to the Cloud's main camp, then cut the cables."

Tsunade knew he also had Wood Release, which would be even more useful in a pinch.

If nothing else worked, he could use the First Hokage's necklace to perform Nativity of a World of Trees and go all out.

"I'll activate the amplifier, but the three of you will have a tough job—holding off the Fourth Raikage and the others."

Tsunade already felt it was unlikely.

There were hundreds of ninjas at this base, many of them jonin.

Just three of them—holding out even for a while would be hard.

"Wait, have you learned Summoning Jutsu?"

Tsunade suddenly remembered she had two of Orochimaru's students here.

A slug and two snakes—three giant beasts. Defending would be no problem.

"Yes."

Itachi and Yugao nodded at the same time.

Orochimaru wasn't stingy with his teachings.

In the original, he taught Sasuke everything he could.

The stronger they were, the more useful they were to him.

"Looks like we're about to make a major contribution. If we succeed, the old man will definitely reward us."

Tsunade smiled. She didn't really care, but the others did.

Shisui and Itachi believed in the Will of Fire—they wouldn't miss a chance to make Hiruzen Sarutobi happy.

Yugao was straightforward—she just wanted to become stronger.

Besides rewards, there was fame.

Fame is an intangible asset; it can be very useful.

Like this, Tsunade would be one step closer to becoming the Fifth Hokage.

Perhaps even sooner than in the original.

Natsume's small goal—to become Hokage—was also within reach.

Not bad.