N-A-A Chapter 125 Tsunade's Involvement, Kikyo Castle
Chapter 125 Tsunade's Involvement, Kikyo Castle
Chapter 116 Tsunade's Involvement, Kikyo Castle
"This mission is very likely the one that Sakumo Hatake abandoned halfway to save his comrades."
"I never imagined I'd be involved myself now—it's really interesting."
"I wonder if Tsunade is worried, after all, Kato Dan sacrificed himself in the Land of Rivers —"
As Xingyuan Qianshuo hurried along, his thoughts raced, and he soon returned to Konoha Hospital.
His various ninja tools and medical supplies were already sealed in scrolls, requiring no additional preparation; he only needed to change into the green vest that symbolized his identity.
He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to Tsunade's office.
Tsunade had already heard the footsteps outside the door and was looking up with a bright smile.
Upon seeing Qian Shuo's slightly serious expression, she immediately sensed something was amiss.
"What's wrong, Qian Shuo?"
"I just received a mission from the Hokage's office and need to go out to carry it out," Hoshino Senju replied in a deep voice.
Tsunade frowned slightly: "Is it dangerous?"
"A battle is inevitable. The Jonin leading the team is Senior Sakumo."
Upon hearing that Sakumo Hatake was leading the team, Tsunade immediately understood the danger of the mission.
She pressed again, "Where to?"
Xingyuan Qianshuo paused for a moment, then said helplessly, "The Country of Rivers."
Tsunade's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and her expression became visibly serious.
After a moment of silence, she raised her eyes and said firmly, "I'll go with you."
"----this?"
Tsunade's words were completely unexpected by Hoshino Senju.
He felt a warmth in his heart and subconsciously wanted to object, but when he met her unquestionable gaze, the words stuck in his throat.
"Over at the Naruto site—"
"I'll just have my shadow clone say the word."
Xingyuan Qianshuo changed his mind and decided to tell her that he had mastered the "Wind Release: Rasengan Shuriken".
"Tsunade, I have actually successfully incorporated Wind Release nature transformation into the Rasengan, so my strength is sufficient to deal with danger."
"Oh?" Tsunade's eyes lit up, and her smile deepened. "Then I definitely have to go. You're strong enough to take care of the enemy, and I'll be happy to make things easier for you."
Xingyuan Qianshuo shook his head helplessly and ultimately did not object anymore.
Tsunade, who had not carried out missions for many years due to hemophobia, was now back on the front lines for him, filling him with deep emotion.
Even if he is strong enough, in Tsunade's eyes he is probably still a newcomer who needs to be taken care of.
Seeing Qian Shuo's expression, Tsunade felt a surge of joy.
After making the decision to go with her, she felt a sense of clarity and her spirits lifted.
"Then let's get ready. We need to meet at the Konoha gates in about ten minutes."
"Hmm. The mission in the Land of Rivers will likely involve the Sand Village ninjas. Those guys are skilled in using poison, so I'll need to bring various antidotes."
After Tsunade finished speaking, she formed two shadow clones without hesitation: one went to the Hokage Building, and the other returned to the Senju residence.
She hadn't left the village for many years, so the antidote and her usual equipment were naturally not with her, and she needed to go back to organize them.
Xingyuan Qianshuo also formed a hand seal and created a shadow clone, which went to the third training ground to tell the four students where he was going.
He then changed into a green vest, walked out of the office with Tsunade, and briefly explained the situation to Biwako-sensei.
Hokage Room.
After hearing Tsunade's shadow clone's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt both gratified and helpless.
I am gratified that my disciple has finally overcome his hemophobia;
Unfortunately, the other party made it clear that this trip was only to accompany Qian Shuo, and that they would not accept any overseas missions unless war broke out in the future.
Tsunade even told him to "assign fewer dangerous missions to Chisaku".
It is only natural for ninjas to carry out missions—that's why his three disciples dared to be so "willful".
However, it is ultimately a good thing that Tsunade took the initiative to go to the Land of Rivers.
He pondered for a moment and said, "Tsunade, the daimyo of the Land of Rivers is suspected of being poisoned. If we can save him, we will; if not, it's alright."
Tsunade's shadow clone immediately understood her teacher's unspoken meaning. She glanced at him with disdain, didn't reply, and directly formed hand seals, turning into a cloud of white smoke with a "poof".
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head helplessly, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and sighed inwardly: "Alas, my three disciples are truly—none of them are easy to deal with."
1
Third exercise field.
Xingyuan Qianshuo's shadow clone summoned the four people who were cultivating to his side.
"Jingyin, Lin, Hanfang, Tie, the teacher has a mission and needs to leave the village. The return date is uncertain."
"Ah—" the group exclaimed in unison in surprise.
"During this time, continue to practice your chakra control according to the methods on the scroll, and proceed step by step."
in addition----"
He paused briefly, looked around at the four people, and finally his gaze landed on Hyuga Tetsuya.
"Iron, among the four of you, you have the best physical skills and are also good at physical training. While I'm away, you will be the team leader and lead the team in two hours of physical training every day."
"Huh?" Hyuga Tetsuya was stunned.
He never expected that Teacher Qian Shuo would appoint him as the team leader. Among the team members, Jing Yin was always closer to the teacher and was also a formal disciple.
He met Qian Shuo's calm gaze, and a surge of joy at being recognized welled up inside him.
"Yes, teacher!" he quickly replied, his voice trembling slightly.
"Okay." Xingyuan Qianshuo nodded. "My shadow clone will stay here for half a day. You can ask any questions you have about cultivation at any time."
"Yes, teacher," the group replied in unison.
Konoha Gate.
Xingyuan Qianshuo and Tsunade arrived almost at the last minute—mainly because Tsunade's shadow clones had spent a lot of time at home organizing various antidotes.
When they arrived, ten ninjas had already gathered at the entrance.
Eight of them, wearing green vests, were chatting together. They seemed to know each other well, the atmosphere was relaxed, and there was no sense of tension as if they were going out on a mission.
The other two were dressed in gray armor and carried samurai swords.
One was tall, about 1.9 meters; the other was short, less than 1.6 meters. Although neither of them wore masks, their stiff, expressionless faces clearly indicated their identities as "Roots".
Xingyuan Qianshuo secretly used the system to investigate: the tall one was named "Xin", and the short one was named "Ren".
"That name really does have a 'root' feel to it," Hoshino Senju thought to himself. "With those two around, it's inevitable that some of their strength will be exposed to Danzo during this mission."
However, he didn't care too much. Danzo no longer posed a threat to him; he was just a bit of a nuisance.
The arrival of Hoshino Senju and Tsunade immediately attracted everyone's attention.
Sakumo Hatake looked at Tsunade with surprise. Her attire didn't seem like that of someone who had come to see someone off.
The two walked straight up to Sakumo Hatake.
Xingyuan Qianshuo spoke up first: "Senior Shuo Mao, Tsunade has asked the Third Hokage for permission to accompany us on the mission."
Upon hearing this, Sakumo Hatake smiled gently: "Tsunade, with you joining us, I feel much more at ease."
As he spoke, he wondered to himself, "Tsunade being able to go on missions—has her hemophobia really been cured?"
"I'm just a medical ninja, there's nothing else I can do," Tsunade replied with a smile.
"Not at all. Sunagakure often uses poisons. With you here, we don't need to worry about being poisoned," Hatake Sakumo said with a smile.
Tsunade's words were not a sign of modesty, but rather an indication that the team was still under the command of the other party and that she would not interfere.
As the two exchanged pleasantries, the two Root ninjas frowned slightly and glanced at each other.
Immediately, the short "Ren" vanished in an instant, took out paper and pen from a hidden corner, quickly wrote a few lines, and put them into his bamboo tube.
He bit his thumb, summoning a grayish-brown weasel, and handed it a bamboo tube and a piece of brown jerky. After the weasel swallowed it, he formed a hand seal again to dispel the summoning—the weasel turned into white smoke and disappeared.
This gray weasel is a dedicated communication ninja beast. Because it is far from the "Root" base, directly canceling the summoning allows it to return instantly, making the transmission speed faster.
A Root ninja quietly left the team, which naturally did not escape the eyes of Sakumo Hatake and Tsunade.
Sakumo Hatake only glanced sideways, but he already understood—the trick of "Root" secretly informing him would probably be indispensable in this mission.
Tsunade had already heard from Chisaku that two Root members were traveling together, and at this moment she saw through the man's intention to leave.
She curled her lip, gave an undisguised snort, and a clear look of annoyance flashed in her eyes.
Sakumo Hatake, along with Tsunade and Chisaku, introduced the other seven people.
Xingyuan Qianshuo had already used the system to check their names, and now he greeted them gently.
Most of these ninjas were unfamiliar to the other six. Apart from Sakazaki Yamamasa, who was a Jonin, the other six were all Chunin.
Two of them caught his attention: Kamano Yumihira and Yanagiin Hayamaru.
The two men came from small ninja clans in Konoha. He had met the clan leaders once at Mito Uzumaki's funeral.
After the introductions, Hatake Sakumo spoke briefly with the tall "Root" ninja before returning to call everyone to set off.
The tall ninja "Shin" followed at the back of the group, while the short "Ren" did not rejoin the group.
Root underground base.
Danzo took the note presented to him by his subordinate, read it, and fell into deep thought.
"What does Hiruzen mean by this? Are they really going to send Tsunade to rescue the daimyo of the Land of Rivers?"
"No—Tsunade might have gone there voluntarily—for that Star Source Chisaku?"
"Naive and laughable. So reckless, even his own fear of blood—"
"Wait, has her hemophobia been cured?"
Danzo rested his chin on his hand, his left eye slightly narrowed, his face ashen and iron-like.
A moment later, he picked up a pen and wrote a line on a piece of paper, which he then handed to his kneeling subordinate.
en route.
The Root ninja "Rin" followed the group from a distance. He and "Shin" worked together seamlessly, making tracking them easy.
About ten minutes later, he stopped, summoned the weasel again, took the bamboo tube it spat out, and handed it a piece of dried meat before ending the summoning.
Pull out the stopper and take out the note, which reads: The mission proceeds as scheduled. Keep an eye on whether Tsunade's hemophobia has been cured.
After reading the note, "Ren" crumpled it up, stuffed it into his mouth, swallowed it, and then sped up to catch up with the group.
The mission was urgent, and the team advanced at a rapid pace, even faster than when Xingyuan Qianshuo had previously supported the northwestern border.
This speed was quite easy for Sakumo Hatake.
He spoke calmly to his gathered subordinates, explaining the mission details and the potential danger of encountering Sand Village ninjas.
The six Chunin who followed were all elites, and they remained calm upon hearing this.
They had more confidence in "Konoha's White Fang," and now that the team had gained another "Legendary Sannin," Tsunade, their confidence was even greater.
Xingyuan Qianshuo and Tsunade rode side by side at high speed, roughly in the center of the group.
Medical ninjas are usually protected in this way, regardless of their strength.
Tsunade had not yet mastered the Hundred Healings Technique, and was wearing an old-fashioned suit of armor for this trip.
Xingyuan Qianshuo thought to himself, "I didn't expect her to go on a mission before, so I wasn't in a hurry to guide her in developing the Hundred Healings Technique. I'll have to find an opportunity after this mission."
He recalled an old story that Tsunade had mentioned while he was waiting at the hospital—that Sakumo-senpai's wife, Hatake Shiori, had been injured during a mission in the Land of Rivers and died from prolonged illness.
"This really is—Tsunade's first love, Duan, and Sakumo's wife, Shiori, both perished in the Land of Rivers."
If we run into Granny Chiyo of Sunagakure again, will this mean the score is finally settled?
The journey was tedious and he still had energy left, so Xingyuan Qianshuo's thoughts inevitably wandered.
He quickly composed himself and began to review his skills, identifying which ones could be used publicly.
Apart from the Fire Release, Lightning Release, and Earth Release techniques that he does not intend to display for the time being, as well as the Flying Thunder God Technique that he plans to use in secret, there are only a few ninjutsu and secret techniques with personal or family characteristics, and two bloodline limits that are inconvenient to use.
Now, he has Wind Release and Water Release for ranged combat, Taijutsu and Swordsmanship for close combat, as well as perfect-level Shadow Clone Jutsu and Rasengan, Summoning Slugs and Rashomon, which are enough to handle most battles.
Most importantly, the semi-revealed card "Wind Release: Rasengan" and the hidden card "Flying Thunder God Technique" give him destructive power that surpasses that of a regular Kage-level character.
The latter provides near-unbeatable battlefield mobility and survivability, allowing him to always maintain the initiative to "advance and retreat at will," greatly enhancing his safety factor.
With these two factors combined, he has firmly established himself among the strongest at the Kage level.
Compared to his Kage-level strength, his previously ample chakra reserves have once again become a weakness.
In particular, the "Wind Release: Rasengan" consumes a great deal of chakra—the same power that Naruto used when he killed Kakuzu, which would probably require 30,000 chakra points.
Xingyuan Qianshuo can only use it as a trump card, and can only use a maximum of two in a battle to ensure that he has enough chakra reserves.
Having finished his analysis, he felt at peace. It was precisely because he was confident in his own abilities that he had not refused Tsunade's request to participate in this mission.
At this stage, the only villains who can pose a direct threat to him are perhaps Madara Uchiha, who relies on the Gedo Mazo to prolong his life, and Jigen (Isshiki Otsutsuki), who is hiding in another dimension.
The team set off after 10:30 a.m. They marched at a rapid pace, subsisting only on soldier's rations for lunch. Around 3 p.m., Mount Kikyo came into view.
Mount Kikyo runs north-south and connects with the Brown Mountain Range of the Land of Rivers. The two are originally part of the same mountain range, with the portion located within the Land of Fire being called Mount Kikyo.
This mountain range, with an average elevation of over two thousand meters, blocks moisture from the east and south, and is one of the important reasons for desertification in the Land of Wind.
These water vapors turned into rainfall within the land of rivers, forming numerous mountain streams and rivers.
Whether it's the Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Grass, the Land of Rain, or the Land of Rivers, the rivers created by abundant rainfall mostly flow through the Land of Fire, meandering for thousands of miles before finally emptying into the sea—this has created the Land of Fire's superior water resources and vast arable land.
Sakumo Hatake gave everyone a ten-minute rest before setting off again, entering the valley road.
They occasionally encountered caravans traveling slowly along the way. When they saw the ninjas speeding past, they merely glanced at them briefly, showing no surprise or worry.
The Konoha team quickly arrived at a towering city wall. Beneath the archway, border ninjas were inspecting passing merchants, while officials from the Land of Fire were recording and collecting taxes.
The arrival of the group attracted the attention of the stationed ninjas, but since they were dressed in Konoha attire and came from the direction of the Land of Fire, they did not arouse much suspicion.
After a brief conversation, Hatake Sakumo was allowed to pass.
Continue along the valley for a while, then turn right and climb the stone steps up the mountain until you reach the huge castle halfway up the mountain—Kikyo Castle.
The castle is ancient and magnificent, with a vast area, capable of accommodating two to three thousand ninjas during wartime.
At this time, there were not many guards in the city, only less than two hundred Konoha ninjas stationed there, responsible for patrolling and guarding the nearby border.
The garrisoned ninjas were somewhat surprised to see this group of people all wearing green vests, but they quickly guessed that it was related to the visitors from the Land of Rivers in the city.
Some people recognized Sakumo Hatake and Tsunade, but they also diligently performed their duties and conducted procedural checks.
Not long after entering the castle, a Jonin of about thirty years old with a full beard came to greet them: "Sakumo-senpai, I didn't expect the Hokage to send you."
"Ken, it's been a long time," Sakumo Hatake replied.
The Jonin named "Ken" saw Tsunade, his eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly greeted her, "Greetings, Lady Tsunade."
"Ken Akagi, just call me Tsunade. It's been a while, why are you being so polite?" Tsunade said with a smile.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group was led to a house.
They also met Minamoto no Watari, the second son of the daimyo of the land of rivers who had come to ask for help.
He was in his early twenties, dressed in a light blue kimono, with a handsome and gentle face and clear eyes.
Upon seeing the Konoha ninja arrive, Wataru immediately stood up to greet them.
Ken Akagi introduced him to three Jonin: Sakumo Hatake, Tsunade, and Yamasa Sakazaki.
As the second son of the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers, he was familiar with the strong individuals on both Konoha and Sunagakure.
Upon hearing the names "Konoha's White Fang" and "the Three Legendary Sannin," he was overjoyed, his voice trembling slightly: "I am deeply grateful to all the Konoha's strong warriors for coming to my aid."
"You're too kind. The Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers have always been on good terms. Konoha will naturally lend a helping hand when your daimyo is in trouble," Hatake Sakumo replied politely.
Yuanqiu Du was polite and gentle in demeanor.
Perhaps because he came from a small country, he did not have the affected mannerisms of some of the daimyo and nobles in the original work.
Xingyuan Qianshuo habitually used the system to investigate Yuanqiu Du and his four guards.
Among the guards, two appeared to be samurai and two were ninjas. Upon seeing the people from Konoha, their expressions noticeably relaxed.
Ken Akagi did not know Senju Hoshino and did not introduce him to Wataru Minamoto, nor did Sakumo Hatake intend to introduce them one by one.
After a brief greeting, Sakumo told everyone to go and rest first, while he prepared to have a detailed talk with Genjuuchi Wataru alone. Although Genjuuchi Wataru had already submitted a personal letter, the specific requirements of the mission and the reward still needed to be finalized in person.
Ken Akagi then led everyone to other rooms to rest.
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