Ensuring a nation maintains a unified will across generations is certainly no simple task. The Land of Fire was currently stable and improving, but the significant hidden danger of having "no successor" remained unresolved.
Tsunade commanded the trust of two major interest groups, which was why the Land of Fire had been successfully integrated. However, before firm traditions and established political norms could take root, just as the Land of Fire's government and Konoha's military forces could unite, they could naturally split apart again.
After Tsunade's time, all the effort everyone had expended might very well end up being for nothing. Not only that, but those who benefited from the current arrangement could potentially face backlash and score-settling down the line.
So, even setting aside national interests, merely considering the need to maintain the current power structure made the question of the next successor for both the Land of Fire and Konoha incredibly important.
Although the Hokage's successor wasn't strictly based on bloodline, emphasizing instead the "inheritance of will," the successor to the State Lord of the Land of Fire was invariably hereditary... Of course, the Hokage succession was, in reality, a more concealed form of hereditary system itself.
Tsunade could balance the situation; Hashirama Senju's bloodline held significant sway throughout the Land of Fire. Therefore, the ideal successor for both the Land of Fire and Konoha would be Tsunade's descendant... No, not just ideal, but the only option. If they wanted to avoid reverting to the previous state of separation between the Land of Fire and Konoha, the next successor had to be Tsunade's offspring to maintain balance between both sides.
Once such rule had persisted for a generation or two, and these political norms became widely accepted, the role of Hokage could become highly symbolic. The State Lord would serve as the Land of Fire's supreme military commander, while Konoha's specific affairs would be managed by several Hokage deputies, establishing a true vertical hierarchy between the head of state and the nation's military arm.
This developmental path seemed entirely logical and reasonable, with the sole problem being its immense difficulty in implementation... because Tsunade had absolutely no intention of getting married.
Under a feudal system of inheritance, the monarch's lack of offspring wasn't merely a private matter; it was a genuine affair of state.
However, no one dared broach this subject directly with Tsunade, because everyone knew whoever spoke up would suffer for it. It was common knowledge that Tsunade had a notoriously short temper and strongly disliked having her private life made a public issue. If someone displeased her, she would... well, no need for threats. She would likely resort to a highly irresponsible form of protest, such as "resigning."
This problem was far beyond Habara's scope. Still, if asked, he didn't think the situation was that critical. Firstly, Tsunade was exceptionally skilled in "health preservation"; she was guaranteed to outlive even that Kakuzu fellow. Secondly, if the issue absolutely had to be resolved, Habara felt that "adoption" or "secret adoption" was the most sensible approach.
Suffice it to say, Habara had made a swift escape. In situations like this, every second bought was a second lived.
But things often have a way of being inconvenient. When Habara was holed up back home, aside from advancing his routine projects, he wasn't particularly busy. Yet, the moment he left on a mission, people started seeking him out constantly, as if the Earth would stop spinning without him.
Habara had only been gone for an hour when Kakashi Hatake came knocking. Lately, Kakashi's work had been proceeding smoothly—well, smoothly except for being frequently dragged into handling sudden emergencies. And if asked what he was working on, the answer, ironically, had little to do with his combat expertise...
He was engaged in technological development.
Excluding a few unique freaks and those with built-in cheat codes, Kakashi was a rare type of all-rounder Jonin. Judged by normal standards, he was absurdly strong. However, this didn't necessarily mean he excelled at technical research. But he had no choice; it was a task cooked up by Habara.
Kakashi arrived at Habara's office right at the start of the workday, strolling in like an old man wanting some bureaucratic procedure handled, confident he'd normally catch Habara there.
Today, however, Habara was absent. Only Tenzo was present, sitting rather unconvincingly behind a desk.
Kakashi entered the room, glanced around, and then addressed Tenzo, "Tenzo, where's Habara? Don't tell me he's slacking off and hasn't come in yet?"
Tenzo appeared to be spacing out, but he was actually contemplating how to improve his own strength. His power was already considerable; augmented by the Curse Mark of Man and leveraging the natural energy interacting with the First Hokage's cells within him, his abilities surpassed most Jonin.
But comparisons could be cruel. Considering that even a monster like Habara had been defeated, even died once, what reason did Tenzo have for self-satisfaction or stagnation? Habara was extremely self-disciplined in this regard, serving as an excellent role model... Seeing Habara constantly improving, Tenzo naturally felt compelled to follow suit.
Unfortunately, his imagination wasn't as wild as Habara's; his thoughts simply didn't veer towards things like implosion-type nuclear bombs.
Since he hadn't come up with any concrete plans, Kakashi's arrival wasn't really an interruption. Tenzo snapped back to attention and, after Kakashi repeated his question, replied, "Habara? He's out on a mission."
"A mission? Right now? What kind of mission requires him personally?" Kakashi asked, his curiosity piqued.
He had come to assume that whenever Habara deployed, major news followed. He was just waiting for the day the Hokage issued a pledge of "no first use of Habara."
"It's classified. Top secret," Tenzo stated.
"That high clearance?" Kakashi mused internally. If even I don't know about it, then I really need to brace myself for some reality-shattering news soon.
Tenzo shook his head. "Not necessarily that high, but I don't know the specifics either. I only heard it has something to do with Daigo."
Kakashi rolled his visible eye. Then why the cloak-and-dagger routine if you don't even know, you blockhead?
"So... did you need something urgent, Kakashi-senpai?" Tenzo countered.
Kakashi showing up here meant one of two things: either he had actual business, or he was looking for trouble. And even Kakashi wasn't masochistic enough to seek out trouble for no reason.
"Not exactly urgent," Kakashi admitted, "but the technique seal the Chakra Infinite Library commissioned me to develop is ready for the experimental phase. Habara proposed the project initially, so the testing, or rather, the acceptance inspection, should naturally fall to him. However, since he's not here..."
Kakashi's gaze shifted pointedly towards Tenzo. Faced with that all-too-familiar look, Tenzo couldn't help but shiver.
"Is it that encapsulated technique for instantaneous spatial transfer usable in combat?"
Space-time ninjutsu, experimental space-time ninjutsu at that – it sounded inherently dangerous. If possible, Tenzo definitely didn't want to be the first guinea pig.
So, upon seeing Kakashi nod, he immediately said, "It's ready? Well, there's no rush for something like this; we need to ensure it's absolutely foolproof... Since Habara isn't here, let's just wait for him to return before conducting the experiment."
Tenzo deeply regretted his choices now. Seriously, why didn't I go out and work on civil engineering today? Construction in the new city district is booming right now! Why did I slack off? Slacking off brings retribution!
"Can this method of fixed-quantity, fixed-direction, fixed-distance instantaneous movement truly be considered space-time ninjutsu?" Kakashi mused, attempting an academic discussion. "After activation, the user does indeed move through space, but the movement is so rigid, enemies could easily spot the pattern..."
In Kakashi's view, this thing was vastly inferior to the Flying Raijin Technique, offering very limited practical combat application. The first use might achieve surprise, but frequent use would allow enemies to predict it, making it suicidal... Fortunately, it wasn't designed for multiple uses in a single battle. If the user couldn't resolve the situation with the initial surprise attack, they were on their own.
But Kakashi quickly trailed off, sensing Tenzo's palpable resistance.
"Ahem," Kakashi cleared his throat. "Slightly awkward, but I've already reported the phased results to Lady Hokage. She wants to see a demonstration of the effect. Specifically, today. She can't wait for Habara to return."
"Then you can perfectly well conduct the experiment yourself," Tenzo tried, making a last stand.
Kakashi shut him down. "I can already perform spatial movement. Results from me experimenting on myself wouldn't be convincing, as I couldn't prove I wasn't faking the results academically. So, all things considered, you're the most suitable candidate."
Tenzo was close to Konoha's core leadership, facilitating secrecy. Plus, he was dedicated and had extensive experience serving as a test subject.
When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. Reluctantly, Tenzo followed Kakashi to a private training ground.
The area had already been cleared. Only Tsunade and Kushina Uzumaki stood off to one side.
"Took you long enough," Tsunade frowned as Kakashi finally arrived.
"Ahem, had to explain the context, Lady Tsunade," Kakashi said, rubbing his nose with slight embarrassment. He had indeed dawdled a bit; subordinates who keep their leaders waiting aren't good subordinates.
And Tenzo? Nobody cared about Tenzo's feelings. Right now, he just wanted to know what the "consequences" mentioned in Kakashi's "context" were, because Kakashi definitely hadn't covered those.
"Alright, let's get started. If your... uh, 'Flash Technique Seal' is successful, it means Konoha's ninja will gain a crucial new tool for engagements," Kushina urged.
Kakashi wasted no more words. He handed Tenzo a metal card, about the size of a playing card. The technique formula etched onto it looked simpler than the Queen of Clubs. Aren't space-time ninjutsu supposed to be complex? A formula this simple looks unreliable. It's practically a Queen of F-ing Spades.
"Just activate the formula with your chakra. I believe in you," Kakashi said, clapping Tenzo on the shoulder.
With a heavy heart, Tenzo walked to the center of the training ground. Though unfamiliar with Russian Roulette, he felt like he was playing it right now.
Ah well, just grit your teeth and close your eyes. It wasn't the first time he'd been through something like this; he was used to it. Phrases like disregard life and death, contribute to Konoha kept repeating in his mind like a self-hypnosis mantra. The next moment, chakra flowed from his fingertips, activating the formula on the metal card.
Tenzo didn't feel anything particularly special. He blinked, thinking Kakashi's technique had failed. Then he looked forward and noticed a pillar at the edge of the training ground seemed slightly closer.
Only then did Tenzo turn his head. He had reappeared about five meters ahead of where he'd just been standing... In the blink of an eye, without him even noticing, he had performed a spatial transfer.
"It... it worked?" Tenzo asked in disbelief. He had to admit, this experiment felt much more humane than the ones Habara usually conducted.
However, that was merely an illusion. Habara's experiments might cause Tenzo physical pain, but Kakashi's experiment was about to cause Tenzo social death. He could grit his teeth and bear physical pain without flinching, but mental anguish?
"Ahem," Kakashi spoke up again. "Should count as a success, I suppose. Except I cut the spatial transfer slice a bit too thin. Seems I shouldn't have prioritized chakra conservation quite so much."
Tenzo didn't understand that comment. His gaze shifted towards Tsunade and Kushina. He found the Hokage and Lady Kushina looking away towards the edge of the training ground, as if something fascinating were happening over there. Their slightly trembling shoulders, however, indicated they were struggling to suppress laughter.
It was only now that Tenzo felt something wrong with his own body. His back felt strangely cool and breezy. He reached an arm behind him and felt... Whoa, that was smooth... There were no clothes on his back anymore, just his completely bare, natural skin exposed to the air.
A small gust of wind blew past. Tenzo instinctively clamped his legs together tightly. The posture was incredibly awkward, but necessary. If he didn't, he'd instantly lose the front half of his clothes as well... He squeezed so hard his rounded buttocks almost developed sharp edges.
Kakashi's technique actually had no safety issues in terms of bodily harm. If the transfer space didn't fully encompass the user's body, the technique simply wouldn't activate. So, there was no risk of Tenzo's legs being left behind while his torso appeared five meters away.
However, right now, Tenzo would have preferred being sliced in half horizontally rather than vertically, front-to-back. To be split right down his clothes... Kakashi's safety measure, one could say, was perfectly safe, just not very secure.
All Tenzo wanted now was to dig a ditch and bury himself in it. Alive.
And not just himself; he'd drag Kakashi down with him. This would have to count as a lovers' suicide pact.
Habara, of course, knew nothing of Tenzo's socially fatal experience. Even if he had, he wouldn't have comforted Tenzo... Social death was always amusing, as long as it wasn't happening to oneself.
Following Orochimaru's intelligence, Habara indeed found a "barefoot doctor" in a small town southeast of the Land of Fire.
He was currently transformed into the guise of a middle-aged to older man, discussing his "symptoms" with the target.
"You know, when I was young, I never paid attention to health supplements. Knew they were just pure IQ tax. How could they fool anyone? How could anyone with normal intelligence fall for that? "Thinking back now, how naive I was. Different stages of life bring different problems.
"Like now, for instance. My neck is often stiff, my lower back aches, my vision gets blurry, I wake up frequently at night, I... uh... wet the tops of my shoes when I pee, get warts and skin tags...
"I always suspect I'm lacking trace elements, that I should be taking supplements. Then I worry my blood sugar and blood pressure are too high, that I should restrain my appetite... So, Doctor, are there any health supplements you'd recommend for me?"
The doctor...
The doctor just looked completely bewildered.