"Keep your eyes peeled! Don't give the enemy a chance to strike!"
"Sir, you look..."
These men were the support team sent out by Tsunade to find Rong Lin. She had been worried that he might have gotten carried away and charged directly into the enemy's main camp, only to end up surrounded and wiped out.
No matter how strong a man is, he is ultimately just a man, not a god. Tsunade was terrified that he would be encircled and lose his life. Of course, before she had even dispatched the support team, she had already spent a good deal of time shouting in the command center.
"It's fine. I just killed a few too many people, so I ended up like this. Can one of you use some Ninjutsu to help me wash up? I could use a fresh set of clothes too."
Rong Lin looked down at his own attire and shook his head with a wry smile. Once the blood dried, it felt incredibly uncomfortable.
"Right away, sir!"
The group stared at the blood-soaked Rong Lin in pure shock. Just how many people did he have to kill to look like that?
After washing away the blood and changing into clean clothes, Rong Lin felt much better. Even the weight on his body seemed to have lightened significantly.
"Let's head back. I imagine the others are getting anxious."
He had sent the rest of his team back while staying behind to fight alone; Tsunade and the others would be worried sick. If not for the many people holding her back, Tsunade would have likely led a charge herself.
"Yes, sir!"
Relieved that Rong Lin was unharmed, the group happily escorted him back to the camp. Naturally, they spent the journey prying for details. Rong Lin didn't hide much and shared a bit of what had happened with a smile.
While he didn't go into the more sensitive details, his summary alone left everyone stunned. By their calculations, the number of enemies who had died at Rong Lin's hands was nearly a thousand!
What kind of feat was that?
If the Hidden Mist Village had deployed five thousand ninjas for this war, it meant they had lost nearly a fifth of their forces in a single stroke.
That was a terrifying number.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
The moment Rong Lin returned to camp, he ran straight into Tsunade, whose face was a mask of fury.
Rong Lin didn't mean that Tsunade looked ugly, but a black-faced Tsunade was truly daunting... and a bit scary.
Inside the command center, Tsunade slammed her hands on the table, shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Why did you charge in there alone? Did you not realize you could have been surrounded? That bastard, the Third Mizukage, would have loved nothing more than for you to walk right into his trap so he could slaughter you! Everyone else is trying to avoid the fight, and yet you go and deliver yourself to them! I know you're strong, but are you a god?"
Despite how loudly she screamed, there was no real threat behind her words.
Rong Lin casually sipped his tea and reminded Shikaku Nara, "Oh, by the way, make sure you record my Battle Merits properly. I'm counting on them to start a family and get a wife in the future."
"Cough! Cough!"
Shikaku Nara choked on his breath, nodding with a wry smile. Would he really cheat him? Battle Merits weren't something he personally handed out anyway, so why would he give him less than he deserved? There was certainly no bad blood between him and Uchiha Rong Lin!
"Are you even listening to me?"
Seeing that he was still obsessing over his rewards at a time like this, Tsunade narrowed her eyes and leaned in close.
Rong Lin jumped, backing away with a forced laugh. "Now, Tsunade, don't be like that. Didn't I come back in one piece? Of course I heard everything you said."
"Cough! Princess Tsunade, I still have some business to attend to. I'll take my leave now."
Shikaku Nara felt it was best to make a quick exit. Staying would only make things more awkward. The way this master and disciple spoke to each other was just too strange.
"Go ahead."
Tsunade knew why Shikaku wanted to leave early and waved him off.
Soon, only Rong Lin and Tsunade remained in the command center. She gave him a dirty look. "Well? Start talking! Give me the full story!"
"It started when..."
Rong Lin shrugged and began recounting the events piece by piece, leaving almost nothing out.
"So you're saying the weapons used by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist can be summoned back with Summoning Jutsu?"
"Yeah. Even though that guy is on his deathbed, it seems he won't let those weapons fall into Konoha's hands."
No wonder in the original timeline, when Might Duy killed several of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in the Land of Fire, the weapons didn't stay in the Leaf. It turned out that half-dead Mangetsu Hōzuki had brought them back!
What Rong Lin didn't know was that the Third Mizukage had actually planned to have Mangetsu Hōzuki fight him. If he knew, he would have doubled over in laughter.
Are you out of your mind? Sending a sickling to fight me? How much power could Mangetsu possibly exert in that state?
Setting down her cup, Tsunade looked at Rong Lin, caught between a smile and lingering anger.
"I'll let it slide this time, but never take such a risk again. That said, your charge caused significant damage to the Hidden Mist Village. They've lost nearly a sixth of their men. That bastard Mizukage must be crying his eyes out."
"I don't know if he's crying, but he's definitely shaking with rage," Rong Lin joked.
Traveling thousands of miles across the sea to attack Konoha meant they couldn't bring a massive number of troops. Transporting personnel and supplies over such a distance was a major logistical nightmare. Losing that many men at once was a loss that would sting deeply.
"I'll record your Battle Merits. Go get some rest now; looking at you, you clearly need it."
In any case, he had returned safely. Even if his actions had been reckless, Tsunade couldn't find it in her heart to be too harsh—mostly because she knew he wouldn't actually listen!
That was what made her feel the most helpless.
Before long, the news of Rong Lin killing nearly a thousand Hidden Mist ninjas spread throughout the camp. The report quickly reached the village and the other two battlefronts.
"Hahaha! This kid is truly something! If I had known he'd be this capable, I wouldn't have let Tsunade have him back then!"
Jiraiya roared with laughter upon hearing the news.
In truth, there was something Rong Lin didn't know. Originally, the Third Hokage had intended for Jiraiya to mentor Rong Lin. However, Jiraiya hadn't responded at the time because he just wanted to rest. Thus, the choice fell to Tsunade.
Now, it seemed Jiraiya was feeling a bit of regret.
"Hehe... He really is impressive. It's a shame he was reassigned, otherwise, he could have given those bastards in the Hidden Sand Village a real headache and tormented them to death."
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