"You make the list, and I'll give you my full support." Hearing this, Danzō patted his chest and promised earnestly.
"Alright then." Orochimaru put on a look as if bearing a heavy responsibility, but inside, he was already overjoyed.
This isn't something I asked for, you insisted on giving it to me, so don't blame me for what comes next.
When the time comes, I'll just show you a bit of what Shin has already figured out every now and then, won't that be enough to keep you hooked?
"One last request," he said seriously. "I want him out of the lab immediately. I don't want to see him again."
As soon as he said this, all of Danzō's lingering doubts vanished into thin air. Even though Orochimaru didn't need to say it, Hiruzen had already planned to do this, hearing it from Orochimaru himself gave it a different weight.
Wasn't this exactly the outcome they had hoped for?
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Inside the lab, Orochimaru looked at Shin with deep reluctance on his face. He genuinely believed that he and Shin were the best research partners. The two of them had incredible synergy and understanding. Both were willing to push their moral boundaries for the sake of research. There was never any hindrance between them, only mutual support. And working with Shin had helped him immensely. So many of their unknown research achievements were the best proof of that.
"Can you act normal for once? Don't look at me like that, okay?" Shin got goosebumps from Orochimaru's gaze and stepped back. "You're not a woman, so stop with that crap."
"If turning into a woman would let me keep you by my side, I wouldn't mind," Orochimaru replied seriously.
"Stop right there." Shin felt every hair on his body stand up, a deep sense of dread rising within him.
"But let's make this clear," Orochimaru continued seriously. "You must come back once every three days. In terms of sudden inspiration, your dozen or so clones just aren't enough. Without the clash of ideas and inspiration, the joy of research is lost. Plus, it might slow down our progress."
"Of course," Shin also responded seriously. "I've never thought about giving up research, especially not with you. But this matter, I really can't feel at ease unless I handle it personally."
After leaving the lab, he heard that Tsunade had been summoned by an ANBU ninja to the Hokage's office. So he headed straight there - no report, no explanation, just walked right up to the door and pushed it open arrogantly.
Hearing the noise, Hiruzen's first thought was that Danzō had arrived. After all, up till now, Danzō was the only one who would burst into the Hokage's office in such a manner. But when he saw who it was, his pupils suddenly shrank.
Shin... why is it him? What is he here for?
Shin didn't even glance at Hiruzen. The moment he saw Tsunade, he took a few steps forward and stood beside her.
Hiruzen's hand, resting on his knee, clenched tightly onto his robes, his fingers turning pale from the force. But being the seasoned actor he was, Hiruzen composed himself in an instant and said with a warm smile, "You're here too? Great, I was just about to talk to you."
Seeing Shin's confused expression, he continued in the tone of a kindly elder, "I've already heard about what happened with Orochimaru. That's just his personality, don't take it to heart. Don't worry, I'll try to talk some sense into him. After all, it's better to resolve conflicts than let them fester."
Upon hearing this, Shin thought, Still playing both sides, stirring up conflict while acting like the good guy? You've really perfected this move.
But he no longer had the patience to play along with Hiruzen's false pleasantries. He got straight to the point. "So from what you're saying, there's a mission for me too?"
"Sigh," Hiruzen let out a weary sigh, then nodded and said in a tone of feigned helplessness, "Originally, I didn't want to assign this to the two of you directly. But now two pressing issues have come up, and only the two of you can handle them. Tsunade, take a look at this scroll first."
Tsunade took the scroll, and Shin leaned in close to read it with her. The two began studying it seriously together. Hiruzen was quite displeased by Shin's breach of decorum.
I said it was for Tsunade, why are you butting in?
Still, he knew even if Shin didn't read it now, Tsunade would tell him anyway. So he didn't press the issue.
This is an open strategy, whether you like it or not, you'll have no choice but to accept it.
The scroll's content was concise, but grave. It outlined two key issues:
Suna and Konoha had been experiencing frequent skirmishes along the border. While things hadn't escalated to full-scale war yet, the situation was tense. Konoha ninjas had been ambushed or poisoned by Suna ninjas, and the border's medical personnel were no longer able to cope.
Ame had also been showing signs of aggression. There had already been several minor clashes along the border. While both sides have exercised restraint, the threat level had reached the point where it could no longer be ignored.
At the end of the scroll was an official deployment order for Tsunade. She was being dispatched directly by the Hokage's office to the front lines.
After the two finished reading, Hiruzen said, "You're Konoha's second-best medical-nin, possibly even the second-best in the entire shinobi world. And you possess great combat strength. So I want to send you on this mission. First, to treat the wounded and reduce casualties among our forces. Second, to prepare antidotes on-site. And third, in the event of escalation, to help stabilize the situation. It's a heavy responsibility, but I believe no one else is more suited for it. I'm afraid the two of you will have to part ways for a little while."
Looking at the contents of the scroll, Tsunade felt a bit heavy-hearted, but she agreed without hesitation. She still had deep feelings for Konoha. Despite the repeated setbacks and endless ostracism, she hadn't become disillusioned. She truly wanted to do something meaningful for the village, so there was no way she would turn down a mission like this. As for their temporary separation, neither she nor Shin was too upset. If they wanted to see each other, one Flying Thunder God Technique could take care of that.
"As for you, you also have an important mission," Hiruzen turned to Shin. "I don't have a scroll for your assignment, but it concerns Kiri. According to intelligence from our agents embedded in Kiri, some very strange developments have occurred recently, something they're calling the White Calamity of the Mist. But before more detailed information could come through, our operative went missing. So, I'd like you to make a trip to Kiri. There are two objectives: first, confirm whether our agent is dead or alive, and if alive, rescue them if possible. Second, investigate and uncover exactly what this so-called White Calamity is."
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200 = +1 bonus chapter
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80+ Advance chapters!
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