Medical Corps Headquarters.
Hiding in an empty ward, Tsunade glanced around to make sure no one was there, secretly pulled out the bottle of sake hidden in her arms, and was just about to enjoy herself when a series of dense explosions echoed from outside the window.
Immediately after, she saw through the window the ice fortress Takeshi had constructed.
"What happened?"
There was no time to think about drinking anymore. Tsunade grabbed the bottle and rushed outside.
Just then, she ran into Shizune, who had hurried over after receiving the news.
"Tsunade-sama, an emergency, someone has invaded—"
Before Shizune could finish, she noticed the sake bottle in Tsunade's hand.
"Ahem, don't mind such details. Quick, contact the hospital immediately and have them cooperate with us to treat the wounded!"
Realizing she'd been caught in the act, Tsunade didn't look embarrassed at all. She simply displayed the thick skin of the older generation of shinobi—especially one of the Legendary Sannin—stuffed the bottle back into her robe right in front of Shizune, and began issuing orders.
"Honestly, has Konoha been cursed these last few years? Why do people keep breaking into the village from time to time?"
Thinking of Konoha's ordeals over the years, Tsunade couldn't help but mutter.
...
Elsewhere, Kakashi, who had been granted special leave by Takeshi and was accompanying Sakumo through rehabilitation at the Research Bureau, also noticed the commotion outside.
Sakumo, who had just received a chakra spine transplant, frowned deeply. Clearly, he had already guessed what was happening.
But right now, he had only just regained the ability to stand. Recovering his former battle strength would still require a period of rehabilitation.
"Don't worry about me. You're a jōnin of Konoha. The village's safety is what you should focus on."
Sakumo smiled gently.
"Besides, the Fifth Hokage needs you too, doesn't she?"
As if to prove Sakumo's words, outside the window the ice wall Takeshi had constructed to defend against aerial attacks suddenly shattered, transforming into a gigantic one-horned white whale that came crashing down.
"Ice Release: One-Horned White Whale!"
"Ice Release: Rising Pillars!"
Reacting swiftly, Takeshi raised a series of massive ice pillars, propping the whale away.
So, this was Ice Release as well?
He drew a Flying Thunder God kunai, warily scanning the surroundings.
"Not bad at all, you actually dodged that."
Rōga Nadare stepped out with a laugh, curiously studying Takeshi.
It was his first time seeing someone so handsome—especially a man.
"This is my first battle against an Ice Release shinobi from another village. Don't disappoint me."
"Arrogant."
Before Takeshi could respond, Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu couldn't restrain themselves. They charged forward, intending to cut down this reckless fool.
"Insignificant ants—get lost!"
The armor around Rōga Nadare suddenly released a thick mist, engulfing the three of them. Two screams followed immediately.
When the mist dispersed, Izumo and Kotetsu were lying on the ground, their life or death uncertain.
"Konoha's shinobi are nothing special. Just like that one who called himself Umino Ikkaku—he's probably already been killed by my comrade."
With a disdainful flick of his hand, Rōga Nadare's words dripped with contempt for Konoha's shinobi.
Yet Takeshi didn't lose his composure in the face of such provocation. He simply watched his opponent calmly.
In his understanding, aside from the clan in Kirigakure, the only other Ice Release shinobi were the ones from the Land of Snow.
But their ability to use Ice Release came from environmental factors. Once they left the Land of Snow, they shouldn't be able to perform it.
"What's the matter? Has our Hokage-sama already been cowed by my might, too afraid to even speak?"
Rōga Nadare was clearly displeased with Takeshi's silence and kept provoking him.
Seeing this arrogant fool dare to speak to him like that, Takeshi raised a brow. Just as he was about to unleash some sharp words, he sensed a familiar presence approaching. His eyes curved slightly, and he revealed a charming smile.
"Would you go to the morgue just to shake hands with a corpse?"
As Takeshi's words fell, a streak of yellow flashed by. With the sound of metal scraping, a huge crack split across Rōga Nadare's proud chakra armor.
"What?"
Rōga Nadare couldn't comprehend what had just happened. In a panic, he began checking the functions of his armor.
Unaware that this very act only hastened his death.
"I'm not late, am I?"
As Minato spoke his iconic line, Rōga Nadare's head flew into the air. When it landed and rolled several times across the ground, his face was still frozen in disbelief.
"No, at least this time you weren't."
Takeshi shook his head with a smile, acknowledging Minato's swift intervention.
After checking Izumo and Kotetsu's injuries and confirming their lives weren't in danger, Takeshi felt both relieved and annoyed.
Were the bodyguards he'd chosen really this weak?
Come to think of it, their only notable appearance in the original story had been during Asuma's death arc, hadn't it?
Then he recalled the last time he brought them out—they just happened to run into Setsuna's assassination attempt.
From now on, better to leave them as gatekeepers. That was the job most suited for them.
Takeshi resolved never to have them serve as his guards again.
"Fifth, what should we do next?"
Seeing that some of the airborne shinobi still lingered above while fierce Fire Release techniques occasionally erupted elsewhere, Minato asked for Takeshi's decision.
"You go provide support over there. I'll continue holding off the sky shinobi here."
Weighing the situation, Takeshi decided Minato should reinforce the area where the Fire Release was erupting.
But then, as if recalling something, he reached out to stop Minato.
"No, go to Kushina-san. I suspect the enemy has another goal!"
Takeshi reasoned that the Nine Tails was still the true objective. If so, sending Minato to support Kushina was the best choice.
As for the other battlefield, Fugaku would likely handle it.
...
"Rōga Nadare?"
Not long after Minato departed, Kakashi rushed over and immediately noticed Nadare's severed head on the ground.
"You know him?"
Rather than asking why Kakashi was here, Takeshi was far more curious as to how he knew the enemy's identity.
"Yes. I once fought him on a mission to the Land of Snow at the Fourth Hokage's request."
Kakashi briefly explained before asking Takeshi about the current situation.
"Who knows? Enemies are everywhere."
Takeshi looked up at the sky and noticed that the airborne shinobi were beginning to retreat.
Why had the Land of Snow joined this incident?
And who exactly were those people in the sky?
Countless questions circled in Takeshi's mind, but no answers were in sight.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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