Chapter 13: Not Giving Any Face, Huh?
"Damn it, that old man, the Third Hokage, really doesn't trust me at all!"
Now he's even assigned the Ino–Shika–Cho trio to assist me?
How paranoid can he get…
Even Nara Shikaku couldn't help muttering in his heart:
"Does he not know what kind of person she is?"
It would be strange if anyone could feel at ease around her!
"..."
Shikaku could only sigh helplessly.
What did he even do wrong? Just serving as a strategist, and yet somehow he's being accused of being insincere.
Of course, Shikaku understood what kind of person Tsunade was.
So even with her tone, he didn't bother getting upset.
"Hmph! I've brought all my men with me. Even if the Sand Village brings their One-Tail Jinchūriki, I won't panic!"
Just then, a Konoha scout burst into the meeting room.
"Tsunade-sama! According to our reconnaissance, the Sand Village has indeed brought their One-Tail Jinchūriki, Bunpuku!"
"..."
For a moment, the room went completely silent.
Everyone turned to look at Tsunade, their expressions... complicated.
"Uh…"
So they really brought their ultimate weapon, the One-Tail.
"Don't worry," Tsunade said calmly. "Those Sand idiots won't attack right away. We still have time to arrange our battle plan."
"Bad news, Tsunade-sama! Everyone! The Sand Village forces have begun their attack!"
"Uh!"
"What the hell!"
Not giving me any face at all, huh?
Tsunade slammed her palm on the table, furious.
"Fine then! Bring it on! Damn Sand Village idiots!"
"I just arrived at the battlefield, and they already launched their attack?
And with their so-called ultimate weapon—the One-Tail Jinchūriki—
Looks like they plan to catch us completely off guard!"
Shikaku immediately analyzed the situation.
Everyone around nodded in understanding.
Not far away—barely a few kilometers apart—the two armies faced each other across the barren land.
Some of the younger Konoha shinobi, who had never experienced war before, gripped their weapons tightly.
Nervousness flickered in their eyes, but behind it burned a spark of determination.
"Konoha's White Fang…"
Chiyo's gaze locked onto the man standing beside Tsunade—Hatake Sakumo.
That man… had assassinated her son and daughter-in-law.
"What a pain," Sakumo muttered, his hand slowly resting on the hilt of his short blade.
He didn't respond further—just gave a deadpan glance toward Aoyama Ryūun, who somehow still found room to joke even now.
"Yo! Sand Village paupers actually have the guts to start a war?
Don't you know how broke your village is? Want me to spare you a coin or two to spend?"
The poverty of the Sand Village was famous throughout the ninja world.
After all, over ninety percent of their land was desert.
"Heh! No need for your charity!"
"Little Tsunade… how much of the First Hokage's Wood Release power did you actually inherit?"
But she didn't even know the full extent of the First Hokage's Wood Release techniques.
"You old geezer—let's see if you can still talk after I knock your teeth out!"
"Hmph!"
The speaker just tilted his head and looked toward the Third Kazekage.
"Let's begin."
With a nod, the ambitious Third Kazekage naturally agreed.
"Magnet Release — Iron Sand!"
Black metallic sand, like a spreading storm cloud, began to pour outward from the Third Kazekage, dark and ominous.
That mastery of Iron Sand—
was exactly why he was called the strongest Kazekage in history.