"Minato, I need you to check on the other outposts," Tsunade said after some thought.
The actions of Kumogakure today puzzled her, and she wanted to be cautious just in case.
"Understood."
Minato nodded and instantly disappeared.
"Hanekawa, focus on treating the injured," Tsunade instructed before heading into the outpost.
"Understood," Hanekawa replied as he began treating the wounded Konoha ninja.
Two hours later, Minato returned.
"What's the situation?" Tsunade asked as soon as she saw him.
"Everything is fine," Minato said, though his tone was curious. "It's as if the Kumogakure ninja received a direct order—they've all retreated back to their base."
"An order?" Tsunade murmured thoughtfully. "Could it have been just a retaliatory action?"
She recalled A's mention during their battle about Kumogakure's humiliating defeat in the Land of Rain.
"From what I know about A, that's entirely possible," Minato said after a moment of reflection. "He's rather reckless by nature."
"Regardless, keep an eye on their movements," Tsunade said, deciding not to dwell on it further.
"Understood."
Minato nodded.
"Let's return to camp," Tsunade said, rising to her feet.
With the injured treated and the Kumogakure ninja temporarily retreating, there was no reason to remain at the outpost.
---
Back at the camp, Hanekawa resumed his routine: creating poisons and practicing Water Release techniques by the nearby river.
Closing his eyes to sense his surroundings, he ensured no one was nearby before creating a shadow clone.
He watched as the clone left.
The decision not to go himself wasn't just for the reason he had told Samui. The more significant reason was to avoid giving Kumogakure any leverage over him.
Even if the arrangement fell apart, he'd only lose a shadow clone, which was no big deal.
Until he gained absolute strength, he had no intention of returning to Kumogakure.
Shaking off his thoughts, Hanekawa returned to his Water Release training.
Half an hour later, several lines of text appeared before his eyes:
[B-Rank Talent: Water Release Special Jōnin]
Trigger Condition: Master nine Water Release techniques to proficiency level.
Effect: Increases the power of all Water Release techniques by 100%.
Note: Learning and mastering more Water Release techniques may upgrade this to an A-Rank talent: Water Release Jōnin.
Hanekawa exhaled deeply.
Though the effect was similar to his previous Lightning Release Special Jōnin talent, the 100% increase in Water Release power was a game-changer.
Even in environments without water, he could now use Water Release techniques with ease.
"Next up is Earth Release," Hanekawa said, forming hand seals to begin his Earth Release training.
---
After A, Killer Bee, and the others returned to the Kumogakure camp, a meeting was immediately convened.
This time, however, the meeting was led by Mabui, who had arrived the previous night with news of the Third Raikage's poisoning.
Today's actions by A and the others had been entirely planned by her.
"Where's Hanekawa?" Mabui asked, scanning the room. "Didn't he return with you?"
Samui stepped forward and repeated what Hanekawa had told her.
"Is he planning to betray Kumogakure?" A asked, his brows furrowing.
"Not exactly," Mabui replied after some thought. "It's more that his perspective has changed."
"What do you mean?" A asked, confused.
"Put simply, Hanekawa wants to shift from a subordinate relationship to one of equal exchange," Mabui explained.
"How dare he?" A asked indignantly. "Has he forgotten that he's a ninja of Kumogakure?"
"To be fair, he's earned the right," Mabui said calmly. "A talent like his would be welcomed anywhere."
"What about the restrictions placed on him?" A asked, still frowning.
"Only the weak care about restrictions," Mabui said with a shake of her head.
"Will he come?" Samui asked after a moment of silence. For reasons she couldn't explain, she didn't want Hanekawa to completely sever ties with Kumogakure.
"He will," Mabui said confidently. "He asked if he could make a request, which means Kumogakure has something he wants."
"And are we going to give it to him?" Samui asked.
"Right now, we need his help," Mabui replied without hesitation.
"The priority now is to detoxify the Raikage," Mabui said calmly.
"We'll deal with this matter with him later!" A snorted, clearly displeased. He despised being threatened.
"Samui, go wait for him outside the camp," Mabui instructed after a moment of thought. "The fewer people who know about his presence, the better."
"Understood."
Samui turned and left the main tent.
"Hanekawa is very valuable to Kumogakure. There's no need to escalate this to the point of mutual destruction," Mabui said, looking at A. "Don't forget, he provided us with information on the Third Kazekage's disappearance."
"Maybe he's the one who leaked information about our operation in the Land of Rain!" A said angrily. "That intel caused us heavy losses!"
"It wasn't Hanekawa," Mabui explained. "He was far away in Konoha at the time and couldn't have known our marching routes."
"...," A clenched his fists. "Konoha will pay for this!"
"But not now," Mabui said softly. "Raikage-sama has ordered you to return to Kumogakure with me."
"What about the camp here?" A asked, frustrated. "If I leave, no one will be able to stop Tsunade or Minato."
"We'll temporarily withdraw from the Land of Frost," Mabui suggested after some thought.
"That's a sign of weakness!" A immediately rejected the idea. "I disagree!"
"With Raikage-sama severely poisoned and Sunagakure declaring war on us, we need you back to take charge," Mabui said persuasively.
"...," A hesitated but eventually agreed.
---
Half an hour later, Hanekawa's shadow clone approached Kumogakure's camp.
He quickly spotted Samui sitting in a tree not far away.
Body Flicker Technique!
Hanekawa appeared directly in front of her.
Samui instinctively tensed but relaxed upon recognizing him.
Dressed in a cloak with a hood, Hanekawa concealed whether he was a shadow clone or his real body.
"Follow me," Samui said, jumping down from the tree.
Hanekawa followed her into the main tent without issue.
Inside, he immediately noticed the unfriendly look in the Fourth Raikage's eyes.
He glanced at the dark-skinned woman next to A and quickly guessed the reason. She must have seen through his intentions.
"Hanekawa, I'm Mabui. It's a pleasure to meet you," Mabui greeted with a smile.
Hanekawa curiously studied her.
Whether in his past or present life, it was his first time seeing such dark skin in reality. He'd heard that dark skin was exceptionally smooth—he wondered if he'd ever have the chance to test that theory.
"The pleasure is mine," Hanekawa said calmly.
No matter how Kumogakure treated him, he had the upper hand.
"Raikage-sama is currently in Kumogakure, so we'll need you to come with us," Mabui said, giving him a deep look.
"No problem," Hanekawa replied with a smile. "It's my duty."
"Let's move then," Mabui said decisively.
Hanekawa was surprised to see the camp being dismantled. Were they planning to call for a temporary ceasefire?
Without asking questions, he followed them out of the Land of Frost.
---
Konoha's Camp
"Lady Tsunade, I just checked—the entire Kumogakure force, including A and Killer Bee, has retreated to the Land of Lightning," Minato said as he entered the main tent.
"They're not continuing the fight?" Tsunade was momentarily surprised. "It seems Kumogakure doesn't want to fight on two fronts."
"That appears to be the case," Minato agreed. "What should we do now?"
"This intel came directly from the Hokage," Tsunade said with a faint smile, taking out a note.
Minato stepped forward and glanced at it, his expression turning to surprise.
The note contained just one line: Pakura of Sunagakure is en route to Konoha.
"Is Sunagakure planning to form an alliance with us?" Minato asked, handing the note back to Tsunade.
"It's unclear for now," Tsunade replied. "It could be an alliance or a request to pass through."
There were only four routes between Kumogakure and Sunagakure, and the quickest was through the Land of Fire.
"I'll return to Konoha tomorrow. You'll take charge here," Tsunade said.
"Understood," Minato replied, unsurprised by the decision.
With Kumogakure's retreat, the pressure on Konoha significantly decreased.
There was no longer a need to station so many ninjas in the Land of Frost—returning to the previous numbers would suffice. After all, ninja deployments were costly, and savings were necessary.
Tsunade stepped out of the command tent. Not far away, Hanekawa, Kakashi Hatake, and others were chatting idly. With Kumogakure's withdrawal, their missions were also suspended.
"Hanekawa," Tsunade called out as she approached. "Prepare to return to Konoha with me tomorrow."
"That's great!"
Kurenai Yuhi jumped for joy. She hadn't been back to Konoha in a month and was eager to return.
Rin Nohara said nothing, but her smile revealed her delight.
"Congratulations," Kakashi said.
"Thank you," Hanekawa replied with a smile.
He wondered if something significant had happened in Kumogakure. However, since his shadow clone hadn't returned, it likely meant the situation was still safe.
"When will you come back?" asked Obito Uchiha, the only one who seemed unhappy.
"That depends on the village's arrangements," Rin replied with a smile. "We might see each other again soon."
"True!" Obito's spirits lifted. "Let's do missions together when you're back!"
---
As time passed during their journey, two days later, Hanekawa's shadow clone arrived at Kumogakure.
Unlike Konoha, Kumogakure was situated atop towering mountains, surrounded by clouds and mist, with the occasional rumble of thunder echoing in the distance.
"Stop!"
A sudden gust of wind swept by.
Appearing in front of Hanekawa was a humanoid cat-like claw—a slender, snow-white hand with sharp, elongated claws extending from the fingers.
Its owner was a tall girl with tea-brown braided hair.
"Yugito!" Mabui shouted urgently. "Don't attack!"
"Aren't you the so-called genius? Why didn't you dodge?" Nii Yugito asked, visibly dissatisfied.
"Can't you tell? I'm just a shadow clone, little wildcat," Hanekawa replied with a smile.
"Who are you calling a little wildcat?" Yugito's eyes widened in annoyance. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
"You wouldn't dare," Hanekawa said with a shake of his head.
"You jerk!" Yugito instinctively swiped at him but stopped herself in the end.
She truly didn't dare. Killing Hanekawa would likely cost the Third Raikage his life as well.
Samui blinked in surprise. In her impression, Hanekawa was usually gentle and wouldn't provoke others so openly.
"Yugito," Mabui stepped forward, pulling her aside. "The Raikage-sama is waiting for us."
She knew Yugito was prideful and headstrong, so she had to invoke the Third Raikage to calm her down.
"Tch!" Yugito glared at Hanekawa. "Some genius you are—nothing impressive!"
"If you want a fight, little wildcat, I'll indulge you," Hanekawa said calmly. "After I'm done with the treatment."
"Excellent!" Yugito's eyes lit up. "You're a shadow clone, so I won't take advantage. I'll only use half my chakra to fight you!"
"...," Samui hesitated to speak.
Using half her chakra meant Yugito wouldn't draw on the power of her Tailed Beast. Though it was bold, Samui believed Hanekawa had a good chance of winning.
"Let's go," Hanekawa said, adjusting his hood as he moved forward.
Under Mabui's guidance, they arrived at the room where the Third Raikage lay.
Hanekawa approached the bed and removed the bandages around the Raikage's abdomen.
A long knife wound was revealed.
Judging by the wound, it was inflicted by a blade from a puppet.
Unlike ordinary injuries, this wound was a strange, dark black, emitting a foul stench.
Hanekawa extended his hand, enveloping a drop of blood in chakra.
Sensing it carefully, he thought to himself: This is indeed Chiyo's poison.
However, it was an upgraded version of the poison she used during the Second Shinobi World War. No wonder Kumogakure's medical ninjas couldn't handle it.
Aside from Tsunade, Hanekawa was confident only he could cure it.
"Can you treat it?" A asked impatiently.
"I can," Hanekawa replied with a nod. "You'll need to leave. I need to perform surgery."
"We're staying," A said with a frown.
"You must leave," Hanekawa said, glancing at him.
"You—!" A's expression darkened with frustration.
"Raikage-sama is anxious to save his father," Mabui said with a slight bow. "Please don't take offense."
She then turned to A and urged him, "Let's go."
"...," A turned and left the room, albeit reluctantly.
The room fell silent as Mabui also exited, leaving Hanekawa to begin his work.
Two hours later, the door opened.
"The Raikage is fine now," Hanekawa said calmly, meeting everyone's gaze without haste.
"You may come in," came the weakened voice of the Third Raikage.
"Raikage-sama!" Samui, Mabui, and Yugito Nii called out in unison.
"Father," A stepped forward. Once he confirmed his father was truly fine, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Hanekawa did well this time," the Third Raikage said after some brief pleasantries. Turning to Hanekawa, he asked, "What reward do you want?"
"The Lightning Release Chakra Mode," Hanekawa said without hesitation.
"That's impossible!" A immediately objected. "It's a secret technique exclusive to the Raikage bloodline!"
"Hanekawa, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode is rather unique. Perhaps you could choose something else?" Mabui suggested, attempting to mediate.
"There's still residual poison in Raikage-sama's body. He'll need to take medicine and recuperate for two more days," Hanekawa replied calmly. "I only ask to study the training method for the Lightning Release Chakra Mode for two days. How about that?"
He had anticipated Kumogakure's resistance and thus took a firm stance.
"How dare you!" Yugito glared at him angrily. "Do you even know what you're asking for?"
A's killing intent surged as he stared at Hanekawa.
Samui pressed her lips together, her expression conflicted.
"Raikage-sama is known for his fairness in rewards and punishments. What do you think?" Hanekawa asked with a smile.
"I'm beginning to regret sending you to Konoha," the Third Raikage said, fixing his gaze on him and letting out a sigh.
"I have not betrayed Kumogakure," Hanekawa said slowly. "I'm merely asking for the reward I deserve."
"Fine, I'll grant your request," the Third Raikage said after a moment of silence.
__
New entry: This Danzo Is Weird
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