the situation between Kumogakure (Cloud Shinobi Village) and Iwagakure (Hidden Stone) was unfolding exactly as Saigoji Youmu had anticipated. The Tianzhi Country incident had ended not long ago, and now Kumogakure had declared war on Iwagakure—so fiercely that its advance nearly reached the territory of the Land of Earth.
Under pressure from Kumogakure, Iwagakure was forced to withdraw some of its troops stationed in Amegakure (Rain Shinobi Village). Observing this, Sunagakure (Hidden Sand) also pulled back several ninjas from the Land of Rain, redeploying them to the border between the lands of Feng and Huo.
At the close of thirty-three years in Konoha, Kumogakure found itself at war not only with Iwagakure but also with Konoha and Sunagakure. With its superior national power, Kumogakure advanced into the territory of the Land of Earth, while Konoha pushed into the Kingdom of Wind. What had begun as a multi-party melee in the Land of Rain during the Second Ninja World War gradually devolved into a series of localized, two-sided conflicts.
In the thirty-fourth year of Konoha's era, Tsunade—having completed her task—took advantage of a rare moment of leisure. She called Saigoji Youmu and suggested they go shopping in Konoha. At a charming food stall, Tsunade was about to pull him along,saying,
"Youmu, let's go…"
Before they could continue, an Anbu ninja appeared and announced,
"Master Tsunade, the Hokage has summoned you to his office."
Sighing deeply (knowing another task awaited her), Tsunade replied,
"All right, I'll go first."
After delivering the message, the Anbu ninja quickly departed.
Saigoji Youmu remarked,
"There must be something important that requires your urgent attention."
Tsunade added,
"It just so happens I haven't seen the Third Hokage in a while—so I'llaccompany you. If you want to go shopping, I'll join you next time."
She nodded reluctantly.
At the Hokage Building, Sarutobi Hiruzen's Office
With a vigorous push, the office door swung open. A voice rang out,
"Old man—what's the mission?"
Although not many had seen him recently, the news had reached Hiruzen's ears. At the sound of Tsunade's voice, Hiruzen lifted his gaze toward the door. As expected, Tsunade and Saigoji Youmu entered shortlythereafter.
"It's serious, Tsunade," Hiruzen said solemnly as he handed Tsunade a file containing critical intelligence. Tsunade took it and, after a brief glance, her eyes narrowed as she noted the staggering number of Konoha shinobi casualties.
"Why did so many people die?" she murmured. Although the report listed losses beyond her worst expectations, a closer look revealed the root of the problem: Sunagakure had dispatched its notorious puppet division troops. And that, however, wasn't the worst part.
Despite the elite skill of Konoha's shinobi—who normally would not fear Sunagakure's puppet army—the true cause of the heavylosses was far more sinister. Sunagakure's puppet masters had coated the weapons used by their puppets with a new, deadly poison. The toxin was so potent that none of the poisoned Konoha shinobi had survived.
"The poison used by Sunagakure's puppeteers is entirely new. We've never encountered anything like it, and currently, there's no antidote," Hiruzen explained. "Now, the commander over there is in serious trouble, which is why I intend to send you to support him."
Tsunade replied with a reluctant "Um," before adding, "I'll go as well." At that moment, Saigoji Youmu—who had been silent until now—cleared his throat.
"Um?" His interjection caught both Tsunade and Hiruzen off guard. After all, Saigoji Youmu typically stayed out of Konoha's internal affairs. So why was he now so invested in their conflict with Sunagakure?
"I'm going to deploy Konan, Mikoto, and Kushina to the battlefield," he explained simply.
"No!" Tsunade objected immediately. "They're too young!"
Indeed, Konan, Uzumaki Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto were only around eleven or twelve years old. Sending them into battle would be akin to courting death.
"Yes, Youmu," Tsunade conceded. "The situation in Konoha isn't dire enough tojustify risking their lives on the front lines." Hiruzen agreed, adding, "Don't worry—Konan and the others are young."
"However," Saigoji Youmu continued, "their strength is not weak. And I will personally watch over them on the battlefield."
"This…" Hiruzen turned his head to glance at Tsunade. Although Saigoji Youmu did not officially belong to Konoha's preparations, Hiruzen still valued his opinion.