Konoha. Hokage Tower. Conference room.
Hiruzen and the two advisors sat in heavy silence.
After a long moment, Hiruzen stared out the window and muttered, "Taiichi has Flying Thunder God. So does Minato. They'll just have to work a little harder."
He turned back to them. "I'm also bringing Sakumo out of retirement. I'll send him to the western front. With him there, that line will hold."
Koharu and Homura both blinked. The name Hatake Sakumo felt distant. After the scandal two years ago, the White Fang had quietly stepped back from active duty. The higher-ups had let it happen for their own reasons. Hearing it now felt strange.
"Having Sakumo on the front lines would be excellent," Homura said. Whether he meant it or not, the words were out.
Hiruzen returned to his office alone. He pulled out the special Flying Thunder God kunai he had asked Taiichi to make for him. Not for protection—just for fast contact.
He activated the seal. A few seconds later, Taiichi appeared in the room. He scanned the office first, checking for threats, then relaxed.
"Hokage-sama. You wanted to see me?"
Hiruzen took a breath and started his pitch. "Taiichi, I hear you've been trying to convince Tsunade to come home. How's that going?"
Taiichi immediately knew Jiraiya had snitched. He was the only one Taiichi had told about his efforts. Still, it made sense why Hiruzen was asking now—especially with Mist declaring war and the village desperate for a commander who could actually lead.
"Things are moving," Taiichi said. "She still cares about Konoha. She keeps asking about the war in her letters. I've been pushing her to come back. She's not saying no as hard as she used to. I think she just needs the right reason."
Hiruzen's eyes lit up the more Taiichi talked. The kid had been working hard on this. Maybe they actually had a shot at bringing Tsunade home.
"Taiichi, we have that reason right now," Hiruzen said. "We're about to open a fourth front against Mist. We need a commander with real experience. Tsunade is the best person for the job."
Taiichi frowned. "Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sensei has hemophobia. Sending her to the front doesn't seem like the best idea. Plus, we still have the two advisors. Couldn't one of them lead?"
He wasn't trying to dodge. He just knew that if he couldn't even convince Hiruzen, there was no way he could convince Tsunade.
The room went quiet. Hiruzen lit his pipe and took a long drag. Smoke curled toward the ceiling before he finally spoke, voice tired.
"Taiichi… you probably think Konoha is still in a decent position. Danzo lost one battle, but the western front stabilized. We'll take the advantage back eventually."
Taiichi nodded. That was exactly what he thought. They had won most fights. One setback, but they had recovered. The way Hiruzen was talking, though, made it sound much worse.
Hiruzen continued. "We're already fighting on three fronts. Now we're opening a fourth. We don't have enough shinobi to go around. The force we're sending against Mist is mostly made up of clan members we had to beg for.
Danzo's defeat showed Cloud and Iwa that we can be beaten. Mist declared war the second they smelled blood. If we lose again, every other village will drop their grudges and come at us together. We can't afford another defeat. This war with Mist—we have to win. We have to win decisively."
Hiruzen laid out the bigger picture. Taiichi finally understood why they hadn't crushed Sand when they had the chance. It wasn't just caution. It was fear—fear that pushing too hard would unite every enemy against them.
He still didn't get why they had let the war drag out like this instead of ending one front cleanly, but at least now he saw the stakes.
Taiichi straightened. "I understand. I'll do everything I can to bring Tsunade-sensei back. Once she hears how bad things really are, she won't be able to stay away."
"Good," Hiruzen said. "Go now. The force is already gathering. We don't have much time."
Taiichi locked onto the special kunai he had given Tsunade. His eyebrow rose. She was currently east of Konoha—right in the direction of the Land of Waves.
He smiled faintly. Tsunade could say she didn't care all she wanted, but her location said otherwise.
He vanished.
When he reappeared, he was once again inside a casino. Some people glanced his way, but a quick glare and a touch of genjutsu made them look away. His illusion skills had gotten good enough to handle civilians without effort.
He found Tsunade at the loudest table, sleeves rolled up, sweat on her forehead, only a small stack of chips left in front of her. The gamblers around her were shouting for the dealer to open the cup.
Taiichi watched her lose the last of her chips and sighed. Some things never changed.
He stepped behind her. "Sensei, why do I always find you in a casino?"
Tsunade froze. For a split second her face lit up with genuine happiness. Then she spun around, expression shifting to pure annoyance.
"You brat. Weren't you supposed to be holding the western front?"
Taiichi grinned. She already knew he had been on the western front. That told him everything he needed to know about how much she was actually paying attention.
"Sensei, let's talk outside."
They left the casino under the disappointed stares of the gamblers. Tsunade walked faster than necessary.
Back at the inn, Shizune greeted him warmly. Once the small talk was done, Taiichi got serious.
He told Tsunade everything—Hiruzen's assessment, the four-front nightmare, the fact that another loss could bring every village down on them at once. He looked her straight in the eye.
"Sensei, I know you still care about Konoha. That's why you're here in the Land of Waves instead of somewhere farther away."
"Who says I care?" Tsunade looked away.
"This isn't the time to be stubborn. We need you. The fight against Mist has to be won, and it has to be won cleanly. Right now, you're the only one who can lead that force."
Tsunade was quiet for a long time. She stepped outside and stared toward the horizon—toward Konoha.
She did care. She had never stopped. But there was still that old wound keeping her away.
Finally she spoke. "Go back, Taiichi."
His heart sank.
"Tell the old man I'm not coming back to the village. But I'll take command of the force against Mist. I'll meet them on the east coast."
Taiichi's face split into a huge grin. "Got it. I don't think the Hokage will argue."
Shizune looked stunned, then quietly thrilled at the thought of finally stopping their endless running from debt collectors.
Taiichi used Flying Thunder God and appeared back in Hiruzen's office.
When he delivered the news, Hiruzen let out a long breath of relief—until Taiichi added that Tsunade still refused to return to the village itself. The old man's face fell for just a moment before he pulled himself together.
The official announcement came quickly: Tsunade would command the new force heading east to face Mist.
The reaction among the younger generation was electric. Jiraiya and Orochimaru had already proven themselves on the front lines. Now Tsunade was stepping up too. Morale skyrocketed.
The mixed clan force finished gathering faster than expected.
The next morning, under clear skies, the two-thousand-strong unit marched out of Konoha with Taiichi at the front, heading toward the eastern coast and the war with Mist.