Chapter 155: Lady Tsunade, It Must Be the Table’s Fault

The wounded were mostly fine. Konoha’s losses yesterday were minimal—perhaps not even one-thousandth of what Iwagakure and Kumogakure suffered. In total, they lost only two or three squads. And that was even with attempts to intercept the enemy. Of course… You couldn’t really blame Orochimaru and Jiraiya for charging in. If they had managed to intercept Kumogakure’s forces and either captured one or two key figures or caused significant casualties, then Kumogakure might not just have lost—they could’ve ended up surrendering and paying reparations like Ōnoki did. Unfortunately— A and B were just too strong. Those two sliced through the frontlines like a sharp blade, tearing open a path through sheer force. And then the Third Raikage held off the entire Iwagakure force by himself… It was fair to say—there was no weakling among the A’s from Kumogakure. Every single one of them was a savage! When Kyoichi arrived, Kurenai Yuhi was assisting the medical team, learning as she helped out. It felt similar to hospitals in his previous life. At the beginning, rookies mostly did grunt work. Hands-on practice was rare. Kurenai only joined actual medical efforts once she had enough experience under her belt. However… Once Kyoichi showed up, he gave her a little green light. He let her take the lead on treating a moderately injured patient—not seriously wounded, but during wartime, severe injuries were always prioritized. Minor wounds were typically handled with bandages and blood-staunching medicine before being queued. This one was a bit more serious. A deep wound, but not life-threatening—hence it had been left until now. This kind of case really tested one’s Chakra Scalpel control. Kurenai was under a lot of pressure—but she handled it beautifully. Most of her previous cases were surface-level injuries, relatively easy. This was her first time dealing with something deeper. One patient, two patients… all good. But by the fifth— “You’re done, aren’t you? Your chakra control still needs work. Sure, you completed the treatment, but the chakra expenditure is way too high. Plus, under low stamina and mental fatigue, your control drops sharply.” Kyoichi stepped in and healed the patient in just a few swift moves. It was a simple injury. Under normal circumstances, Kurenai could have handled it easily. But with depleted physical and mental energy, her focus and chakra control had clearly declined. That too… is something a ninja must learn. Not every enemy waits to fight you when you’re at full strength. Kyoichi didn’t hold back on sharing his knowledge and took the opportunity to explain a few chakra control tips to the entire medical team. The reward was mediocre— A bit of proficiency with Chakra Scalpel. Kyoichi hadn’t focused on leveling that jutsu, but just from freeloading experience, it was nearly maxed out. Of course… He wasn’t doing this for the reward. He’d just intended to teach Kurenai, and figured he might as well teach the others while he was at it. Whether it’s one sheep or a whole flock, herding them takes the same effort. No big deal. He taught the whole morning, and by noon, the ninja troops were preparing to mobilize. Time to go home! Kumogakure had taken heavy losses and now found themselves attacked from both sides. With Konoha having already dealt with Iwagakure and Kirigakure, unless the Fourth Raikage lost his mind, there was no way he’d keep fighting Konoha. Once the Third Hokage received intel from Kyoichi’s shadow clone, he relaxed even more. A was clearly not insane. He was rash and straightforward, but not brainless. He understood Kumogakure’s situation perfectly. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have swallowed his pride and asked Kyoichi for help with healing. With things settled, Kyoichi had time to send Tsunade a frontline report through Katsuyu. … Konoha— Tsunade had just returned from the hospital. She hadn’t even warmed her seat yet when Katsuyu appeared in front of her. “A live slug? Is there news from Kyoichi?” “Yes, he wrote it all in this intelligence scroll.” “Quick, hand it over—” Tsunade reached out urgently and took the scroll from Katsuyu. As she unrolled it— Within seconds, a vein throbbed on her temple. Katsuyu’s antennae twitched. Then, decisively, it backed away. A second later— BOOM! The familiar sound of a desk collapsing echoed from the Hokage’s office. “Tsunade-hime again?” “Don’t talk nonsense—it’s clearly a quality issue with the desk. Ahem…” “Right, right! Just a slip of the tongue earlier!” The first-floor staff whispered among themselves. Clearly… They were used to this sort of thing. As for what exactly had set Tsunade off upstairs, that wasn’t any of their business—but if they had to guess? Probably something to do with the frontlines. And in fact, that was precisely the case. Right now, Tsunade was practically spitting fire at Katsuyu. “That bastard! Just for a bit of money, he went and got involved with the Third Raikage? What, he thinks he can fly now just ‘cause he’s strong!?” Katsuyu remained silent, huddled in place. “Huh!? Tell me, why would someone so young take such a risk? The elders should handle that sort of thing. Hiruzen may be ten years younger than Ōnoki, but even if he can’t win, he can at least stall him! Why the hell is he showing off!?” Tsunade was furious. But— Since she was asking, Katsuyu couldn’t just pretend to be invisible. “To my knowledge, he’s indeed mastered flight—some sort of unique Paper Release technique. But the speed isn’t quite there yet… just a little short.” Katsuyu had originally intended to say Kyoichi was almost hit and disintegrated by Ōnoki’s Dust Release—but, realizing how Tsunade would react, it tactfully revised its words. One desk was cheap. But a whole building—especially one as symbolic as the Hokage’s office—was another story. If Tsunade flattened it, not even she could afford the damages. Tsunade narrowed her eyes. Something was fishy. She stared for a few seconds, then softened her tone. “Katsuyu, tell me carefully—I really want to hear about his heroic feats.” “Oh, nothing much. Just… almost blew up Ōnoki with some explosive tags.” Katsuyu casually skimmed over the details. Tsunade sensed something was off, but couldn’t find any solid proof. And Katsuyu wasn’t going to budge—so in the end, she just clicked her tongue, sat down, and stared at the pile of splintered wood beneath her desk, lost in thought. The old man used a single desk for over ten years. She took office, and in just one month, she’d gone through four— Counting the one currently in pieces on the floor, that made five. Hmm… If someone comes in later, what excuse should she use? Knock knock knock! There was a sharp rap at the door. Tsunade drew in a deep breath, dismissed Katsuyu back to Shikkotsu Forest, straightened her robes, cleared her throat, and said, “Come in…” “Tsunade-hime, did the desk collapse again because of poor quality? I’ve already ordered a spare to be brought in. Are the documents all right?” Cough! Cough! Cough! Tsunade was caught mid-cough. She had just been about to say she got too excited reading the battle report and accidentally smashed the desk. Who would’ve thought the ANBU operative would go and come up with the whole excuse for her? It completely threw her off. After taking a moment to compose herself, she finally nodded, then handed over the scroll. “Zō, this is the latest frontline report. I got a bit carried away reading it and, well, broke the desk.” “Yes, ma’am!” The ANBU operative took the scroll, glanced over it, and couldn’t help but share in the joy. That said… He knew full well that Tsunade-hime definitely didn’t break the desk just from excitement. Excited? Who expresses excitement with raw superhuman strength? He silently grumbled to himself, but on the surface remained respectfully composed. “Tsunade-hime, should we pass this intel along to Shikaku-sama?” “Of course. He’s the advisor our teacher left behind. Let him have a look and draft up a plan—time to prepare the village for the triumphant return of our forces.” Despite the scattered wreckage of wood across the floor, Tsunade still exuded the dignity and presence of the Hokage. Zō nodded and stored the report. Then he ordered the other ANBU to clean up the mess and bring in a new desk. Wooden again. Tsunade stared at the desk, lost in thought. She wasn’t a carpenter, but even a non-expert could tell—was the material getting cheaper? “Zō, this desk?” “Tsunade-hime, the difference in quality is minimal. Functionally, they’re all the same… that’s what Shikaku-sama said.” “Ugh…” Tsunade was speechless. The same? Well… She supposed they were. After all, none of them could withstand her punches. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed them all. For now, she didn’t want to see anyone. Shikaku, meanwhile, had a very different reaction upon receiving the report. Searᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was thrilled. Victory on the front lines—that was just the first part. The second part… Konoha’s next generation had finally produced true standard-bearers. And not just one—but two. One was Namikaze Minato. No surprise there. Back during the Battle of Kikyo Pass, Minato had already demonstrated impressive strength and gained considerable respect among the shinobi. What surprised Shikaku more was Kyoichi’s power. In earlier reports, he had held off Onoki for an extended period, while his Shadow Clones used Katsuyu’s technique and chakra absorption to heal large numbers of Konoha’s wounded. And now, in the campaign against Kumogakure, he had worked with Onoki to kill the Third Raikage. And that was just his combat performance. In terms of tactics and leadership, Kyoichi had displayed unmatched brilliance in this war. “Incredible… Sakumo and Minato weren’t this strong or gifted at his age… Senju blood, huh.” A terrifying lineage indeed. Shikaku couldn’t help but marvel. Even with a generation’s gap, the power of the Senju still blazed radiantly through Kyoichi, reminding everyone of the era when the Senju ruled the battlefield. Strong. Reassuring. With them around, it felt like no problem was unsolvable. “Shikaku-sama, should we release this battle report now, or wait until Tsunade-hime returns?” “Rewrite it for public release. Post it immediately. As for the Daimyō, we’ll wait for Tsunade-hime’s return.” “Yes, sir!” Zō took the scroll. A copy was made for posting, while the original was returned to Tsunade. Before long— The whole village knew. Victory! Some ninja had already returned from the front, bringing news of Iwagakure’s surrender. So most villagers had guessed that a victory in the east wasn’t far off. After all, Konoha was the stronger force. Previously, they had been stretched thin fighting on three fronts. But now that they were taking out enemies one at a time, with their strength concentrated, even Kumogakure couldn’t withstand them. Still… No one expected that just days after Iwagakure surrendered, Kumogakure would fall too. And the battle report clearly stated— “The Third Raikage was slain by a joint strike from Konoha and Iwagakure.” The Third Raikage! The strongest Raikage in history, dead at the hands of an unlikely alliance between Konoha and Iwa. It was hard to believe—but it was exhilarating. “Was it Sensei?” Kyoichi’s students stared at the posted report, and their teacher’s face instantly filled their minds. None of them had ever seen the Third Raikage in person, but his name was legendary. Even newly graduated Genin like them had heard of him. It was said that his Lightning Release Chakra Mode couldn’t even be pierced by a Tailed Beast. Thinking it through, only someone like their teacher—with his Wind Release swordsmanship—and someone like Minato-senpai, who also mastered Wind techniques and the Flying Thunder God, could’ve possibly broken through that terrifying defense.