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Hiruzen slammed his fist on the desk in fury. The news of the Suna attack had reached Konoha.
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The bastards! Mito''s funeral had just ended, and they were already making their move.
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The Suna attack had resulted in over a hundred Konoha Shinobi dead and three hundred injured. Many of the injured were poisoned.
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If they didn''t receive treatment soon, the death toll would rise sharply.
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Three hundred was a significant number. A small Hidden Village might not even have that many Shinobi.
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"Inform Tsunade. Tell her to head to the front lines."
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Hiruzen ordered an Anbu agent. According to the reports, Chiyo''s poison was potent. The medics on the front lines could only slow its effects, not cure it.
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Tsunade was Konoha''s best medic. She was the only one who could handle this.
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"Yes, Hokage-sama."
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An Anbu agent hidden in the shadows vanished to relay the message.
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Knock knock knock
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"Come in."
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A white-haired Anbu with a sword strapped to his back entered and bowed.
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"Sakumo, you are relieved of your duties as Anbu Commander. I have a more important mission for you," Hiruzen said gravely.
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Sakumo Hatake was Kakashi''s father. Besides Hiruzen, he was the strongest in Konoha.
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He wasn''t much older than Hiruzen''s three disciples, but he was far stronger, already at Kage level. A true genius.
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"Your orders, Hokage-sama."
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Sakumo had no objections to being removed from his position. He would obey the Hokage''s commands.
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"I''m sending you to the battlefield to replace Orochimaru as the commander."
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Hiruzen said.
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Orochimaru was currently the commander, but he was still too young and inexperienced for such a responsibility.
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Sakumo nodded, accepting the mission without hesitation.
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...Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
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"The Second Shinobi World War has begun?" Shin asked Tsunade after seeing off the Anbu messenger.
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"It''s not a ''World War'' yet. Just a conflict between Konoha and Suna," Tsunade corrected him.
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Shin scoffed. "Tsunade, do you really think Suna would dare attack Konoha alone?"
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If Suna had the guts to attack Konoha alone, they wouldn''t have waited this long.
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Maintaining a stalemate at the border for months wasn''t cheap. Suna wouldn''t have done that if they weren''t afraid of Konoha.
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Now that they were attacking, besides the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki being out of commission, they must have another reason: allies.
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Konoha was undeniably powerful. Shin didn''t believe Suna would attack without backup.
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"What do you mean?" Tsunade frowned.
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"Suna must have found allies. Otherwise, why would they attack Konoha alone?"
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Tsunade shook her head. Konoha might have suffered a setback, but that was only because Suna had caught them off guard.
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Suna was weaker than Konoha. They knew that. If they were attacking, they must have help.
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Her expression turned grim.
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"Are you going to tell the Sandaime?" Shin asked.
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Tsunade nodded. She had to warn him.
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"There''s no need. If even I can figure this out, don''t you think the Sandaime already knows?"
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"I''m just saying this war won''t be easy. Be careful."
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"So you''re worried about me?" Tsunade looked at Shin and suddenly pinched his cheek.
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"I haven''t done this in a while. Feels good."
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A smile finally appeared on her face. She hadn''t smiled since Mito''s death.
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"I hate it." Shin swatted her hand away. He wasn''t a child; he didn''t like being pinched.
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If it were someone he wasn''t familiar with, he would have trapped them in a Genjutsu world.
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"You might hate it, but I like it."
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Tsunade reached for his cheek again, but this time, two small hands intercepted her.
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"Tsunade-sensei, it''s rude to make others uncomfortable," Mikoto said.
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"Hmph, why are you touching him?" Kushina glared at Tsunade.
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"What''s wrong with me touching him? He''s my student. I can show him affection. Besides, you''re both my students. What right do you have to lecture your teacher?"
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Tsunade pulled Shin into a hug, burying his face in her ample bosom. Shin felt a wave of warmth and a slight lack of oxygen.
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He could resist, but he wasn''t stupid. This was a golden opportunity; he wouldn''t waste it.
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Tsunade looked at Kushina triumphantly. She was deliberately provoking her.
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And she succeeded.
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"Mikoto, help me pry this cow off him!"
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Kushina yelled through gritted teeth.
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"Sorry, Tsunade-sensei, but this is inappropriate. You can''t just do that to a boy."
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Mikoto sided with Kushina without hesitation. They tried to pull Tsunade away, but they were no match for her strength.
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In the end, Shin had to push her away himself.
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He would have loved to stay in her embrace, but he needed to breathe.
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"I''m leaving. You three stay in the village. Don''t go anywhere."
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Tsunade said, then left for the battlefield. They didn''t know when she would return.
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After she left, Kushina and Mikoto glared at Shin.
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"Why didn''t you resist when Tsunade was taking advantage of you?" Kushina demanded.
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Shin was confused. Wasn''t he the one taking advantage?
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"Ahem, I couldn''t resist her strength. Believe me!"
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Shin said weakly.
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Kushina and Mikoto rolled their eyes. They didn''t believe him for a second. He had probably enjoyed it.