novel-bin Chapter 277 War Zone Commander
Chapter 277 War Zone Commander
Chapter 277 War Zone Commander
Konoha, Hokage Building, conference room.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two advisors remained seated, exchanging no words.
After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed outside and murmured, "Taiichi has the Flying Thunder God Technique, and with Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique, it will only make things a little harder for them."
Furthermore, I plan to send Sakumo to the western front to oversee operations. With him there, the western front will be absolutely secure.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were both a little stunned; the name Hatake Sakumo was a distant memory for them.
Since the rumor incident two years ago, Sakumo Hatake has almost withdrawn from the ranks of front-line ninjas, and these high-ranking officials, due to their own selfish motives, have not interfered with the matter.
Hearing this name again now feels completely unfamiliar.
"It would be wonderful if Sakumo could go to the front lines." Whether it was sincere or not, those words were spoken anyway.
The three returned to their respective offices. After returning to his office, Hiruzen Sarutobi took out the specially made Flying Thunder God kunai that he had asked Taichi for last time.
It wasn't that Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to seek Taichi's protection; it was simply for the sake of easier communication.
Just like now, as Hiruzen Sarutobi activated the seal, Taichi appeared in the office in just a few seconds, which was incredibly convenient.
Upon appearing, Taiichi immediately looked around. After confirming that there were no enemies, he asked curiously, "Hokage-sama, is there something you need from me?"
After gathering his thoughts, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly began his performance. "Taiichi, I heard you've been trying to persuade Tsunade to return to Konoha. How's the situation going?"
Taiichi immediately realized that Jiraiya must have told the Hokage this. He had only told Jiraiya about his advice to Tsunade, but he never expected that this big mouth would tell the Hokage.
However, upon further reflection, considering why Hiruzen Sarutobi asked him about Tsunade, and taking into account Konoha's current situation and Kirigakure's declaration of war, he realized...
Taiichi immediately understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's intention: the Kirigakure forces lacked a commander who could keep the situation in check. It seemed that Danzo's defeat had made Hiruzen Sarutobi realize that advisors who had long held high positions were not good at being commanders.
"Everything went smoothly. Tsunade-sensei still deeply loves Konoha. Although she is away, she is always concerned about the situation in Konoha." Taiichi naturally praised Tsunade first, and whether people believed it or not was up to the Hokage.
"In my recent communications, I've also expressed my desire for Tsunade to return. From her replies, I can see that she's wavering and isn't as firmly opposed as she was at the beginning. I think all that's needed now is a trigger to persuade Tsunade to return to Konoha."
Taichi recounted his achievements over the years to Hiruzen Sarutobi, naturally embellishing his story by boasting about how much effort he had put into getting Tsunade back to Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was increasingly delighted as he listened, his eyes growing brighter with each word. Taichi had accomplished so much over the years, and now he was even more confident in persuading Tsunade to return to Konoha.
"Taiichi, isn't this the perfect opportunity? The battle with Kirigakure desperately needs a commander, and the village is currently lacking ninjas with experience in this area. Tsunade is the most suitable candidate."
"But Hokage, Tsunade suffers from hemophobia, so it doesn't seem appropriate for her to go to the front lines. Besides, there are two advisors in the village who can also serve as commanders."
It wasn't that Taiichi was intentionally trying to shirk responsibility, but if Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't even convince himself, how could he possibly convince Tsunade?
The office fell silent for a moment. Taiyi looked at the Hokage, wondering what was wrong with him. Was this question so difficult to answer?
After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe, took a deep drag, and then exhaled a long plume of smoke before speaking with a hint of melancholy.
"Taiichi, you may think that the situation in Konoha is not bad now. Although Danzo lost a battle before, the situation on the western front has stabilized, and it is only a matter of time before we regain the advantage."
Taiichi nodded in agreement. That was indeed what he thought. Konoha had been winning almost every battle since the start of the war. They had suffered a minor defeat before, but with his help, they had managed to recover. However, judging from Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone, the situation was not as he had imagined.
Taiyi remained silent, waiting for what would happen next.
"Konoha has already opened up three battlefields, and now it is going to open up a fourth battlefield. The village no longer has enough ninjas to send out. Even the troops that are going to fight against Kirigakure this time are supported by various ninja clans."
After Danzo's defeat, Kumogakure and Iwagakure showed signs of launching a joint attack on Konoha, and Kirigakure even declared war on us directly. If we suffer another defeat and the major ninja villages realize that we are no longer invincible, they will definitely put aside their prejudices and prioritize attacking the already weakened Konoha.
"Our situation will be even more dangerous then, so we can only win the battle against Kirigakure, we cannot afford to lose."
Hiruzen Sarutobi explained Konoha's current situation to Taichi from a broader perspective, an angle Taichi had never considered before. It turned out that the seemingly glorious Konoha was now in such danger.
But Taiyi couldn't understand why, if the higher-ups knew that fighting on multiple fronts was not conducive to the development of the war, the war had allowed it to develop to its current state.
Konoha had opportunities before to completely eliminate an enemy in one direction.
Take Sunagakure for example. It was almost at its end. The One-Tailed Shukaku was killed by Taichi, and the village went through a series of battles. Even the Kumogakure region was ravaged by the Kumogakure.
At that time, Konoha could have taken the risk of incurring more losses, and with Taichi and Minato as the spearheads, it would have been enough to crush the entire Sunagakure in one fell swoop, but Konoha did not make a move.
Taiichi didn't believe that Jiraiya hadn't considered this point either. From his observations of Jiraiya over such a long time, he knew that Jiraiya's commands were quite aggressive, and he couldn't possibly let such an opportunity slip by.
The only possible explanation is that the village's higher-ups rejected Jiraiya's decision to attack, ordering the southern camp to hold their ground and watch the Sand Village and Kirigakure fight to the death.
Unexpectedly, the two of them joined forces and turned against Konoha.
This situation also occurred in the northern camp. Even when Orochimaru held the advantage, he could at most take over the entire Land of Hot Springs, but he never took the initiative to attack the Land of the Moon.
Logically, Konoha shouldn't have made such a mistake. It wasn't the first time they had been besieged by multiple countries, and the Second Hokage set a good example.
During World War I, Konoha also faced attacks from multiple countries, but Tobirama Senju led his elite troops and relentlessly beat each enemy until they knelt and begged for mercy before moving on to another.
With such a role model, Taiichi simply couldn't understand how the Konoha leadership had managed to turn the battle into this.
If you don't understand, just ask. Taiichi directly asked the Hokage about his question.
However, seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was also quite conflicted, and after some hesitation, Taiichi finally understood that it was nothing more than him being indecisive and worrying about this and that. Things that could have been resolved at once had all piled up due to this delay, which is why things had turned out like this.
In short, he felt he lacked the strength to subdue everyone, and dared not be as domineering as the Second Hokage, fearing he would incur the hostility of the entire ninja world.
However, this conversation with the Hokage made Taichi realize Konoha's current predicament. Finding Tsunade seemed to be an urgent matter, and the battle with Kumogakure was even more crucial.
"Don't worry, Hokage. Konoha is our common home. I will do my best to persuade Tsunade to come back. I believe that after Tsunade knows all this, she will not have the heart to watch Konoha suffer such a calamity."
"Okay, Taiyi, then hurry back. The troops are already being mobilized and will be leaving soon. We don't have much time."
When Taiichi sensed the Flying Thunder God kunai that had been given to Tsunade, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Was this a coincidence or something deliberate?
If Taiichi's senses are correct, then Tsunade should be east of Konoha right now, in the direction of the Land of Waves.
Thinking of the impending great battle with Kirigakure, Taichi couldn't help but sigh. What a hypocritical woman! She's clearly worried sick, but she insists on acting like it's none of her business.
However, this gave Taiyi even more confidence in persuading Tsunade to return.
His figure disappeared from the spot and reappeared in the Land of Waves.
-
As Taiichi expected, the location was still a casino. It can only be said that gambling is a hereditary hobby of the Senju Hashirama family. It is said that Tsunade especially liked gambling when she was very young.
Taiyi's appearance unsurprisingly attracted the attention of several people, but he only glared at them, and those who had noticed him looked away again.
His current mastery of Illusionary Speed is already quite high, and his Yin attribute nature transformation has reached Lv11. Dealing with these ordinary people would be a piece of cake.
Arriving at the most crowded and noisiest spot, Taiichi indeed found Tsunade's trail near the gambling table.
She had already taken off her outer robe, revealing her bare shoulders, with beads of cold sweat dripping from her forehead. There was only a small stack of chips in front of her. To an outsider, it would seem as if she had gone through some fierce battle, but only those who knew her understood that she was on the verge of losing.
The surrounding gamblers kept chanting and shouting, "Open! Open! Open!"
Taiyi, watching from the side, couldn't help but cover his face. Knowing that she would keep losing, she still insisted on gambling. And why did she keep betting such large sums every time? He wondered what Tsunade was thinking.
With the dealer's announcement: "Three, four, five, twelve o'clock big."
A cheer erupted from the crowd, and the dealer took back the only chip in front of Tsunade.
Seeing that Tsunade had lost all her chips, Taichi finally came up behind her. "Sensei, why are you always at the casino whenever I see you?"
A sleazy voice sounded behind her. Tsunade was startled at first, then her face lit up with joy. She turned around abruptly, but her joyful expression quickly vanished halfway around the corner, replaced by an angry look.
It was unclear whether he was annoyed that Taiyi had come to find him again, or annoyed that Taiyi had witnessed his embarrassing moment once more.
"Hey kid, what brings you here again? Weren't you supposed to be overseeing the western front?"
Well, she's definitely a stubborn woman. He's only been in charge of the western front for a few days, and Tsunade already knows the news. Doesn't that prove anything?
"Teacher, let's go outside to talk!" Taiyi looked around, indicating that this was not the place to talk.
So, amidst the reluctance of the many gamblers, the two left the casino. Seeing Taiichi, they couldn't help but tease him, "Teacher, you're so popular!"
Tsunade blushed upon hearing this, and quickened her pace as she left.
Back at the hotel, upon seeing Jingyin, the two naturally exchanged pleasantries. After catching up, they finally got down to business.
Taiichi explained the situation in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi's assessment, and his own concerns. Finally, looking into Tsunade's eyes, he said earnestly, "Tsunade-sensei, I know you still care about Konoha, otherwise you wouldn't have come to the Land of Waves."
"Who—who said that!" Tsunade's eyes darted away, avoiding Tai's gaze.
"Under any other circumstances, I would not ask you for help, but now is different. Konoha is in a critical situation. We must win this battle against Kirigakure, and we must win it well. And right now, only you in Konoha can shoulder such a heavy responsibility."
Teacher, please come back!
Tsunade remained silent for a long time before stepping out of the house and gazing into the distance, in the direction of Konoha Village.
Just as Taiichi said, she was indeed worried about Konoha, otherwise she wouldn't be here. She was well aware of Konoha's current situation; being an outsider, she saw things even more clearly than Taiichi.
However, a thorn remained in her heart, preventing her from returning to that place of sorrow.
"Taiichi, you should go back!"
Tsunade's voice rang out, but Tai felt a chill in his heart upon hearing it. Was it still not working?
"Go tell the old man that I'm not going back to Konoha, but I will take over as commander. I'll be waiting for this force to arrive on the east coast!"
My heart, which had just cooled down, immediately became hot again. Goodness, she was even breathing heavily while talking. I wonder where Tsunade learned this trick from.
"Okay, no problem, I don't think the Hokage would disagree." Taichi immediately stood up, his excitement evident on his face.
Shizune, standing to the side, was also full of surprise, but the thought that she would finally be free from this life of hiding and dodging debts made her genuinely happy.
If Taiichi knew what she was thinking, he might suspect that Tsunade only took the position of commander to avoid debts.
When Taichi returned to Konoha with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he immediately informed the Hokage of the good news. When Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that Tsunade was willing to take on the role of commander, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, when he learned that Tsunade was still unwilling to return, the dejection on his face was undeniable.
As he grew older, he sometimes wondered if he had made a mistake back then, and whether there had been a better solution. These thoughts became more frequent after Danzo's death, often plunging him into self-blame.
With the definite news brought back by Taichi, the higher-ups quickly announced the selection of Tsunade as the commander of the Kirigakure combat force.
This news immediately caused a stir in Konoha. Compared to the older generation of advisors like Danzo, the younger generation in Konoha were undoubtedly more familiar with and recognized Tsunade.
With Jiraiya and Orochimaru, both members of the Legendary Sannin, having already established their formidable reputations on the front lines, and now Tsunade as the commander of the new unit, everyone in Konoha was filled with confidence for this battle.
With high morale, the team assembled much faster.
The next morning, this force, composed of ninjas from various clans, joined Taichi and headed to the front lines.