eurekapd Chapter 788 Raising an Eyebrow
Chapter 788 Raising an Eyebrow
Tsunade raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What are you talking about? Did Konoha win another battle and are you going to give me a few days off?"
The Third Hokage's smile faded slightly, and his eyes became somewhat profound. He walked to a simple wooden table and sat down, gesturing for Tsunade to sit as well. Upon seeing this, Tsunade abandoned her joking demeanor and sat down opposite the Third Hokage.
"Tsunade, do you want to be Hokage?" The Third Hokage asked directly, his tone as calm as if he were asking about the weather.
However, these words struck Tsunade like a thunderbolt. She jolted, the color draining from her face. Want to become Hokage? Such words would never normally come from the Third Hokage's mouth. Unless…
"Konoha has been defeated again?!" Tsunade's face was ashen, her hands clenching unconsciously, her voice filled with suppressed anger and unease. Countless worst-case scenarios flashed through her mind in an instant. Had the situation at the front lines really deteriorated to this extent?
Seeing her strong reaction, the Third Hokage chuckled and waved his hand, "Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, I was just chatting casually."
Tsunade stared at him with some skepticism, but seeing that the Third Hokage's face showed no sign of panic, she relaxed her guard slightly. She pursed her lips and snorted, "No interest. I have absolutely no interest in the Hokage position. After this war is over, I just want to live my own life."
"Your own life?" The Third Hokage repeated meaningfully, then asked, "Is it with Zhang Hai?"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade's face instantly flushed red. Although she didn't speak, her shy expression said it all.
Seeing this, the Third Hokage couldn't help but sigh, "You two are really young. Your relationship is progressing really fast. Did Zhang Hai agree?"
Tsunade blushed, but her eyes were unusually firm: "Yes, we've already made a promise."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jingyin, who was organizing medicines not far away, dropped the medicine bottle in her hand with a "clatter" to the ground. Jingyin's eyes widened, and her mouth gaped open enough to fit an egg.
"You made a promise?!" Shizune almost screamed, her mind instantly flashing back to years ago when she saw Tsunade and Zhang Hai embracing under the moonlight after a mission. At the time, she thought she was seeing things, but she never expected... Shizune covered her mouth, trying hard not to make a sound, secretly pleased with herself. This gossip was truly explosive!
The Third Hokage smiled with satisfaction and said, "That's wonderful. It seems you've found your happiness."
Then, he changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming relaxed, as if he were just mentioning it casually: "However, I'll be leaving Konoha in your care for the time being."
The blush on Tsunade's face vanished instantly, and she stood up abruptly, her expression becoming unusually serious.
"What do you mean?! What do you mean by that?!" Tsunade's heart skipped a beat; she finally realized something was wrong. The Third Hokage would never say something like that for no reason, much less suddenly ask her if she wanted to be Hokage. "Are you leaving Konoha? Something must have happened! Tell me, what happened?!"
The Third Hokage knew Tsunade's temper; she would never let it go unless things were made clear. He sighed, took a sealed intelligence scroll from his pocket, and handed it to Tsunade.
"This is intelligence regarding 'Operation Hurricane'." The Third Hokage's voice grew heavy.
Tsunade took the scroll and quickly opened it. Her gaze swept rapidly across the words on the scroll, her expression shifting between light and shadow. The contents of the scroll made her heart pound, and her hands began to tremble slightly.
Tsunade was acutely aware of Konoha's predicament. After the prolonged devastation of the Third Shinobi World War, the village already had few usable ninjas, and now, with the war continuing and casualties mounting, the situation was dire. If this intelligence was accurate, and the Sand Village's 5,000-strong army were to attack, Konoha simply wouldn't have the strength to cope. She roughly estimated that the village could probably muster fewer than 300 ninjas, and that included many wounded, making effective resistance impossible.
"So, you're planning to face the Sand Village's five thousand-strong army alone?!" Tsunade suddenly looked up, staring intently at the Third Hokage, her voice filled with shock and disbelief. She finally understood the Third Hokage's plan—an incredibly audacious and dangerous scheme.
The Third Hokage nodded, his eyes showing no fear, only the responsibility and duty of being Hokage.
“I had already planned this,” the Third Hokage calmly analyzed. “There is a natural barrier between us and the Land of Wind, namely Mount Kikyo. There are nearly a thousand Konoha ninja stationed there. With me personally leading the troops, I believe we can hold them off for a long time. The Sand Village also suffered heavy losses in the Third Shinobi World War, so they won’t engage in a war of attrition with us.”
"I'll go!" Tsunade blurted out without thinking. She absolutely couldn't let the Third Hokage take such a risk alone.
However, the Third Hokage shook his head and refused Tsunade's request.
“No.” The Third Hokage said in a deep voice, “Your abilities require close combat, and the puppeteers of Sunagakure are very effective against you. Moreover…” He paused, a hint of gentleness flashing in his eyes, “Zhang Hai is also there. With him there, Sunagakure’s poison won’t be able to harm them.”
Hearing Zhang Hai's name, Tsunade's feelings became even more complicated. She was worried about the Third Hokage, and also about Zhang Hai. But the Third Hokage's words were indeed reasonable; her medical ninjutsu was less effective on the front lines than treating the wounded in the rear. Zhang Hai, on the other hand, with his poison techniques and detoxification abilities, might play a more crucial role in this battle against Sunagakure.
Tsunade bit her lip. She knew that once the Third Hokage made his decision, it would be difficult to change it. She took a deep breath, suppressed her unease, and tried to calm herself down, beginning to think about how to better protect Konoha after the Third Hokage's departure.
The Third Hokage, seeing the change in Tsunade's expression, knew she understood. He stood up, patted Tsunade's shoulder, his eyes filled with trust and expectation.
"Konoha, I'm counting on you, Tsunade."
Tsunade did not answer, but silently watched the Third Hokage's back until he disappeared at the tent entrance.
"Lady Tsunade..." Shizune called softly, looking at Tsunade with concern.
Tsunade ignored Shizune and picked up the intelligence scroll on the table again, her eyes filled with a complex yet resolute expression.
"Operation Hurricane..." she murmured softly, as if trying to etch those words into her very being.