In a certain forest between the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Water.
The trees here were pale, and thick, indiscernible white mist permeated the area, looking like skeletal remains from afar.
Blue and white slugs crawled on the ground and trees, leaving trails of slime everywhere.
This was how Shikkotsu Forest got its name.
At this moment, a blonde girl sat cross-legged on the ground, hands resting on her knees, palms facing upwards, eyes closed in concentration.
This blonde girl was Tsunade.
She was currently practicing the Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest, sweat trickling down her forehead.
A small slug beside her quietly watched Tsunade with its eyes on its two tentacles, full of hope.
You can do it, Lady Tsunade...
A few minutes later, Tsunade slowly opened her eyes, a look of disappointment on her face, and a sigh escaped her lips: "It still isn't working, huh..."
Katsuyu crawled onto Tsunade's shoulder, her soft voice remarkably comforting. "Lady Tsunade, don't be discouraged. You're just in the initial stage, so this is inevitable."
Tsunade wrinkled her small face and mumbled, "But didn't Grandpa master it quickly back then?"
"Uh... Lord Hashirama was special."
Katsuyu had lived for so many years and had never seen anyone like Hashirama.
Not only did he learn her Sage Mode instantly, but he could even improve upon it, forming his own unique Sage Mode.
Tsunade nodded slightly.
The more she learned about her grandfather, the more she realized how amazing he was.
Whether it was Wood Style or Sage Mode, she seemed to have inherited neither.
She had always been praised as a genius since childhood, but now, thinking about it compared to her grandfather, how laughable her title of genius was.
Tsunade grew irritable. "It's so annoying! It's all Tōshirō's fault for calling me weak and making me practice Sage Mode, otherwise, I wouldn't be here feeling inferior and distressed."
Katsuyu whispered a reminder, "Lady Tsunade, don't be agitated. Have you forgotten the rules for practicing Sage Mode?"
Tsunade suddenly realized, stopped sulking, and covered her mouth. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."
Katsuyu suggested, "Take a break, then continue. As the saying goes, haste makes waste."
Tsunade took the advice, found a large tree, and squatted, leaning against it. "I'll take a short nap. Remind me when it's time."
"Understood, Lady Tsunade..."
Tsunade feigned sleep for a while. Just as she was about to open her eyes, she heard a soft voice beside her ear: "Lady Tsunade..."
"Thank you, I'll get up now and continue training..."
"No, I wasn't talking about that."
Tsunade was slightly stunned.
Katsuyu continued, "Lady Mito seems to have something to discuss with you."
While Tsunade was napping, Mito used Summoning Jutsu to summon a clone of Katsuyu, and Katsuyu thus learned of the matter.
"I understand. Please tell Grandma that I'm ready, and ask her to use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to summon me back."
"Understood..."
Soon after Katsuyu went back to report, Tsunade suddenly emitted white smoke. When the smoke dissipated, she had already vanished from her original spot.
Tsunade returned to Konoha, debriefed with Mito, understood the situation, and immediately headed straight for the Hokage's office building.
In the Hokage's office, Danzo, seeing the blonde girl approach, slowly spoke, "You've arrived."
Tsunade got straight to the point and asked, "You're looking for me for something?"
Danzo didn't beat around the bush and directly said, "There's a mission that I might need to assign to you."
As a ninja, undertaking missions was a daily routine for Tsunade. Hearing this, she didn't take it too seriously and calmly asked, "What kind of mission?"
At this, Danzo paused, as if hesitating.
"What's wrong?"
Danzo closed his eyes, shook his head, and dispelled the confusion in his mind.
He pondered for a moment, then eloquently spoke the words he had organized.
Tsunade listened, her eyebrows furrowed.
This mission might be the most important one she had ever received in her life.
Tsunade's lips slightly parted, and she shook her head, saying, "That's truly unbelievable."
"Will you choose to accept this mission?"
Tsunade lowered her head, falling silent.
Danzo glanced at her, coaxing, "If this mission is successfully completed, a long period of peace might follow. At that time, you and Tōshirō can also..."
Tsunade's body trembled, and she murmured, "Tōshirō..."
Danzo calmly said, "This mission is a bit dangerous. I won't force you."
Tsunade closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and made her decision. "I'll go..."
Danzo suppressed his inner excitement, his expression remaining calm. "Then I will now tell you the specific details of the mission. Prepare yourself well."
Tsunade nodded.
After assigning the mission, Danzo watched Tsunade close the door as she left, an insidious smile of a plan about to succeed forming at the corner of his mouth.
After this mission, Uchiha Tōshirō would no longer exist in this world.
Danzo returned to his chair, staring at the ceiling. He was in a daze for a few seconds, then slowly closed his eyes. "Sensei Tobirama, I'm doing all this for the village..."
Swoosh, Swoosh, Swoosh...
In the forest, two figures were constantly moving.
Tōshirō's foot touched a treetop, then he immediately leaped to the next chosen tree, landing steadily, and then jumped to another treetop.
This motion repeated continuously.
He was heading towards the direction of the target he intended to eliminate this time.
Kakuzu's subordinate had gathered intelligence that the person who knew Tōshirō's secret was staying in a small town not far ahead.
Out of caution, Tōshirō had changed his appearance. Even walking on the street, he wasn't afraid of being recognized.
However, these were secondary concerns. The most important thing was to avoid using his Kekkei Genkai in the upcoming battle if possible.
His abilities were too distinctive.
"Are we almost there?" Tōshirō asked Kakuzu, who was jumping beside him.
"Yes..."
Kakuzu replied blandly, continuing to leap between treetops.
"Still as taciturn as ever, huh..."
Tōshirō teased him and hurried to keep up.
Leaving the forest and entering the plains, the two walked for some time on the road before finally spotting a town.
Tōshirō found a passerby on the road and politely asked for directions.
The intelligence only mentioned the target's frequent haunts. Tōshirō was unfamiliar with the area, so asking for directions was the quickest way.
The passerby pointed forward, generally describing the direction, what to look out for along the road, and so on.
Tōshirō understood and thanked him, then looked sideways at Kakuzu. "I've got the information. We can go."
Kakuzu acknowledged with a hum.
Following the passerby's directions, Tōshirō and Kakuzu easily found the shop mentioned in the intelligence.
"May I take your order?"
A waiter came up to greet them warmly.
Tōshirō and Kakuzu found an inconspicuous corner to sit down, ordered a few dishes, and waited patiently.
The intel stated that the person would frequently appear here, so Tōshirō and Kakuzu only needed to wait.
After an unknown amount of time, three men entered the shop. The leading man was of a very ordinary build and appearance. If it weren't for his red hair, he would definitely be someone who would go unnoticed in a crowd.
But he caught Tōshirō's attention.
This man was the target Tōshirō intended to kill, named Moroboshi Dan.
Tōshirō glanced sideways, his look seemingly asking, "Is that him?"
Kakuzu nodded subtly, confirming.
Tōshirō commented on the dishes a few times.
This was a signal, indicating that there were too many people here to make a move. They would wait for the target to leave, then quietly follow and eliminate him.
"Hmm..."
Kakuzu nodded, agreeing to the plan.
After that, Tōshirō deliberately scrutinized the target, thinking that appearances could truly be deceiving. He couldn't believe Kakuzu couldn't defeat him. He had to admit that this world truly had many hidden talents.
Just as he was filled with emotion, a neutral voice suddenly spoke inside him, calling his name.
Tōshirō was slightly startled. "What is it, Little Five?"
The Five-Tails inside him asked, "Tōshirō, are you very familiar with this guy called Kakuzu?"
Tōshirō chuckled, "Isn't that obvious? Otherwise, why would I be working with him?"
"Then do you also know that he has a Tailed Beast inside him?"
"Of course..."
Tōshirō subconsciously replied, then a half-second later, he reacted and his eyes widened. "Uh, what did you say!?"
(End of Chapter)
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