She had learned from Mabui that Shinho intended for her to become his Hokage assistant.
Shinho obviouslky had less than pure motives. She had seen his eyes wandering all over her that day.
Becoming the Hokage's secretary in the future might make things even more complicated.
But could she refuse?
Having two secretaries from Kumogakure would undoubtedly be a tremendous benefit to her village.
After finishing breakfast, the group began their journey back to Konoha.
…
One Day Earlier
The northwest border of the Land of Fire.
A massive army of shinobi was marching forward.
Tsunade gazed into the distance, her sharp eyes taking in the endless grasslands.
A little farther ahead lay the borders of the Land of Grass.
Her gaze shifted downward.
At the forefront of the formation walked Kakashi and his Team 7.
Sasuke maintained his usual cold demeanor, though his inner excitement was evident in his stride.
This was his first time participating in a war.
He had also heard much about the Dust Release of Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, a rare and powerful Kekkei Tōta.
The only thing bothering him was Sakura, who was by his side for some reason.
Due to her exceptional medical ninjutsu, Sakura had joined the Summoning Corps and was now his subordinate, following him everywhere.
Naruto, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned.
He was enthusiastically running while doing handstands with Might Guy, their loud shouts echoing across the camp.
Karin, however, looked utterly exasperated.
She desperately wanted to escape these two "rare beasts."
Drained and frustrated, her mind wandered back to Shinho.
She had initially hoped to accompany the Hokage into battle, but with the group splitting into three divisions, she had lost her chance.
At that moment, a graceful figure landed gracefully. It was Mikoto Uchiha.
She smiled at Sasuke and the others before walking over to Tsunade.
In the ninja world, the best spies weren't the ANBU or intelligence agents but the Uchiha clan.
"Tsunade-sama," Mikoto said with a slight bow, "The Iwagakure forces have indeed entered the Land of Grass."
"What's the situation?" Tsunade asked, her expression grave.
"Iwagakure has mobilized their entire village, approximately 8,000 shinobi," Mikoto replied. "They haven't split their forces and are heading straight for us."
"Eight thousand?" Tsunade frowned, "An 8,000-strong force against our 3,000… They don't need do much strategising."
If she were Ōnoki, she would do the same.
With such a numerical advantage, surrounding and crushing the enemy would be enough to secure victory.
But… numbers weren't everything.
As the summoner contracted with the Shikkotsu Forest, Tsunade was acutely aware of the power of Ryūchi Cave.
In other words, the Summoning Corps could nullify the enemy's numerical advantage.
"Order a rest," Tsunade instructed, "And summon the Jōnin for a meeting."
"Yes," Mikoto nodded.
The orders quickly spread.
The shinobi halted their march and began methodically setting up temporary tents.
"You guys should attend the meeting."
Mikoto approached Team 7 directly.
There was no need to speak of Kakashi, he was an experienced Jōnin.
As for the three members of Team 7, though young, they were strong enough to participate.
In particular, Sasuke had been designated by Shinho to lead the Summoning Corps.
Mikoto had been ecstatic when she first heard the news.
After all, the Summoning Corps was personally established by Shinho.
Kakashi and the others nodded.
Following Mikoto, they arrived at the command tent.
Inside, many shinobi were already waiting.
Most of them were Jōnin from the Uchiha clan.
Notably, the Curse Mark Division was being led by the Sound Four: Tayuya, Sakon and Ukon, Kidōmaru, and Jirōbō.
Shinho had captured them during the Chūnin Exams.
At the time, he had spared their lives to study the Curse Mark.
Later, after Orochimaru joined Konoha, the four naturally chose to submit to him.
After all, they were fiercely loyal to Orochimaru.
As for Kimimaro, he was still alive but had not fully recovered from his bloodline sickness.
"Tsunade-sama, everyone is here," Mikoto announced.
"Iwagakure's 8,000 shinobi have entered the Land of Grass," Tsunade began, scanning the room. "The numbers are overwhelming, but victory isn't impossible. The first battle will be handed over to the Summoning Corps."
"Sasuke," Mikoto whispered close to him.
"Yes!" Sasuke responded, raising his voice slightly.
He still wasn't accustomed to his role as the leader of the Summoning Corps, so his reaction was a beat slow.
"We'll act after nightfall," Tsunade decided.
The snakes of Ryūchi Cave varied in size, and under the cover of darkness, smaller snakes were ideal for sneak attacks.
As for fighting openly, wars didn't bother with such formalities.
A strategy that minimized Konoha's losses was a good strategy.
"Mikoto," Tsunade said solemnly, "Make sure Iwagakure doesn't discover our camp's location in the meantime."
"Understood," Mikoto replied firmly.
Tsunade was concerned that the Iwagakure forces might reach them before nightfall.
The only solution was to avoid detection as much as possible.
"Dismissed."
After half an hour of discussion, Tsunade paused before adding, "Karin, stay behind."
Karin was stunned.
What was going on?
Mikoto glanced at her for a brief moment and left the tent with the others.
They still had had a lot to do.
"Tsunade-sama," Karin asked cautiously, "what do you need me for?"
In the entirety of Konoha, there were few people Karin truly listened to.
Aside from Chisori and Shinho, the only other person was Tsunade.
The reason was simple.
Tsunade was Shinho's mentor.
"Are you adjusting well?" Tsunade asked, looking at her.
"Eh?" Karin blinked.
"I mean, are you coping well with the long journey?" Tsunade patiently repeated herself.
"I'm fine!" Karin replied, snapping back to attention with a hint of pride. "This kind of travel is nothing to me!"
Tsunade chuckled as she observed Karin.
She couldn't help but notice a resemblance between Karin's personality and that of Kushina Uzumaki.
Of course, the most significant factor was Karin's close relationship with Shinho.
Given what Tsunade knew about that brat, Karin was likely someone who wouldn't escape his grasp.
Ever since she had come to terms with things with Shizune, Tsunade had gradually made peace with herself.
All she needed was for Shinho to remain by her side.
As for his tendency to attract other women, she didn't care anymore.
As long as it didn't happen in front of her.
Shizune was an exception, someone she could tolerate.
But for the others, she had her limits.
"During tonight's raid on Iwagakure, their Jinchūriki are likely to step in. I'm leaving them to you," Tsunade said, placing her hand gently on Karin's head. "Go and prepare."
"Understood." Karin felt that Tsunade was acting a little unusual today.
But she dared not question her further.
…
Nightfall
North of the Land of Grass
At the edge of the grasslands stood a dense forest.
The Iwagakure army of shinobi was hidden within.
"Still no sign of the Konoha camp?" Ōnoki asked, yawning.
"No," Kurotsuchi replied, shaking her head. She was wearing her signature red cheongsam-style battle outfit.
"Shinho went to Kumogakure battlefield," Kitsuchi said, a faint smile on his face. "We can't waste such a great opportunity."
The reason the Anti-Konoha Alliance had split their forces was to avoid encountering Shinho.
Iwagakure had gotten lucky, avoiding Shinho entirely.
Even better, they were facing Tsunade's 3,000-strong Konoha force.
This was a battle they were bound to win.
"That may be true, but Tsunade isn't likely to confront us head-on," Kurotsuchi said, her long legs striding forward, "If she stalls for too long, it'll work against us."
"If it comes to that, we'll head straight for Konoha!" Kitsuchi said decisively.
"Kitsuchi is right," Ōnoki agreed with a slight nod, "If we still can't find their camp by tomorrow, we'll march on Konoha."
"Yes," Kitsuchi and Kurotsuchi responded in unison.
…
Southern Edge of the Iwagakure Camp
"Summon the summoning beasts," Tsunade commanded, "Barrier squad, deal with the barrier."
At her command, the shinobi behind her sprang into action.
Fifty shinobi formed hand seals in unison.
Smoke filled the air.
A swarm of snakes appeared around them, their numbers overwhelming.
Under the control of the summoners, the snakes slithered through gaps created in the barrier, infiltrating the Iwagakure camp.
Starting from the nearest tents, the snakes slipped inside. Many Iwagakure shinobi, still asleep, lost their lives to the silent predators.
It didn't take long for someone to notice the invasion.
"Snakes!" a voice shouted.
The camp erupted into chaos, the scene descending into utter disorder.
"What's going on?" Ōnoki woke abruptly and stepped out of his tent, only to see his shinobi battling the swarm of snakes.
His pupils shrank suddenly.
"An attack!" he shouted, finally realizing what was happening.
A thunderous crash echoed from all directions.
Four enormous creatures smashed through the barriers and stormed into the camp at that moement. Garaga, Manda, Aoda, and the three-headed snake.
The four giant beasts wreaked havoc, causing heavy casualties among the Iwagakure forces.
"Damn it!" Ōnoki's eyes burned red with rage.
But as the Tsuchikage, he did not lose his composure.
"Rōshi!" Ōnoki ordered. "Head to the north!"
Rōshi was the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails.
The north was where Manda, the largest of the snakes at over 50 meters long, was rampaging, rivaling the size of a Tailed Beast.
"Yes!" Rōshi responded immediately.
He had left Iwagakure long ago due to disagreements with Ōnoki.
However, after being captured by the Akatsuki, their relationship had mended.
"Han!" Ōnoki continued. "Take care of that red snake in the south."
Han was the Jinchūriki of the Five-Tails.
"Kitsuchi and Kurotsuchi," Ōnoki said quickly, "you handle the three-headed snake. I'll deal with the blue one."
"Understood!" they replied, scattering in all directions.
As Ōnoki moved through the camp, the sight of his wounded and dying shinobi only fueled his fury.
He had never imagined that Konoha could secure the full support of Ryūchi Cave.
When he reached Aoda, he began forming hand seals.
But suddenly, he froze, his instincts screaming at him.
The grass, trees, and flowers around him seemed to come to life, surging toward him.
"Wood Release?" Ōnoki's heart sank.
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