Tsunade tried to remain calm, but worry still furrowed her brow.
The war had gone too smoothly—it felt almost too good to be true. On the northeastern battlefield, the allied forces of Konoha and Kumogakure advanced like an unstoppable tide, driving the enemy into a desperate corner.
On the northwestern front, Takigakure had suffered a devastating blow. A covert strike by Root had completely decapitated their leadership, and it was now only a matter of time before Takigakure surrendered. Allied forces were now marching toward Kusagakure.
On the western battlefield, the Sunagakure army led by Pain was currently regrouping after a final, failed assault on the allied forces.
And although B had yet to lead Kirigakure ninja into battle, it seemed increasingly unlikely that they would even need to do so now.
Iwagakure remained ominously silent. They were like vultures, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, joining the fight only when certain of ultimate victory.
Laid out on the table before Tsunade was a massive map detailing Konoha's battlefield advances. The latest reports from the front lines were delivered to the village via messenger hawks, where specialized personnel updated the information accordingly onto the map.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
A knocking at the door interrupted Tsunade's thoughts. She felt oddly relieved—as if this brief interruption pulled her thoughts momentarily away from the crushing weight of war.
Even though she had once served as a battlefield medic, Tsunade had never truly enjoyed war.
Of course, this wasn't because she lacked combat skill—in fact, quite the opposite. She was a powerful ninja.
But years of relentless warfare had made her weary of bloodshed. Even now, stationed safely in the rear, she could vividly picture the brutality of the battlefield with every report that came in.
"Come in."
"Hokage-sama, how are things going?" Jiraiya entered with his signature grin, his white hair gleaming in the light as he pushed open the office door.
Behind him followed Tamako, Naruto's former partner.
"Are we interrupting you?" He bowed slightly, his face lit by a warm smile.
"Not really," Tsunade replied absentmindedly. "Is there an issue with the village's defenses?"
Jiraiya and Tamako both belonged to Konoha's Barrier Division, and Tsunade assumed they were here about some issue with the defensive systems.
Ever since Naruto left the village, this poor woman had been busily incorporating the defensive system left behind by Itachi Uchiha into Konoha's broader defense network.
This work had continued for years, yet had never seen actual combat, but still, Tamako never gave up.
"Or is there some document you need me to sign off on?"
"Neither," Tamako assured the mighty Hokage. "I'm just walking around, checking if there's anything else I can help with... After all, everyone else is risking their lives on the front lines while we sit safe in the village doing nothing..."
His voice carried a hint of bitterness toward the end.
"You're worried about Naruto, aren't you?" Tsunade softened her tone. "I understand your feelings. Waiting helplessly in the rear while others fight—it isn't an easy feeling at all."
"I understand. I believe Lord Naruto can take care of himself, and we've also received news that he's already heading back to the village. But... every time he leaves the village, I can't help but worry, and this war... has made that worry even stronger."
Tamako bowed her head, her voice heavy with concern.
Tsunade naturally understood how she felt.
Jiraiya, Naruto, her disciples Sakura and Shikamaru Nara, as well as senior ninjas like Shikaku Nara and Kakashi—all were now on the battlefield, each one tied to her in some way.
Thinking about it, Tsunade couldn't help but show a trace of worry on her face—a look Jiraiya caught instantly.
"What's wrong? Lady Tsunade?"
"Nothing... I'm just... thinking..." Tsunade hesitated, her brow furrowing slightly. She had a nagging feeling something wasn't right, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly.
Everything seemed fine—there was unusual calmness in the Land of Wind, and great progress had been made on both the northwest and northeast battlefronts. This was turning out to be the smoothest Great Ninja World War Konoha had ever experienced.
There was no sign that anything was spinning out of control, and yet this eerie sense of peace unsettled Tsunade more than actual chaos would.
"...I'm just wondering what will happen next..." Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, and deep down, she could already feel—it was the calm before the storm.
******
It took B hours to finally calm down.
He noticed Naruto constantly messing with something, so he leaned over. Don't let his boisterous nature fool you; this guy really was reliable when it mattered most.
Today's topic of discussion was Naruto's strange heirloom weapon. When it came to swords... well, nobody knew more about them than B.
Okay, at least not many people would still try to kill Naruto after seeing his sword.
"Yo, didn't expect your sword to be so amazing! Can slice, can stab—"
"Well, technically speaking, it still just slices, stabs, and cuts," Naruto said, pulling the Millennium Blade from its sheath and inspecting it closely once again.
He'd done this countless times, yet he never grew tired of it.
"...You know… it just changed into a form better suited for cutting… and… apparently, it can even cut through reality itself…"
Even Naruto seemed a little embarrassed saying that.
But while it might sound ridiculous, to B it wasn't all that shocking. After all, this was someone who could top that with an even crazier claim in under five minutes.
B had originally wanted to reach out and touch the blade, but Naruto warned him the sword had built-in safeguards—if anyone without his bloodline touched the blade, it would attack them instantly.
"Hey, Naruto."
"What is it, B?" Naruto asked offhandedly as he examined the blade.
"What's with that look on your face? What're you plotting now?"
"I'm just thinking things through, bro."
"Then spit it out!"
*Thud!*
Naruto and B clashed heads, their Forehead Protectors emitting a sharp metallic clink.
B snorted disdainfully before voicing his thoughts. "You said [Yin-Yang Release] lets the sword change forms, but what if—just hypothetically—it could do more than just that?"
Naruto blinked, rubbing the back of his head. "...Wait, you're serious? I thought I was just imagining things—like maybe I'd been out in the sun too long."
Ever since obtaining this sword, Naruto had been using only its single original form. He'd never considered changing its shape, nor had any Scroll or other source ever suggested there were alternative ways to wield it.
The first time Naruto used the sword's [Materialization Ability] was actually inspired by Tamako. At that time, he was locked in an intense battle with Sasori, and Tamako encouraged him to fully believe in himself and merge the sword with his body.
So, without hesitation or distraction, Naruto channeled his Chakra into the sword, in hopes of shattering Sasori's Hiruko.
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