Ever since the incident where Kakashi was ambushed, the atmosphere in the entire village seemed to have completely changed. Although Tsunade had strictly ordered that no one was to leak a single word, rumors still circulated among the villagers.
It had reached a point where when Kusuo was out buying groceries this time, an old woman asked him with concern, "Lord Kusuo, is the village about to face a war again? My little grandson is still in the third grade of the Ninja Academy. Will he be pulled onto the battlefield to kill enemies ahead of time? He's only nine and a half, and I..."
Her rambling words were like the lingering obsession of an old woman. She was very worried about a war breaking out. Because once war came, the entire village would immediately enter a wartime state, and all ninja would have to go to the battlefield, even a child who had not yet graduated from the Ninja Academy.
It wasn't just the vegetable-selling old woman who was so worried. All the old people who had experienced the Third Great Ninja War in those years understood the terror of a wartime state. The most elite talents were efficiently screened out, relying on the great waves washing the sand, on the powerhouses who had survived round after round of slaughter on the battlefield.
Kusuo was silent for a moment, then took the vegetables from the old woman's hand. "Don't worry. Even if the war starts, no ungraduated children will be sent to the battlefield."
His words immediately put the old woman's heart at ease. She immediately bowed deeply in thanks and insisted on giving him a few more bundles of vegetables. The words of Lord Kusuo were like a golden edict carved on an iron plate, stamped with steel. The villagers believed this deeply.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two ANBU members jumped down from the sky, wearing animal masks. Seeing Kusuo, they knelt on one knee and said, "Lord Guard! Lord Hokage requests your presence!" After speaking, they lowered their heads and waited for his response.
The latter's eyes sharpened, understanding in his heart. As expected. The war has already begun.
Immediately, he said in a low voice, "I understand. You two go back and report first. I'll be there shortly."
"Yes, my lord!" The two ANBU members vanished again with a Body Flicker, coming and going without a trace.
As Kusuo was leaving, many small stall vendors behind him sincerely blessed him. They shouted with all their might, "Lord Kusuo! You must return safely! We will all always believe in you!"
Kusuo's figure grew further and further away, and the voices slowly faded until they disappeared.
It was the familiar Hokage Tower again. But at this moment, it was already bustling and operating with high efficiency. It was a stark contrast to the previous orderly but leisurely atmosphere.
He went upstairs. Pushed open the door. "Lady Tsunade."
Kusuo gave a simple greeting and stood silently, looking at Tsunade's back. Hearing the visitor's voice, Tsunade's face lit up with joy, and she immediately turned her head.
"Kusuo, for the village to have found you this time... it was truly a choice made out of desperation. The allied forces of the three great nations have already assembled. They have rushed to the battlefields of the Land of Fire and the Land of Demons one after another. They are numerous and powerful, and they have come prepared. We have already been pushed back step by step."
"Although I feel very ashamed, the target of those people is you. As a member of the village, we should protect you, but we..."
POW!
Tsunade angrily slammed her fist on the table, the frustration in her heart not dissipating for a long time. "Our strength is insufficient. In the end, we can only rely on your power!"
After quietly listening to Tsunade's words, Kusuo didn't have too many emotional fluctuations. He had killed the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, and his growth was so rapid. Whether it was the Daimyo or the other Kage of the three great nations, it was impossible for them to let him go. He was already mentally prepared for this. For Konoha to want to protect him was nothing more than the implementation of the Will of Fire.
And he himself was not afraid of any surging enemy. Even if the other side was an allied army of three nations, numerous in number. After one's strength reached a certain level, numbers were the most useless thing to him.
"I appreciate the village's good intentions," Kusuo said calmly, his eyes looking peacefully at Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade, do you still remember the sentence I've always said to you? There's no need to thank me. We are just taking what we each need. There's no need for any psychological burden."
With his words, Tsunade was clearly much more relaxed, no longer so conflicted. But she still hesitated to speak.
"The village already owes you too much," Tsunade sighed.
Kusuo shrugged, indicating he didn't care. To him, Konoha was equivalent to a neighborhood from his previous life. The Hokage was just the property manager. If the living environment of the neighborhood was destroyed and encroached upon, for him, a homeowner, to step up for the place he lived in was nothing.
But Kusuo asked another question. "Lord Jiraiya? I haven't seen him for a long time."
Time had passed quickly. In the first year after the Konoha Crush, he had stepped up and annihilated the Sand Village. Immediately after, he had rushed to the Land of Demons and helped Shion subdue Mōryō. Then, another year had passed. Kakashi was ambushed, his Sharingan taken by Obito. And until now, another year had passed.
He was now fifteen years old, yet he had not seen Jiraiya's figure at all. If he had been tying Naruto down for special training in the first two years, that was one thing. But what about now?
Tsunade was silent for a while, then said bitterly, "The village is short on manpower. The Akatsuki is also involved in this war, so he went to the Hidden Rain Village battlefield to investigate."
The Hidden Rain Village? To investigate?
Hearing this, Kusuo's brow immediately furrowed. He thought of some things that had happened in the original story. If he was not mistaken, Jiraiya would eventually fall at the hands of the Six Paths of Pain. The Pervy Sage would die there.
"What's wrong?" Seeing his expression, Tsunade asked with confusion. Is there a problem?
"Is this the first time Jiraiya-sensei has gone to investigate?"
Tsunade was a little puzzled. "The first time. He hasn't come back yet."
Kusuo's face was grim. "Lady Tsunade, if Jiraiya-sensei returns safely this time, you must remember not to let him go to that place again. Even if it means changing to another battlefield. If... the village doesn't want to lose him."
With that, Kusuo picked up his sword and left directly.
The words he left behind as he was leaving made Tsunade shocked and uncertain. "If... you don't want to lose him? Lose Jiraiya?"
She rushed to the window, watching Kusuo's departing back below. This brat... what on earth does he know?
...
Land of Demons.
This place was located at the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth. One of the Allied Shinobi Forces was responsible for this area, wanting to take back the territory of the Land of Wind and leave the Land of Fire completely isolated. As for whether there was any guilt for sitting by and watching the chaos in the Land of Demons and now wanting to step in and destroy it... no one knew.
"Captain!"
A small squad was pinned down in a trench, attacked from both the front and the back. They wore Konoha headbands and were currently looking at their leader with eyes that were about to split. Their captain had just had his internal organs shattered by the Earth Village's combination ninjutsu, Earth-Style: Earth-Shaking Core. He was clearly not going to live.
"Don't panic!" the bleeding captain said, using his last breath to remind a teammate closest to him. "Everyone, defend this line! Behind us are the evacuating civilians of the Land of Demons! Therefore, we absolutely cannot retreat a single step!"
"Captain!" Seeing their captain like this, still concerned about the situation on the battlefield, the team members' eyes filled with hot tears, their emotions stirred.
"Found them! Hiding here! Hahaha, let's go, boys! Kill them all in one go!" Just then, the cruel laughter and movement of the enemy came from above the trench. Countless earth and stone pillars were instantly fired at them, their momentum heavy and powerful, wanting to smash them into meat paste.
"This is bad!" The members of the squad, at this moment, realized they had no time to react to the enemy's ninjutsu.
VMM!
The light hum of a sword descending from the sky. It cut through a stream of light, and the dozens of earth and stone pillars, each more than a meter thick, were instantly cut into fine powder, which sprinkled on the heads of the retreating Konoha ninja.
This sword...?
"It's Lord Kusuo!"
"Great! Lord Kusuo is here!"
The members of the squad frantically wiped the dust and stone powder from their faces, their gazes searching happily for Kusuo's figure.
Swoosh!
An afterimage flashed past. Kusuo had already arrived in front of their captain. Under his Transparent World, the injuries inside the captain's body were completely visible.
Covering the captain's left lung and diaphragm with his hand, he said in a deep voice, "Pay attention and close your mouth. Breathe through your nose. Circulate your chakra and airflow in the direction my hand is covering."
The captain's breath was already as faint as a thread, but because it was Kusuo's words, he did as he was told without question. Time passed, second by second. The captain's face, which had been as pale as silver water, actually had its first flush of color.
During this time, an enemy ninja wanted to take this opportunity to charge up and kill them, but Kusuo flicked a pebble from his fingers and pierced his throat. The man on the other side opened his mouth wide, unable to speak for a long time, blood gurgling from his throat.
"Great! The captain's breathing is getting stronger!"
"Quick! Where's the medical-nin? Come over here, quick!"
According to Tsunade's suggestion, basically every squad was now equipped with a medical team. But they had never expected that in front of their captain, who everyone thought was certain to die, Lord Kusuo had actually saved him from the hands of the god of death.
In an instant, all the squad members looked at Kusuo as if he were a god.
-------
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