The "spy incident" at the front-line camp was resolved in an oddly awkward manner. Haseo told the intelligence division not to bother with that suspected spy, the Medical Ninja—absolutely do not pursue it. Let the matter drop immediately.
This spy was only targeting Haseo himself, so leaving him to deal with it would suffice.
Yet how could someone as upright and refined as Haseo—someone long detached from petty concerns—possibly worry about such a spy? The righteous fear no shadows; could someone of noble character possibly be concerned with Outer Paths?
The ins and outs of such a minor episode weren't worth discussing with outsiders, and Haseo quickly let it go entirely. Pretending he knew nothing had always been part of his gentleness.
Time moved forward, but the war on the Eastern Front remained unchanged—only minor skirmishes continuing. Meanwhile, Haseo remained waiting for the intelligence report from Uchiha Kushan—but none arrived.
Although she carried out a special mission, since the Uchiha had already infiltrated Mist, even if they failed to obtain that specific information, should Mist prepare any major move—such as completing preparations for their next large-scale offensive and determining an attack date—Uchiha would still use Katsuyu's special communication passage to transmit such critical intel back.
Stealth, self-preservation, intelligence-gathering, and adaptive thinking under pressure—these were the traits of a top-tier spy… and an elite Uchiha Jonin was more than capable.
Therefore, Uchiha Kushan wouldn't be foolish enough to rigidly cling to Haseo's assigned mission while ignoring signs of Mist's military buildup—otherwise, he'd basically be brain-damaged.
As for Haseo's plan itself, there was actually no strict time limit. Its element of "suddenness" referred not to timing, but rather positioning. So even if Mist launched their next attack on Konoha, Haseo could still carry out the plan—as long as he got the intel in time.
Still, Haseo preferred to act before Mist made a significant move. Procrastination wasn't his style, and minimizing battlefield casualties was exactly what a commander should prioritize.
But Haseo's sense of urgency meant nothing—everything depended on Uchiha Kushan's report, and until it came, he was stuck waiting.
The estimated three-month window during which Mist was expected to prepare for a large-scale offensive slowly passed, yet the critical intelligence never came. Then, finally in the fourth month after the major battle, a tiny slug returned to Haseo.
"Lord Haseo, the intelligence has finally been obtained, and I can assure you—it is absolutely accurate, completely free from error," the small slug relayed the critical message without delay upon its return.
Uchiha Kushan had been covertly stationed within the Mist village for quite some time. This delay had been intentional—to ensure absolute accuracy. This intelligence was the linchpin of the entire operation, and without complete precision, the greatest possible strategic gains could never be achieved.
If that objective couldn't be achieved, the plan wouldn't have any effect on turning the tide of battle. That would render the entire operation a complete failure.
Thus, Haseo could understand the other party's decision to extend the mission duration—it was even something worth praising as a display of Uchiha Kushan's prudence.
Haseo raised his hand to lift Katsuyu up, watching its surface begin to wriggle. A small scroll was soon "squeezed" out from within it.
After briefly checking that the scroll was intact and undamaged, Haseo first moved the hand holding Katsuyu behind his back—the tiny slug merged with another one already hidden on his body—then he unfurled the scroll, revealing ciphered text written in Uchiha Kushan's handwriting.
As he quickly deciphered the message, Haseo repeatedly nodded. No wonder the Uchiha hadn't wasted so much time lingering in the Mist for no reason.
He slipped the scroll into his pouch… At last, the plan could proceed.
The secret intelligence swiftly traveled through the most secure channels from Konoha's Eastern Front camp straight to the village itself. Upon receiving the report, the Third Hokage deliberated for quite some time before finally issuing an order that should have been given without hesitation… It couldn't be helped; this was simply how the Third worked. Even though he had long since resolved the matter internally, when the moment arrived, he still hesitated once more, weighing his options again carefully.
Nicknamed "Monkey" by the Second Hokage for his short stature and nimble movements, the Third Hokage's personality was anything but mischievous like a monkey—in fact, he resembled more of a steady old tortoise, grounded and deliberate.
Yet regardless, the confidential directive personally signed by the Third Hokage was dispatched amidst the chaos toward Konoha's western front battlefield, directly reaching Danzo Shimura and the three Hokage disciples currently stationed at the front line.
This command carried the highest priority, yet contained no explanation whatsoever… It simply ordered the Sannin to immediately cease all ongoing operations, conceal their locations, and move as quickly as possible from the western front to the eastern front.
Such an abrupt reassignment was highly unusual, especially because Konoha's western front frequently endured poison attacks, meaning Tsunade was supposed to remain firmly stationed there without moving—but now, the Hokage's orders contradicted that principle. Worse, no explanation was given at all.
Nor did the directive specify how long this emergency assignment would last.
Yet regardless, this was an order that none could afford to disobey—it had to be executed immediately.
So Tsunade and the others concealed their tracks and left the western front camp the same day, unnoticed by anyone except Danzo Shimura.
Although the trio didn't know exactly what had occurred on the eastern front or why they were being urgently summoned, their reactions were largely similar:
It must be Haseo causing trouble again, stuck in some new mess.
Well, there were slight differences in their thoughts.
From their perspective, whenever Haseo called for backup, either he himself was already crippled but determined—or he was about to cripple someone else mentally and physically.
The situation was so urgent it felt like the whole world was on fire—so the firefighters had no choice but to drop everything and race across the continent.
However, when the three of them rushed across the entire Land of Fire and finally arrived at the eastern coastline, they found Haseo serene and perfectly normal. Well... he didn't look unlucky or missing any limbs at all?
A flicker of disappointment flitted through someone's mind—for a moment—but it was gone before anyone could dwell on it.
Haseo was holding a cup of hot tea, sitting behind a desk—appearing both relaxed and deep in thought. He looked like a retired government official—utterly unlike a frontline battle-hardened ninja.
Commanders are supposed to be swamped with work—why did Haseo seem so relaxed?
Hmm, once one reads the "Observation Diary of Haseo" written by a certain Medical Ninja, they'll understand why… Haseo always handed off routine duties to [specialized personnel], while he himself just kept an eye on those 'specialists.'
"Huh? You're here already?"
Haseo finally snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed three pairs of eyes staring at him with strange expressions.
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