Uchiha Kiyoshi ran all the way here at full speed, his feet seeming to fly as if chased by demons. He dared not stop or delay even for a moment.
At this moment, he was panting heavily, drenched in sweat, his clothes torn by tree branches, and his hair disheveled. His entire appearance was extremely disheveled, even more so than the warriors fighting bloody battles on the front lines.
Tsunade frowned slightly, wondering what could have happened.
She gently waved her hand, signaling a subordinate to bring a flask of water, and said softly, "Drink slowly, don't choke."
Seeing Uchiha Kiyoshi in such a frantic and flustered state, Tsunade grew even more puzzled.
Was there some urgent order? But why would Uchiha Kiyoshi personally deliver the message instead of the usual scouts? And judging by his disheveled appearance, the news he brought must be extraordinary.
However, seeing Uchiha Kiyoshi in such a hurry, Tsunade couldn't bring herself to ask directly for the details.
After taking the flask, Uchiha Kiyoshi gulped down the water thirstily. The sound of "glug glug" echoed as he drank several mouthfuls of cool water.
After slightly relieving his thirst, he finally raised his head and looked at Tsunade. Gasping for breath, he stammered, "Uchiha... Ryun, Ryun-sama said, said..." But his words seemed to get stuck, and he couldn't finish his sentence.
"What did he say? Hurry up and say it!" Tsunade urged anxiously, even breaking out in a light sweat. Not only Tsunade, but the shinobi Ryūichi, Ryūji, and the other Uchiha clansmen were equally anxious. However, seeing Uchiha Kiyoshi's grave expression and hesitant demeanor, they couldn't bring themselves to press him too hard.
Finally, Uchiha Kiyoshi took a deep breath and slowly spoke, "To attack the city is the inferior strategy, to attack the mind is superior. Now that the enemy's supplies are cut off, their morale must be collapsing. At this time, we only need to send shinobi to learn the local folk songs from nearby towns, then have these shinobi sing them loudly in front of the enemy. This will surely disrupt Hanzo the Salamander and his subordinates' state of mind, breaking their psychological defenses, and ultimately winning this battle without bloodshed!"
In truth, while rushing here, Uchiha Kiyoshi had repeatedly refined and organized this explanation in his mind.
After hearing this, Tsunade first showed a trace of doubt. After all, for a powerful enemy like Hanzo the Salamander, could a few songs really make him surrender?
She fell into deep thought, murmuring to herself, "But what if Hanzo the Salamander doesn't surrender because of this?"
Then, she raised her head and looked straight at Uchiha Kiyoshi, waiting for him to provide a convincing answer.
At that moment, a deep and authoritative voice suddenly rang out, "If they refuse to surrender, then we continue the siege. When the city's food reserves are exhausted and they can no longer hold out, they will inevitably fall into chaos." Following the voice, the tall and imposing figure of Uchiha Ryun slowly appeared.
Everyone turned to look. Uchiha Ryun was clad in a black battle robe, standing against the wind like an unshakable mountain. His sharp, hawk-like eyes exuded an intimidating aura.
Upon seeing Uchiha Ryun appear, the previously weary shinobi of the Senju forces immediately perked up, their faces showing joy. The reason was simple: in the past period, Uchiha Ryun's display of wisdom and tactical prowess had been nothing short of astonishing, earning everyone's admiration.
His arrival was like a shot of adrenaline, instantly stirring excitement among the crowd.
However, after the initial joy, Tsunade's expression quickly turned serious.
She strode up to Uchiha Ryun, her eyebrows furrowing as she scolded, "Ryun, how could you come to the front lines! As the commander of our forces, don't you even know the simple principle that 'a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall'?"
Faced with Tsunade's reprimand, the smile on Uchiha Ryun's lips faded slightly. He scratched his head sheepishly and explained, "Heh, Lady Tsunade, don't be angry. I was just too bored staying in the rear command post. Seeing everyone fighting so hard, how could I just sit idly in the tent? So I couldn't resist coming to join the excitement."
Uchiha Ryun's gaze wandered, as if he couldn't bring himself to meet others' eyes.
The real reason he had secretly come here was out of concern for Tsunade's safety.
Not long ago, he had just executed his carefully planned psychological warfare strategy. However, afterward, an inexplicable sense of unease lingered in his heart, making him feel as if something bad was about to happen.
Under the weight of this strong premonition, after some internal struggle, Uchiha Ryun finally decided to head to the front lines.
After all, if something unexpected really happened, being on-site would allow him to take the fastest possible countermeasures, preventing more severe consequences.
Tsunade, meanwhile, stared intently at the slightly flustered Uchiha Ryun. After a long while, she sighed helplessly, "Forget it, no point worrying about this. I can't figure it out anyway." When it came to complex problems, Tsunade had never been fond of thinking too deeply—it was just too exhausting.
Then, Tsunade looked at Uchiha Ryun with a serious expression and said firmly, "However, Ryun, let me make this clear. Since you've come to the front lines and joined my unit, you must follow my orders and arrangements. No acting on your own!"
Though these words sounded like a stern warning, in reality, Tsunade was doing this out of concern for Uchiha Ryun's safety.
Uchiha Ryun was far too sharp not to understand the deeper meaning behind Tsunade's words.
He nodded slightly in acknowledgment and declared firmly, "I will absolutely obey Lady Tsunade's orders. Even if it means charging into a mountain of blades or a sea of flames, I will advance without hesitation!"
After speaking, he suddenly raised his head, a confident and composed smile spreading across his face.
Seeing this, Tsunade raised an eyebrow and nodded inwardly.
Then, she methodically began arranging the next steps. First, she instructed her subordinates to carefully learn the local folk songs. Then, she dispatched her scouts to quickly inform Jiraiya and Orochimaru of the relevant matters.
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