"Cough cough! I... I was just passing by, sorry to disturb you two..." Hiruzen Sarutobi did not continue, instead making a gesture with his thumbs pressing together.
The smile on his face made it hard to believe he was the esteemed Hokage.
Hearing his words, Tsunade's face turned even redder. She covered her face with her hands and quickly ran away. Hiruzen watched her retreating figure and sighed, "The girl has grown up!"
"Let me say, kid, you have good taste!" Hiruzen then gave Uchiha Ryun a thumbs up. Everyone in Konoha knew of Tsunade's beauty.
However, due to her high status and picky standards, Tsunade had remained single until now. But now Uchiha Ryun had entered her heart and left a deep mark.
It could be said that the softest part of Tsunade's heart now belonged to Uchiha Ryun, with no room left for any other man.
Uchiha Ryun rolled his eyes at Hiruzen's words. "Lord Hokage, instead of meeting with Lord Danzō this early morning, what brings you here?"
He cursed inwardly at Hiruzen for ruining the moment. Hiruzen smiled, knowing Ryun was complaining about his bad timing.
Hiruzen shook his head. "I already went to see Danzō, so I came specifically to visit our military genius Uchiha Ryun. I didn't expect to discover a little secret."
Hiruzen had no major objections to this. If the Uchiha were still the same as before, he would have had to intervene.
But now Uchiha Ryun was his advisor, and Tsunade was not only his student but also the princess of the Senju. Thus, Hiruzen saw their relationship as a good thing, even a very good thing.
"I didn't expect Lord Hokage to be so gossipy." Seeing Hiruzen's cheerful expression, Uchiha Ryun relaxed a bit.
Hiruzen waved his hand. "Let's talk about serious matters now. As for you and Tsunade, I fully support it!"
Uchiha Ryun had no choice but to proceed with the discussion. "Lord Hiruzen, please sit."
He pointed to the stone stool near the table outside the tent.
This stone table had been set up by Tsunade a few days ago when she noticed how plain Ryun's tent was. In her mind, Uchiha Ryun was an elegant strategist.
How could he not have a proper tea spot outside his tent? So she personally arranged for the stone table and stools to be made for him.
Hiruzen nodded and sat down, while Uchiha Ryun went to boil water. After about ten minutes,
Uchiha Ryun personally brewed tea for Hiruzen and poured a cup before sitting down. The tea was from Konoha Village, which Ryun found quite pleasant, so he had brought some along.
Today, it came in handy. Hiruzen picked up the cup, blew on the steam, took a sip, and nodded approvingly. "Good tea. Ryun, your tea skills are impressive. I didn't expect to enjoy such a treat."
After another sip, Uchiha Ryun smiled. "Lord Hokage, my humble skills are nothing special, just some minor tricks."
Hiruzen chuckled and finished the tea in one gulp. Uchiha Ryun set down his cup, ready to listen to his leader—no, the Hokage's words.
Hiruzen placed his cup down and spoke. "Ryun, what should we do next? I'll follow your lead."
He had actually arrived last night and immediately gone to see Danzō Shimura for a situation report. Danzō gave him a full account, giving Hiruzen a new perspective on Uchiha Ryun.
That he was a master of predicting the enemy and winning through unconventional tactics.
Uchiha Ryun had already pondered this question many times. Now that Hiruzen was asking, he laid out his plan.
"Lord Hokage, according to intelligence, the Third Kazekage has occupied Mount Daigu, Kikyōzan, and Tamayama with his forces. They are currently camped there and may launch a sneak attack or assault at any moment." Uchiha Ryun began with an analysis of the situation.
Hiruzen nodded. He understood this, but the key was how to minimize casualties in the coming battle.
"I believe Lord Hokage should hold the defensive line with three thousand shinobi to repel their attacks." Uchiha Ryun pointed at the three mountains and their current camp.
Hiruzen fell into thought without interrupting. Uchiha Ryun continued, "Meanwhile, Lord Danzō should lead a detachment to bypass through Amegakure and launch a fierce assault toward Sunagakure."
"At that point, the Third Kazekage will surely retreat to defend. That's when you, Lord Hokage, must pursue relentlessly, pinning him down. Then, Lord Danzō and you can encircle the Third Kazekage together!"
"If you can restrain the Third Kazekage, we're halfway to victory. By then, their morale will collapse while ours soars, ensuring a decisive victory!"
"Even if the Kazekage is overwhelmingly powerful, he'll be left isolated and forced to surrender!" Uchiha Ryun's eyes gleamed with intensity.
The key to this battle lay in countering the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release and his Kage-level chakra. If they could stall him and shake the Sand shinobi's morale, even the Kazekage would have to reconsider his strategy.
Chiyo's Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu were destroyed, and she couldn't replace them quickly. Without them, her regular puppets, no matter how skillfully controlled, would only be at the jōnin level.
Danzō Shimura, still in his prime, could handle her. As for Pakura, Uchiha Ryun would deal with her—if not defeat her, at least keep her occupied.
The remaining notable Sand shinobi were Rasa and Bunpuku. Rasa could be easily handled by Tsunade, Orochimaru, or Jiraiya. The only real concern was Bunpuku, the monk.
He was a man whose spirit approached the Sage of Six Paths and a perfect jinchūriki in harmony with Shukaku. As long as he was in Sunagakure, the village would remain safe.
However, Uchiha Ryun wasn't planning to actually invade Sunagakure. He only wanted to instill panic in the Kazekage's forces, sowing doubt and cutting their combat effectiveness in half!
Hiruzen's eyes lit up. What a brilliant feint! He immediately approved. "Ryun, proceed with confidence. I will hold this position and do everything to restrain the Third Kazekage!"
"I'll inform Danzō. Ryun, if we win this battle, you'll take the foremost credit!" Hiruzen laughed heartily, patted Uchiha Ryun's shoulder, and left for Danzō's tent.
It was clear Hiruzen was in high spirits, even humming a tune on the way, much to the shock of the nearby Anbu.
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