Kiyoshi sprinted all the way over, his feet kicking up gusts of wind.
It was as if some malicious specter were chasing him from behind. He didn't dare stop for even a heartbeat.
By now he was panting heavily, drenched in sweat. His clothes were torn by branches, his hair was a mess, and he looked utterly bedraggled, even more so than the warriors currently fighting and bleeding on the front lines.
Seeing him like this, Tsunade frowned slightly, wondering to herself what could have happened.
She gestured lightly with her hand, signaling a subordinate to bring over a jug of water, and said in a gentle tone, "Drink slowly, don't choke."
Watching Kiyoshi so flustered and anxious only deepened Tsunade's confusion.
Was there some kind of emergency order?
But then why was Kiyoshi personally acting as messenger, instead of a regular scout?
And looking at how completely worn-out he was, it was clear that whatever news he carried was anything but trivial.
However, seeing him in this frantic state, Tsunade couldn't bring herself to immediately press him for details.
Kiyoshi took the water jug and gulped it down like a man dying of thirst.
"Gulp, gulp," the sound of water swallowing could be heard over and over as he poured several mouthfuls of the cool liquid down his throat.
Once his thirst was slightly eased, he finally lifted his head to look at Tsunade. Still gasping for breath, he said haltingly, "Uchiha… Kotarou, Kotarou-sama said, said…"
Yet at the critical moment, the words seemed to get stuck in his throat, and he just couldn't get the rest out.
Say what?
Out with it already!
Tsunade urged him inwardly, anxiety written plainly on her face, a faint sheen of sweat even breaking out on her forehead.
Not only Tsunade, but the nearby ninja Ryuichi, Ryuji, and the other Uchiha present were also keyed up. Seeing Kiyoshi's solemn expression and the way he kept stopping short, they didn't have the heart to push him too hard.
At last, Kiyoshi took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
"Siege is the lesser path. Attacking the heart is the greater path.
Now that the enemy's provisions have been cut off, their morale is sure to crumble.
At this point, all we need to do is send ninja to the surrounding towns to learn the locals' folk songs, then have those ninja sing them loudly within sight of the enemy.
In doing so, we'll be able to disrupt Hanzo of the Salamander and his men, break down their psychological defenses in one stroke, and win this battle without shedding a single drop of blood!"
On his way here, Kiyoshi had endlessly rehearsed and refined this speech in his head.
After listening, a flicker of doubt crossed Tsunade's face.
For an enemy as formidable as Hanzo of the Salamander, could a few songs really be enough to make him surrender?
She sank into thought and murmured, "If Hanzo of the Salamander doesn't surrender because of this… what should we do then?"
Then she raised her head and fixed her eyes squarely on Kiyoshi, clearly waiting for a convincing answer.
Just then, a low voice filled with authority suddenly rang out.
"If he refuses to surrender, then we continue the siege.
When the food in the city is gone and they can't sustain themselves, chaos will break out on its own."
As the words fell, Kotarou's tall, straight figure emerged into view.
Everyone turned toward the sound. Kotarou stood there in a black battle robe, letting the wind whip around him like a mountain that could not be shaken.
His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, radiating a chill that could make one's heart quail.
The moment the Senju ninja saw Kotarou appear, their earlier fatigue vanished. Their faces lit up with joy.
After all, in this recent stretch of time, Kotarou's brilliance in strategy and warfare had impressed them to the point of complete awe.
His mere presence was like a shot of adrenaline, instantly stirring the camp.
However, once her initial joy passed, Tsunade's expression turned stern.
She strode quickly up to Kotarou, her brows drawn tight as she scolded him, half-angry and half-spoiled, "Kotarou-kun, how can you personally come to the front line!
You're the commander of our forces. Have you never heard the saying that a gentleman does not stand under a crumbling wall?"
Faced with Tsunade's reproach, the smile at Kotarou's lips faded slightly. He scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed, and offered an explanation.
"Hehe, please don't be angry, Tsunade-sama.
I was really getting bored out of my mind back at the command post. Watching everyone else fight and bleed, how could I just sit in the rear and twiddle my thumbs?
So I couldn't help coming over to… liven things up a little."
Kotarou's gaze darted about, as if he didn't dare meet anyone's eyes.
The real reason he had slipped out here was his concern for Tsunade's safety.
After he set his stratagem of attacking the heart into motion, a vague sense of unease had hovered over him nonstop, as though something bad was looming just out of sight.
With that ominous feeling pressing on his chest, Kotarou had struggled for a while before finally deciding to rush to the front himself.
If something really did go wrong, being on the scene would let him react immediately and keep things from spiraling into disaster.
Tsunade kept her eyes locked on the slightly flustered Kotarou. After a long moment, she sighed helplessly.
"Forget it. No point dwelling on headaches. It's not like I'm going to suddenly figure it all out by thinking harder."
She had never been particularly fond of chewing over complicated problems. It was simply too draining.
Then her expression hardened again as she spoke to Kotarou in a solemn tone.
"But Kotarou-kun, let me say the unpleasant part first.
Now that you're here on the front line and have joined my forces, you must obey my command and arrangements. You are absolutely not allowed to act on your own!"
Though the words sounded strict, Tsunade was really doing this out of concern for Kotarou's safety.
With his level of intelligence, there was no way he could miss the deeper meaning behind her words.
He nodded slightly to show he understood and replied firmly, "I will strictly follow Tsunade-sama's orders. Even if the path ahead is a mountain of blades and a sea of flames, I will charge forward without hesitation and never take a single step back."
When he finished, he lifted his head sharply, a confident and composed smile spreading over his face.
Seeing that, Tsunade raised a brow and nodded inwardly.
Then she began calmly organizing the next phase of their plan.
First, she ordered her subordinates to carefully learn the local folk songs.
Then she dispatched scouts to rush out and inform Jiraiya and Orochimaru of the new arrangements…
(End of Chapter)
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