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Heshu healed Sarutobi Aoki and Kaishin with his Reverse Cursed Technique, and the group set out for the front lines.
The war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth had erupted, and the Land of Grass, sandwiched between them, was suffering the most. It had become a full-blown battlefield for the two great nations.
The Leaf's main camp was built at the foot of a mountain on the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire. A lookout tower stood at a higher point on the mountain. The rest of the tents were scattered around the main camp.
Row upon row of white tents rose from the plains of the Land of Grass, like little white sails on a green sea.
Heshu and the others first went to see Orochimaru, the supreme commander of the front line.
Standing before the largest tent, Heshu felt a twinge of guilt.
He'd promised Snake-sama that potion… and now it was gone. How was he supposed to face Orochimaru, who'd been eyeing that Gender Swap Potion for ages?!
"Enter."
The ninja guarding the tent flaps on either side nodded to Minato Namikaze and lifted the white curtains.
A wave of warm air hit them, carrying with it the low murmur of conversation.
Heshu tried to make himself as small as possible, hiding behind Hizashi Hyuga.
"Lord Orochimaru," Minato reported. "The second and third teams led by Senior Akimichi Shinden and Senior Kaishin were ambushed by Rock ninja en route. Senior Shinden fell in battle. Team three member Uehara Tame also fell. The rest have arrived."
Orochimaru's gaze shifted from Minato's face to Hizashi and Kaishin. He showed no particular reaction to Shinden's death, merely giving a faint nod.
Heshu stood behind Hizashi, the man's frame enough to completely block him from view.
But…
He'd calculated everything except this.
"Heshu!"
"Ha! Didn't expect to see you here on the battlefield, girl!"
Standing to Orochimaru's left, Tsunade, with her vantage point, instantly spotted the figure trying to hide. Beaming, she reached into the group and hauled him out.
"…"
Shit.
Heshu could practically feel Snake-sama's eyes on him now. His scalp prickled.
"Tsunade-nee! Long time no see!" Heshu forced a bright smile.
Tsunade ruffled his hair roughly. "It has been a while! Since you're here, you'll be my assistant!"
The moment she said it, several pairs of eyes fixed on Tsunade.
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened. A cryptic smile played on his lips as he addressed her. "Tsukimi Heshu is a genius ninja who's completed S-ranks. Kept off the battlefield? What a waste."
Everyone understood Tsunade's intent. She'd always favored Heshu. The battlefield was a place where a moment's lapse meant death. Assigning Heshu to Tsunade's medical unit would guarantee his safety to an extreme degree.
Jiraiya wasn't stupid. He understood perfectly. He grinned at Orochimaru, siding with Tsunade. "Maa maa… She's just a girl. Not good for her to be fighting all over the place. And I heard her medical ninjutsu is excellent. She'd save a lot of lives staying in the camp." His smile was brilliantly, innocently wide.
Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya and said nothing.
Ultimately, he was the commander here. Unless he spoke, Heshu's assignment wasn't decided.
"Second and third teams will join the unit under Jiraiya's command," Orochimaru stated. "They answer to him. As for the first team…" He paused, his eyes shifting to Minato. "…they're yours."
"Yes, sir," Minato replied.
With the Third Hokage already considering his successor, Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze were, in effect, rivals. Handing a highly gifted Uchiha youth to Minato now could easily earn him the Uchiha clan's support in any future vote.
But Orochimaru didn't care about that. What he cared about was the choice of his teacher, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Tsunade frowned, displeased with the assignment. "Heshu is a medical ninja! Sending him to the front lines violates the regulations!" Back when she became famous as a medical-nin, Tsunade had established a series of rules. One of them was that medical ninja were not to be deployed on the front lines.
Orochimaru's smile didn't waver. "You're a medical ninja too, aren't you?"
Tsunade's medical ninjutsu was formidable. Her combat prowess was even more so. Heshu had managed to outshine the geniuses of several major clans in a short time. His fighting ability couldn't possibly be weaker than his medical skills.
"That's not the same!" Tsunade began to argue stubbornly. It was a tactic even the Third Hokage couldn't handle.
Orochimaru's eyes settled on Heshu, though his words were for Tsunade. "Should you encounter a shortage of medical personnel, you may requisition Tsukimi Heshu."
It was a concession. He was giving Tsunade half the authority over Heshu.
"But—" Tsunade started to protest again, but Heshu grabbed her hand.
He shook his head slightly, wearing an understanding smile. "It's alright, Tsunade-nee."
If he didn't stop her, he was pretty sure Orochimaru's gaze would flay him alive.
"Hmph!" Tsunade glared at Orochimaru, snorted loudly, and swept out of the tent.
"Hey, hey! Tsunade! Wait up!" Jiraiya called, scrambling after her.
Heshu stood in the spot Tsunade had vacated, left in a staring contest with Orochimaru.
Just as the awkwardness was about to make him dig a hole in the ground with his toes, the tent flap was flung open again.
A whirlwind in the form of Tsunade swooped in, scooped Heshu up by the armpits, and whisked him out.
She tossed a final, brazen remark over her shoulder. "Catching up with my apprentice is allowed, right?!"
[Ding! Affection level of target Orochimaru: 55!]
What the—
Heshu was dumbfounded.
How did Tsunade's behavior get blamed on him?!
And Orochimaru's affection was directly tied to Hanzo's Gender Swap Potion!
Night. Deep silence.
A small figure crept out of one tent and slipped stealthily into another.
This sneaky shadow was Heshu.
He let the tent flap fall, wiping sweat from his brow.
So scary!
Tsunade is terrifying!
After dinner at Tsunade's place, she'd insisted he stay and sleep over. Heshu was not the type to take advantage of such situations, of course, and had firmly declined.
"You're just afraid she'll get handsy, aren't you?" The System's voice popped into his head.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Heshu's face.
Could he be blamed? If Tsunade just wanted to sleep, that would be one thing. The problem was, she'd suggested going to the river for a bath together.
That was a death sentence.
If his true identity was exposed, he could guarantee—with the System as his witness—that Tsunade would tear him limb from limb! If that was even the slightest exaggeration, may the System be struck by lightning!
"That's rude."
"A little, not much." Heshu offered a shy smile.
"…I can tell."
The System took a moment to sort its programming.
"Where is it?"
A cold, slithery voice came from behind him.
Heshu gulped and slowly turned.
The tent was empty except for Orochimaru standing before him. He looked down at Heshu, the curve of his lips utterly frigid.
"Um…" Heshu blinked, sincerity oozing from every pore. "Lord Orochimaru, I… forgot to grab it before I left."
He needed a plan to get another bottle. Otherwise, he couldn't bluff his way past Orochimaru.
"Is that so?" Orochimaru's smile remained fixed.
Heshu suddenly felt a chill of foreboding.
[Ding! Affection level of target Orochimaru: 50!]
[Ding! Affection level of target Orochimaru: 40!]
[Ding! Affection level of target Orochimaru: 30!]
[Ding! Affection level of target Orochimaru: 20!]
[Ding! Affection level of target Orochimaru: 0!]
Heshu went numb.
[Ding! Detected host's affection level for target Orochimaru has reached 0. Revoking acquired item: Gender Swap Potion. The potion is now void.]
Done for.
Heshu felt like Hanzo could teleport from the Rain Village any second and finish him off.
Sorry, Brother Hanzo!
"But, Lord Orochimaru, I promise, the moment I return to the village, I will bring it to you!" Heshu vowed, adding a note of helpless explanation. "Last time, after the Rain Village mission… a lot happened. I was… in a bad place mentally. I forgot many things. Please don't take it to heart."
[Ding! Affection level of target Orochimaru: -10!]
No way!
Negative affection now?!
Heshu wanted to cry.
"Lord Orochimaru, the battlefield is full of danger. I'm not entirely certain of the potion's effects. Giving it to you recklessly… I'd worry for your health. Why don't we wait until you're back in the village? I will give it to you then."
Heshu looked up, his face the picture of honesty.
Orochimaru's icy stare felt like it was gazing upon a corpse. The aura of gloom around him was almost palpable.
"And if, when we are back in Konoha, you still fail to produce it?"
In the dead silence of the night, broken only by the footsteps of the patrol outside, Orochimaru's tone was downright terrifying.
Heshu met his gaze unflinchingly, his sincerity absolute. "Lord Orochimaru, I will produce it."
As if anyone would make that kind of promise to Orochimaru.
"Fail to produce it," Orochimaru whispered, a chilling smile finally touching his lips, "and I will make you my subject of study."
With that, he melted into the shadows, gone.
Heshu stood alone in the now-empty tent. After a long moment, he looked with complex emotions toward where Orochimaru had vanished.
He never would have guessed.
The person who'd sparked Orochimaru's interest in human experimentation… would be himself.
"System," Heshu asked with difficulty. "How's Hanzo doing?"
That was the real problem now.
"…"
The System hesitated. How to put it?
It was… not good.
The Rain Village.
A village of steel and concrete.
At the highest point of the central tower, a figure was having a breakdown.
Hanzo stared in disbelief at his deflated chest and the instantly wrinkled skin on his hands. The deranged grin on his face was more terrifying than any Tailed Beast.
Good!
Very good!
Excellent!
Hanzo's fingers dug deep into the steel surface of his desk.
"RRRRAAAAAGH!"
He overturned the desk with a furious roar.
Trembling fingers traced the wrinkles on his face. The touch was no longer the firm, revitalized skin from before, but the leathery texture of old tree bark.
"How can this be?!"
"HOW CAN THIS BE?!"
Bloodshot veins crept across the whites of his eyes. The look he gave his own hands was pure, unadulterated obsession.
"Lord Hanzo, the Akatsuki you requested to see have arrived. Should I…?"
Outside the office door, a Rain ninja listened to the commotion inside and asked nervously. He couldn't figure out why Lord Hanzo had suddenly flown into a rage. Just a few days ago, his mood had been wonderful. Not just his mood. His appearance had been rather… wonderful too.
Ahem…
The Rain ninja's face flushed slightly. His expression changed, and he slapped his own cheek in shame. Lord Hanzo must have been practicing some powerful ninjutsu to reverse his age, regain his youth, and transform into a beautiful woman!
"GET OUT!"
"ALL OF YOU, GET OUT!"
"DO NOT APPEAR BEFORE ME!"
Hanzo was losing control. He didn't want to hear anything. He just wanted his young body back! To have something so precious and then lose it—that was the most exquisite torture.
"Yes! Right away!"
The ninja outside jumped in fright and fled.
He emerged, shaking his head at the group waiting outside. "Go back! Lord Hanzo does not wish to see you!"
The group wore black cloaks with red clouds. At their head were three youths.
"Why? We had an agreement…" Yahiko stepped forward anxiously.
The Rain ninja scowled. "I said he won't see you! Now leave!"
Yahiko tried to speak again, but Konan pulled him back. She and the others could clearly see the ninja's growing impatience.
"Yahiko." Konan shook her head.
Yahiko clenched his teeth. With one last look at the towering spire that pierced the clouds, he turned and led the others away, spirits broken.
"It's Tsukimi Heshu!"
"He tricked me!"
With the Gender Swap Potion voided, Hanzo poured all his hatred onto Heshu.
[Ding! Affection level of target Hanzo: -100!]
Heshu: "…"
Damn.
That was the first time he'd seen a negative one hundred. Hanzo must really hate his guts.
Talk about back to square one, and then some. He was drowning in debt.
"Let me ask you," Heshu said. "If the affection level drops to zero, do the skills I gained disappear too?"
If that were the case, he was truly finished.
"Once an affection level reaches 100 and the skill is obtained, the skill is locked in. Even if the affection level drops later, the skill remains." The System continued, "However, if the affection level drops below the acquisition threshold before reaching 100, then the skill will disappear along with the affection."
Heshu was silent for a moment. Time for the emotional appeal. "System-bro. Be honest. How's our relationship?"
"Average." The System considered for three seconds.
"…System-bro, that hurts."
Heshu laid on the sincerity. "Haven't we been through a lot together? A life-and-death companionship! In the future, if the affection level suddenly plummets, can you… keep my skills from disappearing first?" He promised, "I'll raise the affection back up as fast as I can."
The System paused, giving a conservative answer. "I'll try."
"No, that's too cold! Give me a definite answer, not 'try'."
"I have superiors. Some things… aren't within my full authority." The System sounded genuinely helpless. "I'll apply tonight for permission to retain acquired skills despite drops."
"Thank you, System-bro." Heshu was moved, eyes glistening.
Memories of workplace politics from his past life flashed through his mind. Even the System couldn't escape pressure from above.
And so, with complex emotions, Heshu drifted into sleep.
Shisui slept on the bedroll to his left, Juri on his right.
Heshu didn't mind. They were all guys. Besides, this was the battlefield. Shared quarters were normal.
As long as he didn't have to sleep with Tsunade. It was torture for him, and would be for her if she knew. The anxiety alone was hell. It was the ultimate test of willpower.
Five hours later, Heshu was jolted awake by a cacophony of noise.
The tent was empty.
Heshu sat up, hair a bird's nest, utterly confused.
Had the Leaf camp been attacked at night?
"Heshu, you're finally awake."
Juri lifted the tent flap, smiling at him.
Wait.
That sentence was full of traps. 'Finally awake' implied he was a lazy sleeper. That didn't fit the diligent persona he was trying to maintain at all.
"Yeah," Heshu said, instantly finding the perfect counter. "Accidentally practiced too late last night. A bit tired today."
Juri's eyes widened. Heshu hadn't been back when he fell asleep. He'd assumed Heshu was resting in Lady Tsunade's tent. But here he was this morning. And he'd been out practicing in the middle of the night?!
So diligent!
Juri's face lit up with determination.
He had to work harder too! Waking up at five a.m. every day wasn't enough! Starting tomorrow, he'd get up an hour earlier to train!
If Heshu, who was already so strong, worked this hard, what excuse did he have?!
Watching the flames of resolve ignite in Juri's eyes, Heshu fell silent.
Knowing Juri, this king of overwork was about to start grinding even harder.
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