After hearing Kuro Aburame's analysis, Kazuyama fell into deep thought.
Kinjutsu—every one of them is tied to taboo.
Either they're so powerful they risk harming innocents, or using them comes at a steep personal cost.
Judging from what he'd seen, the Kamizuru Clan's forbidden technique likely involved both.
That made it volatile and unpredictable. The Kamizuru were really going all-in.
"Any good ideas?"
"Sunrise isn't far off. If we don't act soon, we'll take serious losses when the battle begins."
Tsunade stood with her arms crossed, expression grave. If possible, she still wanted to attempt the decapitation strategy.
From the look on her face, Kazuyama already knew what she was thinking.
"Still thinking about the decapitation plan?"
"Tsk, it's way too risky. Even if I did go, unless I've already marked every target, there's nothing I can do."
"Wait a sec… hmm…"
Suddenly, Kazuyama's eyes lit up. He turned to Tsunade with a crooked grin that made her uneasy.
"Hey! What's with that creepy smile?"
"I just had a brilliant idea. But I'll need your help. So? You in or not?"
Tsunade looked surprised. That fast?
Could it still be a variation of the decapitation plan? No—knowing Kazuyama, once he dismissed a plan, he wouldn't go back to it.
So it was something new?
Damn, what kind of brain did this little punk have to come up with plans so fast?
She wasn't the only one. Everyone else around them was staring too, all drawn in by his sudden spark of inspiration.
"What are you all staring at me for?"
"I'm just a scout tossing out an idea. No need to act like I just grew a second head."
Kazuyama muttered as he approached Tsunade again, flashing that signature bad-boy grin before launching into his pitch.
"Lady Tsunade, have you ever heard this saying?"
"What saying?"
"Even the strongest warrior fears a kitchen knife. Even the strangest demon fears a stick of dynamite. All fear comes from lack of firepower."
Tsunade: ??? Is that even a real saying?
Everyone else: Never heard of it… but it kind of makes sense?
"You've seriously never heard that classic line?"
"What, are your heads full of weeds?"
"Eh, never mind. You probably don't even know what weeds are."
"They're the favorite snack of a certain big bat, y'know. Tsk."
Kazuyama's sarcastic tone had everyone about ready to explode. Nobody knew what he was talking about—but they were all sure of one thing: he was absolutely mocking them.
"Anyway, back on topic."
"Lady Tsunade, if you ask me—when there's a real plan, there's always a way in."
"The Kamizuru are scary, sure—but they're not untouchable."
"It just comes down to whether you're willing to make a sacrifice."
Tsunade snorted coldly. "What's there to hesitate about? If it'll kill those bastards, I'll do whatever it takes!"
Hearing that, Kazuyama's grin grew dark.
"Then gather every explosive tag in camp."
"And after that... you and I are going on a little trip."
"No, wait—correction. It's not you coming with me... it's your summon, Katsuyu."
"Ever heard of a kamikaze squad? Hehehehe..."
Kamikaze squad?
Everyone blinked. They knew the word "kamikaze"—but what the hell did he mean by "kamikaze squad"?
Tsunade's eyes widened—she instantly realized what that brat was up to and blurted out,
"You want to split up my slugs and turn them into bombs?!"
"You little bastard! Those are my slugs! And you just want to send them off to blow up the enemy?!"
But Kazuyama, as usual, looked completely unfazed. He shrugged with a calm, matter-of-fact expression.
"Shikkotsu Forest breeds slugs capable of splitting, healing, and fighting. Their ancestor, Katsuyu, passed down this contract technique. What makes them special is that they're actually extensions of a sage's body. The number that can be summoned varies with the user's chakra."
"They're highly resistant to damage. Thanks to Shikkotsu Forest's properties, even explosions won't hurt them much—they can avoid major injury by design."
"So what's there to worry about?"
"One big slug can split into how many small ones? Stick an explosive tag on each—boom, instant mobile bombs."
"Even if we don't know the exact location of the Kamizuru Clan, so what?"
"Just carpet the area with blasts. No demon or monster can stand up to that!"
Kazuyama's ruthlessness was on full display—toward enemies, yes, but also toward allies. In his eyes, those innocent slugs were nothing more than top-tier self-propelled explosives.
As he kept talking, he glanced sideways at Kuro Aburame, who wiped a cold sweat from his brow under the weight of Kazuyama's look.
He muttered inwardly: Thank goodness our bugs are too small to strap tags to… otherwise, this little devil might've already wiped out the whole Aburame Clan.
Tsunade held back her desire to punch Kazuyama into the dirt and forced her voice to stay calm.
"Your idea isn't bad. But no matter how many times the slugs split, they're still about the size of a fist. Unless the enemy is blind, they'll spot them right away."
"If they use long-range attacks, the slugs won't even get close."
"Especially in a war—there'll definitely be sensor-type ninja around."
As their summoner, she knew the slug's abilities better than anyone. With their pale blue-white bodies, stealth was out of the question—let alone sneaking close enough to explode.
They'd probably get picked off before they even got halfway there.
But Kazuyama just burst out laughing, full of confidence, leaving everyone around him momentarily stunned.
"Lady Tsunade, have you forgotten who my master is?"
"The Three Great Sacred Grounds don't stop at Shikkotsu Forest."
As he spoke, his eyes suddenly shifted into vertical slits, and a wicked energy radiated from his body.
The eerie aura chilled everyone around him to the bone.
"The heir to Ryūchi Cave stands before you. The issue you brought up? Not an issue at all."
"So, what do you say, Lady Tsunade? Want to give it a try?"
"If we work together, I'm confident we can pull it off. And if things go sideways, I've got Flying Thunder God. Getting both of us back won't be a problem."
The name "Ryūchi Cave" carried weight—a true golden seal.
Ordinary shinobi might not grasp its meaning, but Tsunade, inheritor of Shikkotsu Forest, knew it well.
Each of the Three Sage Regions was cloaked in mystery.
But the moment she heard that name, something stirred in the back of her memory...