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The next morning—
Uchiha Haru and Chief Kaguya arrived at the inn's restaurant, ready to eat.
Just as they opened the door, they came face to face with Tsunade, who was already waiting for them.
"Lady Tsunade, you're up early," Haru said, calm as ever.
Tsunade, on the other hand, got straight to the point. "I gave it serious thought last night. I'll go with you to the Hidden Mist Village—but three years is too long. I'll give you one year. That's my limit. And I want an explanation."
After returning home the previous night, she had spent hours reflecting.
Nawaki. Dan.
The pain of their deaths had never truly healed, and now, with new suspicions rising from the shadows, she could no longer sit idly by.
She needed answers.
But she couldn't do this alone.
Too much time had passed. The shinobi world was no longer the one she once knew. Konoha itself had changed—subtly, deeply.
If the person she suspected was truly behind it all, then she'd need help—someone who could dive into the darkest corners of the ninja world with her and unearth the truth.
That person was Uchiha Haru.
A man with both the Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release. A rare and dangerous combination. And more than that, a man she couldn't read.
But just because she'd made up her mind didn't mean she would accept all his terms. She had her own conditions.
One year, not three.
Surely, that wasn't unreasonable.
Except—
"No. Three years. Not a day less," Haru said flatly.
There was no room for negotiation in his voice.
"Two years," she countered, frowning slightly.
"Three."
Tsunade's brows twitched. "You…"
Frustration flared in her chest, but after a long exhale, she finally nodded.
"Fine. Three years it is. But if you fail to deliver, I'll bring down the entire Mist Village myself if I have to."
"Deal," Haru agreed without hesitation.
Chief Kaguya stood stunned nearby.
Was this actually happening?
He had almost fled during the night, worried that everything was falling apart. But now, things had flipped completely.
Tsunade had agreed to go to the Hidden Mist Village.
His son, Kimimaro, was saved.
This was a good turn of events—no matter how sudden.
With their agreement settled, the group sat down to eat before preparing for departure.
Haru, Tsunade, and Shizune retired to their rooms afterward to rest and pack.
Outside, Chief Kaguya was gathering supplies in advance.
But just as he was about to return inside, several shinobi appeared down the street—and they immediately caught his eye.
He recognized them.
It was Asuma Sarutobi, whom he'd clashed with not long ago. Alongside him were Might Guy and Kurenai Yuhi.
Kurenai looked unharmed, as composed as ever.
Asuma had a thick bandage wrapped around his left arm, where a bone spike had pierced him. Still, he seemed stable—nothing life-threatening.
Might Guy, however, looked wrecked.
He was only able to walk with the support of others. The toll of the Eight Gates Technique on the human body was no joke, and it showed.
In addition to those three, there were three others.
One of them stood out—a tall man with silver-white hair, a mask covering the lower half of his face, and his left eye concealed beneath a forehead protector. He had an aloof aura and the presence of a leader.
Kakashi Hatake.
The other two gave off a far more hostile vibe.
Their elite jōnin flak jackets, their grim expressions, their posture—it was clear they weren't here to make friends.
When enemies meet, sparks fly.
The air immediately turned tense.
The Kaguya chief and the Konoha shinobi had fought once before. Though their battle had been cut short by Haru's appearance, the resentment hadn't faded.
Asuma's glare was sharp, openly hostile.
The Kaguya chief smirked in response, a touch of sarcasm in his expression.
But despite the tension, they didn't engage.
They walked past each other, cold, silent.
The reason was simple—they each had their missions.
Now wasn't the time for personal vendettas.
Still, a seed of worry sprouted in the Kaguya chief's heart.
He knew the relationship these Konoha shinobi had with Uchiha Haru.
Back then, he had acted without knowing Haru's full status. It had been a reckless mistake, one he had barely escaped from.
But now?
Now he knew better.
If he made another move, if he acted carelessly again—it would be like challenging Haru directly.
He wasn't ready for that.
He wouldn't survive it.
Still, as he took a few steps forward, another thought hit him.
Why were Konoha's shinobi here?
And not just any shinobi—but powerful ones.
Six high-ranking ninjas, including Kakashi and Guy. This wasn't some routine patrol.
Were they here for a mission?
Or were they looking for someone?
Almost subconsciously, the leader of the Kaguya Clan thought of Tsunade.
And the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
Right now, they had an agreement with Tsunade.
He didn't want any mistakes to happen during this critical period.
So, he shouted at the retreating group from Konoha, "Hey!"
"Where do you think you're going, kid from the Leaf?"
Asuma and the others turned back with unfriendly expressions.
Enemies crossing paths on a narrow road—if they could pretend not to see each other and go their separate ways, things might remain peaceful. But to dare provoke them directly?
Although Might Guy couldn't fight at the moment due to having opened the Eight Gates earlier—his body was completely drained—
There were still six people on their team.
And among them, one was truly formidable.
If it hadn't been for the current mission, he would've already taken the opportunity to settle old scores.
"Where we go is none of your business," Asuma said bluntly.
The Kaguya clan leader let out a laugh. "Young man, don't speak with such temper. One day, you might die before you even realize it."
"You want to test that theory?" Asuma narrowed his eyes, his hand already moving.
The leader of the Kaguya Clan scowled.
As the head of his clan, when had he ever been spoken to like this?
Even if this guy was an acquaintance of Uchiha Haru, he wouldn't let it slide. At most, he'd hold back a little—teach him a minor lesson.
Uchiha Haru wouldn't blame him for that.
After all, no one said you couldn't raise a hand when you were angry.
At that moment, someone stepped between them. The silver-haired ninja from earlier—the famous genius of Konoha—Hatake Kakashi.
Asuma's team had already clashed with the Kaguya Clan once. They'd been injured and barely made it out.
If they ran into more trouble, they might not survive.
So Asuma had called for backup from the closest team—Kakashi's—and informed them of Tsunade's last known location.
Originally, Asuma could've taken full credit this time. But, well… injuries made that impossible.
"Asuma, don't forget our objective," Kakashi said calmly.
Then he turned to the Kaguya clan leader. "Esteemed elder of Kirigakure, perhaps there was some misunderstanding between us earlier."
"I hope, considering we're all shinobi of the Five Great Nations, we can avoid unnecessary conflict. There's no need to escalate what can be resolved."
His tone shifted slightly, and his lone Sharingan narrowed sharply. "However… if the Kaguya Clan truly wants to see if Konoha's reputation is just for show—I'd be happy to oblige."
The Kaguya leader studied the young shinobi before him.
Compared to Asuma and Might Guy, this one… was clearly stronger.
The new generation of Konoha couldn't be underestimated.
"What's your name, brat?"
"Hatake Kakashi," he replied plainly.
"The Copy Ninja from the Third Great Ninja War…?"
"Seeing you in person, you live up to the name."
Of course he'd heard of Hatake Kakashi.
"You flatter me, elder," Kakashi replied, his tone still calm, unaffected by the praise.
The Kaguya leader nodded silently. He admired the youth's composure. Could he have been so calm at that age?
"I stopped you only to ask a single question."
Kakashi didn't reply. His indifferent gaze alone showed his stance clearly.
Why should they entertain questions from a Mist ninja?
But the Kaguya leader didn't mind. Rather than force the issue, he decided to confirm what he'd suspected.
So he said, "Are you here looking for Tsunade—one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin?"
Asuma, Kurenai Yuhi, Might Guy, and the others visibly tensed.
"You know—"
Kakashi cut him off with a slight frown, raising a hand to silence Asuma. "Who we're searching for, and why, is no concern of yours."
But it was already too late.
As the saying goes—no fear of powerful enemies, only of foolish teammates.
If Kakashi had been alone, perhaps the Kaguya leader wouldn't have confirmed anything.
But with the others present, their reactions spoke volumes.
He saw it clearly.
His suspicions were correct—they were here for Tsunade.
A heavy feeling settled in the clan leader's chest.
He didn't know the reason behind their search.
But it couldn't be anything good.
He had to stop them at all costs.
After all, this involved his son's life.
Feigning calm, he said, "I only asked because I happened to see Lady Tsunade in the city yesterday. I thought you might be searching for her—but I see I was mistaken. Never mind then."
With that, he turned and made to leave.
"Wait a minute!"
Asuma called after him. "You really saw Lady Tsunade?"
"Yes," the clan leader replied with a nod. "But weren't you not looking for her?"
"That's none of your concern," Asuma retorted, then quickly realized how suspicious he sounded.
After all, they needed information. He cleared his throat and softened his tone slightly.
"Can you tell us where she was last seen? Or which direction she went?"
But before they could press further—
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This Week Bonus Chapter - 200 Power stones
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