"Jiraiya will lead another unit tomorrow, it should be no problem."
Tsunade said.
Sure enough, the village's higher-ups were already rapidly preparing a second unit, which would head to the battlefield tomorrow.
So, taking action tomorrow night... is the best opportunity.
With Tsunade's hint, Hakushi was even more certain of this point.
"Is it really okay for Teacher Tsunade not to go along? I heard that the Hidden Sand Village is coming aggressively, the front line over there..."
Hakushi's face showed a worried expression.
Shizune hesitated to speak, but after thinking about it, she refrained. After all, this matter was a significant secret of the village and should not be easily exposed to unrelated people.
She knew a thing or two only because she lived with Tsunade.
This was classified information in the village.
"I've already said it's fine, you don't need to worry. With the abilities of those two, they should be sufficient to hold back the Hidden Sand Ninja. Moreover, I'm tired of fighting, and this teaching job is something Teacher Sarutobi forced onto me."
Tsunade cleverly concluded the topic, her eyes staring out the window, momentarily lost in thought.
Clearly, even with a façade of indifference and calmness, her heart was still very worried about Orochimaru and Jiraiya.
Not wanting to bore Tsunade by troubling her, Hakushi sat in his seat and began preparing lessons. Shizune went to make two cups of hot tea and placed them on the table in front of Tsunade and Hakushi.
At half-past five in the afternoon, the school's classes ended. After answering some students' questions regarding medical matters, Hakushi left the school and continued to stroll around the village.
Hakushi wandered until it was completely dark before ending his stroll. Seeing that the time was about right, he returned to the Uchiha Clan Land.
Today's patrol work finished. As long as another patrol is done before the action tomorrow night, everything should be fine.
Unless there's a major unexpected change, no adjustments to the plan are needed. But now, the biggest issue is how to explain to Ruri tonight.
Hakushi wasn't very confident that Ruri would leave Konoha with him.
The Uchiha Race and Konoha have deep ties, and Ruri being an Uchiha ninja, the entanglement between Uchiha and Konoha is precisely Ruri's connection to Konoha.
In any case, no matter the result, accepting it calmly is for the best.
It's time to say goodbye to this village.
Entrusting the Shion Flower Company's leader with precious medicinal research materials in exchange for Konoha training medical ninjas for the organization was the last gift.
After taking a rest, waiting for Ruri to return, and confessing about leaving Konoha, was the choice Hakushi made in his heart at this moment.
With this decision in mind, Hakushi returned to his room, quietly waiting for Ruri to return from her patrol mission to confess to her.
"It's seven thirty..."
He remembers Ruri saying she switches shifts with another team around eight, so only half an hour was left.
Hakushi gave a bitter smile. Honestly, for some reason, his mood was increasingly nervous.
Thinking about it, it wasn't such a big deal. As long as it's explained clearly, everything would be fine. Yet, before the person even returned, he was already this anxious.
Really, he should go wash his face to calm down and organize his thoughts.
Hakushi thought about it and headed toward the bathroom.
The corridor lights were on, so everything in the corridor was clearly visible. Approaching him was a maid carrying a tray with food.
"Well, dinner is ready, would you like to have it now?"
The maid asked.
"Just leave it in the dining room; Ruri will be back soon."
"Yes."
After saying this, the maid suddenly looked up and met Hakushi's gaze, her eyes flashed with a sharp scarlet light.
Within the scarlet light were three black rotating Magatama, releasing formidable Donjutsu.
After the Illusion Technique succeeded, the maid took out a short knife from under the tray and relentlessly stabbed it toward Hakushi's heart.
Hakushi's expression did not change in the slightest.
The short knife in the maid's hand indeed struck his body.
But in an instant, the scene suddenly altered.
A massive water ball enveloped the maid, containing a large amount of Chakra, making the pressure inside the water ball extraordinarily heavy, causing the maid to feel her body and limbs immobilized, powerlessly struggling in the water ball, blowing bubbles.
"This ends here."
A cold voice came from directly behind Hakushi.
If not avoided, being killed was inevitable; the source of that killing intent was much more terrifying than the maid who ambushed him.
And the maid's current rigid state was obviously due to being manipulated by an Illusion Technique into attempting to assassinate him.
Moreover, after controlling the maid, an additional Sharingan Illusion Technique was set in the maid's eyes.
This was a dual Illusion Technique release.
Among the Uchiha Race, a ninja capable of this was an elite Jonin.
"!?"
The assailant widened his eyes, a pitch-black shadow emerged from unknown origins and manifested into a tangible form—strange and bizarre Black Shadow Blades, each deadly enough to take a life, came attacking him.
The assailant broke into a cold sweat, leaping back to maintain a safe distance from Hakushi.
What, what was that?
Shadow?
He touched the blood on his face, realizing a cut had appeared on it at some unknown moment.
If he had been just a bit slower, his head might have been separated from his body by now.
There was no sound, nor weight; if his pain sense hadn't reacted, alerting him to the attack, he wouldn't have even known he had been counterattacked.