The joint command tent of Konoha and Hidden Sand hummed with controlled tension. Hanekawa stood to Tsunade's left, surveying the assembled jonin and special jonin—roughly five thousand ninja total between the two villages. He recognized few faces beyond Chiyo and Maki from the Hidden Sand contingent.
Tsunade chaired the meeting. Despite Chiyo's seniority, the political calculus was simple: Konoha had won their last conflict, and the Hidden Sand needed allies.
"The Hidden Mist has split their forces," Hizashi Hyuga reported, his voice steady. "One contingent entered the Land of Rivers. The other remains at sea."
The Hyuga clan had been stationed here specifically to monitor Mist movements—a precaution Hiruzen had implemented after the last war.
"How many in the Rivers?" Tsunade asked.
"Nearly two hundred confirmed. They're dispersed in small teams."
Tsunade's expression hardened. Harassment tactics. The Mist Village had used them before—using superior mobility to strike at supply lines and isolated units. But with numbers roughly equal to Konoha's, this would be something different. Something worse.
"The Third Mizukage?"
"At sea, likely. Tracking someone of that caliber is..." Hizashi paused diplomatically. "Difficult. Especially near water."
A Mizukage proficient in Water Style would be nearly invisible in their element. Reasonable.
"We need to determine their movements first," Chiyo said calmly.
"Agreed," Tsunade echoed. "Let's begin assignments."
Three hours later, the tent had emptied.
---
Tsunade's private quarters were a stark contrast to her public persona. She sprawled across cushions, yawning dramatically.
"Get some rest. Real work starts tomorrow," she mumbled.
When Hanekawa remained, she dropped the act entirely, stretching like a cat.
"Ah." Hanekawa couldn't help but smile at the transformation.
The serious commander and the private Tsunade were almost different people. Both versions suited her.
"Hanekawa." She approached, voice low. "Please tell me you brought food."
They stood close enough that her fragrance reached him—something floral beneath the sake. When he glanced down, he caught the soft curve of her lips, the delicate line of her jaw.
"Why are you staring?" She glared at him. "Well?"
"I brought everything you like," he said smoothly, pushing down the strange flutter in his chest.
"That's more like it." She straightened, satisfied. "My tent. Now."
Her command quarters were spacious—easily large enough for several people.
"This could fit a whole team," Hanekawa observed.
"Thinking of moving in?" She settled onto the carpet with a grunt.
"Actually, yes."
Tsunade froze. She clearly hadn't expected that answer.
Does this kid have any concept of propriety? her expression seemed to ask.
"What did you bring?" she asked, pivoting smoothly.
"Quite a bit." He withdrew five storage scrolls.
"The entire market?" Her eyebrows rose.
"Half, at most," he said modestly.
She made a small sound—touched, but clearly uncertain how to respond to his casual generosity.
"Takoyaki?" he remembered suddenly. "These need to be eaten fresh."
Shame there's no Ice Release user nearby. Carrying a portable refrigerator would be convenient.
He wondered if Haku had been born yet. The ice-wielding ninja would be two or three years older than Naruto—meaning this year or next, possibly.
"Takoyaki?" Tsunade's amusement was evident. "That's children's food."
"Children eat it. So do older kids like you."
Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Older kids? You little brat—"
I can clearly tell the difference between big and small, he thought, suppressing a grin.
He used Fire Style to warm the takoyaki. The rich aroma filled the tent almost immediately.
Tsunade's throat worked visibly.
"Well?" he offered the boxes. "Does the older kid want some?"
"Since you asked so nicely," she sniffed, taking them.
She plucked one with a wooden pick, popped it into her mouth, and her eyes closed in bliss.
"You made these?" she asked between bites.
"Yes."
"Store-bought takoyaki doesn't taste like this." She reached for another. "You're spoiling me."
"Wait until my 'Senior Chef' entry upgrades. It'll taste even better."
"Impossible." She spoke with absolute certainty. "It's already perfect."
They settled into comfortable silence as she worked through both boxes. When she finished, she touched her stomach contentedly.
"Thank you. Get some rest."
He returned to his own tent, positioned nearby. Sleep came easily.
---
Morning brought organized chaos. Ninjas departed in coordinated teams, each carrying their assignments.
Hanekawa's team received their first mission: eliminate Mist Village ninja teams operating in the Rivers.
The strategy was straightforward—drive the Mist forces out before dealing with the larger contingent at sea. Tsunade wouldn't risk him in open water against overwhelming numbers.
"Hyuga intelligence reports a Mist team in the grove north of here," Tsunade said, pointing. "Four ninja—one jonin, three chunin."
Hanekawa closed his eyes, activating his sensory ability. "Confirmed. Four signatures."
"Handle it," Tsunade ordered.
"Yes," the three responded in unison.
Rin formed hand seals, her body going rigid as her spirit separated. Hanekawa and Kurenai used Body Flicker to cross the river in a blur.
The world exploded.
Detonating tags—buried, triggered, devastating. The blast sent them flying backward in a shower of flame and earth.
They prepared traps in advance?
Hanekawa formed seals. "Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
A barrier of water rose, absorbing the explosion's force. But thick mist was already spreading—the Mist Village's signature technique, mixing with smoke to create near-total blindness.
The Mist jonin laughed from somewhere in the haze. "Foolish Leaf ninja, walking straight into—"
A sound like tearing silk cut him off.
He spun, instinct screaming danger. The Thunder and Fire Sword blazed through the fog, its edge catching his arm. Blood sprayed.
Body Flicker saved him, Hanekawa noted.
The jonin's confidence evaporated. Even in the Mist Hidden Technique—his specialty—he couldn't track his opponent.
A scream pierced the fog. One of his students.
He hesitated, torn between support and self-preservation.
The ground beneath him cracked open. Hands erupted from the earth, grabbing his legs, pulling him down. He had a single moment to register the trap before—
The Thunder and Fire Sword found his skull.
Darkness claimed him.
The fog dispersed under a Wind Style gust. Kurenai had eliminated two chunin. Rin controlled the third.
"Interrogate him," Tsunade ordered when they returned.
The captured chunin broke quickly. "Detonating tags. Dispersed teams. We're meant to consume your forces while we escape."
A suicide strategy—effective, but the Mist teams were trapped in foreign territory with no extraction plan.
They returned to base camp with the intelligence. The first day's losses were heavy, but manageable.
The conflict settled into a grinding stalemate across the Rivers.
---
Elsewhere, beneath an ancient tree, Uchiha Madara opened his eyes.
He preferred the freedom of shadow clones to being bound to the Outer Path Statue. The sun blazed overhead—August at its strongest—but he didn't flinch.
White Zetsu emerged from the earth.
"Obito?" Madara asked without turning.
"Still demanding to return to Konoha. To see Nohara Rin."
"Predictable." Madara's voice was calm, almost contemplative. "And useful."
He'd confirmed it now: Obito's awakening depended on Rin. The key to everything.
"Can she be captured?"
"The Mist Village has tried twice. Tsunade and Hanekawa eliminated every team."
Madara wasn't surprised. They'd reached Kage-level strength. Ordinary jonin were insufficient.
"The Third Mizukage will need to intervene personally," he decided. "As for Obito—arrange for him to 'accidentally' learn the truth. At the right moment."
If he told Obito directly, even his limited intellect would suspect manipulation.
"Understood," White Zetsu said, sinking back into the earth.
Madara returned his gaze to the sun, already calculating the next phase of his plan.
---